Final Laugh (*/f, nc)

Final Laugh
starring Kristanna Loken and Ali Larter and featuring Julia Stiles and Brittany Murphy

by clean_kitchen


"...Every woman in the dressing room was tickled senseless by the intruders," the anchorwoman droned matter-of-factly. "Every woman, that is, except for four."

"Actresses Ali Larter, Kristanna Loken and Julia Stiles and Brittany Murphy escaped the ordeal, leaving the theater just moments before the unknown group broke in and tickled the other actresses for nearly an hour."

"Police say they questioned the two women and found no connection to the unknown assailants. Authorities have put out an APB on the group and is offering a reward for any..."

Kristanna clicked off the television and sat curled up on the couch in the apartment she and Ali were sharing for the summer. She was wearing way too many clothes for that time of year, but she just couldn't bear to have any exposed skin right now. Tickled for one hour? She wondered if she could stand one minute! She didn't even want to imagine what her friends at the theater had been through. She wondered what it would be like to go back to work, knowing what they had endured and that she had escaped.

That part didn't settle well with her, either. How had Ail known they needed to leave right then? The police said neither of them had anything to do with the break-in, but she wondered about Ali. They had spoken with the police, but not to each other. It had been a quiet cab ride home.

Ali came into the room with some tea. She was wearing just the shorts and almost-too-small shirt she often wore to bed. It made Kristanna uncomfortable to see Ali so bare, not because she was embarrassed, but because it made her feel exposed. She hugged her arms a little tighter to her body and curled her toes.

"Here you go," said Ali as she put the tea by her roommate and sat down in a chair next to where Kristanna was sitting.

"I suppose you're wondering how I knew we needed to leave."

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"Well, I don't know that I understand it myself. I saw it happen."

"What are you talking about? You left when I did."

"No, I saw it before it happened--like a dream. I was in makeup and I must have dozed off. I dreamed that a group of people broke into the dressing room and tickled the crap out of everyone. It freaked me out so much that I needed to get out of there."

"But why did you grab me and Julia?"

"I don't know, I guess because you were both standing right there in the hallway. It just scared me; I didn't know it would actually happen."

"So you're saying you had a vision about this? Am I supposed to buy this?"

Kristanna looked at Ali, and she realized she did buy it. Ali was either deadly serious or a much better actress than she thought.

"Do you you always see things before they happen?"

"No. I have no idea why I saw this one," Ali said absently, and then refocused her attention, "but I'm glad I did."

"Me, too," Kristanna replied, after a pause. "At least we're safe now. How often does something like that happen?"

"I guess you're right. I'm going to go to bed."

Ali got up and went to her bedroom. She had just dozed off when her eyes popped wide open.

"Julia!" she cried and ran to Kristanna's room.

* * *

Julia Stiles was riding home from the police station in a cab, her mind reviewing the events of the day. Who ever heard of people breaking into a building to tickle someone? It was just all too weird. At least she had escaped. She didn't know why Ali told her to leave, and she didn't care. She couldn't image being tickled like that. The thought of it sent a shiver up her back.

"Hey!" she complained to the cab driver. "You were supposed to turn back there. Are you listening to me?"

The driver remained silent and continued down the street. He pulled into an empty parking lot near what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse.

"Where are we? What's going on?" Julia demanded, starting to panic.

The driver remained silent. He stopped the car in the shadows next to one of the abandoned buildings. He flipped a switch to lock the doors.

Julia tried to get out, but the child safety locks were engaged. The man turned around. Julia looked, but couldn't make out his face in the shadows. She fought, but he was too strong for her. The struggle ended with both of her feet stuck through adjustable headrest of the front passenger seat. The driver pushed down on the headrest, securing her feet at the ankles. Julia struggled but could not remove her feet.

The driver then removed her sandals and positioned himself for good access to her exposed feet. Julia could see a toothy grin from under the driver's baseball cap, and we wiggled his fingers near her toes.

"Oh, crap!" Julia knew what was coming." You've got to be kidding me! Please, don't do this! Please dohhhHHHHHAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Julia lost control as the man began to scribble all over the soles of her feet.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOOOOOO! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHP!

The driver ignored her pleas and continues his assault on her soles. She had a beautiful full laugh that filled the car. She shrieked as he found her toes and began to tickle between them. Her laughter became silent cackles as he dragged his fingers up and down the outside of her feet.

Julia flopped around in the back seat, grabbing for nothing in particular and pounding the seat with her fists.

He shifted his attention to her bare legs. He stroked and poked and squeezed her knees and thighs, staying one step ahead of her swatting hands. She begged and squealed with each tickle.

The driver dug into her hips and she screamed and arched her back, thrashing around to avoid his hands. The driver let go when she managed to scratch his wrist and retreated back to the front seat, out of reach.

"That's what you get, you freak!" Julia half yelled half laughed at her captor. "Come back here and I'll AAAAAHHHHHHHHH! NOOOOHOHOOHOHOHOHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!"

The man returned to her feet, or rather, her foot. He used two hands on her left foot, tickling all over the top and sole, arch and sides. Julia absolutely lost it, screaming and babbling incoherently for him to stop. He applied the same treatment to the other foot and got the same response.

* * *

"They found her about half an hour ago," reported the detective.

Ali, startled from her vision, had made Kristanna come down to the police station after they weren't able to reach Julia.

Julia had been found sleeping at a bus stop, exhausted and barefoot. A bus driver recognized here and helped her to the police station, where she told her story. They were able to piece together an approximate timeline. The driver had tickled Julia for about two hours.

"How did you know she would be here?" the detective asked, a little suspiciously.

"We tried to call Julia and she didn't answer," Ali half lied. "With what happened yesterday we got worried."

"Were these the same guys that tickled the actresses in at the theater?" Kristanna asked. "Are they coming for us next?"

"No, this was an unrelated incident," the detective answered calmly. "We apprehended the entire group from the theater last night. They're all accounted for."

"So you're saying this is just a coincidence?" asked Kristanna, growing a bit annoyed.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," the detective said firmly. "As strange as they are, the odds that these incidents are related are very, very slim."

"Can we see Julia?" Ali asked.

"Not now. She's sedated and at the hospital just to make sure there's no permanent damage. The best thing you can do now is go home and get some rest."

"But...," Kristanna began, but Ali grabbed her arm.

"You're probalby right," she said to the detective. "Let's go, Kristanna."

The two actresses left the station.

"So what now?" Kristanna asked when they got outside, still a little annoyed. "I'm not just going to sit at home."

"That's right," replied Ali, "we need to find Brittany."

"Why? What's she going to do?"

"Look. What if for some reason we were supposed to get tickled yesterday, and Julia was attacked to make up for it?"

"I'd say you watch to many of your own movies."

"Funny. Is this possibility any weirder than thinking that there just happened to be two different tickle freaks out there who struck on the same night and that the second one just happened to tickle torture Julia? What are the odds?"

"I suppose that makes sense."

"Then we need to find Brittany. We need to protect each other. I may be wrong about all this, but is that a chance you're willing to take?"

"No," Kristanna relented. "Let's go find her."

* * *

"What do you mean she's at the park? Which park?" Ali asked the doorman at Brittany's apartment building.

"How should I know," he replied. "All she said was that she needed to take a walk."

"Oh, great," thought Ali, and then she asked, "Which way did she go?"

"She headed that way," replied the doorman, pointing down the street. "I think I saw her turn left at the bakery."

Ali thanked the doorman and she and Kristanna headed in the direction the doorman indicated.


* * *

The park was quiet. Brittany liked that. It's why she came here when she needed to think. She had a special secluded spot tucked away in a grove of trees that no one else seemed to know--or at least care--about. It was her thinking place.

She entered through the narrow path and sat down on the old park bench in the middle of the clearing. A small fountain nearby provided just the right amount of background noise.

She closed her eyes and tried to put yesterday's events out of her mind. A twig snapped, startling Brittany. She looked up and saw a middle-aged couple standing in front of her.

"Look, Larry," said the woman, "It looks like someone else found our special spot."

"I'm sorry," said Brittany. "I thought I was the only one who knew about it."


"No, this is our favorite bench," said the man.

The couple sat down on either side of Brittany. It made her uncomfortable, but she sensed no danger.

"Say, you're one of the actresses that got tickled yesterday, aren't you?" the man said, taking a closer look at the girl.

"No, I got away," she replied, growing increasingly uneasy.

"Oh, that must have been awful," the woman chimed in.

"Do you think they used feathers or their fingers? I think the fingers would have been worse." The man observed.

"I think the feathers would be terrible," the woman added, turning to Brittany, "what do you think, dear?"

"I ... I don't know. I'm sure they're both pretty bad." She didn't like this subject at all.

"Oh, come on, you have to choose," the man prodded.

"I've never really been tickled with either," replied the access. "Not like that."

"Well then you should try it," said the woman.

In a flash the couple each grabbed one of Brittany's arms, pinning it under their own behind the back of the bench. Brittany tried to kick, but they each looped a leg around one of hers, pinning them in place.

"No! Help!" Brittany yelled.

"Oh, there's no one here to hear you, sweetie," the woman said. "This park is well secluded and you know it."

"Now, about that question," said the man. "I think fingers are worse and Donna here says feathers are worse." He produced a long feather from his jacket pocket. "I'll try one and she'll try the other."

"That feather will never work through that shirt, Larry."

"I suppose you're right."

Larry lifted the front of Brittany's shirt up and over her head, tucking it behind her neck. Nothing but her bra and shorts protected her now from what they planned to do to her. She wished her shorts weren't cut so low.

"Me first," Larry said as he started to glide the feather up and down Brittany's exposed side and belly.

"Noooo..." she winced as she shut her eyes and tried to resist the maddening sensations. She couldn't believe this was happening, but she couldn't think about that now. Her only reality was that feather on her ticklish skin.

"Doesn't seem to be working, dear," said Donna mockingly.

"Oh yeah?" replied Larry, "watch this."

He dragged the feather up her side and began to let it dance from her armpit to just above her bra. All resistance left Brittany in an instant. She threw her head back and gave way to high pitched girlish laughter. The feather twirled around and around driving her mad with each stroke. She tried to pull her arms down, but the couple was too strong. The feather drifted across her upper chest and around her stomach, bringing a steady stream of giggles, but always returned under her arm and the electric reaction it elicited.

After several minutes, Larry stopped. "Top that, hon."

"Oh, you can bet I will," Donna responded, wiggling her fingers and long smooth nails above Brittany's belly.

"Please ... oh, please ... no more ..." the actress panted, staring at those terrible looking claws.

She shrieked and the clearing filled with high staccato laughter as the woman's nails skittered all over Brittany's belly and sides. She bucked and twisted and tried to escape to no avail.

Her laughter reached a new pitch as the woman's nails found the skin under her arms. She shook her head from side to side and laughed harder than she thought was possible. The woman stopped.

"Omygawd ... omygawd ...," she gasped.

"So which is worse, honey?" the woman asked.

"Please ... please ... no more ..."

"Which tickles worse? Or do you need to test them again?"

"No!" Brittany pleaded, regaining some composure. "The fingers .. The fingers ... The feather tickles like crazy ... but ... omygawd ... the fingers are terrible."

"That answers that," said the man as he returned the feather to his pocket.

Brittany's realized her arms were still pinned and she began to panic. "C'mon, aren't you going to let me go?"

"Later, dear," relied the woman, "but first we're going to tickle you."

"What?! No! You already did!"

"No, we were just testing you. Now that we know the fingers are worse we're really going to let you have it."

Brittany looked back and forth at the couple in disbelief, watching as their free hands descended on her body.

"No ... oh, please no ..." she pleaded, knowing they weren't listening. She braced herself for the inevitable.

Her screaming laugh rand out in the clearing, but the only sign of what was happing from out in the park was a flock of wrens that burst startled out of a nearby tree.

[to be continued...]