It was an innocent trip to the carnival for Lisa, Luke, and Mallory. But their fun soon turns to terror when two people are murdered and Lisa and Mallory are abducted by grotesque sideshow freaks. But the freaks have something else in store for these two lovely girls...
Thats my synopsis, figured I ought to put one in just to let you know what
happens in the story. Anyway, if you think that girls in the eighties were hot, you'll like this story. This is only the first part though, so don't be too disappointed if there isn't much tickling yet...but don't worry, I'll get there. So basically, just read and enjoy. Of course, you're probably real thirsty, so...MGD? Fosters? Labatt?...Mike's Hard? (ugh). Whatever, just drink. And please, enjoy.
The year was 1985. It was a warm summer night, cooled by a gentle breeze, and the stars were splashed brilliantly across the dark blue sky. A perfect night for a trip to the carnival! Lisa walked through the crowded fairgrounds with her boyfriend Luke and her best friend Mallory. She was a pretty girl; 18 years old, with big blonde hair and a cute dimply smile. She was wearing a pink Go-Go’s shirt with an acid jean jacket, blue jeans, and white Nike’s with grey tube socks. She was living in the eighties and loving every minute of it! Lisa was a quiet girl, and slightly on the shy side, especially around boys. Her friend Mallory, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Mallory was a party girl all the way, living on the wild side of life and not caring what anyone else thought. She was also 18, with long, dark brown hair and a large mouth that was constantly either speaking or chewing gum, or both at the same time. She was wearing an orange slouch sweater, a snakeskin miniskirt with black tights and a big belt around her waist, along with green Reeboks and orange slouch socks. She spoke with a Brooklyn accent in a voice that made her sound as if she was continuously pinching her nose. Lisa liked Mallory because she had stood up for her in the eighth grade when a group of boys was teasing her about her looks (Lisa had been a late-bloomer), and because she wasn’t afraid to do the things that Lisa was more reluctant to do. They were best friends, in every essence of the term.
Lisa took Luke’s hand and smiled at him. She loved her boyfriend; he was tall and handsome, with a thick head of dark brown hair and the cutest little nose. They had met at a party back in the tenth grade (Mallory had almost literally had to drag Lisa up to him, insisting that she would love him and that he was “goageous”), and they had been an item ever since. Luke returned the smile.
“What are you grinnin’ about?” He asked.
Lisa wrapped her arm around his and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Oh, just happy to be here with my big, strong boyfriend.” They laughed.
Mallory rolled her eyes. “Oh, get a room you two,” she said, chewing on a piece of Double-Mint gum.
Lisa ignored her and flashed her big blue eyes at Luke. “Aren’t you glad we came to the amusement park Luke?” she asked.
Luke gave an exaggerated yawn and put his arm around her. “Oh yeah, clowns and roller coasters are great and all, but I think I’d much rather be watching Jason ripping people’s guts out.”
Lisa glanced at Mallory. “He wanted to go see that stupid new Friday the 13th movie, can you believe that? How romantic does that sound?”
Mallory playfully slapped Luke on the forearm. “Oh gawd, Luke you’re such a moron sometimes, ya know that?”
“Hey, hey,” Luke laughed, “we’re always going ice skating or to the arcade, I just thought it would be cool to go see a really gory movie for once, is that such a crime?”
They all laughed, then stopped and got some popcorn.
“So what do you wanna do next?” Luke asked thickly through a mouthful of popcorn.
“Ooh, I wanna go in that Fun House over there!” Mallory pointed towards a large red and yellow striped tent with a sign that read “Fun House” in big bold print.
“Oh jeez Mal, that looks boring,” Lisa said. “Let’s go on the Ferris Wheel!”
Mallory shuddered and shook her head. “Oh gawd Lisa, you know how much I hate heights. Look, why don’t you two go and do that and I’ll go in the Fun House. We can meet at the elephant when we’re done.” She pointed to the large fountain shaped like an elephant a few feet away.
They agreed and went their separate ways. Mallory walked up to the Fun House. It didn’t look like there was anyone else around. She peeked inside. “Hello?” she called. No reply. She shrugged to herself. “I guess it’s just me then.” She walked inside. A second later, a dark shape slunk in after her.
Mallory looked around the interior of the Fun House. It had looked a lot smaller on the outside. There were rows of mirrors all around her, forming a sort of maze. Mallory had been inside such a place before, but never one as elaborate. She rubbed the mirror closest to her with the palm of her hand, leaving a clear streak in the fine layer of dust.
“They sure don’t keep up on their housecleaning,” she said, unwrapping another piece of Double-Mint.
She started walking through the maze; occasionally bumping into a mirror that she thought was a way out. She continued through for what seemed like a very long time, but she still seemed no nearer to the exit than when she had started.
“Oh for cryin out loud,” she said, sticking a third piece of Double-Mint into her mouth.
She was getting tired of this place, and it was making her more and more uneasy. She kept hearing what sounded disconcertingly like footsteps not far behind her, but whenever she stopped to listen more closely she heard nothing. And she was sure that at one point she had heard faint breathing…
She started to walk faster. She just wanted to find her way out. Lisa and Luke were probably starting to get worried. After a while, she stopped. She was in an area of the Fun House that looked different from the rest. The mirrors were arranged in a circle around her, and Mallory was certain that one of them was in reality the exit. She looked closely at each one, but they all just looked like dusty mirrors. Then she heard it: a low, rumbling noise that sounded ominously like a growl. She turned around but saw nothing but more endless rows of mirrors. Get a grip on yourself Mal, she thought. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and then turned back to the circle of mirrors. She screamed.
Just behind her reflection she saw a dark figure, draped in shadows, with glowing crimson eyes. It growled, a disturbing noise, mostly because Mallory had never heard it before. She whirled around and ran straight past the creature. She ran past the many rows of mirrors, and in each one she could see the creature close behind her. Panicking, she ran straight into a mirror and fell flat on her back. She quickly sat up and started crawling backwards. The creature was in front of her.
“No…” she sobbed, “No, please don’t hurt me…”
Matt and Nick, a couple of teenagers who worked part time at the carnival, sat on some crates behind the Fun House. They had finished their shift at the concession stand. Nick finished rolling up another joint and lit it up.
“Man, I’m getting fucking tired of this,” he said, taking a long drag.
“Yeah, this job fucking blows,” Matt replied, lighting up his own.
An ear-splitting scream came from inside the Fun House. Both teens stopped cold, straining they ears.
“Man what the fuck was that?” Matt said.
“I don’t know dude,” Nick replied. He got up and peered inside the exit.
“I don’t see nothing,” he said. He walked back to the crate and sat down. Matt fumbled nervously with his joint.
“You don’t think someone’s hurt in there do you?” he asked after taking a particularly long drag. Nick didn’t answer. After a while they heard footsteps coming from inside the Fun House.
“Shit, someone’s coming!” Nick said, dropping the joint and stomping it out. Matt did the same and they both stood up. Someone stepped out of the Fun House, but they couldn’t quite make out what he looked like. He was carrying an unconscious form on his shoulder.
“Hey man, what the fuck,” Nick said. The shadowy figure turned slowly, and then gently put down the person he was carrying. The two teens could now see a pair of glowing red eyes, staring beadily at them.
“Holy shit dude, lets get out of here!” Matt exclaimed. But Nick was frozen to the spot, his eyes fixed on the creature. Matt grabbed his arm and tugged.
“Dude, come on!” he yelled.
He looked at Nick, then back at where the creature was standing. It was gone. Nick snapped out of the trance.
“What…?” they heard growling behind them. They turned around and the creature was there. Suddenly if flicked its arm forward and threw something at Nick’s face. He started screaming. Matt stared in horror at his friend’s face as the skin slowly began to burn away. Nick backed into the wall and slunk to the ground, clutching his face and writhing horribly. Matt turned to run but he was struck in the face with some sort of liquid. His own screams soon eclipsed Nick’s as he felt his face slowly begin to melt away…
The Ferris wheel spun slowly around, bringing Lisa and Luke’s box closer to the top.
“Oh wow, you can see everything up here!” Lisa said. The moon was shining down brightly on them.
Luke smiled and took her hand. “The only thing I want to look at right now is you.”
Lisa turned to him and returned his smile. “You’re so suave Luke,” she said sarcastically.
Luke leaned forward and kissed her. She embraced him and they kissed, long and hard. Some of the people in line whistled as they passed by.
“I think we have an audience,” Luke said when they finally pulled away. Lisa grinned and twirled her hair around a finger.
After the ride was over, they walked hand-in-hand to the elephant fountain. Mallory wasn’t there.
“How long can it take to go through a Fun House?” Luke wondered aloud.
Lisa shrugged and sat down on the edge of the fountain. She could see coins glimmering in the shallow water. She took a nickel out of her pocket, made a wish, and flicked it into the fountain. Luke sat down next to her.
“What’d you wish for?” he asked.
Lisa grinned. “Oh come one Luke, you know I can’t tell you or it won’t come true!”
Luke laughed. “Okay, okay.” He took a penny out of his pocket and turned it over in his hands. “Well, I’m not afraid to tell you my wish.” He closed his eyes and flung the coin into the water. “I wish that the next time I go out with Lisa we’ll go see Friday the 13th and not go to the carnival.”
Lisa slapped him playfully. “Oh ha-ha, very funny Luke.”
A blood-curdling scream rose high into the air. Suddenly the night erupted with horrible screaming. It sounded as if someone was being tortured. Lisa and Luke glanced at each other.
“Luke, what is that?” Lisa asked nervously.
“Dunno, but it doesn’t sound good.”
Suddenly a mob of people came running from the park, swarming towards the exit. Lisa was almost swept away in the tide of horrified looking carnival-goers, but Luke grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the way.
“What the hell is going on?” she asked over the commotion.
“I’m not sure,” Luke yelled, “I think I heard someone say something about a murder. We better get out of here.”
They started to make their way towards the exit. Lisa stopped. “Luke wait, we can’t leave without Mallory!” She looked through the swarming mass of people, trying to spot her friend. Luke tugged on her arm. "She probably already made it out Lisa! Lets go!"
“No, I have to go and find her!” Suddenly they were caught up in the torrent of fleeing people, and Luke’s hand was pried from Lisa’s. She flattened herself against a gate to keep from being swept away. Luke was being pushed farther and farther away.
“LISA!” he yelled. But he was pushed out of her sight. Lisa ran back, the only person heading towards the carnival. Somehow, amidst all the confusion she managed to find her way to the Fun House, albeit the back side. There she was met with a horrible sight. Two bodies were slumped on the ground, their heads covered with what looked like pillowcases. There was something vaguely familiar about this…she couldn’t put her finger on it. Curiosity overcoming her, she bent over and slowly removed the pillowcase from the body closest to her. She wished she hadn’t. She screamed and quickly covered the face back up. It was horribly disfigured, as though all the skin had melted away. Before she knew what she was doing, she had stumbled into the Fun House. It was eerily quiet inside, the only sound being the faint rumbling and screaming from the crowd of people swarming through the exit. Lisa looked around. There was a circle of mirrors around her.
“Mallory!” she called. No answer. She cupped her hands over her mouth. “MALLORY!” she yelled. Again she was met only with silence. Perhaps Mallory had already made it out…
Lisa heard a shuffling noise behind her. She turned sharply, but saw nothing. The flap over the entrance to the Fun House rustled in the wind. Lisa was certain she had heard something. “Mallory?” she called again. She walked closer to the entrance. There was nothing there…
“Liiiisssssaaaa…”
Lisa gasped and whirled around, her heart pounding. “Who’s there?” she said in a very high-pitched voice. “Mallory, is this some kind of a joke?”
Then saw it: a dark figure standing in the shadows. She screamed and ran out of the Fun House. She just ran, not caring where she was going. After a few moments she saw a large tent up ahead, with lights and the sound of voices coming from the inside. She hurried towards it, hoping that whoever was inside could help her. She didn’t notice a sign just outside the entrance. It read “Freak Show”.
She pushed the door open. It was large inside, and very smoky. Music played loudly from an unseen radio:
“I’m goin to a party, and I hope you are hearty,
So please don’t be naughty, for it’s a punky reggae party”
It had the same sort of atmosphere as a biker bar.
“Please…” she said breathlessly, “help me. There’s been a murder and someone’s chasing me!” As she regained her breath, she noticed the people inside the tent. She almost screamed.
There were three men and two women, all grotesquely bizarre in appearance. One was a short, swarthy looking man, bald and missing his left eye. He almost looked normal, except that he had another torso, identical to the other, jutting out from his left side.
“It takes a joyful sound to make the world go ‘round,
Come with your heart and soul, come and come and rock your boat,”
Another man sat close by, wearing a Michael Myers mask. In addition to his two normal arms, he had three more jutting out from his belly.
A beautiful, dark-skinned woman stood at a bar behind him, wearing little. She was mostly normal, but her arms were covered in small, fine bristles.
The last two were a pair of twin albino women, almost completely identical. They had long, silky white hair and were dressed in nearly see-through costumes. Lisa couldn’t spot anything strange about them at all…
The swarthy looking man removed a very fat joint from his mouth. “Who the fuck are you?” he demanded in a low, rumbling voice.
“It’s a punky reggae party, and its all night,
It’s a punky reggae party, and it’s all right”
Lisa stared at him. “Didn’t you just hear me? Two men are dead! You have to help me.”
The other freaks laughed. Baldy (as she had silently named the swarthy looking man) stood up, smoke billowing from his lips, an evil grin on his face. “Oh is that right, love?” he said.
“That right, love?” his other torso echoed.
The others continued sniggering as Baldy slowly approached Lisa. She began to back up. These guys must be in league with whoever was chasing her! She suddenly became very afraid.
“Um, I think I made a mistake,” she said, slowly making her way towards the door. “Never mind.”
Baldy’s grin widened. “Not leaving already are we?” he asked (“Are we?” his other torso said). “But you’ve only just got here!” (“Just got here!”) Lisa turned to open the door but Baldy grabbed her by the arms. She screamed.
“Let me go you freak!” She struggled quite uselessly.
“Freak? Oh, now that hurts love, that really hurts.” (“That really hurts”)
He shoved her forward roughly, into the man with five arms (she named him Mike). He shoved her into the woman with bristles on her arms (Bristle), who in turn pushed her into the albino twins (Albino A and B), who held her tightly between them.
“A tip from a gypsy: she said man you’re getting tipsy,
Hiding from reality, in your world of hypocrisy”
The other freaks all stood to the side as the door opened. The shadowy figure that Lisa had seen in the Fun House stood in the doorway, eyes blazing red. Lisa’s heart was pounding. What were they going to do to her?
The shadowy figure stepped forward and into the light, and Lisa could see him fully. She gasped. It was dressed in a maroon colored ringmaster costume, complete with a top hat sitting atop the most horrendous looking head that she had ever seen. It looked like a cross between a wolf and a wild boar, with thick black hair, a tusked snout, and glistening fangs that were dripping with saliva. It was frightening, yet at the same time it looked almost…unreal, as if it were not person’s true face.
“It’s a punky reggae party, and its all night,
It’s a punky reggae party and it’s all right”
The Ringmaster snarled. “Take her to the torture rack,” it said.
Albino A and B dragged Lisa into a back room, where she saw a sort of table with stocks at the end and shackles on the wall behind it. Mike and the Ringmaster followed close behind.
“No, let me go! Please, let me go!” Lisa shrieked. She didn’t want to think about what they had in store for her. They thrust her roughly onto the table. Albino A locked her wrists in the shackles and Albino B locked her feet in the stocks. Lisa was on the verge of tears. She looked at her captors pleadingly.
“Please don’t hurt me, just let me go please! I won’t tell anyone, I promise!”
They just laughed. Mike removed her jean jacket and then her shoes and socks. That was odd…and then something occurred to Lisa. No, that couldn’t be what they were planning to do to her, it was so ridiculous. And yet, why else would they remove her shoes? She wiggled her beautiful size ten feet nervously at the thought; she was excruciatingly ticklish. This was stupid…
And then Lisa discovered why the Albino twins were part of the freak posse. They opened their mouths and out of each came a long, pointed pink tongue. They extended like a chameleon’s, slowly wrapping around her ankles. The tips came to a rest just in front of her bare feet. They didn’t feel like tongues all; they were dry and leathery. The whole thing struck Lisa as so bizarre she couldn’t even speak. She could laugh though. The tongues started moving up and down her soles, tickling horribly. Lisa bucked around, laughing like crazy. It really tickled! The horrid things slunk all up and down her feet, not missing a centimeter. One of them slunk its way between all her toes, which made her laugh even harder. The tongues didn’t let up, they just kept slithering along her bare feet with horribly ticklish results. Lisa threw her head back, unable to contain her laughter. Why were they doing this to her? What had she ever done to them? Apparently the freaks didn’t ask themselves such questions. They just tickled. Then, to make matters worse, Mike ripped her shirt off, leaving only her bra to cover her upper body. He then proceeded to make good use of all his arms. Two of them slid under her arms and began tickling the soft flesh there. As if that wasn’t bad enough, two other arms dug their fingers into her sides while the fifth started tickling her belly. That was torture! Lisa was simultaneously being tickled in seven different places, making her laugh so hard she thought her head might explode. And all the while the Ringmaster just stood back and observed, saliva dripping from his mouth in little streams, his red eyes fixed on Lisa’s laughter-contorted face. Lisa was laughing so much that the ridiculousness of the whole situation was lost on her. The only thing that mattered right now was the horrible tickling. It went on for what seemed like an eternity, turning Lisa into a babbling wreck. She started pleading for mercy.
“OHO NOHOHO, PLEASE NOHOHOHOHO MORE! OH GAHAHAD STAHAHAP!”
But as you might expect, this got her nothing. In fact, it only made them tickle harder, increasing Lisa’s torture to levels she hadn’t imagined possible. And still the Ringmaster watched, as if transfixed. Lisa had the horrible impression that he was planning something rather nasty for her. After some time (days, it seemed like) the Ringmaster stepped forward.
“Enough,” he commanded. Mike pulled his arms away from Lisa’s body and the Albinos quickly retracted their tongues. “Bring her to my private chamber.”
Lisa didn’t like the sound of that. She was certain that whatever it was it involved more tickling. That was a prospect that did not sound particularly appealing to her.
Mike dragged Lisa into another room, deeper in the huge tent. This room was darker than the others, lit only by a single lamp. There was nothing in the room except for a large, circular padded table. Lisa knew exactly what was coming. Mike laid her out spread-eagle on the table and strapped her down. He then removed her jeans and her bra. She was now covered only by her underwear. Mike left the room, leaving Lisa alone with the Ringmaster. For a while he just stood there, taking her in. Lisa was starting to get anxious. She hoped sincerely that tickling was all that he was going to do to her.
“So…aren’t you going to tickle me?” she asked, her voice trembling.
The Ringmaster stepped forward a bit. He laughed. “I think that I’m going to let you in on my little secret.”
Lisa watched curiously as the Ringmaster raised his hands to his head. He began to remove pieces of his face; the nose, the ears, the chin. Prosthetics…of course, that had been why the face looked so unreal. Finally all that remained was a thin rubber mask. The Ringmaster removed it and looked at his victim. Lisa stared at him, dumbfounded. He was a very handsome looking man, probably in his late thirties or early forties. A kind smile spread onto his face, but his eyes were cold and cruel…for some reason, Lisa found this man to be far more frightening than the creature she thought he was before. There was something about him that didn’t seem…right.
“As you can see, I am no beast, nor am I a freak like my colleagues.”
“Who are you?” Lisa asked fearfully.
The Ringmaster smiled in a most unpleasant way. “You’ve heard of the Tickle Monster, I’m sure?”
This is ridiculous…Lisa thought. This guy must have had a bit too much of “the good stuff” back in the seventies.
The Ringmaster chuckled darkly at Lisa’s expression. “That term was coined to describe me. Hmm, but you may know me better by another term. You must have heard of the infamous Pillowcase Killer?”
Lisa’s eyes widened. Everyone knew that story! Back in the seventies there had been a series of brutal murders. In each case the victim had had their face burned with sulfuric acid, and then covered with a pillowcase. It suddenly made sense…those bodies she’d found outside the Fun House, their faces were burned and covered with pillowcases. Lisa’s fear instantly doubled; first she was tickled half to death, now she was going to be murdered by a psychopath! This really wasn’t her night.
The Ringmaster laughed, a sound that was oddly warm and cheerful. And yet there was something about it that turned Lisa’s stomach. “Yes, I’m the very same. But I do not make a habit of murder…no, there is something that I crave far more.” His eyes gleamed, flashing faintly red. There was madness in them…Lisa found herself more fearful than ever. There as something utterly wrong about this man.
The Ringmaster licked his lips. “I desire laughter, screaming, pleading…a woman in ticklish agony…there is nothing I find more pleasing.” He stopped for a moment, taking deep breaths as if to calm himself. He straightened up. “These so called “freaks”…they are not simply sideshow attractions. They are my children, my attempts to create the ultimate “tickle monster”. They live to serve me, and they serve my purposes well. I created each one of them to excel at the art of tickling, to be far more effective at extracting laughter from their victims. You have already experienced this firsthand. But it was I who taught them all they know, and there are none better than me. I may not have the same tools as my children, but I know how to use what I have at my disposal. And you, my dear, are about to find that out.”
The maniacal gleam returned to his eyes and he advanced, his hands outstretched, coming ever closer. Lisa knew there would be no point in begging, there was no escaping this. She was going to be tickled by a madman who killed people and stuck pillowcases over their heads, and in his spare time genetically engineered sideshow freaks. How had she ever gotten herself into this situation?
Mallory awoke, feeling rather groggy. She was in a dimly lit room that looked as if it was in a tent…how had she gotten here? Where was that awful creature she had been running from? The last thing she could remember was screaming as the creature came towards her…and then it had all faded to black. Odd…she was on a table, her hands shackled above her head and her feet locked in stocks. What the hell was going on?
“Is anyone there? Let me out will ya? HELP ME!”
She was a scantily clad woman with what looked like bristles protruding from her arms, and next to her was swarthy, bald man with a missing eye. And he had another torso jutting from his left side! Mallory screamed. If this was a bad dream, she wanted to wake up right now!
The bald man (and his other torso) grinned evilly. “Hello love, its about time you woke up. You’ve been missing out on all the fun!” ("on all the fun!") Mallory gulped, wondering what was in store for her…
TO BE CONTINUED…
And yes, the next part will contain a lot more tickling. Hey, it takes time to get a story rolling, ya know?
Thats my synopsis, figured I ought to put one in just to let you know what
happens in the story. Anyway, if you think that girls in the eighties were hot, you'll like this story. This is only the first part though, so don't be too disappointed if there isn't much tickling yet...but don't worry, I'll get there. So basically, just read and enjoy. Of course, you're probably real thirsty, so...MGD? Fosters? Labatt?...Mike's Hard? (ugh). Whatever, just drink. And please, enjoy.
The year was 1985. It was a warm summer night, cooled by a gentle breeze, and the stars were splashed brilliantly across the dark blue sky. A perfect night for a trip to the carnival! Lisa walked through the crowded fairgrounds with her boyfriend Luke and her best friend Mallory. She was a pretty girl; 18 years old, with big blonde hair and a cute dimply smile. She was wearing a pink Go-Go’s shirt with an acid jean jacket, blue jeans, and white Nike’s with grey tube socks. She was living in the eighties and loving every minute of it! Lisa was a quiet girl, and slightly on the shy side, especially around boys. Her friend Mallory, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Mallory was a party girl all the way, living on the wild side of life and not caring what anyone else thought. She was also 18, with long, dark brown hair and a large mouth that was constantly either speaking or chewing gum, or both at the same time. She was wearing an orange slouch sweater, a snakeskin miniskirt with black tights and a big belt around her waist, along with green Reeboks and orange slouch socks. She spoke with a Brooklyn accent in a voice that made her sound as if she was continuously pinching her nose. Lisa liked Mallory because she had stood up for her in the eighth grade when a group of boys was teasing her about her looks (Lisa had been a late-bloomer), and because she wasn’t afraid to do the things that Lisa was more reluctant to do. They were best friends, in every essence of the term.
Lisa took Luke’s hand and smiled at him. She loved her boyfriend; he was tall and handsome, with a thick head of dark brown hair and the cutest little nose. They had met at a party back in the tenth grade (Mallory had almost literally had to drag Lisa up to him, insisting that she would love him and that he was “goageous”), and they had been an item ever since. Luke returned the smile.
“What are you grinnin’ about?” He asked.
Lisa wrapped her arm around his and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Oh, just happy to be here with my big, strong boyfriend.” They laughed.
Mallory rolled her eyes. “Oh, get a room you two,” she said, chewing on a piece of Double-Mint gum.
Lisa ignored her and flashed her big blue eyes at Luke. “Aren’t you glad we came to the amusement park Luke?” she asked.
Luke gave an exaggerated yawn and put his arm around her. “Oh yeah, clowns and roller coasters are great and all, but I think I’d much rather be watching Jason ripping people’s guts out.”
Lisa glanced at Mallory. “He wanted to go see that stupid new Friday the 13th movie, can you believe that? How romantic does that sound?”
Mallory playfully slapped Luke on the forearm. “Oh gawd, Luke you’re such a moron sometimes, ya know that?”
“Hey, hey,” Luke laughed, “we’re always going ice skating or to the arcade, I just thought it would be cool to go see a really gory movie for once, is that such a crime?”
They all laughed, then stopped and got some popcorn.
“So what do you wanna do next?” Luke asked thickly through a mouthful of popcorn.
“Ooh, I wanna go in that Fun House over there!” Mallory pointed towards a large red and yellow striped tent with a sign that read “Fun House” in big bold print.
“Oh jeez Mal, that looks boring,” Lisa said. “Let’s go on the Ferris Wheel!”
Mallory shuddered and shook her head. “Oh gawd Lisa, you know how much I hate heights. Look, why don’t you two go and do that and I’ll go in the Fun House. We can meet at the elephant when we’re done.” She pointed to the large fountain shaped like an elephant a few feet away.
They agreed and went their separate ways. Mallory walked up to the Fun House. It didn’t look like there was anyone else around. She peeked inside. “Hello?” she called. No reply. She shrugged to herself. “I guess it’s just me then.” She walked inside. A second later, a dark shape slunk in after her.
Mallory looked around the interior of the Fun House. It had looked a lot smaller on the outside. There were rows of mirrors all around her, forming a sort of maze. Mallory had been inside such a place before, but never one as elaborate. She rubbed the mirror closest to her with the palm of her hand, leaving a clear streak in the fine layer of dust.
“They sure don’t keep up on their housecleaning,” she said, unwrapping another piece of Double-Mint.
She started walking through the maze; occasionally bumping into a mirror that she thought was a way out. She continued through for what seemed like a very long time, but she still seemed no nearer to the exit than when she had started.
“Oh for cryin out loud,” she said, sticking a third piece of Double-Mint into her mouth.
She was getting tired of this place, and it was making her more and more uneasy. She kept hearing what sounded disconcertingly like footsteps not far behind her, but whenever she stopped to listen more closely she heard nothing. And she was sure that at one point she had heard faint breathing…
She started to walk faster. She just wanted to find her way out. Lisa and Luke were probably starting to get worried. After a while, she stopped. She was in an area of the Fun House that looked different from the rest. The mirrors were arranged in a circle around her, and Mallory was certain that one of them was in reality the exit. She looked closely at each one, but they all just looked like dusty mirrors. Then she heard it: a low, rumbling noise that sounded ominously like a growl. She turned around but saw nothing but more endless rows of mirrors. Get a grip on yourself Mal, she thought. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and then turned back to the circle of mirrors. She screamed.
Just behind her reflection she saw a dark figure, draped in shadows, with glowing crimson eyes. It growled, a disturbing noise, mostly because Mallory had never heard it before. She whirled around and ran straight past the creature. She ran past the many rows of mirrors, and in each one she could see the creature close behind her. Panicking, she ran straight into a mirror and fell flat on her back. She quickly sat up and started crawling backwards. The creature was in front of her.
“No…” she sobbed, “No, please don’t hurt me…”
Matt and Nick, a couple of teenagers who worked part time at the carnival, sat on some crates behind the Fun House. They had finished their shift at the concession stand. Nick finished rolling up another joint and lit it up.
“Man, I’m getting fucking tired of this,” he said, taking a long drag.
“Yeah, this job fucking blows,” Matt replied, lighting up his own.
An ear-splitting scream came from inside the Fun House. Both teens stopped cold, straining they ears.
“Man what the fuck was that?” Matt said.
“I don’t know dude,” Nick replied. He got up and peered inside the exit.
“I don’t see nothing,” he said. He walked back to the crate and sat down. Matt fumbled nervously with his joint.
“You don’t think someone’s hurt in there do you?” he asked after taking a particularly long drag. Nick didn’t answer. After a while they heard footsteps coming from inside the Fun House.
“Shit, someone’s coming!” Nick said, dropping the joint and stomping it out. Matt did the same and they both stood up. Someone stepped out of the Fun House, but they couldn’t quite make out what he looked like. He was carrying an unconscious form on his shoulder.
“Hey man, what the fuck,” Nick said. The shadowy figure turned slowly, and then gently put down the person he was carrying. The two teens could now see a pair of glowing red eyes, staring beadily at them.
“Holy shit dude, lets get out of here!” Matt exclaimed. But Nick was frozen to the spot, his eyes fixed on the creature. Matt grabbed his arm and tugged.
“Dude, come on!” he yelled.
He looked at Nick, then back at where the creature was standing. It was gone. Nick snapped out of the trance.
“What…?” they heard growling behind them. They turned around and the creature was there. Suddenly if flicked its arm forward and threw something at Nick’s face. He started screaming. Matt stared in horror at his friend’s face as the skin slowly began to burn away. Nick backed into the wall and slunk to the ground, clutching his face and writhing horribly. Matt turned to run but he was struck in the face with some sort of liquid. His own screams soon eclipsed Nick’s as he felt his face slowly begin to melt away…
The Ferris wheel spun slowly around, bringing Lisa and Luke’s box closer to the top.
“Oh wow, you can see everything up here!” Lisa said. The moon was shining down brightly on them.
Luke smiled and took her hand. “The only thing I want to look at right now is you.”
Lisa turned to him and returned his smile. “You’re so suave Luke,” she said sarcastically.
Luke leaned forward and kissed her. She embraced him and they kissed, long and hard. Some of the people in line whistled as they passed by.
“I think we have an audience,” Luke said when they finally pulled away. Lisa grinned and twirled her hair around a finger.
After the ride was over, they walked hand-in-hand to the elephant fountain. Mallory wasn’t there.
“How long can it take to go through a Fun House?” Luke wondered aloud.
Lisa shrugged and sat down on the edge of the fountain. She could see coins glimmering in the shallow water. She took a nickel out of her pocket, made a wish, and flicked it into the fountain. Luke sat down next to her.
“What’d you wish for?” he asked.
Lisa grinned. “Oh come one Luke, you know I can’t tell you or it won’t come true!”
Luke laughed. “Okay, okay.” He took a penny out of his pocket and turned it over in his hands. “Well, I’m not afraid to tell you my wish.” He closed his eyes and flung the coin into the water. “I wish that the next time I go out with Lisa we’ll go see Friday the 13th and not go to the carnival.”
Lisa slapped him playfully. “Oh ha-ha, very funny Luke.”
A blood-curdling scream rose high into the air. Suddenly the night erupted with horrible screaming. It sounded as if someone was being tortured. Lisa and Luke glanced at each other.
“Luke, what is that?” Lisa asked nervously.
“Dunno, but it doesn’t sound good.”
Suddenly a mob of people came running from the park, swarming towards the exit. Lisa was almost swept away in the tide of horrified looking carnival-goers, but Luke grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the way.
“What the hell is going on?” she asked over the commotion.
“I’m not sure,” Luke yelled, “I think I heard someone say something about a murder. We better get out of here.”
They started to make their way towards the exit. Lisa stopped. “Luke wait, we can’t leave without Mallory!” She looked through the swarming mass of people, trying to spot her friend. Luke tugged on her arm. "She probably already made it out Lisa! Lets go!"
“No, I have to go and find her!” Suddenly they were caught up in the torrent of fleeing people, and Luke’s hand was pried from Lisa’s. She flattened herself against a gate to keep from being swept away. Luke was being pushed farther and farther away.
“LISA!” he yelled. But he was pushed out of her sight. Lisa ran back, the only person heading towards the carnival. Somehow, amidst all the confusion she managed to find her way to the Fun House, albeit the back side. There she was met with a horrible sight. Two bodies were slumped on the ground, their heads covered with what looked like pillowcases. There was something vaguely familiar about this…she couldn’t put her finger on it. Curiosity overcoming her, she bent over and slowly removed the pillowcase from the body closest to her. She wished she hadn’t. She screamed and quickly covered the face back up. It was horribly disfigured, as though all the skin had melted away. Before she knew what she was doing, she had stumbled into the Fun House. It was eerily quiet inside, the only sound being the faint rumbling and screaming from the crowd of people swarming through the exit. Lisa looked around. There was a circle of mirrors around her.
“Mallory!” she called. No answer. She cupped her hands over her mouth. “MALLORY!” she yelled. Again she was met only with silence. Perhaps Mallory had already made it out…
Lisa heard a shuffling noise behind her. She turned sharply, but saw nothing. The flap over the entrance to the Fun House rustled in the wind. Lisa was certain she had heard something. “Mallory?” she called again. She walked closer to the entrance. There was nothing there…
“Liiiisssssaaaa…”
Lisa gasped and whirled around, her heart pounding. “Who’s there?” she said in a very high-pitched voice. “Mallory, is this some kind of a joke?”
Then saw it: a dark figure standing in the shadows. She screamed and ran out of the Fun House. She just ran, not caring where she was going. After a few moments she saw a large tent up ahead, with lights and the sound of voices coming from the inside. She hurried towards it, hoping that whoever was inside could help her. She didn’t notice a sign just outside the entrance. It read “Freak Show”.
She pushed the door open. It was large inside, and very smoky. Music played loudly from an unseen radio:
“I’m goin to a party, and I hope you are hearty,
So please don’t be naughty, for it’s a punky reggae party”
It had the same sort of atmosphere as a biker bar.
“Please…” she said breathlessly, “help me. There’s been a murder and someone’s chasing me!” As she regained her breath, she noticed the people inside the tent. She almost screamed.
There were three men and two women, all grotesquely bizarre in appearance. One was a short, swarthy looking man, bald and missing his left eye. He almost looked normal, except that he had another torso, identical to the other, jutting out from his left side.
“It takes a joyful sound to make the world go ‘round,
Come with your heart and soul, come and come and rock your boat,”
Another man sat close by, wearing a Michael Myers mask. In addition to his two normal arms, he had three more jutting out from his belly.
A beautiful, dark-skinned woman stood at a bar behind him, wearing little. She was mostly normal, but her arms were covered in small, fine bristles.
The last two were a pair of twin albino women, almost completely identical. They had long, silky white hair and were dressed in nearly see-through costumes. Lisa couldn’t spot anything strange about them at all…
The swarthy looking man removed a very fat joint from his mouth. “Who the fuck are you?” he demanded in a low, rumbling voice.
“It’s a punky reggae party, and its all night,
It’s a punky reggae party, and it’s all right”
Lisa stared at him. “Didn’t you just hear me? Two men are dead! You have to help me.”
The other freaks laughed. Baldy (as she had silently named the swarthy looking man) stood up, smoke billowing from his lips, an evil grin on his face. “Oh is that right, love?” he said.
“That right, love?” his other torso echoed.
The others continued sniggering as Baldy slowly approached Lisa. She began to back up. These guys must be in league with whoever was chasing her! She suddenly became very afraid.
“Um, I think I made a mistake,” she said, slowly making her way towards the door. “Never mind.”
Baldy’s grin widened. “Not leaving already are we?” he asked (“Are we?” his other torso said). “But you’ve only just got here!” (“Just got here!”) Lisa turned to open the door but Baldy grabbed her by the arms. She screamed.
“Let me go you freak!” She struggled quite uselessly.
“Freak? Oh, now that hurts love, that really hurts.” (“That really hurts”)
He shoved her forward roughly, into the man with five arms (she named him Mike). He shoved her into the woman with bristles on her arms (Bristle), who in turn pushed her into the albino twins (Albino A and B), who held her tightly between them.
“A tip from a gypsy: she said man you’re getting tipsy,
Hiding from reality, in your world of hypocrisy”
The other freaks all stood to the side as the door opened. The shadowy figure that Lisa had seen in the Fun House stood in the doorway, eyes blazing red. Lisa’s heart was pounding. What were they going to do to her?
The shadowy figure stepped forward and into the light, and Lisa could see him fully. She gasped. It was dressed in a maroon colored ringmaster costume, complete with a top hat sitting atop the most horrendous looking head that she had ever seen. It looked like a cross between a wolf and a wild boar, with thick black hair, a tusked snout, and glistening fangs that were dripping with saliva. It was frightening, yet at the same time it looked almost…unreal, as if it were not person’s true face.
“It’s a punky reggae party, and its all night,
It’s a punky reggae party and it’s all right”
The Ringmaster snarled. “Take her to the torture rack,” it said.
Albino A and B dragged Lisa into a back room, where she saw a sort of table with stocks at the end and shackles on the wall behind it. Mike and the Ringmaster followed close behind.
“No, let me go! Please, let me go!” Lisa shrieked. She didn’t want to think about what they had in store for her. They thrust her roughly onto the table. Albino A locked her wrists in the shackles and Albino B locked her feet in the stocks. Lisa was on the verge of tears. She looked at her captors pleadingly.
“Please don’t hurt me, just let me go please! I won’t tell anyone, I promise!”
They just laughed. Mike removed her jean jacket and then her shoes and socks. That was odd…and then something occurred to Lisa. No, that couldn’t be what they were planning to do to her, it was so ridiculous. And yet, why else would they remove her shoes? She wiggled her beautiful size ten feet nervously at the thought; she was excruciatingly ticklish. This was stupid…
And then Lisa discovered why the Albino twins were part of the freak posse. They opened their mouths and out of each came a long, pointed pink tongue. They extended like a chameleon’s, slowly wrapping around her ankles. The tips came to a rest just in front of her bare feet. They didn’t feel like tongues all; they were dry and leathery. The whole thing struck Lisa as so bizarre she couldn’t even speak. She could laugh though. The tongues started moving up and down her soles, tickling horribly. Lisa bucked around, laughing like crazy. It really tickled! The horrid things slunk all up and down her feet, not missing a centimeter. One of them slunk its way between all her toes, which made her laugh even harder. The tongues didn’t let up, they just kept slithering along her bare feet with horribly ticklish results. Lisa threw her head back, unable to contain her laughter. Why were they doing this to her? What had she ever done to them? Apparently the freaks didn’t ask themselves such questions. They just tickled. Then, to make matters worse, Mike ripped her shirt off, leaving only her bra to cover her upper body. He then proceeded to make good use of all his arms. Two of them slid under her arms and began tickling the soft flesh there. As if that wasn’t bad enough, two other arms dug their fingers into her sides while the fifth started tickling her belly. That was torture! Lisa was simultaneously being tickled in seven different places, making her laugh so hard she thought her head might explode. And all the while the Ringmaster just stood back and observed, saliva dripping from his mouth in little streams, his red eyes fixed on Lisa’s laughter-contorted face. Lisa was laughing so much that the ridiculousness of the whole situation was lost on her. The only thing that mattered right now was the horrible tickling. It went on for what seemed like an eternity, turning Lisa into a babbling wreck. She started pleading for mercy.
“OHO NOHOHO, PLEASE NOHOHOHOHO MORE! OH GAHAHAD STAHAHAP!”
But as you might expect, this got her nothing. In fact, it only made them tickle harder, increasing Lisa’s torture to levels she hadn’t imagined possible. And still the Ringmaster watched, as if transfixed. Lisa had the horrible impression that he was planning something rather nasty for her. After some time (days, it seemed like) the Ringmaster stepped forward.
“Enough,” he commanded. Mike pulled his arms away from Lisa’s body and the Albinos quickly retracted their tongues. “Bring her to my private chamber.”
Lisa didn’t like the sound of that. She was certain that whatever it was it involved more tickling. That was a prospect that did not sound particularly appealing to her.
Mike dragged Lisa into another room, deeper in the huge tent. This room was darker than the others, lit only by a single lamp. There was nothing in the room except for a large, circular padded table. Lisa knew exactly what was coming. Mike laid her out spread-eagle on the table and strapped her down. He then removed her jeans and her bra. She was now covered only by her underwear. Mike left the room, leaving Lisa alone with the Ringmaster. For a while he just stood there, taking her in. Lisa was starting to get anxious. She hoped sincerely that tickling was all that he was going to do to her.
“So…aren’t you going to tickle me?” she asked, her voice trembling.
The Ringmaster stepped forward a bit. He laughed. “I think that I’m going to let you in on my little secret.”
Lisa watched curiously as the Ringmaster raised his hands to his head. He began to remove pieces of his face; the nose, the ears, the chin. Prosthetics…of course, that had been why the face looked so unreal. Finally all that remained was a thin rubber mask. The Ringmaster removed it and looked at his victim. Lisa stared at him, dumbfounded. He was a very handsome looking man, probably in his late thirties or early forties. A kind smile spread onto his face, but his eyes were cold and cruel…for some reason, Lisa found this man to be far more frightening than the creature she thought he was before. There was something about him that didn’t seem…right.
“As you can see, I am no beast, nor am I a freak like my colleagues.”
“Who are you?” Lisa asked fearfully.
The Ringmaster smiled in a most unpleasant way. “You’ve heard of the Tickle Monster, I’m sure?”
This is ridiculous…Lisa thought. This guy must have had a bit too much of “the good stuff” back in the seventies.
The Ringmaster chuckled darkly at Lisa’s expression. “That term was coined to describe me. Hmm, but you may know me better by another term. You must have heard of the infamous Pillowcase Killer?”
Lisa’s eyes widened. Everyone knew that story! Back in the seventies there had been a series of brutal murders. In each case the victim had had their face burned with sulfuric acid, and then covered with a pillowcase. It suddenly made sense…those bodies she’d found outside the Fun House, their faces were burned and covered with pillowcases. Lisa’s fear instantly doubled; first she was tickled half to death, now she was going to be murdered by a psychopath! This really wasn’t her night.
The Ringmaster laughed, a sound that was oddly warm and cheerful. And yet there was something about it that turned Lisa’s stomach. “Yes, I’m the very same. But I do not make a habit of murder…no, there is something that I crave far more.” His eyes gleamed, flashing faintly red. There was madness in them…Lisa found herself more fearful than ever. There as something utterly wrong about this man.
The Ringmaster licked his lips. “I desire laughter, screaming, pleading…a woman in ticklish agony…there is nothing I find more pleasing.” He stopped for a moment, taking deep breaths as if to calm himself. He straightened up. “These so called “freaks”…they are not simply sideshow attractions. They are my children, my attempts to create the ultimate “tickle monster”. They live to serve me, and they serve my purposes well. I created each one of them to excel at the art of tickling, to be far more effective at extracting laughter from their victims. You have already experienced this firsthand. But it was I who taught them all they know, and there are none better than me. I may not have the same tools as my children, but I know how to use what I have at my disposal. And you, my dear, are about to find that out.”
The maniacal gleam returned to his eyes and he advanced, his hands outstretched, coming ever closer. Lisa knew there would be no point in begging, there was no escaping this. She was going to be tickled by a madman who killed people and stuck pillowcases over their heads, and in his spare time genetically engineered sideshow freaks. How had she ever gotten herself into this situation?
Mallory awoke, feeling rather groggy. She was in a dimly lit room that looked as if it was in a tent…how had she gotten here? Where was that awful creature she had been running from? The last thing she could remember was screaming as the creature came towards her…and then it had all faded to black. Odd…she was on a table, her hands shackled above her head and her feet locked in stocks. What the hell was going on?
“Is anyone there? Let me out will ya? HELP ME!”
She was a scantily clad woman with what looked like bristles protruding from her arms, and next to her was swarthy, bald man with a missing eye. And he had another torso jutting from his left side! Mallory screamed. If this was a bad dream, she wanted to wake up right now!
The bald man (and his other torso) grinned evilly. “Hello love, its about time you woke up. You’ve been missing out on all the fun!” ("on all the fun!") Mallory gulped, wondering what was in store for her…
TO BE CONTINUED…
And yes, the next part will contain a lot more tickling. Hey, it takes time to get a story rolling, ya know?
