11 - The Escapologist
Story index at the bottom
Introduction
This story was written after suddenly remembering the long-forgotten experience that happened to me many years ago. The human brain is an amazing thing isn't it?
Reading Gillian's excellent fictional short story, "The Adventures of McKenzie and Marks" as well as a couple of other true escapology stories helped provide the inspiration for this true story. (Gillian, thanks for writing it and also for providing the link to this site!) Additionally, I am indebted to Dudalb for helping jog my memory when he answered my query concerning "public bondage". The funny thing was that I had forgotten all about this experience until just now. It was reading the exploits of the various escapologists and 'public bondage' stories published on this, and other sites that helped drag this memory deep from the recesses of my own mind, where it had been stored away all those years.
Without giving too much away at this point, this tale recounts how I once assisted a magician, on stage in his own escape routine. I was still only 17 or 18 at the time. The year was very late 1984. (I think) It could have been very early 1985.
Lisa
I had been dating the lovely Lisa, my childhood sweetheart at the time. She was the first real girlfriend that I had had. Lisa was about the same height as myself and had brown eyes with medium length brunette hair. Like Nicky, she was also very slim. In fact, she had a beautiful body. Lisa was hot blooded and passionate like the Scorpio she was (her birthday was only a couple of days before mine!). She was also a wonderfully warm and caring person. Both of us had lots in common including a shared love for the Saints and footy in that order. Lisa was very articulate and easy to talk to - we could and often did lie for hours cuddling on the banks of the Yarra River and just talking about anything and everything.
In case you are wondering, no I never did tie her up because I was just too embarrassed to mention my liking for these special kinds of games to her - I was deathly afraid that she would react the wrong way and that I would lose her. By then, I knew that my kinky desires had a word for it - it was called 'bondage.' In a way, that only made it worse because of the highly sexually charged nature of the games I loved to play so much. It was years before I was able to shed my guilt about bondage. I think I missed quite a few golden opportunities because of my (irrational) fears.
In hindsight, I should have brought it up or at least tried to tie her up in a playful sort of way since she was such an open-minded intelligent person but I had always thought that she would think I was 'strange' if I brought the subject up, even if indirectly. Therefore, I never did do so, much to my lasting regret. Remember that I was still an impressionable 17-year-old struggling to come to terms with my own sexuality while dating my first girlfriend, and an especially attractive one at that too.
Early days
Her mother, Mrs. B and my own mother had previously known each other from their old work before they parted their ways. However, in the way that people do, they re-established contact and my mum invited Mrs. B (who was divorced) and her two daughters, Lisa and C around for dinner. At the time, I had recently taken possession of my new hi-tech ATARI computer game. State of the art game-playing technology back then! This was the one you used to slot the game cassettes into before hooking it up to the TV. Lisa, C and myself must have spent just about ALL evening playing various games - we had a great time! This would have been in my very late sixteen's.
After that visit, Lisa wrote to me several times. At the time, my father also owned a business, which was only minutes walk from her home. I used to work there to earn extra pocket money on Saturdays before closing up and going to the footy if a home game was on. (The Saints home ground was only a kilometre or so away.) She often used to come over to chat with me around closing time on Saturdays. Eventually, I guess I must have realised how attractive she was and asked her out to see a movie.
Our first date
It took her about two seconds to say yes. We arranged the movie date for the following Saturday. Needless to say it was a great success. Ironically, the film was 'Superman' (the movie version of Nicky's favourite TV show) Dinner was… Macdonald's. Maccas! How romantic. But we were both only 17 and on limited incomes. I will always remember the look of happiness and joy in her face when I nervously took her hand in my own for the very first time and held it. I can still easily recall how fast my heart was beating when I reached for Lisa's hand before shyly taking it in my own. Some memories endure. Our first kiss, a couple of dates later was even more special. It was… wonderful!
It was not long before it became official - we were an item. Eventually, we established a routine where I would catch the train from school every second Friday, change at Richmond and continue down to where she lived. Lisa would travel to my home each alternate Friday. On Saturdays, I worked at the shop until closing time at one when Lisa would come over. During the football season, if the footy was on, we'd go to that with my father to watch the hapless Saints lose as per usual. On the rare occasions when we fluked a win in the muddy morass of dread Moorabbin (they actually used to water the ground overnight to make it muddy and reduce the other side to the same level as us) which was our much feared home ground, the long-suffering Saint fans used to celebrate as if we had won a premiership. Saints fans are fanatical and loud - opposition sides and their supporters used to hate travelling out to Moorabbin, in the days before they moved to Waverley Park. (we have since moved to the super hi-tech Colonial Stadium yuppiedome) If not, we often repaired to her home to do whatever it was we used to do or travel into the city to catch a movie.
The matinee
On one such fine Saturday afternoon, we decided to go into the city as the Saints were playing away and because it was such a nice day.
On this occasion, Lisa and myself were strolling hand in hand down the main drag, Swanston Street past the Melbourne Town Hall when she noticed a sign advertising free public magic performances. Fortuitously, it advertised another performance beginning in only a few minutes. I wasn't too keen but she absolutely insisted on going in to watch, so in we went. (Actually, she dragged me in by the hand)
As it turned out, there were still quite a few front-row seats left so Lisa decided that we should sit in one of those in order to see the show better.
The first few acts were routine - the usual stressed out white-rabbit-from-a-hat trick along with various others. Nothing special or out of the ordinary. This bloke was no David Copperfield and it showed.
The props were duly brought out for the next act and set down without great fanfare. They were simple. A two-foot high, three-inch diameter wooden post with a largish hole drilled through the middle (presumably so the rope ends could be passed through it to prevent him from sliding his hands up the pole to gain slack.) and a quantity of white rope. It was around this point I suddenly became much more interested in, what up until now, had been a fairly mundane show (little wonder it was free) I hoped Lisa would not notice my increased excitement and wonder why.
The magic rope trick
The magician announced that for his next trick he would ask a member of the audience to volunteer to tie him to the post, from which he would attempt to escape. No one volunteered. By now I was very interested. I also had no intention of volunteering either. Lisa clearly wanted me to volunteer - her actions and loudly whispered exhortations to "get up there and help him" made that all too clear. But I still wasn't going to volunteer, no matter what she said. I was too shy and embarrassed to get up there and actually TIE somebody up in front of what seemed like half of Melbourne. (although the crowd could not possibly have topped 50 or so people who, like us had wandered in off the street to have a look.) Never mind that I was also feeling very shy about getting up there in front of all those people. And in front of my svelte girlfriend.
Eventually realising no one was inclined to volunteer their services, he once again appealed for volunteers. Same story. Eventually it occurred to him that he would have to be pro-active in order to obtain a volunteer. He pointed in my direction and said, "Would you like to join me up here?" Words to that effect. I looked around thinking he was speaking to someone behind me. No one moved. I turned around again.
"Yes, you," he was saying.
"Me?!?" I squawked in horror.
All is explained - the routine
He confirmed that it was indeed myself whose assistance he required by motioning for me to join him up on the stage. Lisa didn't help matters any. She literally pushed me out of the seat. I had no choice. Of course, I could have said "no" but how would that have looked to my girlfriend? One who moreover was completely unaware of my kinky desires? Lisa looked so pleased and proud as I reluctantly joined the magician up on stage. Having such a lovely and appreciative fan club did cheer me up considerably.
"What's your name?" he asked.
Timidly, I answered, "Mason."
"What do you do?" he kindly asked, aware of my nervousness. No doubt he was used to this kind of thing from often reluctant 'volunteers' However he had no idea that my anxiety was directly related to the fact I was expected to tie him up on stage, in front of my girlfriend. I felt as if all my bondage fantasies had been dragged out of my cranium for all to see.
I replied that I was still studying for my HSC (Higher School Certificate), which is now known as the VCE in my home state of Victoria. They are comparably equivalent to the English "O" levels.
Introductions over, he explained as much for my benefit as for the audience that he was going to perform an escape routine. My services were required to tie him to the short little pole any way I liked after which his assistant would place a screen around him. He would then have one minute to escape.
Upon concluding his explanation of the routine, he knelt down in front of the post for me to begin tying him up. This was it - my big moment. The bright lights of showbiz beckoned. I was still feeling extremely nervous as I also knelt down to perform my own role. However, Lisa's huge smile reassured me. She was sitting up very straight watching with great interest and pride.
Famous last words
The rope was soft white cotton cord. It was quite long at around 15 or 20 feet long. Gingerly I handled it as if it were a poisonous king cobra about to come to life. I was nervous to the extent that I completely fluffed tying his wrists together and I had to begin over again. This was not like tying up Nicky at all. Her wrists were slim, dainty and girlish. His were thick and hard, masculine wrists. I as I concentrated on the job at hand, I began to relax, so intent was I on ensuring he would still be just as tied up when they took the screen away as he was at the start. Not only was my professional pride at stake, I had a beautiful girl to impress too.
I tied and cinched the ropes around his wrists in exactly the same way I used to tie Nicky's hands together - except perhaps I pulled on the ropes and knots rather tighter than I ever would have with Nicky. After lashing his wrists together, I made him pass his bound hands over and in front of the pole so that it was between his hands and body. I passed the rope ends through the hole in the middle of the post back towards him and tied them around the pole and his wrists and cinched these too, firmly affixing his wrists to the pole. The magician was still kneeling but he was also much more hunched over the pole after I had finished tying him up. I carefully knotted and double knotted every thing up, out of reach of his fingers.
"There, I've finished!" I dramatically exclaimed for the audience's benefit. As I gained in confidence, I also began to show off a little. "There, get out of that!" I taunted, confident in the knowledge that I had done a good job of tying him up. The great cliché. The ropes were very tight, (they were too tight really but I wasn't going to spare him) the knots secure and out of reach. There was no way he was going to get out of that, I thought.
So I thought.
Escape!
He complimented me on doing a good job, asking, "Where did you learn to tie knots like that?"
I replied simply, "In the Boy Scouts"
"Ah, I see. Well, you've done a good job." I preened for Lisa's benefit, confident that I had gotten him. Pride cometh before a fall.
The master illusionist then instructed this assistant to place the screen around him after reminding us he had one minute to get free. Less than one minute later, to my great surprise, he emerged from behind the screen, having somehow escaped. I could only shake my head in disbelief while the audience and Lisa applauded loudly.
While the assistant quickly removed the props, he joked about how hard it had been to escape. I was then able to return to my seat, next to a beaming Lisa. Oh, but she was proud of me! For having had the nerve to get up there like I did and tying him up so well. (Never mind that the two of them had volunteered me anyway) Lisa cheerfully admitted that she would never have had the nerve to get up there herself. She consoled me on my failure to hold him, pointing out that he was a professional magician and escapologist who did this for a living.
Eventually the magical performance came to its inevitable conclusion and we were able to leave. Needless to say, Lisa was impressed with my own "starring role" in his performance, to the extent she cuddled up to me for the rest of what was to prove to be a wonderful day. After returning home, we ended up in her bedroom. I'm happy to say that what followed was as enjoyable, if not more so than any amount of bondage.
After leaving, we discussed the performance especially the rope trick but we were unable to come to any kind of conclusion how he had done it. (escaped) I told Lisa, in all honesty that I knew that I'd done a good job of tying him up but that I still could not understand how he had escaped. Neither could she. It was truly one of life's great mysteries…
Conclusion
It was not until many years later that I have finally been able to work out how he may have been able to escape with such seeming ease. I remember that while I was tying the magician and escape artist up, his hands were tightly clenched so as to allow him to obtain some slack once he unballed his hands - this certainly would have made it much easier for him to escape. Additionally, after reading Gillian's account on the escape routine that her friends and herself put on, I also just realised that he probably had had some kind of cutting implement (most likely a knife or some kind of small blade) hidden away somewhere, to help free himself. No wonder the assistant had whisked away the props and rope so quickly! His concluding spiel had merely served to act as a distraction while this was done.
Lastly, in hindsight, (isn't hindsight a wonderful thing!) if I had been a bit smarter and more confident about bondage, I could have used this to my advantage to tie Lisa up. All I had to do was to issue some kind of challenge, something along the lines of, "Well he may have escaped but you would never have!" Knowing Lisa as well as I did, she would definitely have taken me up on that challenge. But I never did suggest any such thing, fearful that she may think that I liked tying up games more than I should. I did not want her to think that I was 'kinky' or 'strange'.
It is one of the great regrets of my life that I never seized what I now realise had been a golden opportunity to get her to agree to her being tied up. Ah well… such is life. If the same thing were to happen to me tomorrow, now that I am far more confident about myself and my own sexuality, I would certainly take the opportunity to "allow" my date to practise (!) her escapology skills.
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Mason's Childhood Bound Stories
- 01 Introduction (ff/m)
- 02 Tied up for the first time (ff/m)
- 03 Nicky gets hers (m/f)
- 04 Nicky's retribution (f/m)
- 05 A Rainy Day (f/m, m/f)
- 06 Know Practise - A Knotty Good Time (m+/m)
- 07 Pirates of the Caribbean (m/f)
- 08 Pirates of the Caribbean (sequel) (f/m, m/f)
- 09 Kidnapped! (m/f)
- 10 Target Practice (m/fm)
- 11 The Escapologist (M/M)
- 12 A Close Escape (M, self)
- 13 Kristy's First Time (M/F, F/M)
- 14 The Mummy (M/F, F/M)
More about Mason - how he got into TUGs, also on the Internet Wayback Machine