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            I heard the sound of cloth ripping and the next thing I knew the Dark Man was standing really close behind me with his big arms around my shoulders.  I only had a moment to recognize a thick roll of white cloth that had been one of my new T-shirts before his gloved fingers XXXX my lips apart and then began wedging that thick roll of cloth in between my teeth.  I struggled a little, but I couldn't stop him from jamming all of that soft cloth into my mouth and over my lips, and then he pinched me again as he tied the two ends of the T-shirt rag really tightly behind my neck.
            “Good boy.”  The Dark Man patted me on the head.  “Have a seat.”
            His gloved hand grabbed me by my head and then pushed me down until I was sitting on the toilet seat.  Then he knelt down in front of me and glared up at me from behind his horrible mask.  “I don't have to tell you what will happen to you if you try anything stupid.”
            I was too scared and confused to think of doing anything so I just sat there numbly and watched as he used more of his cruel rope to lash my ankles tightly together.  Why was he being so rough?  I had never done anything to hurt him.  I didn't even know who he was.  So I just watched those ropes gripping me tighter and tighter and tried to work my lips into a more comfortable position around the wedge of T-shirt that was distorting my mouth while I tried to ignore the little tears that were dripping down onto my chest.
            “That should hold you for awhile,” the Dark Man decided and then pushed my bound body down onto the cold tile floor.  “Now all you got to do is to stay quiet for a few hours.  You think you can do that?”
            What kind of a question was that?  I didn't even know what to say.  So I looked up at him and made kind of agreeing-noises behind the wedge of cotton. 
Then his nylon-smeared lips kind of smiled at me.  “I'm going to be right in the living room so don't get any bright ideas.”
Then he went out and closed the door on my little tiled prison.
By this time I was so numb with the shock of the whole frightening experience that I just laid there for several minutes listening to the beating of my heart.  Then I began to think about my Dad and my horrid brother.  Who else would hire some dark goon to do this to me?  And the more I thought about it, the angrier I became and then I began to struggle against the tight ropes and work my tongue against the soggy wedge of cloth that was gagging me.
I never really cared about Dad’s money.  I had always been happy to make it on my own.  But after a dirty trick like this, I not only wanted my share of the money, I also began to plan on how I could get my hands on my brother’s share of the money, too.  I'd like to see him go hungry for a change. But then my struggles against the ropes bumped my shoulder into the tub and made a loud noise.
In seconds the Dark Man burst into the bathroom.  “I warned you!”
The Dark Man pounced on me and grabbed my body hard.  Then he bent me in half until my chin was almost touching my knees while he wrapped and tied more of his cruel rope around my shins and the back of my neck until I was tied up like a package.
“You bother me one more time while the game is on and I'll put you to XXXX!” he warned.  Then he went out and slammed the door shut.
Now I was really trapped and for a few moments my situation really looked hopeless.  But then I remembered a trick an old sheepherder had showed me when I spent a winter with him.
Instead of struggling against the ropes, I folded up my body into an even smaller package until I felt the neck rope go slack.  Then it just took a little time and a little patience for me to slowly work my tied hands down behind my legs until I finally managed to slip them over my feet.
Once I was able to get my tied hands in front of me, it was kind of easy to pull the big gag down out of my mouth.  And then I could use my teeth like gnawing on a bone to untie the rope that was binding my wrists.  After that, the rest of the ropes were easy.
Now all I had to do was to crawl into my bedroom that was next to the bathroom without the Dark Man seeing me.  Then all I needed to do was to grab some clothes, slip out my bedroom window and then make it in time to the lawyer’s office to give my brother the surprise of his young life.

THE END