Strelnikov
4th Level Red Feather
- Joined
- May 7, 2001
- Messages
- 1,820
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By Strelnikov
Copyright 2008 by the author
Dramatis Personae (in order of appearance)
Kelly McGuire
Kelly is 18 – she’ll be a Senior at Tieson City High School this fall. She’s tall, drop-dead gorgeous, with long, silky red hair, blue eyes so dark they seem almost indigo, an hourglass figure, long, shapely legs, and that perfect skin only redheads have. Kelly has extremely ticklish feet, and everybody loves to tickle them – her tickle laugh is as lovely as the rest of her, and she turns such a pretty shade of pink...
Sara Rosen
She’s an 18-year-old risk-taker who likes to…let’s just say bend…the rules. She’s built like Dolly Parton, a small girl with a slender waist and amazing upper body development. She has long dark brown hair, beautiful green eyes, a deep tan, and a fit, toned body. Her ticklish feet are her greatest weakness. She’s an enthusiastic tickler, on the principle that it’s more blessed to give than to receive.
Amanda Mason
Amanda is a cutie, just turned 18 years old, a petite girl with a trim and shapely figure. She stands an inch or so over five feet tall in her bare feet. She has curly dark brown hair, brown eyes, dark brows and long, dark lashes. She’s new to Tieson City, and will start at TCHS as a senior in the fall. She loves to tickle and be tickled, and she’s great fun to tickle. She’s impossible not to like.
Candice Wade
A little beauty, 18 years old, with crystal blue eyes and ash blonde hair, and a very trim and shapely body. Loves to be tickled and get in ticklish situations, but if the tickling goes too far, she's out of control. Her lust to be tickled has grown and grown, and now she'll do anything to get tickled. Of course, her friends are only too happy to oblige...
********************
Kelly McGuire’s phone rang as she was unlocking her car after work. Probably Mom, she thought, with an errand for me to run on my way home. She sighed, fished it out of her purse and flipped it open. Sure enough, the screen said HOME.
“Hi, Mom,” Kelly said. “What’s up?”
“Swing by the drugstore on your way home,” her mother said. “My prescription’s ready, and we could use some more sun block.”
SPF 1,000,000, thought Kelly. Her skin was like Mom’s – so fair that it didn’t tan at all, but just freckled and burned. “No problem,” she said. “See you in a few minutes.”
Kelly was 18 – she would be a senior at Tieson City High School this fall. She was tall, drop-dead gorgeous, with long, silky red hair, blue eyes so dark they seem almost indigo, an hourglass figure, long, shapely legs, and that perfect skin only redheads have. She worked at the big department store that anchored one end of Squander Mall – the summer dress she had worn to work that Thursday was a shade of green that only a redhead could wear.
ROSEN’S REXALL PHARMACY, the sign said, and underneath, Soda Fountain – Soup and Sandwiches. The pharmacy counter was in the back of the store. The center of the store had the usual drug store stuff – over-the-counter medicines, rupture trusses, corn plasters, liniments, cheap toys, hair goop, sunglasses and sunblock. Along the left wall was a sales counter with inexpensive jewelry, watch bands, reading glasses and so forth, flanked on each end by a greeting card rack and a magazine rack. There weren’t many customers this time of day – after the lunch-hour rush, but well before evening commuters stopping on their way home.
Sara Rosen was working the sales counter – she waved. She was a small girl, built like Dolly Parton, with great legs, a slender waist and amazing upper body development. She had long dark brown hair, beautiful green eyes, a deep tan, and a fit, toned body. She wore cargo shorts, backless sneakers without socks and a collared white knit shirt with Rosen’s Rx over the pocket. Her shirt looked at least one size too small.
Just past the magazine rack was the lunch counter and soda fountain, with two marble-topped tables and bent-wire chairs beyond. It was closed for the day, but Candice Wade was working behind the counter, unloading the dishwasher and stacking the plates and glasses in racks. Candice was a little beauty with bright blue eyes and ash blonde hair, and a very trim and shapely body. She was dressed like Sara – a ball cap and apron completed her outfit.
Kelly grabbed a tube of sunblock and continued on to the pharmacy counter. Amanda Mason was working the cash register. Kelly knew the girl well – she had shared an adventure with Amanda and four others a few months back, one that none of them talked about. Amanda was a cutie, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, dark brows and long dark lashes – she stood an inch or so over five feet tall. She wore shorts and a knit shirt too, but she had kicked off her sandals. “Hi, Kelly,” Amanda said. “Enjoy your vacation?”
“It was great!” Kelly enthused. “Kinda tickly though. Have you met my sister?” Amanda shook her head. “Well, Molly likes to tickle me – says I turn a lovely shade of pink. And there were these two guys– ”
“Here’s your mom’s prescription, Kelly,” Mr. Rosen said. “Ring it up, Amanda, and then go help Candice.” He was in his late 40’s, with a pharmacist’s smock and thinning hair that was turning from dark to gray.
“Anyway, everybody tickled the shit out of me,” Kelly said as Amanda rang it up. “My ribs still hurt,” she added, exaggerating just a little.
“Poor baby!” Amanda said insincerely. She made tickling motions. “Sounds to me like you need to build up your endurance again. We’re gonna grab some fast food after work, and then play at Sara’s place. You’re welcome to join us – we can always use one more.”
“What time?” Kelly asked.
“We close at 6 PM,” Amanda said. “We’re usually finished by 6:30.”
Like her sister, Kelly was an enthusiastic tickler – she had tickled her friend silly many times. “I’ll meet you here,” she said.
At home, Kelly changed into shorts and t-shirt – she drove into the alley behind the drugstore at 6:25. Good thing I’m a little early, she thought – she saw Sara, Amanda and Candice down the alley with Sara’s mom and dad, locking up the drug store’s back door. Sara was a younger version of her mother most ways, Kelly thought, but those hooters must have come from the other side of the family.
“Hi, Kelly,” Mrs. Rosen said. “What’s up?”
“She’s gonna play with us tonight,” Sara said. “Be ready to laugh, Kelly, ‘cause I’m gonna open a bag of freak on you.”
Mr. Rosen shook his head. “I don’t understand you girls,” he said. “What’s with all the tickling?”
“It’s a girl thing, Sam,” his wife said. “My sister and I used to do it too, just not as much.”
“Yah, I know,” he said. “Well, OK, Princess. Have fun.”
“I wish he wouldn’t call me that,” Sara grumbled as she walked toward the car. “Shotgun!” she called out, and got into the front seat.
They drove out Johnson’s Ferry Road to a burger place near the interstate, then doubled back to Tickle Street. Kelly parked, and they all piled out.
Sara led them inside – they kicked off their shoes inside the door. “Mom and Dad play bridge on Thursday nights, so we’ve got the place to ourselves,” she said. “Let’s go outside on the porch.”
Candice grabbed a tall stool from the kitchen breakfast bar, Sara got another on their way outside. The porch was covered and screened in. On it were a gas grill, four folding director chairs with canvas seats and backs, and a couple of small tables.
Candice set her stool down in front of one of the chairs. “OK, Sara, tie me up,” she said – she turned her back on Sara and crossed her wrists behind her. Sara strapped them together. Candice sat in the chair, put her feet through the legs of the stool and rested her ankles on the far-side leg brace. Sara passed a strap over Candice’s lap and under the chair seat, another around her shoulders and the chair back. She strapped her friend’s ankles together, tied them off to the brace to anchor them. The finishing touch – she tied Candice’s big toes together with string.
Candice wiggled her toes and grinned. “Who wants to sing a duet with me?”
“Need you ask?” Amanda said. “Hey Kelly, see how hard you can make me laugh.”
They tied Amanda up with more of Candice’s nylon straps. Amanda and Candice ended up bound side-by-side. The other girls set two more chairs facing Amanda and Candice’s feet.
“Quality or quantity?” Sara asked as she sat facing Candice’s trapped feet.
“Quality of course,” Candice answered. “Has to be – I’m lots more ticklish than she– Hee! AH-HAHAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHAHA!” she laughed as Sara got to work, tickling Candice’s heels and arches two handed.
“Let’s see you top that,” Amanda said cheerfully.
“Hush,” Kelly said, and held Amanda’s toes back. “All I want to hear from you is laughing.” She used a single nail to draw fast, looping figure-eight’s around the balls of Amanda’s feet. Amanda lost it and howled with forced mirth, bucking and squirming, her skin turning pink from laughing.
Kelly covered both feet with tiny nail flicks. She tickled Amanda’s arches and heels two handed, then held back her toes and tickled the soft skin underneath. Still holding the toes back, she tickled both stretched out soles, left-right-and-repeat, lingering on the soles and balls of Amanda’s feet where it tickled unbearably. Amanda wasn’t struggling any more – all resistance had been tickled away. She laughed and laughed, helpless to resist the fiendish and well techniqued tickling.
Kelly glanced over at Sara and Candice. Sara had Candice in the zone, laughing like a madwoman. She tickled side to side under all ten toes while helpless laughter streamed from her victim. She released Candice’s toes to tickle her arches and heels. Then holding the toes back again, she tickled the stretched out soles mercilessly. Candice laughed her head off, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks.
Kelly tickled Amanda’s soles two handed, watching the toes twitch and curl. She tickled down the arches, covering Amanda’s feet with tiny nail flicks. She scratched the ticklish heels, then drew wavy lines, figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes in Amanda’s arches. She held Amanda’s toes back and tickled the stretched out soles again. Amanda laughed at the top of her lungs, loving every bit of it.
“Let’s finish ‘em off,” Sara said, and picked up the pace. Kelly speeded up too, and both ticklees laughed at the top of their lungs. It was more than they could bear – they laughed themselves breathless.
“Not bad at all, Kelly,” Sara said, wiggling her fingers.
“I learned from a master,” Kelly said. “Right, Amanda? And my sister showed me a few tricks – those, I learned from the inside, if you catch my drift.”
“Sisters – gotta love ‘em,” Candice said, a little breathlessly. “Friends and co-workers too. I’m gonna miss this when I go off to college.”
“Me too,” Sara said. “One of the benefits of working at my parents’ drugstore is ticklish co-workers.”
“Break time is always lots of laughs,” Amanda agreed.
“They don’t mind?” Kelly asked. “I’d get canned if I tried something like that at the mall, break time or not.”
“Probably just as well, considering who some of your colleagues are,” Sara said. True enough, thought Kelly – Vicky and Veronica Righetti, ticklers par excellence, worked at the same department store. “But to answer your question, Mom’s cool, and Daddy doesen’t mind all that much. So long as we’re not busy, that is.”
“Gonna need a new tickler this fall,” Amanda said. “Why don’t you apply for the job, Kelly?”
“She’s right,” Sara said. “They’ll need replacements for the two of us. Why not you?”
Kelly considered. The Rosens had a good reputation as employers. They never had to advertise for help – vacancies were always filled by word of mouth, just like this. The pay would probably be about the same, and the benefits...
“You’ve got retail experience, and other useful skills too,” Amanda said encouragingly. “Honed by constant practice. You’d be a natural.”
“Well, I know how to work a register, anyway,” Kelly said. “What else?”
“Daddy wrote a job description.” Sara said. “Cash register, stocking shelves, working the lunch counter and soda fountain – we can teach you that – some light cleanup, and other functions as needed.” A mischievous grin. “That last part’s where your useful skills will come in handy.”
Kelly laughed. “OK, I’ll fill out an application,” she said.
“Not so fast,” Candice said. “Amanda says you’re qualified – well, I’d like to find out for myself. Sara can tickle Amanda for a while.”
“Suits me,” Sara said. “Trade places, Kelly.”
Sara dug right in, lightly flicking her well-manicured nails on the balls of Amanda’s feet – the sweet spots, where Amanda’s feet were insanely, unbearably ticklish. Amanda threw her head back and laughed at the top of her lungs. Her toes twitched and curled as she laughed like mad.
“Tickle my soles, right in the middle,” Candice said. “It drives me wild!”
“OK,” said Kelly, and did just that. Candice bucked violently, arched her back and laughed her head off.
Candice laughed helplessly as Kelly held back her toes and tickled a stretched out sole, paying particular attention to the crease in the exact center. Kelly tickled across the balls of Candice’s feet to the other sole, then back again, fingernails flying, and Candice’s laughter went off the scale. She squirmed and struggled, her skin turning pink from laughing, tears of laughter running down her cheeks.
Kelly was merciless. She tickled Candice’s soles until the little blonde was red-faced and sweaty. She eased off, tickled down Candice’s arches to her heels, and the laughter went down a notch. Then back to the soles again – Candice laughed at the top of her lungs. She has amazing stamina and endurance, Kelly thought – my fingers are getting tired, yet she’s still not in any distress. She gave Candice’s soles another burst of nail flicks, forcing a stream of wild laughter.
But Amanda was laughing even harder. Kelly spared the others a glance – Sara was tickling between Amanda’s toes, forcing stream after stream of ticklish laughter. Amanda laughed and laughed as Sara tickled her soles and arches two-handed. Sara tickled down Amanda’s arches to the ticklish heels, drawing circles and other tickling shapes – Amanda laughed her head off.
Focus, thought Kelly. She held back Candice’s toes and spider walked her nails along the crease in the exact center of Candice’s right sole – four fingernail strokes in succession, three times a second. She tickled across the balls of both feet to the left sole, flicking and scratching. Candice went crazy, bucking and squirming, laughing her head off. Her laughter went off the charts – she lost it and laughed herself breathless.
“Good one, Kelly!” Sara said. She picked up the pace – Amanda’s laughter went off the scale as Sara’s nails scratched and scrabbled. Amanda laughed wildly, helplessly, at the top of her lungs, and ran out of air. Sara had tickled her breath away.
Candice and Amanda sat there gasping, trying to get their breathing and heart rate normal again. Candice was first to recover – she grinned. “Not too shabby,” she said cheerfully, a little short of breath. “That really, really tickled. Give me more!”
“Don’t you ever get enough?” Sara asked.
“Nope,” Candice said. “Silly question! You’ve tickled me enough to know that.”
“Me either,” Amanda said. “But let’s take a break anyway. I’m about to pee my pants.”
They took their break on the porch. Kelly decided that she liked Candice and Sara. Candice was another like Amanda, she figured – the girl had a great sense of humor, and she loved to be tickled. Sara was a little harder to figure out – her personality had a bit of an edge. She seemed to delight in tickle-torturing her co-workers – not that they minded, of course. But she seemed nice enough. Wonder how ticklish she is, Kelly thought.
Amanda drained the last of her Coke. “What’s next?” she asked.
“Let’s see how Kelly performs under pressure,” Sara said.
“You mean– ” Candice started.
“Yup,” Sara said. “Tickling Death Match. Have a seat, Kelly – let’s see what you’re made of.”
Sara and Kelly both had done this before – they knew the drill. They sat close, facing each other, extended their right legs, drew up their left with the bottoms of their left feet flat against their right thighs. Each girl got a firm grip on her opponent’s right foot with her left hand.
“Who’s gonna be the ref?” Sara asked, flexing her fingers experimentally.
“Me,” Candice said, and sat down to watch. “Ready– get set – one, two, three, GO!”
Both girls flicked the nails of their right hands on the bottom of her opponent’s trapped foot, fast as they could. Both burst into ticklish laughter, howling with forced mirth, and may the best girl win! Neither tried for anything fancy – their tickling fingernails flicked and scratched, each covering the other’s foot with fiendish and well-techniqued tickling. Both laughed like mad, red faced, tears of laughter streaming down their faces.
Kelly concentrated on the exact center of Sara’s sole, and Sara’s laughter went up a notch. Sara tickled the ball of Kelly’s foot, and Kelly almost lost it – it tickled horribly! She flicked her nails across Sara’s sole, extending the nail strokes onto the ball of the foot, trying desperately to tickle Sara out and avoid the same fate herself. Their toes twitched and curled as they laughed and laughed – it was an added challenge that prolonged the contest. They both laughed like madwomen, tickling as fast as they could, as time expanded and the tickling filled their consciousness.
But Kelly had endured more than her share of tickling – she had given it back too, and could more than hold her own. The adventure with Amanda and the ticklish games with their friends had honed and polished the lessons her sister had taught. Endurance won out – Sara was a better-than-average tickler, but she lacked Kelly’s hard-earned stamina. She lost it and collapsed onto her back, laughing at the top of her lungs. Her strength was gone, tickled away.
Kelly giggled as the tickling sensation faded, then picked up the pace as fine motor control returned. She shifted her grip, holding Sara’s toes back. Her nails danced, tickling the stretched out sole mercilessly, bringing forth wave after wave of ticklish laughter.
“Looks like Kelly passed the test,” Candice observed.
“You’ve won, Kelly!” Amanda added. “Easy! Give her a break!”
“Not likely!” Kelly said, gathering her legs under her. “I’m having too much fun!” She let go of Sara’s foot, rolled Sara onto her tummy and sat on her facing aft. She grabbed both ankles, pulled and trapped Sara’s legs in the figure-four leg lock.
“OH NOOO!” Sara wailed. “Haha! Sta– hahaha! –ap! Kellee– hehe!” Sara begged and giggled as Kelly flicked and scratched both feet from soles to heels. “Ahaha! You– hehe-haha! win! Haha-hehe-hahaha!”
“Time to laugh some more, Sara!” Kelly said triumphantly, and used all of her fingernails to tickle between all of Sara’s toes at the same time. Sara arched her back and laughed like mad, eyes closed, tears streaming down her face, her skin turning red from laughing.
Sara laughed like a maniac as Kelly held her toes back and tickled the soft skin underneath. She wasn’t resisting now – all of her strength had been tickled away. Kelly extended the nail strokes onto Sara’s stretched out soles, then tickled side to side. Sara laughed helplessly as Kelly drew circles, squares and other tickling shapes on her soles and onto the arches behind. Kelly released the toes and covered Sara’s arches and heels with tiny nail flicks. Then two-handed tickling on both soles – Sara’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed and laughed.
Aha! Found the sweet spots! Kelly tickled the balls of both feet, getting great reactions and wave after wave of helpless laughter. She held Sara’s toes back again and flicked the balls of Sara’s feet with a guitar-chording motion. Sara laughed and laughed, musically, helplessly, face red, tears streaming – she was losing it, right on the edge. Kelly made a Peace sign – she scratched the balls of both feet, tickling the sweet spots mercilessly, and tickled Sara’s breath away.
Kelly dismounted and stood up. “Hey Sara, did that tickle?” she asked sweetly.
Sara rolled onto her back and shuffled her feet on the porch to get the tickle off. “Did it... tickle! Did it tickle!” she said, indignation overcoming shortness of breath. She was sweaty, her long dark hair was messed up, tears streaked her face. “I’ll get you for this!” she threatened, only half joking.
“Admit it Sara,” Amanda said. “You’ve just got your panties in a wad because she beat you in the Death Match.”
Sara grinned sheepishly. “Busted!” she said. She sat up and winced – her abs must be sore from laughing, Kelly thought. “That tickled so much! How’d you learn to tickle like that?”
“Picked it up here and there,” Kelly said with masterful understatement. “You’re a worthy opponent, Sara. I thought I was gonna lose it – you almost had me. So did I pass the test?”
“Looks that way to me,” Sara said. She stood up and winced again. “Hey, I think my folks have some application forms in their home office. I’ll get one for you – save you a trip.”
“I’d like that,” Kelly said. “Bring a pen too – might as well fill it out.”
“You’ll like working there, Kelly,” Candice said. “The Rosens are good bosses, and everybody who works for them is friendly.”
“Just one problem,” Amanda said. “The milkshakes are awfully tempting– ”
“You’ll need a pretty good exercise program to keep the weight off,” Candice completed the thought.
“Aerobic exercise,” Amanda said, closing in.
“Which calls for conditioning,” Candice added. “GET HER!”
“Hey!” Kelly yelled. She tried to run, but the two girls jumped her and bulldogged her down to the floor. Amanda sat on her – Candice fetched the straps.
Kelly stopped struggling – she was had, and she knew it. “You’re gonna tickle me silly, aren’t you?” she said – it wasn’t a question.
“Yup,” Candice said cheerfully. “Help me hogtie her, Amanda.” She passed a strap around Kelly’s waist to provide a firm anchor, then slipped another shorter one under it at the small of Kelly’s back. She crossed Kelly’s wrists over it and strapped them tight. Amanda strapped Kelly’s ankles together, then used the free end of the strap to complete the hogtie. The rig was Candice’s invention – it completely immobilized Kelly, but it didn’t chafe and didn’t cut off circulation. The finishing touch – Amanda tied Kelly’s big toes together with string. It didn’t take long – this wasn’t their first rodeo.
“Take turns, or both at once?” Amanda asked.
“Both at once,” Candice decided. “Cheer up, Kelly – this is the last test.”
“Of what?” Kelly asked.
“It’s the Tickle Test, silly!” Candice answered. “Remember what Sara said? Ticklish co-workers are one of the benefits of the job.”
“Amanda could give you a report,” Kelly said, stalling for time.
“But I like to see for myself,” Candice said. “C’mon, Amanda.”
The girls kneeled facing each other, with Kelly’s trapped feet in between. “Quality or quantity?” Amanda asked.
“Quality, like I said before,” Candice said, cracking her knuckles. “Let’s tickle her ‘til she doesen’t know her own name. Ready, Kelly?”
“Get it over with,” Kelly said glumly. “Hehe! HAHAHA-HAHAHAHA-HAHAHA!” she laughed as the girls’ fingernails flicked and scratched her ticklish soles.
Kelly laughed wildly as Candice drew circles, squares and other tickling shapes on her heels and arches. Amanda scrabbled her nails on Kelly’s heel, spider-walked her nails up the arch, while Kelly laughed like a maniac. Then they both tickled in the arches, just behind the soles, and Kelly laughed her head off. Her fair skin colored – tickled pink.
“Great tickle laugh,” Candice said – she tickled between Kelly’s toes two-by-two, forcing more bursts of helpless laughter.
Amanda did her one better – she used four fingers to tickle between all five toes at once. “Yah, and she turns such a pretty shade of pink. Hangin’ in there, Kelly?”
Candice held back Kelly’s toes and tickled the soft skin underneath. “Must be, she’s not complaining,” Candice observed. As if I had breath enough to complain, Kelly thought indignantly, laughing like a madwoman. Oh Ghod how it tickled!
“Then let’s give her some more,” Amanda said. Like Candice, she held back Kelly’s toes. “Tickle her here,” she said, and attacked the ball of Kelly’s foot – the sweet spot, where it tickled unbearably. Kelly laughed at the top of her lungs, tears of laughter running down her cheeks, unable to move or even form a coherent thought.
Kelly laughed and laughed as the girls tickle-tortured the sweet spots, fingernails flying. They gave her a break – they tickled her soles, paying special attention to the creases in the middle. Candice switched her tickle target and tickled two handed, arch and heel, Amanda drew circles, squares and other tickling shapes in the arch – stream after stream of helpless laughter poured out of Kelly. Then Amanda made a Peace sign and scratched the sole crease and the ball of the foot, just behind the big toe, and Kelly’s laughter went off the charts. Candice copied Amanda, and that finished it. Kelly laughed and laughed and ran out of air.
“How about that, girlfriend?” Amanda said.
“Looked pretty good from where I’m standing,” Sara said. “Tickle Test?”
“Yah, and she did OK,” Candice said.
“Of course, we’ll defer to your superior judgement,” Amanda added.
“Oh noooo...” Kelly gasped out. “Please... no more... ”
“Just part of the interview,” Sara said. She kneeled behind Kelly’s upturned feet – the other girls considerately moved aside. “I’ve got this pen. Foot notes?”
“Nah, use your nails,” Candice said. “Tickles more anyway, the way you do it.”
“Nails it is,” Sara agreed. She put a knee on either side of her victim’s to prevent a rollover. She couldn’t resist teasing Kelly a little, lightly tracing a single nail on an upturned sole and getting a cheerful stream of girlish giggles.
“Hahaha! Don’t te– hehe! –ease me– hehehe!” Kelly giggled out. “Ahaha! Get it– haheha! –over with– hehehe!”
“Comin’ at ya!” Sara said cheerfully, and got to work, well manicured fingernails dancing on the ticklish soles.
“WA-HAHA! AH-HAHA! HAHAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!” Kelly laughed as Sara’s tickling fingernails flicked her arches. Sara speeded up – Kelly laughed at the top of her lungs, squirming and straining against her bonds.
Sara tickled down Kelly’s arches, onto the heels, and back up to the soles as streams of laughter poured out of Kelly. Then holding Kelly’s toes back, she tickled a stretched out sole in the exact middle, along the crease. Kelly went wild as Sara tickled across the balls of both feet to the other sole, howling with forced mirth.
“Same tickle pattern as me, looks like, ” Sara observed – she drew fast, looping figure-eight’s on the balls of both feet, covering every square inch of sensitive skin with unbearable tickling.
“I coulda told you that,” Amanda said. “Faster! Get her good!”
Kelly laughed and laughed as Sara spider-walked her nails on the balls of her feet. She was struggling harder now, trying desperately to escape the tickling – it tickled unbearably!
“Let’s see what else works,” Sara said – she eased off a little, tickling down Kelly’s arches to the heels, forcing wave after wave of ticklish laughter. “She’s getting more ticklish, isn’t she?”
“The more you tickle her, the better it gets,” Amanda confirmed. “Try some toe tickles.”
“Sounds good,” Sara said. She grabbed Kelly’s right foot and spread the toes, tickling between each pair, getting burst after burst of helpless laughter. She struck gold between the little toe and its neighbor – Kelly laughed louder and harder. Then both little toes got it at once – Kelly bucked and squirmed and laughed at the top of her lungs.
“Go easy, Sara,” Candice said. “You’re gonna tickle her to death!”
“Nah, she can take it,” Amanda said. “I’ve kept her laughing like that for a lot longer. Faster, Sara! Make her laugh hard!”
Superfluous advice, thought Kelly as she laughed her head off. I can’t take much more of this...
Sara held back Kelly’s toes and tickled side to side on the soft skin underneath, extending the nail strokes onto the soles. She made a claw of her right hand and raked it down Kelly’s left foot, drawing four fast zig-zag lines and applying just enough pressure to tickle maddeningly. Sara gave the right foot the same treatment, then alternated, over and over. Kelly lapsed into ticklish delirium, unable to move or even form a coherent thought.
“I think she’s had enough,” Candice said. “Better finish her off.”
“Spoilsport!” Sara grumbled. She released the toes and guitar-chorded both soles – Kelly’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed like mad. Sara saved the best for last – her well-manicured nails flicked and scratched the balls of Kelly’s feet again, and Kelly’s laughter went off the scale. Sara speeded up, fingernails flying, tickling at warp speed. Kelly lost it and laughed herself breathless.
“How was that, girlfriend?” Sara asked.
Kelly took long deep breaths, eyes closed, tears of laughter running down her cheeks. She was sweaty, her throat was dry, her hair was a mess, her lungs felt like she had run a race. Her abs felt like they had been beaten with a board. But she wasn’t used up yet – not quite. One result of the adventure was above-average endurance. Another was a dash of bravado...
“That... wasn’t... so bad... ” Kelly gasped. Another deep breath. “Give me... more... HAHAHAHA! HAHAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!” she laughed as Sara started in on her again.
“Quit it, Sara!” Candice said, alarmed now. “That would be enough, even for me!”
“Eep!” Sara squeaked, and the tickling stopped abruptly. “Hehehe! Mo-om!” Sara giggled and protested. “AH-HAHAHAHAHA!”
Kelly giggled weakly as she drifted back from Tickle Hell. She twisted around and rolled onto her side, wincing and blinking away tears. Sara was sprawled on her back – her mother had an ankle in a one-hand grip, tickling the trapped foot with her free hand. “You gonna do like Candice said?” the woman asked.
“HAHAHA! Yes!” Sara got out. “HAHEHA! Sta– hahaha! –ap! HAHA-HAHA-HAHA!”
Mrs. Rosen quit, but she kept her hold. “Candice and Amanda aren’t enough?” she asked.
“Nope,” Sara said, a little short of breath. “How was your card game?”
“Don’t change the subject,” Mrs. Rosen said. “Why were you tickle-torturing Kelly?”
“You need one more girl this fall, don’t you?” Sara said. “Well, we’re interviewing Kelly for the job.”
Mrs. Rosen snorted. “Other functions as needed, huh? You girls kinda stretched that one to the breaking point, didn’t you?”
“Aw, c’mon Mom,” Sara said, squirming a little, but her mother kept her grip. “You and Aunt Becky used to do it too. One time, when I was little, I thought you were gonna tickle her to death.”
“And if you recall, she paid me back, with compound interest,” Mrs. Rosen said. “Stop squirming! I’ll tell you when we’re through!”
“It’s OK, Mrs. Rosen,” Kelly said. “Would you like to tickle me? Everybody else does.”
“So I see,” was the answer. “No, I think Sara handled that part of the interview just fine. Didn’t you, Sweetie?” She gave Sara another burst of nail flicks – from the way Sara was laughing, her mom knew all about the sweet spot, Kelly figured.
Mrs. Rosen quit and released Sara’s ankle. “Well, untie her and I’ll finish the interview. Has she filled out an application?”
“Not yet,” Sara said, and got to work on Kelly’s bonds. “We got distracted.”
Mr. Rosen came outside. “Another redhead? I dunno about that,” he said humorously. “We’ve already hired Julie Budanov for this fall. Two is a bit much.”
“You have two already,” Amanda interrupted. “They made me an honorary redhead when I joined the Red Headed League. Kelly would be the third.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “OK, girls, you win. Just don’t kill her before she even starts.”
Kelly sat up on the second attempt and winced again – her abs and ribs were really sore. “So I’ve got the job?” she asked.
“Yah, if the girls say you’re OK, I don’t think Ruth and I need to interview you again,” he said. “Just fill out the paperwork so we’ll have it on record. You can start as soon as Sara and Candice leave for college. OK with you?”
“Fine,” Kelly said. She stood up and wobbled – she was a little shaky. “I have to give notice anyway, before I quit at the mall. Where’d you leave the application, Sara?”
“Kitchen table,” Sara said. “Go ahead. I’m sure we can find something to do while we’re waiting for you.”
“Right the first time,” Amanda agreed, and took Sara down – the little brunette was unbelievably fast, as Kelly knew all too well. Amanda and Candice each grabbed an ankle and stood up – Sara was on her back again, feet up and gravity working against her. “Time to laugh, girlfriend!” the girls chorused.
“It’s always time to laugh around here,” Sara said, resigned to her fate. “HAHAHA! HAHA! HAHEHAHEHA! AH-HAHAHAHA-HAHAHA!” Amanda and Candice tickled faster – Sara bucked violently, arched her back and laughed her head off.
“Make a wish!” Amanda said. She held back Sara’s toes and tickled the stretched out sole, and Sara laughed with wild abandon.
“I wish we could tickle her every day!” Candice answered – she tickled the ball of Sara’s foot, fingernails flying. Sara squirmed like a worm, laughing like mad, tears of laughter running down her cheeks.
“Not many days left,” Amanda said. She copied Candice, and Sara laughed her head off at the top of her lungs. “Let’s make ‘em count.” Sara stopped struggling – all she could do was lay there and laugh.
“Hey Sara, does it tickle?” Candice asked – she had to raise her voice over the laughter. But Sara was laughing much too hard to answer.
Kelly went indoors and filled out the application. Sara’s musical laughter drifted in through the open door – great set of lungs, thought Kelly. The form was generic, from an office supply place. It was an old one that pre-dated the Americans With Disabilities Act – the Rosens, thrifty businesspeople that they were, had simply lined-through the forbidden questions.
Do you have any health condition(s) that would prevent you from performing the duties of this position? Kelly snorted. Amanda has a handicap – she doesen’t turn pink when she gets tickled, the way real redheads do. But I don’t, and neither does Julie – and even better, Julie’s lots more ticklish than I am... She signed her name and stood up. “I’m finished,” she called out, and went back outside.
Amanda and Candice had Sara in the zone, laughing like a madwoman, tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks. They tickled Sara’s soles – Sara’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed and laughed. They tickled down the arches, covering Sara’s feet with tiny nail flicks. They scratched the ticklish heels, then drew wavy lines, figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes in Sara’s arches. They scratched the sweet spots on both feet at once, and Sara laughed her head off at the top of her lungs.
Other functions as needed, thought Kelly. Works for me. “Hey, you two!” she said, raising her voice over Sara’s helpless laughter. “Save some for me!”
***THE END***
Copyright 2008 by the author
Dramatis Personae (in order of appearance)
Kelly McGuire
Kelly is 18 – she’ll be a Senior at Tieson City High School this fall. She’s tall, drop-dead gorgeous, with long, silky red hair, blue eyes so dark they seem almost indigo, an hourglass figure, long, shapely legs, and that perfect skin only redheads have. Kelly has extremely ticklish feet, and everybody loves to tickle them – her tickle laugh is as lovely as the rest of her, and she turns such a pretty shade of pink...
Sara Rosen
She’s an 18-year-old risk-taker who likes to…let’s just say bend…the rules. She’s built like Dolly Parton, a small girl with a slender waist and amazing upper body development. She has long dark brown hair, beautiful green eyes, a deep tan, and a fit, toned body. Her ticklish feet are her greatest weakness. She’s an enthusiastic tickler, on the principle that it’s more blessed to give than to receive.
Amanda Mason
Amanda is a cutie, just turned 18 years old, a petite girl with a trim and shapely figure. She stands an inch or so over five feet tall in her bare feet. She has curly dark brown hair, brown eyes, dark brows and long, dark lashes. She’s new to Tieson City, and will start at TCHS as a senior in the fall. She loves to tickle and be tickled, and she’s great fun to tickle. She’s impossible not to like.
Candice Wade
A little beauty, 18 years old, with crystal blue eyes and ash blonde hair, and a very trim and shapely body. Loves to be tickled and get in ticklish situations, but if the tickling goes too far, she's out of control. Her lust to be tickled has grown and grown, and now she'll do anything to get tickled. Of course, her friends are only too happy to oblige...
********************
Kelly McGuire’s phone rang as she was unlocking her car after work. Probably Mom, she thought, with an errand for me to run on my way home. She sighed, fished it out of her purse and flipped it open. Sure enough, the screen said HOME.
“Hi, Mom,” Kelly said. “What’s up?”
“Swing by the drugstore on your way home,” her mother said. “My prescription’s ready, and we could use some more sun block.”
SPF 1,000,000, thought Kelly. Her skin was like Mom’s – so fair that it didn’t tan at all, but just freckled and burned. “No problem,” she said. “See you in a few minutes.”
Kelly was 18 – she would be a senior at Tieson City High School this fall. She was tall, drop-dead gorgeous, with long, silky red hair, blue eyes so dark they seem almost indigo, an hourglass figure, long, shapely legs, and that perfect skin only redheads have. She worked at the big department store that anchored one end of Squander Mall – the summer dress she had worn to work that Thursday was a shade of green that only a redhead could wear.
ROSEN’S REXALL PHARMACY, the sign said, and underneath, Soda Fountain – Soup and Sandwiches. The pharmacy counter was in the back of the store. The center of the store had the usual drug store stuff – over-the-counter medicines, rupture trusses, corn plasters, liniments, cheap toys, hair goop, sunglasses and sunblock. Along the left wall was a sales counter with inexpensive jewelry, watch bands, reading glasses and so forth, flanked on each end by a greeting card rack and a magazine rack. There weren’t many customers this time of day – after the lunch-hour rush, but well before evening commuters stopping on their way home.
Sara Rosen was working the sales counter – she waved. She was a small girl, built like Dolly Parton, with great legs, a slender waist and amazing upper body development. She had long dark brown hair, beautiful green eyes, a deep tan, and a fit, toned body. She wore cargo shorts, backless sneakers without socks and a collared white knit shirt with Rosen’s Rx over the pocket. Her shirt looked at least one size too small.
Just past the magazine rack was the lunch counter and soda fountain, with two marble-topped tables and bent-wire chairs beyond. It was closed for the day, but Candice Wade was working behind the counter, unloading the dishwasher and stacking the plates and glasses in racks. Candice was a little beauty with bright blue eyes and ash blonde hair, and a very trim and shapely body. She was dressed like Sara – a ball cap and apron completed her outfit.
Kelly grabbed a tube of sunblock and continued on to the pharmacy counter. Amanda Mason was working the cash register. Kelly knew the girl well – she had shared an adventure with Amanda and four others a few months back, one that none of them talked about. Amanda was a cutie, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, dark brows and long dark lashes – she stood an inch or so over five feet tall. She wore shorts and a knit shirt too, but she had kicked off her sandals. “Hi, Kelly,” Amanda said. “Enjoy your vacation?”
“It was great!” Kelly enthused. “Kinda tickly though. Have you met my sister?” Amanda shook her head. “Well, Molly likes to tickle me – says I turn a lovely shade of pink. And there were these two guys– ”
“Here’s your mom’s prescription, Kelly,” Mr. Rosen said. “Ring it up, Amanda, and then go help Candice.” He was in his late 40’s, with a pharmacist’s smock and thinning hair that was turning from dark to gray.
“Anyway, everybody tickled the shit out of me,” Kelly said as Amanda rang it up. “My ribs still hurt,” she added, exaggerating just a little.
“Poor baby!” Amanda said insincerely. She made tickling motions. “Sounds to me like you need to build up your endurance again. We’re gonna grab some fast food after work, and then play at Sara’s place. You’re welcome to join us – we can always use one more.”
“What time?” Kelly asked.
“We close at 6 PM,” Amanda said. “We’re usually finished by 6:30.”
Like her sister, Kelly was an enthusiastic tickler – she had tickled her friend silly many times. “I’ll meet you here,” she said.
At home, Kelly changed into shorts and t-shirt – she drove into the alley behind the drugstore at 6:25. Good thing I’m a little early, she thought – she saw Sara, Amanda and Candice down the alley with Sara’s mom and dad, locking up the drug store’s back door. Sara was a younger version of her mother most ways, Kelly thought, but those hooters must have come from the other side of the family.
“Hi, Kelly,” Mrs. Rosen said. “What’s up?”
“She’s gonna play with us tonight,” Sara said. “Be ready to laugh, Kelly, ‘cause I’m gonna open a bag of freak on you.”
Mr. Rosen shook his head. “I don’t understand you girls,” he said. “What’s with all the tickling?”
“It’s a girl thing, Sam,” his wife said. “My sister and I used to do it too, just not as much.”
“Yah, I know,” he said. “Well, OK, Princess. Have fun.”
“I wish he wouldn’t call me that,” Sara grumbled as she walked toward the car. “Shotgun!” she called out, and got into the front seat.
They drove out Johnson’s Ferry Road to a burger place near the interstate, then doubled back to Tickle Street. Kelly parked, and they all piled out.
Sara led them inside – they kicked off their shoes inside the door. “Mom and Dad play bridge on Thursday nights, so we’ve got the place to ourselves,” she said. “Let’s go outside on the porch.”
Candice grabbed a tall stool from the kitchen breakfast bar, Sara got another on their way outside. The porch was covered and screened in. On it were a gas grill, four folding director chairs with canvas seats and backs, and a couple of small tables.
Candice set her stool down in front of one of the chairs. “OK, Sara, tie me up,” she said – she turned her back on Sara and crossed her wrists behind her. Sara strapped them together. Candice sat in the chair, put her feet through the legs of the stool and rested her ankles on the far-side leg brace. Sara passed a strap over Candice’s lap and under the chair seat, another around her shoulders and the chair back. She strapped her friend’s ankles together, tied them off to the brace to anchor them. The finishing touch – she tied Candice’s big toes together with string.
Candice wiggled her toes and grinned. “Who wants to sing a duet with me?”
“Need you ask?” Amanda said. “Hey Kelly, see how hard you can make me laugh.”
They tied Amanda up with more of Candice’s nylon straps. Amanda and Candice ended up bound side-by-side. The other girls set two more chairs facing Amanda and Candice’s feet.
“Quality or quantity?” Sara asked as she sat facing Candice’s trapped feet.
“Quality of course,” Candice answered. “Has to be – I’m lots more ticklish than she– Hee! AH-HAHAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHAHA!” she laughed as Sara got to work, tickling Candice’s heels and arches two handed.
“Let’s see you top that,” Amanda said cheerfully.
“Hush,” Kelly said, and held Amanda’s toes back. “All I want to hear from you is laughing.” She used a single nail to draw fast, looping figure-eight’s around the balls of Amanda’s feet. Amanda lost it and howled with forced mirth, bucking and squirming, her skin turning pink from laughing.
Kelly covered both feet with tiny nail flicks. She tickled Amanda’s arches and heels two handed, then held back her toes and tickled the soft skin underneath. Still holding the toes back, she tickled both stretched out soles, left-right-and-repeat, lingering on the soles and balls of Amanda’s feet where it tickled unbearably. Amanda wasn’t struggling any more – all resistance had been tickled away. She laughed and laughed, helpless to resist the fiendish and well techniqued tickling.
Kelly glanced over at Sara and Candice. Sara had Candice in the zone, laughing like a madwoman. She tickled side to side under all ten toes while helpless laughter streamed from her victim. She released Candice’s toes to tickle her arches and heels. Then holding the toes back again, she tickled the stretched out soles mercilessly. Candice laughed her head off, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks.
Kelly tickled Amanda’s soles two handed, watching the toes twitch and curl. She tickled down the arches, covering Amanda’s feet with tiny nail flicks. She scratched the ticklish heels, then drew wavy lines, figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes in Amanda’s arches. She held Amanda’s toes back and tickled the stretched out soles again. Amanda laughed at the top of her lungs, loving every bit of it.
“Let’s finish ‘em off,” Sara said, and picked up the pace. Kelly speeded up too, and both ticklees laughed at the top of their lungs. It was more than they could bear – they laughed themselves breathless.
“Not bad at all, Kelly,” Sara said, wiggling her fingers.
“I learned from a master,” Kelly said. “Right, Amanda? And my sister showed me a few tricks – those, I learned from the inside, if you catch my drift.”
“Sisters – gotta love ‘em,” Candice said, a little breathlessly. “Friends and co-workers too. I’m gonna miss this when I go off to college.”
“Me too,” Sara said. “One of the benefits of working at my parents’ drugstore is ticklish co-workers.”
“Break time is always lots of laughs,” Amanda agreed.
“They don’t mind?” Kelly asked. “I’d get canned if I tried something like that at the mall, break time or not.”
“Probably just as well, considering who some of your colleagues are,” Sara said. True enough, thought Kelly – Vicky and Veronica Righetti, ticklers par excellence, worked at the same department store. “But to answer your question, Mom’s cool, and Daddy doesen’t mind all that much. So long as we’re not busy, that is.”
“Gonna need a new tickler this fall,” Amanda said. “Why don’t you apply for the job, Kelly?”
“She’s right,” Sara said. “They’ll need replacements for the two of us. Why not you?”
Kelly considered. The Rosens had a good reputation as employers. They never had to advertise for help – vacancies were always filled by word of mouth, just like this. The pay would probably be about the same, and the benefits...
“You’ve got retail experience, and other useful skills too,” Amanda said encouragingly. “Honed by constant practice. You’d be a natural.”
“Well, I know how to work a register, anyway,” Kelly said. “What else?”
“Daddy wrote a job description.” Sara said. “Cash register, stocking shelves, working the lunch counter and soda fountain – we can teach you that – some light cleanup, and other functions as needed.” A mischievous grin. “That last part’s where your useful skills will come in handy.”
Kelly laughed. “OK, I’ll fill out an application,” she said.
“Not so fast,” Candice said. “Amanda says you’re qualified – well, I’d like to find out for myself. Sara can tickle Amanda for a while.”
“Suits me,” Sara said. “Trade places, Kelly.”
Sara dug right in, lightly flicking her well-manicured nails on the balls of Amanda’s feet – the sweet spots, where Amanda’s feet were insanely, unbearably ticklish. Amanda threw her head back and laughed at the top of her lungs. Her toes twitched and curled as she laughed like mad.
“Tickle my soles, right in the middle,” Candice said. “It drives me wild!”
“OK,” said Kelly, and did just that. Candice bucked violently, arched her back and laughed her head off.
Candice laughed helplessly as Kelly held back her toes and tickled a stretched out sole, paying particular attention to the crease in the exact center. Kelly tickled across the balls of Candice’s feet to the other sole, then back again, fingernails flying, and Candice’s laughter went off the scale. She squirmed and struggled, her skin turning pink from laughing, tears of laughter running down her cheeks.
Kelly was merciless. She tickled Candice’s soles until the little blonde was red-faced and sweaty. She eased off, tickled down Candice’s arches to her heels, and the laughter went down a notch. Then back to the soles again – Candice laughed at the top of her lungs. She has amazing stamina and endurance, Kelly thought – my fingers are getting tired, yet she’s still not in any distress. She gave Candice’s soles another burst of nail flicks, forcing a stream of wild laughter.
But Amanda was laughing even harder. Kelly spared the others a glance – Sara was tickling between Amanda’s toes, forcing stream after stream of ticklish laughter. Amanda laughed and laughed as Sara tickled her soles and arches two-handed. Sara tickled down Amanda’s arches to the ticklish heels, drawing circles and other tickling shapes – Amanda laughed her head off.
Focus, thought Kelly. She held back Candice’s toes and spider walked her nails along the crease in the exact center of Candice’s right sole – four fingernail strokes in succession, three times a second. She tickled across the balls of both feet to the left sole, flicking and scratching. Candice went crazy, bucking and squirming, laughing her head off. Her laughter went off the charts – she lost it and laughed herself breathless.
“Good one, Kelly!” Sara said. She picked up the pace – Amanda’s laughter went off the scale as Sara’s nails scratched and scrabbled. Amanda laughed wildly, helplessly, at the top of her lungs, and ran out of air. Sara had tickled her breath away.
Candice and Amanda sat there gasping, trying to get their breathing and heart rate normal again. Candice was first to recover – she grinned. “Not too shabby,” she said cheerfully, a little short of breath. “That really, really tickled. Give me more!”
“Don’t you ever get enough?” Sara asked.
“Nope,” Candice said. “Silly question! You’ve tickled me enough to know that.”
“Me either,” Amanda said. “But let’s take a break anyway. I’m about to pee my pants.”
They took their break on the porch. Kelly decided that she liked Candice and Sara. Candice was another like Amanda, she figured – the girl had a great sense of humor, and she loved to be tickled. Sara was a little harder to figure out – her personality had a bit of an edge. She seemed to delight in tickle-torturing her co-workers – not that they minded, of course. But she seemed nice enough. Wonder how ticklish she is, Kelly thought.
Amanda drained the last of her Coke. “What’s next?” she asked.
“Let’s see how Kelly performs under pressure,” Sara said.
“You mean– ” Candice started.
“Yup,” Sara said. “Tickling Death Match. Have a seat, Kelly – let’s see what you’re made of.”
Sara and Kelly both had done this before – they knew the drill. They sat close, facing each other, extended their right legs, drew up their left with the bottoms of their left feet flat against their right thighs. Each girl got a firm grip on her opponent’s right foot with her left hand.
“Who’s gonna be the ref?” Sara asked, flexing her fingers experimentally.
“Me,” Candice said, and sat down to watch. “Ready– get set – one, two, three, GO!”
Both girls flicked the nails of their right hands on the bottom of her opponent’s trapped foot, fast as they could. Both burst into ticklish laughter, howling with forced mirth, and may the best girl win! Neither tried for anything fancy – their tickling fingernails flicked and scratched, each covering the other’s foot with fiendish and well-techniqued tickling. Both laughed like mad, red faced, tears of laughter streaming down their faces.
Kelly concentrated on the exact center of Sara’s sole, and Sara’s laughter went up a notch. Sara tickled the ball of Kelly’s foot, and Kelly almost lost it – it tickled horribly! She flicked her nails across Sara’s sole, extending the nail strokes onto the ball of the foot, trying desperately to tickle Sara out and avoid the same fate herself. Their toes twitched and curled as they laughed and laughed – it was an added challenge that prolonged the contest. They both laughed like madwomen, tickling as fast as they could, as time expanded and the tickling filled their consciousness.
But Kelly had endured more than her share of tickling – she had given it back too, and could more than hold her own. The adventure with Amanda and the ticklish games with their friends had honed and polished the lessons her sister had taught. Endurance won out – Sara was a better-than-average tickler, but she lacked Kelly’s hard-earned stamina. She lost it and collapsed onto her back, laughing at the top of her lungs. Her strength was gone, tickled away.
Kelly giggled as the tickling sensation faded, then picked up the pace as fine motor control returned. She shifted her grip, holding Sara’s toes back. Her nails danced, tickling the stretched out sole mercilessly, bringing forth wave after wave of ticklish laughter.
“Looks like Kelly passed the test,” Candice observed.
“You’ve won, Kelly!” Amanda added. “Easy! Give her a break!”
“Not likely!” Kelly said, gathering her legs under her. “I’m having too much fun!” She let go of Sara’s foot, rolled Sara onto her tummy and sat on her facing aft. She grabbed both ankles, pulled and trapped Sara’s legs in the figure-four leg lock.
“OH NOOO!” Sara wailed. “Haha! Sta– hahaha! –ap! Kellee– hehe!” Sara begged and giggled as Kelly flicked and scratched both feet from soles to heels. “Ahaha! You– hehe-haha! win! Haha-hehe-hahaha!”
“Time to laugh some more, Sara!” Kelly said triumphantly, and used all of her fingernails to tickle between all of Sara’s toes at the same time. Sara arched her back and laughed like mad, eyes closed, tears streaming down her face, her skin turning red from laughing.
Sara laughed like a maniac as Kelly held her toes back and tickled the soft skin underneath. She wasn’t resisting now – all of her strength had been tickled away. Kelly extended the nail strokes onto Sara’s stretched out soles, then tickled side to side. Sara laughed helplessly as Kelly drew circles, squares and other tickling shapes on her soles and onto the arches behind. Kelly released the toes and covered Sara’s arches and heels with tiny nail flicks. Then two-handed tickling on both soles – Sara’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed and laughed.
Aha! Found the sweet spots! Kelly tickled the balls of both feet, getting great reactions and wave after wave of helpless laughter. She held Sara’s toes back again and flicked the balls of Sara’s feet with a guitar-chording motion. Sara laughed and laughed, musically, helplessly, face red, tears streaming – she was losing it, right on the edge. Kelly made a Peace sign – she scratched the balls of both feet, tickling the sweet spots mercilessly, and tickled Sara’s breath away.
Kelly dismounted and stood up. “Hey Sara, did that tickle?” she asked sweetly.
Sara rolled onto her back and shuffled her feet on the porch to get the tickle off. “Did it... tickle! Did it tickle!” she said, indignation overcoming shortness of breath. She was sweaty, her long dark hair was messed up, tears streaked her face. “I’ll get you for this!” she threatened, only half joking.
“Admit it Sara,” Amanda said. “You’ve just got your panties in a wad because she beat you in the Death Match.”
Sara grinned sheepishly. “Busted!” she said. She sat up and winced – her abs must be sore from laughing, Kelly thought. “That tickled so much! How’d you learn to tickle like that?”
“Picked it up here and there,” Kelly said with masterful understatement. “You’re a worthy opponent, Sara. I thought I was gonna lose it – you almost had me. So did I pass the test?”
“Looks that way to me,” Sara said. She stood up and winced again. “Hey, I think my folks have some application forms in their home office. I’ll get one for you – save you a trip.”
“I’d like that,” Kelly said. “Bring a pen too – might as well fill it out.”
“You’ll like working there, Kelly,” Candice said. “The Rosens are good bosses, and everybody who works for them is friendly.”
“Just one problem,” Amanda said. “The milkshakes are awfully tempting– ”
“You’ll need a pretty good exercise program to keep the weight off,” Candice completed the thought.
“Aerobic exercise,” Amanda said, closing in.
“Which calls for conditioning,” Candice added. “GET HER!”
“Hey!” Kelly yelled. She tried to run, but the two girls jumped her and bulldogged her down to the floor. Amanda sat on her – Candice fetched the straps.
Kelly stopped struggling – she was had, and she knew it. “You’re gonna tickle me silly, aren’t you?” she said – it wasn’t a question.
“Yup,” Candice said cheerfully. “Help me hogtie her, Amanda.” She passed a strap around Kelly’s waist to provide a firm anchor, then slipped another shorter one under it at the small of Kelly’s back. She crossed Kelly’s wrists over it and strapped them tight. Amanda strapped Kelly’s ankles together, then used the free end of the strap to complete the hogtie. The rig was Candice’s invention – it completely immobilized Kelly, but it didn’t chafe and didn’t cut off circulation. The finishing touch – Amanda tied Kelly’s big toes together with string. It didn’t take long – this wasn’t their first rodeo.
“Take turns, or both at once?” Amanda asked.
“Both at once,” Candice decided. “Cheer up, Kelly – this is the last test.”
“Of what?” Kelly asked.
“It’s the Tickle Test, silly!” Candice answered. “Remember what Sara said? Ticklish co-workers are one of the benefits of the job.”
“Amanda could give you a report,” Kelly said, stalling for time.
“But I like to see for myself,” Candice said. “C’mon, Amanda.”
The girls kneeled facing each other, with Kelly’s trapped feet in between. “Quality or quantity?” Amanda asked.
“Quality, like I said before,” Candice said, cracking her knuckles. “Let’s tickle her ‘til she doesen’t know her own name. Ready, Kelly?”
“Get it over with,” Kelly said glumly. “Hehe! HAHAHA-HAHAHAHA-HAHAHA!” she laughed as the girls’ fingernails flicked and scratched her ticklish soles.
Kelly laughed wildly as Candice drew circles, squares and other tickling shapes on her heels and arches. Amanda scrabbled her nails on Kelly’s heel, spider-walked her nails up the arch, while Kelly laughed like a maniac. Then they both tickled in the arches, just behind the soles, and Kelly laughed her head off. Her fair skin colored – tickled pink.
“Great tickle laugh,” Candice said – she tickled between Kelly’s toes two-by-two, forcing more bursts of helpless laughter.
Amanda did her one better – she used four fingers to tickle between all five toes at once. “Yah, and she turns such a pretty shade of pink. Hangin’ in there, Kelly?”
Candice held back Kelly’s toes and tickled the soft skin underneath. “Must be, she’s not complaining,” Candice observed. As if I had breath enough to complain, Kelly thought indignantly, laughing like a madwoman. Oh Ghod how it tickled!
“Then let’s give her some more,” Amanda said. Like Candice, she held back Kelly’s toes. “Tickle her here,” she said, and attacked the ball of Kelly’s foot – the sweet spot, where it tickled unbearably. Kelly laughed at the top of her lungs, tears of laughter running down her cheeks, unable to move or even form a coherent thought.
Kelly laughed and laughed as the girls tickle-tortured the sweet spots, fingernails flying. They gave her a break – they tickled her soles, paying special attention to the creases in the middle. Candice switched her tickle target and tickled two handed, arch and heel, Amanda drew circles, squares and other tickling shapes in the arch – stream after stream of helpless laughter poured out of Kelly. Then Amanda made a Peace sign and scratched the sole crease and the ball of the foot, just behind the big toe, and Kelly’s laughter went off the charts. Candice copied Amanda, and that finished it. Kelly laughed and laughed and ran out of air.
“How about that, girlfriend?” Amanda said.
“Looked pretty good from where I’m standing,” Sara said. “Tickle Test?”
“Yah, and she did OK,” Candice said.
“Of course, we’ll defer to your superior judgement,” Amanda added.
“Oh noooo...” Kelly gasped out. “Please... no more... ”
“Just part of the interview,” Sara said. She kneeled behind Kelly’s upturned feet – the other girls considerately moved aside. “I’ve got this pen. Foot notes?”
“Nah, use your nails,” Candice said. “Tickles more anyway, the way you do it.”
“Nails it is,” Sara agreed. She put a knee on either side of her victim’s to prevent a rollover. She couldn’t resist teasing Kelly a little, lightly tracing a single nail on an upturned sole and getting a cheerful stream of girlish giggles.
“Hahaha! Don’t te– hehe! –ease me– hehehe!” Kelly giggled out. “Ahaha! Get it– haheha! –over with– hehehe!”
“Comin’ at ya!” Sara said cheerfully, and got to work, well manicured fingernails dancing on the ticklish soles.
“WA-HAHA! AH-HAHA! HAHAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!” Kelly laughed as Sara’s tickling fingernails flicked her arches. Sara speeded up – Kelly laughed at the top of her lungs, squirming and straining against her bonds.
Sara tickled down Kelly’s arches, onto the heels, and back up to the soles as streams of laughter poured out of Kelly. Then holding Kelly’s toes back, she tickled a stretched out sole in the exact middle, along the crease. Kelly went wild as Sara tickled across the balls of both feet to the other sole, howling with forced mirth.
“Same tickle pattern as me, looks like, ” Sara observed – she drew fast, looping figure-eight’s on the balls of both feet, covering every square inch of sensitive skin with unbearable tickling.
“I coulda told you that,” Amanda said. “Faster! Get her good!”
Kelly laughed and laughed as Sara spider-walked her nails on the balls of her feet. She was struggling harder now, trying desperately to escape the tickling – it tickled unbearably!
“Let’s see what else works,” Sara said – she eased off a little, tickling down Kelly’s arches to the heels, forcing wave after wave of ticklish laughter. “She’s getting more ticklish, isn’t she?”
“The more you tickle her, the better it gets,” Amanda confirmed. “Try some toe tickles.”
“Sounds good,” Sara said. She grabbed Kelly’s right foot and spread the toes, tickling between each pair, getting burst after burst of helpless laughter. She struck gold between the little toe and its neighbor – Kelly laughed louder and harder. Then both little toes got it at once – Kelly bucked and squirmed and laughed at the top of her lungs.
“Go easy, Sara,” Candice said. “You’re gonna tickle her to death!”
“Nah, she can take it,” Amanda said. “I’ve kept her laughing like that for a lot longer. Faster, Sara! Make her laugh hard!”
Superfluous advice, thought Kelly as she laughed her head off. I can’t take much more of this...
Sara held back Kelly’s toes and tickled side to side on the soft skin underneath, extending the nail strokes onto the soles. She made a claw of her right hand and raked it down Kelly’s left foot, drawing four fast zig-zag lines and applying just enough pressure to tickle maddeningly. Sara gave the right foot the same treatment, then alternated, over and over. Kelly lapsed into ticklish delirium, unable to move or even form a coherent thought.
“I think she’s had enough,” Candice said. “Better finish her off.”
“Spoilsport!” Sara grumbled. She released the toes and guitar-chorded both soles – Kelly’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed like mad. Sara saved the best for last – her well-manicured nails flicked and scratched the balls of Kelly’s feet again, and Kelly’s laughter went off the scale. Sara speeded up, fingernails flying, tickling at warp speed. Kelly lost it and laughed herself breathless.
“How was that, girlfriend?” Sara asked.
Kelly took long deep breaths, eyes closed, tears of laughter running down her cheeks. She was sweaty, her throat was dry, her hair was a mess, her lungs felt like she had run a race. Her abs felt like they had been beaten with a board. But she wasn’t used up yet – not quite. One result of the adventure was above-average endurance. Another was a dash of bravado...
“That... wasn’t... so bad... ” Kelly gasped. Another deep breath. “Give me... more... HAHAHAHA! HAHAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!” she laughed as Sara started in on her again.
“Quit it, Sara!” Candice said, alarmed now. “That would be enough, even for me!”
“Eep!” Sara squeaked, and the tickling stopped abruptly. “Hehehe! Mo-om!” Sara giggled and protested. “AH-HAHAHAHAHA!”
Kelly giggled weakly as she drifted back from Tickle Hell. She twisted around and rolled onto her side, wincing and blinking away tears. Sara was sprawled on her back – her mother had an ankle in a one-hand grip, tickling the trapped foot with her free hand. “You gonna do like Candice said?” the woman asked.
“HAHAHA! Yes!” Sara got out. “HAHEHA! Sta– hahaha! –ap! HAHA-HAHA-HAHA!”
Mrs. Rosen quit, but she kept her hold. “Candice and Amanda aren’t enough?” she asked.
“Nope,” Sara said, a little short of breath. “How was your card game?”
“Don’t change the subject,” Mrs. Rosen said. “Why were you tickle-torturing Kelly?”
“You need one more girl this fall, don’t you?” Sara said. “Well, we’re interviewing Kelly for the job.”
Mrs. Rosen snorted. “Other functions as needed, huh? You girls kinda stretched that one to the breaking point, didn’t you?”
“Aw, c’mon Mom,” Sara said, squirming a little, but her mother kept her grip. “You and Aunt Becky used to do it too. One time, when I was little, I thought you were gonna tickle her to death.”
“And if you recall, she paid me back, with compound interest,” Mrs. Rosen said. “Stop squirming! I’ll tell you when we’re through!”
“It’s OK, Mrs. Rosen,” Kelly said. “Would you like to tickle me? Everybody else does.”
“So I see,” was the answer. “No, I think Sara handled that part of the interview just fine. Didn’t you, Sweetie?” She gave Sara another burst of nail flicks – from the way Sara was laughing, her mom knew all about the sweet spot, Kelly figured.
Mrs. Rosen quit and released Sara’s ankle. “Well, untie her and I’ll finish the interview. Has she filled out an application?”
“Not yet,” Sara said, and got to work on Kelly’s bonds. “We got distracted.”
Mr. Rosen came outside. “Another redhead? I dunno about that,” he said humorously. “We’ve already hired Julie Budanov for this fall. Two is a bit much.”
“You have two already,” Amanda interrupted. “They made me an honorary redhead when I joined the Red Headed League. Kelly would be the third.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “OK, girls, you win. Just don’t kill her before she even starts.”
Kelly sat up on the second attempt and winced again – her abs and ribs were really sore. “So I’ve got the job?” she asked.
“Yah, if the girls say you’re OK, I don’t think Ruth and I need to interview you again,” he said. “Just fill out the paperwork so we’ll have it on record. You can start as soon as Sara and Candice leave for college. OK with you?”
“Fine,” Kelly said. She stood up and wobbled – she was a little shaky. “I have to give notice anyway, before I quit at the mall. Where’d you leave the application, Sara?”
“Kitchen table,” Sara said. “Go ahead. I’m sure we can find something to do while we’re waiting for you.”
“Right the first time,” Amanda agreed, and took Sara down – the little brunette was unbelievably fast, as Kelly knew all too well. Amanda and Candice each grabbed an ankle and stood up – Sara was on her back again, feet up and gravity working against her. “Time to laugh, girlfriend!” the girls chorused.
“It’s always time to laugh around here,” Sara said, resigned to her fate. “HAHAHA! HAHA! HAHEHAHEHA! AH-HAHAHAHA-HAHAHA!” Amanda and Candice tickled faster – Sara bucked violently, arched her back and laughed her head off.
“Make a wish!” Amanda said. She held back Sara’s toes and tickled the stretched out sole, and Sara laughed with wild abandon.
“I wish we could tickle her every day!” Candice answered – she tickled the ball of Sara’s foot, fingernails flying. Sara squirmed like a worm, laughing like mad, tears of laughter running down her cheeks.
“Not many days left,” Amanda said. She copied Candice, and Sara laughed her head off at the top of her lungs. “Let’s make ‘em count.” Sara stopped struggling – all she could do was lay there and laugh.
“Hey Sara, does it tickle?” Candice asked – she had to raise her voice over the laughter. But Sara was laughing much too hard to answer.
Kelly went indoors and filled out the application. Sara’s musical laughter drifted in through the open door – great set of lungs, thought Kelly. The form was generic, from an office supply place. It was an old one that pre-dated the Americans With Disabilities Act – the Rosens, thrifty businesspeople that they were, had simply lined-through the forbidden questions.
Do you have any health condition(s) that would prevent you from performing the duties of this position? Kelly snorted. Amanda has a handicap – she doesen’t turn pink when she gets tickled, the way real redheads do. But I don’t, and neither does Julie – and even better, Julie’s lots more ticklish than I am... She signed her name and stood up. “I’m finished,” she called out, and went back outside.
Amanda and Candice had Sara in the zone, laughing like a madwoman, tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks. They tickled Sara’s soles – Sara’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed and laughed. They tickled down the arches, covering Sara’s feet with tiny nail flicks. They scratched the ticklish heels, then drew wavy lines, figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes in Sara’s arches. They scratched the sweet spots on both feet at once, and Sara laughed her head off at the top of her lungs.
Other functions as needed, thought Kelly. Works for me. “Hey, you two!” she said, raising her voice over Sara’s helpless laughter. “Save some for me!”
***THE END***
