"Securing the Situation"

Harry's anger boiled over as he stormed over to Link, his eyes blazing with fury. "You little scamp! I just realized it wasn't you who left those footprints in Mrs. Gunderson's magnolia bushes. It was Bigfoot, wasn't it?" Harry's voice rose to a shout. "And you're the one who's been inviting him over, aren't you?" Link looked up at Harry, his yellow eyes wide with innocence, but a hint of mischief dancing in their depths. "Uh, maybe," he said, his voice small. Harry's face turned red with rage. "Maybe? Maybe?! You're going to get us evicted, Link! You're going to get us both in serious trouble!" He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Listen, Link. I don't want you being friends with any mythical creatures. Not Bigfoot, not any other yetis, not mermaids, not dragons, not unicorns, not goblins, not trolls, not Cyclops, not minotaurs... not a single one of them!" Link looked crestfallen, his lower lip jutting out. "But, Harr, Bigfoot's my buddy. He's cool." Harry's expression hardened. "No, Link. It's not going to happen. You're going to stay away from all of them." He started to pace back and forth across the room, his mind racing with ways to keep Link safe and out of trouble. He stopped in front of Link and pointed a shaking finger at him. "I'm securing you, Link. You're not going anywhere until I can trust you to behave." Link's eyes widened as Harry started to tie him up. Harry used four different methods to secure Link: a pair of handcuffs to the coffee table leg, a rope tied around his waist to the armchair, a dog leash clipped to his collar and tied to the door handle, and a large piece of duct tape covering his mouth. Link started to cry, great big sobs that shook his entire body. "Haaarrry... wwhaaahhh... llett me ggoo!" he wailed, struggling against his restraints. Just then, the doorbell rang. Harry's girlfriend, Emily, stood in the doorway, a look of concern on her face. "Hey, Harry, what's going on? I could hear Link crying from outside." Harry turned to face her, still fuming. "Link's been inviting Bigfoot over again, and I had to take drastic measures to stop him." Emily's eyes widened as she took in the scene before her. Link was sobbing uncontrollably, tied up and gagged. "Harry, what have you done?!" she exclaimed. Harry crossed his arms, his expression stubborn. "I had to. He's going to get us in serious trouble if he keeps inviting mythical creatures over." Emily rushed over to Link and started to untie him. "Harry, that's not the solution. You can't just tie him up and gag him." Harry scowled. "What do you suggest, then? Let him ruin our lives with his mythical creature friends?" Emily turned on Harry, her voice rising. "You're being unreasonable, Harry. Link's just a kid. He wants to have friends. And Bigfoot doesn't seem like a bad guy." Harry's face turned red with anger. "You're not the one who's going to get evicted because of Link's antics." The argument continued to escalate, with Link still sniffling and whimpering in the background. Emily and Harry were at odds, and it seemed like there was no solution in sight.