sageoftruth
TMF Novice
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2005
- Messages
- 64
- Points
- 0
Summary: A short epilogue to wrap things up. Thanks for trekking all the way through. Enjoy.
---
An oppressive silence filled the room. They exchanged looks, but no one had anything to say. “Hand me the key,” Hannah said at last. Sandra grabbed the key she’d left on the desk and passed it over. Hannah undid one handcuff and then leaned across to remove the other. Alyssa rubbed her wrists as Sandra and Brianna untied the bungee cords around her ankles.
“Well, I guess we should all take showers right now,” Hannah said. “We all look terrible.”
The others nodded and turned to leave. “Do you guys need towels?” Alyssa asked.
“We know where they are,” Hannah said. The three of them walked out and closed the door behind them, leaving Alyssa alone in her room.
* * *
The rest of the day progressed in an awkward fashion. After taking a very welcome shower, the four of them went out to get breakfast. “Wow! Mels sure makes the best waffles,” Sandra commented. “I’d almost forgotten how much I missed these.”
“Indeed,” Hannah agreed. “It truly feels nostalgic to have us all together eating here again, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, yes,” Sandra said. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Alyssa watched as they talked in overly-friendly tones, eyes constantly checking each other for affirmation. Meanwhile, Brianna watched and nodded, but remained silent. All this odd behavior unsettled Alyssa.
Her feet hurt from the long walk, so she slipped them out of her sandals and sat cross-legged in the booth while focusing on her waffles. She twitched as something cold rested against her bare foot. She turned her head to find Brianna’s hand casually resting against the sole of her foot. Brianna turned her head and her face nearly went white. In a flash, she pulled back her hand and muttered a hasty apology.
After finishing breakfast, Sandra, Hannah, and Brianna all insisted on covering the bill and stubbornly refused when Alyssa offered to chip in as well.
They all returned to the house with fresh excuses for taking their leave. “So, thanks for having us,” Sandra said. “It was, ah, lots of fun. Great to catch up and all, but I’ve got work back in the sales department that needs to be handled.”
“Indeed,” Hannah added. “It was… a blast, but my manager will begin climbing the walls if I do not return soon for my interview with Rolling Stone magazine.”
“And I have some coding to do,” Brianna said.
“I understand,” Alyssa said. “No need to make excuses. We all have our own lives now.” She paused. Something lingered on the tip of her tongue, and she had a feeling everyone else was feeling the same way. “Look, guys… About last night, and this morning…”
All three of them tensed up in response. They looked at each other uncertain who should speak. “Uh, we’re really sorry about this morning,” Sandra said. “You know we had to do it, right? If you’d just cooperated sooner, we could-”
Hannah reached forward and pushed Sandra aside. “What are you saying, you idiot!?” She calmed herself and turned to face Alyssa. “Alyssa, I sincerely apologize for this morning. Things got out of hand, to put it lightly. I feel so embarrassed.”
Alyssa smiled. “It’s okay, Hannah. I understand if you guys felt a bit anxious.”
“Well, glad that’s settled then,” Hannah said. “Shall we be off?”
It was obvious that they were avoiding mentioning last night. Alyssa hesitated as she pondered whether or not to bring it up. Her three friends nodded and turned to leave.
“Guys, wait!” she said. They all turned to her with anxious looks. “Guys, I’m sorry too about last night. I really got carried away as well.”
Once again, they exchanged looks, trying to decide what to say. “Uh, it’s okay,” Sandra said.
“I suppose it’s only fair,” Brianna added. “As you said, you’ve been dealing with the same thing from us for the past 15 years.”
“True, and for that we apologize as well,” Hannah said. She reached forward for a hug. Her hands went for Alyssa’s waist, but then stopped and redirected towards her shoulders. Alyssa returned the hug and Sandra and Brianna joined in the group hug. “You gave us plenty to think about,” Hanna said.
Alyssa waved goodbye as her friends drove off. She was alone once again. Leaving her sandals by the door, she marched up the stairs, turned into her room and slumped onto her desk chair. After her computer had finished turning on, she opened her private folder, and there sat her video. “You’d better be grateful,” she said in a tired voice. “I endured a lot to keep you safe.”
* * *
Alyssa sat in her desk chair, humming to herself and tapping her bare feet on the barren hardwood floor of her dorm room. “Really? Beyonce again? You know that stuff is seriously overrated right?” her roommate said. “You should listen to some Arcade Fire.”
Alyssa shrugged and said nothing. Once her roommate had left, she opened her artist’s page online, and pulled up her new drawing. In the drawing, Sandra, Brianna, and Hannah lay tied to the bed. Sandra, dressed in a navy-blue dress, released full throated laughter as her sides were tickled by a pair of hands, while her large feet flexed, stretching the fabric of her stockings. Hannah, decked out in her white makeup and black leather jacket, released an apparently loud cry based on the size of her open mouth. Her eyes were pinched shut, while her makeup ran, and speed lines conveyed the repeated slamming of her heels into the bed. Lastly, Brianna, dressed in her usual red tee shirt and shorts, shook her head from side to side, completely red in the face as two hands tickled her feet.
Alyssa sighed and grinned to herself. She threw all her artistic skills into this drawing, and the comments section showed how much it was appreciated. Several people commented on the lifelike portrayals of the three women, the genuine appearances of their laughter, and the joy of watching their three favorite ticklees grow into adults.
However, Alyssa knew that their appreciation of her drawing would never match her own. Every time she looked at it, it took her back to that day. They day she finally worked up the courage to make her fantasies come true. The memories made her swell with pride, but also flinch from a hint of shame. She was glad she’d done it, but she wondered if she would ever see her friends again after a stunt like that.
She heard the doorknob turn and her heart rate kicked up several notches. In an instant, she slid the mouse pointer to the corner of the screen and closed down her drawing. “Oh, I almost forgot,” her roommate said, peeking in. “I saw a letter sticking out of your mailbox in the Student Hall. Since you never bother to go over there yourself, I picked it up before heading back. Here.” She pulled out a pink envelope and placed in on Alyssa’s bed before stepping back out.
Alyssa couldn’t imagine who it could be. She never received physical fan mail, since she didn’t make her address public. Sliding her chair back, she leaned over and snatched it from her bed. She tore open the letter and pulled out a greeting card. As she opened it, she instantly recognized the handwriting. “How about a sleepover?” the writing said.
---
An oppressive silence filled the room. They exchanged looks, but no one had anything to say. “Hand me the key,” Hannah said at last. Sandra grabbed the key she’d left on the desk and passed it over. Hannah undid one handcuff and then leaned across to remove the other. Alyssa rubbed her wrists as Sandra and Brianna untied the bungee cords around her ankles.
“Well, I guess we should all take showers right now,” Hannah said. “We all look terrible.”
The others nodded and turned to leave. “Do you guys need towels?” Alyssa asked.
“We know where they are,” Hannah said. The three of them walked out and closed the door behind them, leaving Alyssa alone in her room.
* * *
The rest of the day progressed in an awkward fashion. After taking a very welcome shower, the four of them went out to get breakfast. “Wow! Mels sure makes the best waffles,” Sandra commented. “I’d almost forgotten how much I missed these.”
“Indeed,” Hannah agreed. “It truly feels nostalgic to have us all together eating here again, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, yes,” Sandra said. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Alyssa watched as they talked in overly-friendly tones, eyes constantly checking each other for affirmation. Meanwhile, Brianna watched and nodded, but remained silent. All this odd behavior unsettled Alyssa.
Her feet hurt from the long walk, so she slipped them out of her sandals and sat cross-legged in the booth while focusing on her waffles. She twitched as something cold rested against her bare foot. She turned her head to find Brianna’s hand casually resting against the sole of her foot. Brianna turned her head and her face nearly went white. In a flash, she pulled back her hand and muttered a hasty apology.
After finishing breakfast, Sandra, Hannah, and Brianna all insisted on covering the bill and stubbornly refused when Alyssa offered to chip in as well.
They all returned to the house with fresh excuses for taking their leave. “So, thanks for having us,” Sandra said. “It was, ah, lots of fun. Great to catch up and all, but I’ve got work back in the sales department that needs to be handled.”
“Indeed,” Hannah added. “It was… a blast, but my manager will begin climbing the walls if I do not return soon for my interview with Rolling Stone magazine.”
“And I have some coding to do,” Brianna said.
“I understand,” Alyssa said. “No need to make excuses. We all have our own lives now.” She paused. Something lingered on the tip of her tongue, and she had a feeling everyone else was feeling the same way. “Look, guys… About last night, and this morning…”
All three of them tensed up in response. They looked at each other uncertain who should speak. “Uh, we’re really sorry about this morning,” Sandra said. “You know we had to do it, right? If you’d just cooperated sooner, we could-”
Hannah reached forward and pushed Sandra aside. “What are you saying, you idiot!?” She calmed herself and turned to face Alyssa. “Alyssa, I sincerely apologize for this morning. Things got out of hand, to put it lightly. I feel so embarrassed.”
Alyssa smiled. “It’s okay, Hannah. I understand if you guys felt a bit anxious.”
“Well, glad that’s settled then,” Hannah said. “Shall we be off?”
It was obvious that they were avoiding mentioning last night. Alyssa hesitated as she pondered whether or not to bring it up. Her three friends nodded and turned to leave.
“Guys, wait!” she said. They all turned to her with anxious looks. “Guys, I’m sorry too about last night. I really got carried away as well.”
Once again, they exchanged looks, trying to decide what to say. “Uh, it’s okay,” Sandra said.
“I suppose it’s only fair,” Brianna added. “As you said, you’ve been dealing with the same thing from us for the past 15 years.”
“True, and for that we apologize as well,” Hannah said. She reached forward for a hug. Her hands went for Alyssa’s waist, but then stopped and redirected towards her shoulders. Alyssa returned the hug and Sandra and Brianna joined in the group hug. “You gave us plenty to think about,” Hanna said.
Alyssa waved goodbye as her friends drove off. She was alone once again. Leaving her sandals by the door, she marched up the stairs, turned into her room and slumped onto her desk chair. After her computer had finished turning on, she opened her private folder, and there sat her video. “You’d better be grateful,” she said in a tired voice. “I endured a lot to keep you safe.”
* * *
Alyssa sat in her desk chair, humming to herself and tapping her bare feet on the barren hardwood floor of her dorm room. “Really? Beyonce again? You know that stuff is seriously overrated right?” her roommate said. “You should listen to some Arcade Fire.”
Alyssa shrugged and said nothing. Once her roommate had left, she opened her artist’s page online, and pulled up her new drawing. In the drawing, Sandra, Brianna, and Hannah lay tied to the bed. Sandra, dressed in a navy-blue dress, released full throated laughter as her sides were tickled by a pair of hands, while her large feet flexed, stretching the fabric of her stockings. Hannah, decked out in her white makeup and black leather jacket, released an apparently loud cry based on the size of her open mouth. Her eyes were pinched shut, while her makeup ran, and speed lines conveyed the repeated slamming of her heels into the bed. Lastly, Brianna, dressed in her usual red tee shirt and shorts, shook her head from side to side, completely red in the face as two hands tickled her feet.
Alyssa sighed and grinned to herself. She threw all her artistic skills into this drawing, and the comments section showed how much it was appreciated. Several people commented on the lifelike portrayals of the three women, the genuine appearances of their laughter, and the joy of watching their three favorite ticklees grow into adults.
However, Alyssa knew that their appreciation of her drawing would never match her own. Every time she looked at it, it took her back to that day. They day she finally worked up the courage to make her fantasies come true. The memories made her swell with pride, but also flinch from a hint of shame. She was glad she’d done it, but she wondered if she would ever see her friends again after a stunt like that.
She heard the doorknob turn and her heart rate kicked up several notches. In an instant, she slid the mouse pointer to the corner of the screen and closed down her drawing. “Oh, I almost forgot,” her roommate said, peeking in. “I saw a letter sticking out of your mailbox in the Student Hall. Since you never bother to go over there yourself, I picked it up before heading back. Here.” She pulled out a pink envelope and placed in on Alyssa’s bed before stepping back out.
Alyssa couldn’t imagine who it could be. She never received physical fan mail, since she didn’t make her address public. Sliding her chair back, she leaned over and snatched it from her bed. She tore open the letter and pulled out a greeting card. As she opened it, she instantly recognized the handwriting. “How about a sleepover?” the writing said.
