Waking Up

My head ached. This was not unusual, I had been drinking a lot lately. Some would say too much, I would say not enough. I was also having some problems with drugs but hey I was young. I gradually started to come round. I could not remember last night. Again not unusual. What was strange was being on the bathroom floor. I mostly woke up in bed covered in piss and sick. I opened my eyes and then realised something was wrong. My hands were down by my waist and would not move up. I wanted to rub my eyes but could not. I moved my legs and heard the chink of chain. Now I panicked and looked down.

My wrists were encircled in metal manacles. These were not like the handcuffs cops used, they were a broad metal band with some kind of hinged bolt locking it up. Near identical but larger restraints contained my ankles. I moved my ankles apart the length of chain between the shackles was not more than 18 inches. A chain ran up from the centre of the chain connecting the ankles up to my waist where the last link was held by a 'D' ring that was held by a belt around my waist. The handcuffs chain was also fed through the 'D' ring meaning my hands where secured to my waist. There was something strange about the wrist restraints. I looked carefully and I could see some kind of plastic or metal between the cuff and my wrist. Then I released what it was, it was some kind of spacer that reduced the size of the cuff. The cuffs where not on tight but I struggled and it still did not hurt any but was impossible to pull my wrist free.

I struggled up by pushing with my feet against the wall and was just about able to stand. Something on my back scraped against the wall behind me I turned around and in the bathroom mirror I could just make out the large padlock securing the belt. I then realised the belt was made of metal, probably steel, with an inner liner of some kind of material.

"Shit, Kathy you bitch."

Kathy was my room-mate, no longer a friend due to issues concerning me puking on the living room carpet 3 days in a row a week or so ago. Which reminded me. I leaned over and threw up into the bath tub. I tried the rub my face, that did not work. I made my way across the bathroom to the sink. I could just about reach the taps with my hand I turned on the tap leaned forward and drank.

I made my wobbly way into the living room. The TV was on a freeze frame of Kathy and post it on the remote said 'play me'.

"Hi John, I am really enjoying thinking about you watching this video. Well done for getting into the living room. This is my revenge on you for puking on the carpet. But it is also a favour because I am going to give you some time to think. You are going to die soon if you do not change your ways so at least this way you get a couple of days off the booze. Yes I am away for the weekend and wont be back until Monday. Oh and I have the keys with me. Those are not normal cuffs they are high security travel cuffs for dangerous prisoners. Each lock has its own unique key, and they are made from really hard steel. They cost over $200 but I took the money out of your wallet so you are welcome. I have left a phone so you can call the cops, who based on your current behaviour are going to be really sympathetic. I will just tell them it was a sex game gone wrong so there is no way I am going to get into real trouble because of this. I know you will not call the cops to be released. So see you Monday. I put some food and water on the floor in the kitchen so you will have something to eat. Oh and seriously do not try and pick the locks on the cuffs, if you break the lock or jam something in there it is going to be really embarrassing for you."

I looked at the phone beside me. There was no-one I could call. She was right of course I really could not ring the cops. They had picked me up half a dozen times over the last month or so and I had spent a few nights in the cells. Apparently cops really love it when you puke on the back seat of their patrol car. I was stuck it was Saturday noon and Kathy was not coming back until Monday afternoon. The cuffs did not hurt but there was no way even with soap or grease I was going to pull my hands free and even if I could my ankles were secured. I sat down and though about what I could do. Ten seconds later I realised there was nothing I could do. If I could not call anyone, which I really couldn't then I was left with only my own resources to release myself. As I had no resources at all to speak of, no talent for escapology, locking pick, metal work or any form of ingenuity at all this did not fill me with hope. I looked at the locks on the cuffs, they looked like the key hole for a door lock.

I suddenly had a brain wave. YouTube, it would be full of helpful tutorials about how to pick locks and escape. After struggling for half and hour falling onto the floor where I found out it was impossible to stand up unless I could brace myself against a solid wall. I eventually got to my laptop. By sitting on a seat with the laptop on my lap I was able to painfully slowly work out how completely screwed I was. I found the page on the internet that dealt with my exact chains. I was not impressed to find out that each lock had up to 4 million separate key combinations that could be generated. That replacement keys took two weeks to deliver, that the chain was specially hardened to resist cutting. There was even a video showing a big guy failing to make a scratch on them with a pair of bolt croppers. But the best bit was how each set of chains came with 5 separate pairs of different sized inserts to guarantee complete security of the prisoner.

I had no idea how Kathy had got a hold of them because it was explicit they were for law enforcement purposes only and not for sale to the general public. So no, I could not order replacement keys. I stood up the laptop falling to the floor and struggled as hard as I could pulling my hands and kicking with my legs. After a minute I had achieved absolutely nothing, but-kiss, nada, zero. I was totally helpless and barely able to go to the john until Kathy came home and let me go.

I started to plot my revenge and then stopped. Kathy was a good person, and I had been a real jerk. But more to the point if I did anything to her it was a trip to jail. What she did to me everyone would laugh off, if I put the chains on her it was kidnapping, assault and lots of words that the criminal justice system uses when they are really pissed with someone.

It was 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon. I sat on the sofa and looked at the ceiling, for once the ceiling was not spinning round which made a refreshing change. My head still hurt but it was passing. I could use the TV remote so I could do today what I was planning anyway watching TV until it was time to go out and get drunk again. I started to make a list of the things I could do.

Read a book, listen to radio, surf the internet, feed myself maybe, drink water, go to the john, but not really wipe my ass.

Things I could not do, leave the apartment, take a shower, buy alcohol, exercise, play twister or do ballet.

It was at this point I started to cry it started as a sob then quickly worked its way up to uncontrollable sobbing. It was not the chains that caused this, it was the being able to think. Not having the chance to avoid thinking being forced not to use my other option of getting steamed, that was the torture. Mom Dad and Emily my little sister had died in car crash 12 weeks ago. I just wanted to be with them. I pulled myself together and got up. I hobbled into the kitchen and opened the door to the fridge. No booze, I pulled open the door to the kitchen cabinets with my teeth, no booze.

I hobbled back into the living room then went into my bedroom and fell onto the bed. It took 20 minutes of struggling to get under the covers were I lay on my side. I could not lie on my back because the padlock pushed into my back. I could not lie on my front because of my hands. The chains allowed only one really comfortable posture. On my side with my knees bent. I lay there until I got bored that took about 20 minutes. But I had thought of another plan. begging.

I got out the bed and walked over to my table the phone was on the centre of the table under the window. Using my nose I pushed it to the edge of the table where I could reach it with my hands. I unlocked the phone put on speaker and dialled Kathy.

She answered after the second ring.

"Hi Kathy"

"Hi John, how are things."

Cute, "Look Kathy you have made your point and had your revenge can you let me go now. I am sorry I will try and be better in the future, I will clean up my puke. No I will puke outside promise."

"No you won't John. You will get drunk again and one day it will kill you. Probably quite soon. I liked you John, before the accident, I understand why you are hurting but this was the only way I could get you to stop and think and not get drunk."

"Please Kathy let me go."

"Why so you can go and get drunk."

"Yes", I started to sob, great strategy play on her good side, make myself vulnerable. Problem was it was 100% real.

"You will find a set of keys on the bookshelf in the lounge third shelf off the ground." The phone went click

I struggled into the living room hobbling as fast as my chains would allow. I got to the bookshelf and pulled out the books carelessly onto the floor. Then I saw the keys. Walking forward so I was flat against the bookshelf I stretched my hand out and took hold of the keys. My heart was racing, 5 of the keys were flat rectangles with little dimples one was a more conventional padlock key. The keys where colour coded and I had learned from internet research that the red ones did the handcuffs and the black keys the leg irons, the single green key unlocked the 'D' ring on the waist. I took one of the red keys and put it in the lock on my wrist turning the key the locked snapped open. I repeated the process on my other wrist. Then put my hands behind my back and after a struggle managed to unlock the belt which I let fall to the ground. I unlocked my ankles gave the pile of restraints a kick and then made my way to the shower.

I was surprised to see there where no bruises on my wrists or my ankles. I quickly pulled on some clothes and made my way to the door. It was 4pm, I needed a drink. I stopped at the door. I put both hands against the door as if to push it over. This was now the decision point of my life. If I left now I would never be sober. I would never marry or have children, I would be dead soon. Dammit four hours of thinking in the house had turned me, given me a sense of doubt I had not had in 12 weeks.

I walked back over to the sofa and sat down. I then walked back over to the bookshelf and as if on some kind of autopilot neatly put the books back. I went into the kitchen and got some cleaning products walked into the bathroom and cleaned up my sick then washed to whole room. I put the products back into the cupboard under the sink. I started to clean the kitchen I made everything neat and tidy and put some more food out onto the table within easy reach of cuffed hands. Some part of me had made a decision, it was not a conscious part, the conscious part was freaking out at what some dip shit subconscious mental malfunction which seemed to have taken over my body had decided to do.

I walked back into the living room and picked up the chains. They were heavy I had not really appreciated the weight while wearing them but the belt alone must have weighed about 5 pounds. I examined a cuff it was more impressive looking at it unlocked. The cuff looked to be made of metal about an 1/4 of an inch thick. The insert clipped in place, it was made of some kind of hard plastic material. Kathy must have been lucky or tried a couple because the insert fitted my wrist perfectly. The D ring on the belt was actually a shackle on its own with its own lock so it could be removed from the belt. I knew I would want to get drunk soon, I was not certain how much I would be able to stop myself. I decided to cut myself a break, I would not use the belt. I would put the keys somewhere safe somewhere where a cuffed person could not reach them. Naked and cuffed as I was going to be the belt was a step too far.

Then I thought there was one thing I would try before I put the keys somewhere safe. I picked up the belt and put it on so the padlock was now at the front adjusted the catch at the front so it was as tight as before then padlocked it shut. In seconds I had put the ankle cuffs on. I hesitated, then I put the keys on the table beside me and cuffed first one wrist and then the other into the cuffs behind my back. I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. It looked right for some reason. I spent a couple of minutes admiring my new outfit and then walked slowly into the bedroom. After a struggle I managed to get into bed curled up and lay there. I did not feel panicked I felt secure, safe it was strange I had protected myself from myself.

I woke up with a start, tried to move and couldn't. The strange thing about planet earth is that it has these times called night. During these times a thing called darkness happens. I could not see into the living room, could not see the keys or the light switch which I knew was on the wall. I had not intended to spend much time like this, only a few minutes really, but I knew I must have spent at least 5 hours asleep with my hands securely locked behind my back. I had awoken because of noise, then lights came on and I saw Kathy walk into the room. She was standing between me and the keys.

"Your here," she said without a smile.

"Err yeah, listen sorry about being a jerk and all but."

"We need to talk. Put some clothes on and get out of bed."

"That's going to be a bit of problem."

With that I hobbled out of the bed and awkwardly stood up.

She looked at me shocked then a wry smile came across her face. "Why did you cuff yourself like that?"

"I wanted to try it them like this then fell asleep in the cuffs." I replied conscious of being naked, cuffed, and in the presence who did not like me much at the minute.

"OK this changes stuff. I expected to find you either drunk or out getting drunk. Sober and still in chains is not something I had considered." She seemed to make a decision, "OK plan has not changed you stay locked up until Monday. Only difference is that now I am back I can feed you. Also this weekend at home is going to be stress free because I won't have to worry what shit awful thing you are going to do. I can relax for the first time in months in my own home."

"Err, can you let me go."

"No, You owe me a peaceful weekend and that is what this is going to be, what is left of it. I came back early to see if you had killed yourself, instead I find you have chained yourself up, you must think this is the best thing for you and who am I to disagree."

She looked at me quizzically for a few seconds, "You need the toilet anything to eat or drink."

"I am a bit hungry and thirsty thanks."

"OK I will get you something to eat. First turn around."

I turned around and she walked up behind me. She checked the tightness of the belt and made sure the cuffs where properly locked. Behind me she said, "I can't put you in the cuffs with you conscious, you are way stronger than me. So I guess I will just have to leave you like this."

I heard her footsteps as she walked out of the door. I turned around and saw her pick up the keys from the table and carry them into her room. I was now screwed. There was no way I could get to the keys. Standing up had made me want the toilet so I walked across the living room and into the bathroom. I sat down on the toilet and had a pee. I closed my eyes and started to doze. I opened them and Kathy was standing by the door looking at me.

"Can you let me out of the cuffs please."

"I told you no, ask me again and I will gag you."

I nodded. "I am sorry Kathy I know I have been an asshole."

She walked in and offered me a glass of water. I drank deeply, then she walked out of the bathroom and returned with a sandwich. She fed it to me in silence.

She then helped me to my feet and back into the bed.

"If you shout for me I will gag you."

Then she turned off the light and shut the door. After a couple of minutes I heard her turn the TV on. I lay there and goddammit started to cry again. It started slowly then built up until I was weeping uncontrollably. I just lay there and cried myself out, I barely noticed when Kathy came in the room. She lay on top of the bed clothes beside me and put her arm around my neck. Eventually I just got worn out, totally empty and lay there. I did not speak to Kathy nor did she speak to me. We just lay there. She got up then left the room returning with the keys. Without comment she let me out of the restraints and put them into a corner then she left and went back to her room. I got up and went into the bathroom, turned on the shower and sat in the bottom of the shower tray. I really wanted a drink and I really did not want a drink. The water from the shower mixed with the tears on my face both spinning slowly away. I did not know what to do, not now, not ever. I had been given time out by the University and my studies would start again in a month. But I did not see the point. I was still living away from home because home was not home any more. I did not have a home any more. I sat there for a while my head spinning a tight pain across my chest.

The water stopped and I opened my eyes. Kathy was standing there her hand still on the shower tap. Her arm had got wet turning the tap and I could see the splashes of water on her shirt sleeve. I tried to count them but she pulled her arm back before I could get past five. She sat on the edge of the white bath and looked at me. I was curled up in the corner of the shower arms around my knees head resting on the wall.

Kathy stood above me she looked uncertain, as if mulling over a few options in her head. I was certain that last week drowning me would have been one of them. Her problem, her personality problem which was not fixable was that she was a nice person. She borderline hated me for what I had done over the last few weeks but there was that kernel of pity that gnawed at her psyche like some kind of annoying rat with electrical installation. Something was going to go zap soon.

"Stand up," she said her voice sounded annoyed, frustrated, zap.

I stood up and faced the wall of the shower cubicle, someone had put each one of these tiles in place. You know done the grout and everything. Who decides they want to do that, what life decision led to that persons hand on that tile. I felt the rough towel being rubbed over my body. Across the shoulders, then down the back, brusquely down each leg.

Turned me round and she pushed the towel into my hands. "You can dry the rest of yourself off."

"OK," I responded.

After I had finished drying my body and hair. She said "follow me."

I followed her meekly across the lounge and into her room. It was not a typical girls room, no posters of boy bands but some tasteful prints of pretty landscapes. The bed was a double without any adornment just a duvet and pillows. No scatter cushions or soft toys. I suspect that she had grown up a lot in the last 12 weeks. She had moved in saying she did not mind sharing with a guy. Boy had that turned out to be a bad call.

"Here is the deal, I will stay here for the rest of the weekend if you agree to wear the shackles on your wrists and ankles. I will look after you, or you can go free and I will go and stay with a friend and move out next week."

"No belt, I don't want to wear the belt," I replied.

She thought about this for a second and then nodded her head. She walked across the room picked up the chains and disconnected the wrist and ankle cuffs from the belt. I pulled the bed sheets back then lay on my back with my hand resting on my stomach. She quickly cuffed both wrists and then put the ankle cuffs on.