Little Katie didn't *quite* angrily stomp upstairs. She knew better then to do that. Mommy and Daddy didn't expect her to be bouncily happy about having to obey everything they told her. But throwing a tantrum-either verbal or physical-wasn't an option, either. Well, it *was*, but only if she was prepared for the potential consequences: sharp scoldings, lectures, cornertime or spankings-or any combination of the four, none of which she was willing to risk tonight, over her bedtime.

The little girl huffily plodded to her room, closing the door and plopping down on the edge of her bed, her pretty face pouty and sulking. She *hated* bedtimes! Specially when she wasn't at all tired or sleepy! Here it was, her second week of summer vacation, and she *still* had to go to bed so early! She knew Mommy and Daddy weren't being mean to her about bedtimes; they'd sat her down and explained all about why they thought bedtimes were important. One thing Katie was utterly positive about: her parents loved her, absolutely, and they never decided anything just to be mean, or convenient.

Still, that didn't mean she had to *like* it, after all. Her little chest rose and lifted as she deeply inhaled, then just as deeply exhaled in a gusty, put-upon sigh. She didn't *want* to go to sleep! But she knew better then to argue or fuss, so she toed her sneakers off, letting them fall to the floor, laces still tied. At least that was *one* battle she'd won! Mommy used to scold her about taking her shoes off without untying the laces first, saying that doing that ruined the shoes. Katie had just looked at her one day and said, 'But Mommy . . . that doesn't make any sense! I outgrow them before they fall apart!' Mommy had just looked at her oddly a moment, her face and lips twitching, them scooped her up in her arms, hugging her as she burst into laughter. And that was the last time Mommy had scolded her about untying shoes first.

Her socks followed next, tiny fingers tugging white cotton ankle socks off small little sweaty feet, then Katie hopped off the bed and padded barefoot over to her hamper, tossing the damp socks inside. That was another rule that Katie'd argued about, but lost: dirty clothes and the hamper. Clothes couldn't just be dropped anywhere. They either had to be hung back up-which usually Mommy helped do-or neatly folded for later that day, or put in the hamper. Katie didn't know *why* she disliked that rule; it wasn't as if it was terribly hard or difficult, after all. She could even see the sense behind it. But still! Sometimes she just wanted to toss her clothes where they lay after stripping them off and, when she did, she *really* resented having to hamper them!

She pulled her tee-shirt up and over her head, then tossed that inside the hamper as well, before unsnapping, unzipping and wriggling her little cutoffs down over sleek curveless hips, letting them slither down little slender legs and puddle around small fragile ankles. She wiggled one small bare foot out of them then, with a huge grin, flicked the cutoffs towards the hamper with her other foot, bouncing up and down in just her Pooh panties as she scored a 'basket'.

Then deeply sighed again. She did *not* want to get ready for bed, and that was that! Suddenly, her huge gray eyes slowly widened, darting at her closed bedroom door. Katie thoughtfully nibbled her full soft pouty lower lip between tiny white perfect teeth. Mommy and Daddy had been sitting together on the couch in the family room when they'd sent her off to bed, with that 'look' they had sometimes, specially when they were about to get mushy with each other. That meant she probably had at least half an hour before one or both of them came upstairs to check on her and tuck her in.

Usually she'd delay until the last minute before slipping under the covers, sort of her own private defiance of that horrid bedtime rule. Sometimes she'd read, or quietly play. And sometimes she'd even be in bed and asleep. Well, she wasn't at all sleepy, nor did she want to read or play . . . at least, not play any of her usual games. Katie stood there, shifting her weight back and forth on tiny bare feet, remembering the last few days. And the new games she'd played with her playmates. Ones like 'Hide-and-Seek', but with a new twist, for the ones caught got tied up and had to be 'rescued'.

Katie still remembered the first time she'd gotten caught, and bravely marched off to 'jail', where she had to sit down and let herself be tied. How her heart suddenly went thumpity-thump as she felt the jump ropes wound around her wrists and ankles. That had been the oddest, most scary-marvelous feeling ever!

Yet it was kinda disappointing, too, since it was pointless to struggle at all. For one thing, the rule was that you hadda be rescued; you couldn't escape on your own. Good thing, too, since none of them really could tie well. It didn't take Katie more them a minute or so to wriggle her hands free, and she still had to sit there and wait anyway to be rescued. That was frustrating!!

Worse, Katie was quite athletic for her age, and usually never got caught in games like this. So it was quite obvious to all that something was up when Katie suddenly was getting caught so often. They didn't know what-thank goodness!!-quite yet, but she was embarrassingly aware that it wouldn't be long at all before someone guessed that she liked being caught and tied. Which wouldn't be so bad, if they actually *could* really tie up!

Even worse, they hadn't wanted to play those variations this last week, even though Katie had tried talking them into it. They seemed to have gotten bored with the idea, even as she'd grown more and more entranced and enthralled.

Little Katie glanced at her dresser, still nibbling her lip. She wanted to feel that way again and, if *they* wouldn't play that game . . .

Padding over to her dresser, Katie removed two pair of Kelly green wool knee socks, then padded back over to her bed, hopping up onto it then scooting down to the middle. Her heart was going thumpity-thump again as she pressed her bare slender legs together and looped one of the knee socks around her little ankles, tying the ends off in a bow knot, just like her shoelaces. She tied another just below her knees, trembling a little in excitement and something else, something she had no words to explain, as she watched herself wriggle her tied legs, and she felt that sensation. She had two knee socks left, one was going to be for her hands, which left one. Her mouth went dust-dry even as her heart thumped even more, as she recalled something she wished had happened during the games.

In a matter of moments Katie had pulled one knee sock between her teeth, tying it behind her head, then rolled over onto her tummy. Placing her hands behind her back, she twisted the remaining knee sock around little wrists, then lay there for a moment, feeling odd shivery tingles racing through her. Very vague, half-defined images and daydreams flickered through her mind, ones that made those shivers feel ever-so-nicer.

Still, it was frustrating and disappointing, too. It didn't take but one test to discover that the knee sock between her teeth did nothing at all to keep her quiet. All it really did was leave the taste of wool in her mouth. And knowing all she had to do was twist her hands to get loose spoiled the excitement a great deal, too! She softly sighed, even as she snuggled deeper against her sheets, wondering what it would be like to *really* be tied up!

Again, vague, undefined daydreams flickered in her mind, as she lay there, almost drowsing. She was so relaxed and happy . . . that she never heard the footsteps on the stairs. It wasn't until her door creaked open that she jerked and jumped and squeaked. Katie looked over her shoulder just in time to see Daddy peek his head around the corner and murmur, 'All ready to be tucked . . .'

She ducked her head against the sheets, softly whimpering, acutely embarrassed, both at Daddy seeing her in just panties, but far worse, was seeing her laying there tied in her socks! What was he going to think? Or say? Or do?? The little girl trembled even harder, this time from shame. Daddy was never going to understand! She was gonna be in soooo much trouble!!

'Ooooooh, my baby angel girl,' Daddy softly, tenderly crooned at last, stepping over to the bed, 'That will never do at all!' Katie's eyes grew round, wide as saucers, as she heart that, as she felt Daddy gently slide the loosely twisted knee sock from around her tiny wrists, only to then cross them . . . and rewind the knee sock around and around, much more firmly, before tying it off. 'No, this won't do at all!' he murmured, shifting downwards, untying the two loosely securing her slender little legs. Daddy crossed her small feet, then retied the knee socks just below dainty knees and around tiny ankles, much snugger then she had, and with a secure square knot, cleverly placed where prying little fingers couldn't reach.

Katie was still too stunned and shocked, still too mortified to move, let alone say anything. Her bowels felt full of ice water, and she knew-just *knew*!-that a scolding or lecture (or a spanking!) was just around the corner! Meanwhile Daddy took from her dresser another two pair of knee socks, plus an ankle sock. One knee sock was firmly tied above her dainty knees, while another was slipped under, then looped around, her little arms, drawing them snugly together before tied off.

Even through the shame and embarrassment of being discovered-and the worries of the possible consequences-Katie was discovering that her wrists, and the rest of her, unlike ever before, were much more securely bound, and that discovery both fascinated and distracted her. As was Daddy's reactions and actions; he just kept softly smiling as he worked, tenderly stroking her long soft silky auburn hair between binding her.

Now he was rolling up the ankle sock into a tight cylinder, then slid it down one knee sock, to the middle. Katie simply watched in stunned silence, feeling as if hypnotically paralyzed. He untied and removed the sock around her head, removing it, then held the thick, rolled up, sock-encased ankle sock to her mouth. 'Open, sweetheart,' he murmured. Without a thought she did, unconsciously obeying Daddy, then her huge eyes grew even wider as he gently but firmly pressed that soft yet compact sock between her gleaming white tiny perfect teeth. The ends of the knee sock were then wrapped around her head, twice, folded no wider then her open mouth, securing the wadded ankle sock even more, before being tied behind her head. Then Daddy wrapped *another* knee sock around that! This one unfolded, and covering her mouth from under her nose to just below her chin! Again it was wrapped twice around before being tied off behind her head, and then Daddy stepped back a moment, silently watching.

Satisfied that she wasn't uncomfortable or in pain, or scared and frightened, Daddy softly murmured, 'Have fun Princess!' before walking to the door. At that Katie jerked, suddenly scared, thinking Daddy was going off to tell Mommy about this, scared about the trouble she was gonna be in. She turned her head, to call out to Daddy, to try and explain, and her tummy abruptly flip-flopped, her heart hammered thumpity-thump like never before, as she heard the silly muffled sounds she *did* make! Daddy simply smiled, a tender loving smile. 'It's all right, sweetheart. Daddy understands. Just relax, and have fun. Mommy and I will be up in a little bit to tuck you in.' At that, he closed the door behind him, silently chuckling to himself as he paced downstairs, picturing Mommy's expression when he told her of his discovery. 'Like Mother, like daughter!' he grinned to himself.

Katie, in the meantime, was discovering that, no matter how she twisted and squirmed, struggled or wriggled, that not a single sock was budging, not even a smidgen! She was well and truly tied up, well and truly helpless! It was unlike anything she'd felt before, and the tingling shivers that caused has goosebumps racing up and down her silky bare skin. She finally exhausted herself with her struggles, and simply lay there, limp and slick with sweat, damp auburn ringlets stuck to her forehead and cheeks, with the silliest smile on her face under the knee socks. She still was nervous and apprehensive about what was gonna happen, but for now she slowly drifted into sleep, feeling oddly safe and secure even as she felt the knee socks inescapably binding her.