TheSolemnOne
TMF Expert
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2008
- Messages
- 534
- Points
- 28
Chapter 1: Change is Good
“This is the last of the boxes Ms. Andrews, sign here please.”
The movers had finally unloaded the last of Erika’s boxes from the moving truck. The sight of boxes and shrink-wrapped furniture was bittersweet. Erika had landed her dream job fresh out of graduate school at Fortune 500 tech company. The countless hours that she spent working on her machine learning dissertation was rewarded with a sweet six figure deal, paid relocation and the chance to show the world what she has to offer. Although she had to move away from her family and friends, she knew that this opportunity would provide her the means to travel for visits anytime.
As the only African American woman in her graduate class, she faced a litany of doubt and discouragement from her peers and professors. It was not often that an African American woman graduated from this prestigious computer science program, but Erika was determined to reverse that way of thinking through her actions. Although she was often excluded from after-class activities and other opportunities, she never let that deter her from graduating at the top of her class.
The past few years were filled with “I can’t hang out because I have work”, “I have to work on my predictive model”, “Can I get a rain check on that date?”. While the hard work and dedication paid off, Erika was determined to have a meaningful social life outside of work and moved to a condo in the downtown Atlanta area to make sure she had ample opportunities. She had never been to Atlanta before the move (outside of visiting the condo), but she had heard a lot about the city from friends. This was her chance to live, love and experience life as a young adult in a different city.
“Hmmm, I guess I better get started” Erika said as she marveled at the amount of stuff that she owned. With her hair tied back in a curly ponytail and wearing her dingiest workout clothes, she began the process of unpacking her life. She had already told the movers where to put the larger items to avoid having to move them again. Erika was not above putting in hard work and elbow grease but, at 5’3 and 125 lbs. soaking wet, she knew her limitations.
Over the next few days, she finished unpacking her boxes. As she went through her closet, she quickly realized that her wardrobe needed an update. Erika already knew that she would stand out as one of a few black employees at this company, and she wanted to look good doing it. She received a nice sign on bonus as a part of her offer, so she decided to use some of that money for a much-needed wardrobe upgrade.
She spent much of the day in the local shops, skimming racks to find clothes that she could wear to work and wear after work. Erika found pretty much everything she needed as far as clothes were concerned, being petite with subtle curves had its advantages. The one thing that she struggled to find was shoes, which had been a constant theme her entire life. Standing 5’3 with size 11 feet was something that often drew the attention of others. Her friends and classmates would often tease her about having such big feet for her size, which led to her wearing tennis shoes and boots most of her life. Even at beaches and pools, she wore water shoes to hide her feet from plain sight. It was a confidence killer and the one part of her body that she wished she could change. Even with a gorgeous smile, deep dimples, curly hair and a beautiful mocha complexion, the attention would inevitably end up at her feet.
Chapter 2: A New Friend
The next day, Erika decided that she should at least get a pedicure before trying on shoes. She looked at reviews online and headed to a local black-owned nail shop not too far from her condo. Upon arriving, she was greeted by the receptionist with a glass of champagne and showed to the waiting room. As she waited, she noticed the clientele was, mostly, young black professional women. Dressed in a hoodie, some old jeans and a pair of Allbird sneakers, she felt out of place. Erika was close to walking out entirely, until she was greeted by the esthetician that would doing her pedicure.
“Hi! Are you Erika? Welcome! You can follow me. My name is Thandy by the way.”
“Nice to meet you Thandy” Erika said as she reluctantly followed Thandy through the nail shop, past what seemed to be Atlanta’s finest women. Thandy pointed Erika to her pedicure chair. “You can take off your shoes and make yourself comfortable” Thandy said as she began to run water into the basin of the chair. Embarrassed, Erika warned Thandy that “It had been a while” as she unlaced her charcoal Allbird sneakers. Erika had not had a real pedicure in years but tried her best to perform them herself from time to time. Thandy gave Erika smile and responded “Don’t worry, I am going to get you right girl. Let me grab you another glass of champagne.”
The woman sitting next to Erika welcomed her to the salon. “Hi, my name is Crystal! I haven’t seen you her before, is this your first time?”. Erika responded “Nice to meet you Crystal. Yes, this is my first time here. I just moved here from Phoenix. This is a nice place! It is nice to see all of these professional black women in one spot.” Erika quickly moved her bare feet to the basin of water, hoping that Crystal did not see them. Thandy returned with the champagne for both women.
Crystal then looked at Thandy and said “Thandy, make sure you take good care of Erika, since this is her first time. This one is on me.” Erika responded bashfully “Really? You do not have to do that. That is so nice of you.” Crystal smiled and said “It is quite alright; this is my shop, and I would love for you to come back. You mentioned that you were new to Atlanta. I have a group of women that I would love for you to meet. I remember being in your shoes when I moved here 20 years ago, and I would like to help you adjust to ATL. Here is my card.” Erika took the card as Crystal stood up from her pedicure chair, sporting an orange pedicure to match her orange Italian leather purse. “It was nice to meet you and I hope to hear from you soon”. Even though Crystal appeared to be in her early 40s and Erika was only in her early 20s, Erika felt an immediate mentor-like connection.
Astonished and flattered, Erika shook Crystals hand as Thandy begin her pedicure. There were not many older black women to look up to where Erika was from, so she was open to meeting Crystal. “Today, you are getting the Teakwood special. It is a treatment reserved for the members of the Teakwood Society, but Crystal okayed it, so you’re getting it today!” Thandy said as she positioned herself in front of the basin. “Wow, I should have moved to Atlanta sooner” Erika said as her and Thandy enjoyed a laugh together. This was shaping up to be a great day.
Before Thandy prepared for the sugar scrub, Erika immediately asked Thandy “Can we skip the scrub? I am extremely ticklish, and I don’t want to kick you on accident”. “I promise I will be as gentle as possible. I want to make sure you get the full experience. I will make it quick”. Before Erika could object, Thandy started scrubbing away at Erika’s heels, sending lightening bolts through her body. As Thandy moved up her sole to the arch and ball of her foot, Erika gripped the chair with all of her might and bit her tongue to hold in the laughter.
Thandy moved to the other foot, and Erika prepared herself for the worst. She expected Thandy to start her heel like the last foot, but she started at the ball of her foot this time, which was extremely ticklish. Each pass of the pumice stone sent shockwaves of sensations through Erika’s petite frame. It seemed like Thandy was enjoying Erika’s reactions as she methodically scrubbed away. “All done! You really are ticklish.” Erika thanked her lucky stars that she made it, as Thandy encased each foot in a bag of Paraffin wax. “I will never miss another pedicure. I almost died” Erika said jokingly. The warmth of the wax relaxed Erika after the torturous scrub that Thandy inflicted. Thandy carefully removed each foot from the wax and peeled away the excess, leaving Erika’s feet silky smooth and unbelievably soft.
Erika chose a lavender gel polish to top things off, which complimented her rich mocha complexion. As she was about to leave, Thandy said “You should really meet up with Crystal and her group. They don’t welcome people in often, so she must see something special in you”.
When Erika arrived at home after shoe shopping, she reached out to Crystal using the e-mail on the card and expressed her interest in meeting the group. Erika remembered Thandy mentioning the Teakwood Society, which was displayed at top of the card with Crystal titled as the “Founder”. Crystal responded with the location information and the attire for the meeting, white blouse, black skirt and black heels. The one item that stood out to Erika was the heels.
Erika did not own a pair of heels and knew that they made her feet look enormous. She really wanted to meet the ladies, so she decided to get a pair of black pumps that would stand out but not break the bank since she would not be wearing them often. Luckily, she had just purchased a black skirt and white blouse when she went shopping earlier in the week. The shoes arrived a day before the meeting, and Erika was ready to meet Atlanta’s finest.
Chapter 3: Meeting the Teakwood’s
The day finally came for Erika to meet Crystals group. Erika was starting to settle into her new condo and the neighborhood, which were refreshingly unfamiliar. During some of her downtime, she researched the Teakwood Society to make sure she was not walking into anything nefarious. The Teakwood Society was established by Crystal to uplift black women in the Atlanta area, and was known for their charitable works and fancy balls. Although they gave off sorority like vibes (something Erika wanted no parts of), they seemed to serve a higher purpose. The members looked to be black women who were flourishing in their professions. Erika did not see a need for alarm.
On the website, she saw that she would be attending on a night where prospective members could meet the current members. Erika thought to herself “Am I good enough to be apart of this group?”. She got dressed and looked in the mirror, making sure everything was in order. Erika had a sense of pride when it came to wearing her new clothes and being invited to such a prestigious event, but she could not help but look down at her heels. Would the group pay too much attention to her unusually big feet? Would she be the laughingstock of the meeting? There was only one way to find out….
Erika arrived at the estate in her ride share, counting the number of luxury cars as she made her way down the winding private road. The mansion was spectacular. It was like something out of movie, complete a circular driveway, fountain and winding stone steps that lead to the main entrance. The host greeted her at the front door. “Hello, may I have your name please?” the host said with a smile on her face. “Erika Andrews” Erika replied as she waited anxiously to be let in. The host acknowledge Erika’s invite and gave her silver metal name tag.
“Enjoy your time at the Boswell estate. Everyone with a wooden nametag is a current member, feel free to ask them any questions you may have and get to know as many people as possible. If the night goes well, I will tap you on your shoulder to attend a special meeting for those selected prospective members. Good luck!”.
Erika was flattered beyond belief. She could not believe that she was already being considered to become a potential member. She walked into the ballroom, where there were other women already mingling. There was plenty of food, an open bar and a live jazz band. Throughout the night, she met several of Atlanta’s most prestigious black women and eventually she bumped into Crystal.
“Hi Erika. I am glad that you could make it!” Crystal said as she looked down at Erika’s heels. Erika became uncomfortable as Crystal took a good glance at her shoes. “Nice heels. I see that you have great taste.” Relieved, Erika responded “Thank you! I don’t usually wear heels, but I couldn’t miss this event.” Just as Erika was about to ask Crystal some questions, she felt a slight tap on the shoulder from the hostess who whispered, “Meet in the chandelier room in 10 minutes.”
Wow, had she really been selected? Erika went to the bathroom to freshen up before the meeting and to help pass the ten minutes. As she made her way to the hallway to the chandelier room, she heard an announcement in the main ballroom:
“Thank you for attending tonight’s Teakwood Society event. Please grab a gift bag on the way out and enjoy the rest of your evening”. A few the prospects exited in disappointment as Erika walked past them to the Chandelier room, where there were three prospects already waiting. There were four chairs in the middle of the room, with one empty one for Erika. The other prospects were wearing the same attire as Erika and looked equally anxious.
After 10 minutes, the doors to the room closed and the current members gathered behind the four prospects. Crystal entered the room and gave instructions:
“Ladies, you have been selected as potential new members to the Teakwood Society. While we are not technically a sorority, we are a sisterhood. We confide in one another, trust one another, and trust each other with personal information. Before you are accepted, we must test each one of you for trustworthiness and dedication. If you do not wish to be a part of tonight’s ceremonies, you are welcome to leave.”
Erika was slightly wary about the tests but wanted to be a part of the group. This could be the social connection she needed, and she felt like she had earned the right to be mentioned amongst the elite. All the prospects remained seated and awaited the next steps.
They were each handed an envelope with a number. Crystal then said “Each envelope contains a word. Open your envelope and memorize the word inside. Once you have memorized the word, exchange the envelope with the person next to you.” Erika had envelope number 3 and her word was “Dashing”. The four prospects exchanged envelopes with one another as the hostess gave further instructions. “You now hold each other’s secrets in your hand. Open the envelope you have received and memorize that word. No matter what happens, you must not reveal your sister’s secret. For the initiation, you will be blindfolded and lead to separate rooms, where our members will do what they can to get you to reveal each other’s secrets. Do not worry, there is no pain involved. Just some test.”
As soon as the hostess finished, Erika felt something padded cover her eyes and it felt a lot like her VR headset at home. She was led by a group of current members to a room that smelled of leather and expensive wood. Erika grew more nervous as she awaited the next steps. The reassurance that there would be no pain gave her some solace, but she did not know what to expect. The envelope that she received in the exchange said “Brush”. Erika knew that whatever happened, she had to make it through the tests.
Chapter 4: Initiation
The members sat Erika in what felt like a leather armchair. “Put your wrists together” one of the members asked. Erika obliged and felt rope wrapping around her wrist. Just as she was starting question the purpose the rope, she felt her arms being pulled over head. She tugged at her bonds to no avail, her wrists were now secured firmly over head and to the top of the chair it seemed. She was paying so much attention to her wrist that she barely noticed the members raising her legs and resting each ankle on what felt like fur. Within seconds, she felt the same fur-like texture rest on the tops of her ankles, stabilizing each ankle in what felt like some sort of cuff. Erika could not fathom what was going to happen next, all she could remember was the hostess saying, “No pain”. Whatever was going to happen, there was nothing that she could do about it now.
After a moment of silence, a member spoke “Erika, I want to assure you are not in any danger or trouble. To become a Teakwood, you must pass the test for trustworthiness. While we pride ourselves on good works, solidarity and transparency, we also value privacy. If something were to happen within our group, we must know you can be trusted. To start we are going to ask you a series of questions to get to know you.”
Another member said “You can say your sister’s secret at any time, and we can end the night. In fact, if we get you to say the secret, we will get a prize from Crystal. This a win/win for us; either we welcome a new member to our group, or we get rewarded. You decide your fate. Just to assure you that you are not in any danger, we are going to give you a look at the surroundings and who you are in the room with now. Do not ask us any questions! If you do, well…. You will find out what happens”.
Erika did not know what she meant by “Find out what happens”, but she had a ton of questions. After the member stopped speaking, a video feed appeared in her VR headset. The video showed her sitting in the armchair with her arms secured above her head to the back of the chair and her ankles secured in stocks, surrounded by three members of the Teakwood Society. To test if the feed was live, she moved her foot and saw that the movement was displayed in real time. The camera was directly in front of her, giving her a glimpse of the bottom of her heels. The room resembled a huge study, with books, a desk and wooden walls. Just as she started to visually inventory the rest of the room, the video feed was cut off and Erika’s VR set went dark.
“See we aren’t so bad, are we? No let’s get started. First, tell us a little about yourself” asked one of the members. Erika started telling the women about her upbringing in Arizona and her time in school. She explained that she had just moved to Atlanta for work.
“Impressive! You seem like Teakwood material. Are you dating anyone?” one of the members asked. “No, not at the moment.” Erika responded bashfully. “Really? We want to make sure you are telling us the truth. What’s the code to your cellphone?” demanded on the members. “Why?” Erika asked. Just as she asked the question, she heard the heels of one of the members moving towards the back of the chair. “We said no questions!”. Erika had forgot that they said no questions, but she did not care at this point. She did not want to give them the code to her cellphone. She was not dating anyone at the moment, but she had a number of pictures in her phone that she had sent to the person she was seeing before she moved.
Before Erika could figure how to re-phrase her question, she felt one the members manicured fingernails lightly tracing down her arms. The sensation caused Erika to jerk, but to no avail since her arms were tightly secured. The fingers stopped at Erika’s armpits and began to wiggle with reckless abandon. Erika tried to fight the sensation and hold in her laughter, but then the fingernails found a spot that turned Erika’s smile to uncontrollable laughter. “HAHAHAHA!!!STTOOAPPAAHAHAHAHA.” Erika pleaded as the member continued to work on Erika’s tender armpits. “Lets try this again. What is the code to your cellphone?” the member repeated as she made her way from Erika’s armpits to Erika’s ribs. “394064!394064!” Erika yelled as she felt the fingers graze the her ribs, one of her most ticklish spots. The fingers stopped moving and Erika heard the faint sound of her phone unlocking.
“Interesting! I guess you were telling the truth. Eric must be devasted that you broke up with him. Especially with these types of pictures.” Said one of the sisters as they went through Erika’s photo album. “It’s okay Erika, we all have sent a picture or two in our day. We are just glad you were telling us the truth”. Erika felt a sigh of relief from the words of affirmation. Maybe it was all over? Maybe she would be a Teakwood.
“Now we really want that prize from Crystal. What is your sister’s secret?” one of the sisters asked. Just as the words left her mouth, she heard two of the members move to each side of the chair. “Let’s make Erika more comfortable” said one of the members as she unbuttoned Erika’s blouse, unveiling a red bra and Erika’s exposed midsection. Erika was not self-conscious about her body, but it was slightly embarrassing being undressed. “Remember, we can stop at anytime if you give us the secret. Until we hear the word come out of your mouth, we are going to have a little fun” said one of the members devilishly. Before Erika could prepare herself, two the sisters began methodically tickling Erika’s exposed sides, causing fits of laughter. Erika wiggled pointlessly as the woman poked, caressed and kneaded her sides and stomach. All Erika could do is sit there and take it. She was determined to hold out, but it was becoming harder by the second.
“HAHAHAHAAHA, OH NOOOOOO NOT MY BELLYBUTTON HAHAAHAHAHAHA. AHHHHHAHAHAHAHA” Erika yelped as one of the women probed her bellybutton with a brush like tool. The other two women played Erika’s ribs like a piano, and traced lines all over her stomach. Erika radiant mocha skin began to glisten with sweat from the tickle treatment. The sweat didn’t seem to bother the members, it just helped their fingernails glad more effortlessly over her tight abdomen and
under her freshly shaven armpits. After 5 minutes, they stopped to give Erika some air.
“You’re on tough cookie. One of your fellow prospect’s was not as tough. She could not stop asking questions, which only made it worst for her.” As Erika gasped for air, she saw a video appear in her VR headset. Just as the video was about to play, one of the members put a pair of noise cancelling headphones over Erika’s ears.
The feed started, and Erika could see the prospect struggling to keep her composure as one member terrorized her armpits, and another worked on her knees. The prospect was flailing so much, that one of her shoes flew off. In that moment, another came in began to tickle the prospects exposed sole. “Let’s see how long it takes to melt this caramel cutie.” Her coffin nails danced all over the prospects helplessly exposed sole and the top of her foot, creating shriek like laughter to was music to the other members ears. One minute into the clip, the prospect gave up her secret “HAHAHAHAHEHHHHHH, DASHING!!!DASHING!!!!MAKE IT STOP!!!” The members immediately stopped and released the prospect, as she walked out the room in disappointment. The video feed faded out and the sound cut off, leaving Erika in the dark and unable to hear what was going on. A moment later, Erika heard a familiar voice in the headset.
“Erika, this is Crystal. You are almost finished honey! Hang in there!” Erika had finally started to get her wind back and was comforted by Crystal’s re-assurance. She hoped that there was light at the end of the tunnel because she did not know how much more she could take.
Chapter 4: Erika meets the Teakwood Talons
Erika sat helplessly waiting for the next part of the initiation. She had finally regained her composure after the previous onslaught of tickling. Unable to hear or see what was going on, all she could do is sit and wait. Right as she started to relax a bit, she felt a tug on her heels and, without warning, she felt her heels slide off exposing her big bare feet. The cool air from the room rushed between her toes as she scrunched and flexed her feet in anticipation of another tickling episode. Instead, she felt a warm, liquid substance being poured over feet. Erika’s feet were then wrapped in, what felt like, plastic bags.
A few minutes passed the liquid began to solidify. It felt like the wax from the salon, but she could not be sure. She felt the bags being removed, and two hands on each foot peeling the wax away. Erika could not deny that the wax treatment felt great, leaving her soles soft and warm; unaware of the effects the treatment would have in the moments to come. Suddenly, Erika heard another familiar voice through the headphones.
“Hi Erika! It is Thandy. Remember me? I had to remember to bring extra wax and large bags for these big, beautiful feet. My job here is done. Maybe I will be giving the Teakwood treatment more often…. if you make it through the final round. Good luck!”. Thandy’s voice faded from Erika’s ears and transitioned to Crystals voice. “Remember, you can stop us at any time by saying your sister’s secret. Until then, you will need be introduced to our infamous Teakwood Talons, the final step in your initiation. If you make it past this step, you will be one of us.” Confused, Erika blurted out “What is a Teakwood Talon?”
As Erika tried to conceptualize what Teakwood Talons meant, she a fabric like texture between her toes. The sensation was maddening and caused Erika’s toes to move involuntarily to escape. Suddenly, Erika felt her toes being pulled back. She tried to flex her feet forward again and realized that her toes had been tied back, leaving her soles defenseless and immobile. She felt a warm oily like substance stream down each foot, followed by gentle rubbing from two pairs of hands. Then she heard Crystals voice again “The Teakwood Talons have been in the society since it’s inception. They were hand-crafted in Thailand by an export wood worker out of Teak wood and have stood the test of time. Each member must get past the Teakwood Talons to be a member. We will soon find out if you are Teakwood Society material. Since I recruited you, I will be administering this phase myself.” Erika then saw her VR video feed re-appear.
Crystals fingertips were adorned with wooden talon-like extensions. The each wooden talon had several hand-carved designs that led up to the small, rounded tips of each extension. Erika noticed the look menacing look on Crystals face as the wooden talons made there way closer to Erika’s helplessly exposed soles. “Such wonderful curves and I love the way your skin tone and your soles contrast. Such juicy toes, and they are all mine” Crystal said as one of the wooden talons made contact right under her toes.
“What did I get myself into? I could barely sit through pedicure, how am I going to make it through this?” Erika’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden spider-like motion on both of her heels. She immediately jerked her foot, trying to evade the Crystals methodical touch; but it was no use. Erika fought with every ounce of strength she had as Crystal warmed up her wooden talons. The oil on Erika’s soles made the talons glide effortless over the heels of Erika’s feet. The wax treatment had softened and sensitized Erika’s tender soles so much, that the sensation of Crystals talons was ten times worst than any pedicure she had experienced. The touch of each talon created an electric sensation that shot through Erika’s body.
After a few minutes of toying with Erika’s heels, the talons stopped their torturous exploration, allowing Erika to relax her face after fighting to hold in the laughter. Without warning, Crystal used both hands to explore Erika’s vulnerable right sole. Erika lost control and succumbed to the sensation of the wooden talons, leaving her in fits of laughter. It was like Crystal knew all of Erika’s most sensitive spots before she started. The ten talon-tipped fingers danced all over Erika’s foot, drawing unpredictable patterns that Erika couldn’t anticipate.
“UMMMMMHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,WAAAITTT,HAHAHAHA HAAAAHAHAHAAAA!” Erika yelled through her fits of laughter as Crystal effortlessly glided the talons all over Erika’s sole. Once she found a spot right below Erika’s toes, she focused on making Erika crack.
“What’s the secret? Crystal asked as she slowed her pace and light traced her wooden talons along Erika’s tender arches. Erika could barely think as Crystal skillfully worked to extract the secret. “I…… I don’t know how much more this I can take…..” Erika said as she contemplated spilling the secret. “Well, while you decide…” Crystal said sarcastically as she redirected her talons to explore the spaces around and between Erika’s toes. Erika tried to scrunch her toes together as much as she could, but she was no much for the nibble fingers of Crystal. “HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! PLEASE!!! PLEASE!!! AHHAHAHAHA!! OH NOOOOAHAHAHAAHA!” Erika had never been tickled with such vigor and finesse. She had no idea the spots in and around her toes were so sensitive and would do anything to stop the torture at this point. Her toes had been tied back individually, making it easy for Crystal’s talons to move in and out with ease. Erika’s back arched off of the chair as her tender toes were terrorized,
Just as she thought that it could get any worst, she felt another set of talons caress the outside of her left foot as Crystal kept working on the right foot without skipping a beat. Erika was delirious with laughter as the other member squirted oil all over her left sole, making sure to squeeze extra oil between her toes. The torture continued for 10 minutes, as each woman found there favorite spot on each foot. The other members focus on Erika’s arch left her in spasms of laughter. “Don’t forget these juicy toes” Crystal said as she shifted her focus to help out her fellow Teakwood on Erika’s left foot. “HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! GOT DAMNNN ITTTT! GET OUT OF THERE!!! AAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!! PLEASE GET FROM BETWEEN MY TOEEEESSS AHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!”. Crystal deviously slid the talons in between each toe of both feet as the other member traced patterns all over both of Erika’s arches, sending Erika into convulsions of laughter as her toes fought to escape the toe ties. After a minute or two, the two ladies ceased their onslaught.
Erika sat limp in the chair as her video feed re-appeared in the VR googles. The other sisters had joined Crystal and her assistant in the study, along with one of the other prospects who looked as though she had endured her own tickle hell.
Erika found herself in the feed and was able to wiggle a toe to ensure the feed was live. Her soles were glistening with oil and sweat, contrasting against her glowing mocha skin. Her curly black hair was all over the place from flailing to escape the talons. Crystal walked over to Erika an removed the VR headset and the headphones. “Erika and Tranice, it is with great pleasure that we welcome you both to the Teakwood Society! Congratulations!” Applause erupted in the study as the members cheered and congratulated its newest members. One of the members untied Erika’s wrist while the others loosened the toe ties and unlocked the stocks (not before sneaking a tickle or two).
“Unfortunately, the other two young women did not make it through the process. Not everyone can be a Teakwood. One of the prospects didn’t make it past the first few questions, and the other succumbed to the will the Teakwood Talons.” Crystal explained. “You ladies earned these”. Both Erika and Tranice were presented with a Teakwood nameplate with their names engraved. The dust from the custom etching was still fresh. “Now that you are both Teakwood members and you know what it takes to join our group, you can help us recruit future members. If you come across women that represent the high standards of our society, we will vet them and allow you participate in any initiations”
Erika had finally found a circle of women that help her grow personally and professionally. As a 23-year-old computer science prodigy, she knew that there would be few opportunities to meet a similar group of women, which is why she chose to endure the tests. Even through the maddening strokes of Crystals skillful, taloned fingertips, she knew that her perseverance would pay off. Now her and Tranice had to find other women around their age to join the order.
“This is the last of the boxes Ms. Andrews, sign here please.”
The movers had finally unloaded the last of Erika’s boxes from the moving truck. The sight of boxes and shrink-wrapped furniture was bittersweet. Erika had landed her dream job fresh out of graduate school at Fortune 500 tech company. The countless hours that she spent working on her machine learning dissertation was rewarded with a sweet six figure deal, paid relocation and the chance to show the world what she has to offer. Although she had to move away from her family and friends, she knew that this opportunity would provide her the means to travel for visits anytime.
As the only African American woman in her graduate class, she faced a litany of doubt and discouragement from her peers and professors. It was not often that an African American woman graduated from this prestigious computer science program, but Erika was determined to reverse that way of thinking through her actions. Although she was often excluded from after-class activities and other opportunities, she never let that deter her from graduating at the top of her class.
The past few years were filled with “I can’t hang out because I have work”, “I have to work on my predictive model”, “Can I get a rain check on that date?”. While the hard work and dedication paid off, Erika was determined to have a meaningful social life outside of work and moved to a condo in the downtown Atlanta area to make sure she had ample opportunities. She had never been to Atlanta before the move (outside of visiting the condo), but she had heard a lot about the city from friends. This was her chance to live, love and experience life as a young adult in a different city.
“Hmmm, I guess I better get started” Erika said as she marveled at the amount of stuff that she owned. With her hair tied back in a curly ponytail and wearing her dingiest workout clothes, she began the process of unpacking her life. She had already told the movers where to put the larger items to avoid having to move them again. Erika was not above putting in hard work and elbow grease but, at 5’3 and 125 lbs. soaking wet, she knew her limitations.
Over the next few days, she finished unpacking her boxes. As she went through her closet, she quickly realized that her wardrobe needed an update. Erika already knew that she would stand out as one of a few black employees at this company, and she wanted to look good doing it. She received a nice sign on bonus as a part of her offer, so she decided to use some of that money for a much-needed wardrobe upgrade.
She spent much of the day in the local shops, skimming racks to find clothes that she could wear to work and wear after work. Erika found pretty much everything she needed as far as clothes were concerned, being petite with subtle curves had its advantages. The one thing that she struggled to find was shoes, which had been a constant theme her entire life. Standing 5’3 with size 11 feet was something that often drew the attention of others. Her friends and classmates would often tease her about having such big feet for her size, which led to her wearing tennis shoes and boots most of her life. Even at beaches and pools, she wore water shoes to hide her feet from plain sight. It was a confidence killer and the one part of her body that she wished she could change. Even with a gorgeous smile, deep dimples, curly hair and a beautiful mocha complexion, the attention would inevitably end up at her feet.
Chapter 2: A New Friend
The next day, Erika decided that she should at least get a pedicure before trying on shoes. She looked at reviews online and headed to a local black-owned nail shop not too far from her condo. Upon arriving, she was greeted by the receptionist with a glass of champagne and showed to the waiting room. As she waited, she noticed the clientele was, mostly, young black professional women. Dressed in a hoodie, some old jeans and a pair of Allbird sneakers, she felt out of place. Erika was close to walking out entirely, until she was greeted by the esthetician that would doing her pedicure.
“Hi! Are you Erika? Welcome! You can follow me. My name is Thandy by the way.”
“Nice to meet you Thandy” Erika said as she reluctantly followed Thandy through the nail shop, past what seemed to be Atlanta’s finest women. Thandy pointed Erika to her pedicure chair. “You can take off your shoes and make yourself comfortable” Thandy said as she began to run water into the basin of the chair. Embarrassed, Erika warned Thandy that “It had been a while” as she unlaced her charcoal Allbird sneakers. Erika had not had a real pedicure in years but tried her best to perform them herself from time to time. Thandy gave Erika smile and responded “Don’t worry, I am going to get you right girl. Let me grab you another glass of champagne.”
The woman sitting next to Erika welcomed her to the salon. “Hi, my name is Crystal! I haven’t seen you her before, is this your first time?”. Erika responded “Nice to meet you Crystal. Yes, this is my first time here. I just moved here from Phoenix. This is a nice place! It is nice to see all of these professional black women in one spot.” Erika quickly moved her bare feet to the basin of water, hoping that Crystal did not see them. Thandy returned with the champagne for both women.
Crystal then looked at Thandy and said “Thandy, make sure you take good care of Erika, since this is her first time. This one is on me.” Erika responded bashfully “Really? You do not have to do that. That is so nice of you.” Crystal smiled and said “It is quite alright; this is my shop, and I would love for you to come back. You mentioned that you were new to Atlanta. I have a group of women that I would love for you to meet. I remember being in your shoes when I moved here 20 years ago, and I would like to help you adjust to ATL. Here is my card.” Erika took the card as Crystal stood up from her pedicure chair, sporting an orange pedicure to match her orange Italian leather purse. “It was nice to meet you and I hope to hear from you soon”. Even though Crystal appeared to be in her early 40s and Erika was only in her early 20s, Erika felt an immediate mentor-like connection.
Astonished and flattered, Erika shook Crystals hand as Thandy begin her pedicure. There were not many older black women to look up to where Erika was from, so she was open to meeting Crystal. “Today, you are getting the Teakwood special. It is a treatment reserved for the members of the Teakwood Society, but Crystal okayed it, so you’re getting it today!” Thandy said as she positioned herself in front of the basin. “Wow, I should have moved to Atlanta sooner” Erika said as her and Thandy enjoyed a laugh together. This was shaping up to be a great day.
Before Thandy prepared for the sugar scrub, Erika immediately asked Thandy “Can we skip the scrub? I am extremely ticklish, and I don’t want to kick you on accident”. “I promise I will be as gentle as possible. I want to make sure you get the full experience. I will make it quick”. Before Erika could object, Thandy started scrubbing away at Erika’s heels, sending lightening bolts through her body. As Thandy moved up her sole to the arch and ball of her foot, Erika gripped the chair with all of her might and bit her tongue to hold in the laughter.
Thandy moved to the other foot, and Erika prepared herself for the worst. She expected Thandy to start her heel like the last foot, but she started at the ball of her foot this time, which was extremely ticklish. Each pass of the pumice stone sent shockwaves of sensations through Erika’s petite frame. It seemed like Thandy was enjoying Erika’s reactions as she methodically scrubbed away. “All done! You really are ticklish.” Erika thanked her lucky stars that she made it, as Thandy encased each foot in a bag of Paraffin wax. “I will never miss another pedicure. I almost died” Erika said jokingly. The warmth of the wax relaxed Erika after the torturous scrub that Thandy inflicted. Thandy carefully removed each foot from the wax and peeled away the excess, leaving Erika’s feet silky smooth and unbelievably soft.
Erika chose a lavender gel polish to top things off, which complimented her rich mocha complexion. As she was about to leave, Thandy said “You should really meet up with Crystal and her group. They don’t welcome people in often, so she must see something special in you”.
When Erika arrived at home after shoe shopping, she reached out to Crystal using the e-mail on the card and expressed her interest in meeting the group. Erika remembered Thandy mentioning the Teakwood Society, which was displayed at top of the card with Crystal titled as the “Founder”. Crystal responded with the location information and the attire for the meeting, white blouse, black skirt and black heels. The one item that stood out to Erika was the heels.
Erika did not own a pair of heels and knew that they made her feet look enormous. She really wanted to meet the ladies, so she decided to get a pair of black pumps that would stand out but not break the bank since she would not be wearing them often. Luckily, she had just purchased a black skirt and white blouse when she went shopping earlier in the week. The shoes arrived a day before the meeting, and Erika was ready to meet Atlanta’s finest.
Chapter 3: Meeting the Teakwood’s
The day finally came for Erika to meet Crystals group. Erika was starting to settle into her new condo and the neighborhood, which were refreshingly unfamiliar. During some of her downtime, she researched the Teakwood Society to make sure she was not walking into anything nefarious. The Teakwood Society was established by Crystal to uplift black women in the Atlanta area, and was known for their charitable works and fancy balls. Although they gave off sorority like vibes (something Erika wanted no parts of), they seemed to serve a higher purpose. The members looked to be black women who were flourishing in their professions. Erika did not see a need for alarm.
On the website, she saw that she would be attending on a night where prospective members could meet the current members. Erika thought to herself “Am I good enough to be apart of this group?”. She got dressed and looked in the mirror, making sure everything was in order. Erika had a sense of pride when it came to wearing her new clothes and being invited to such a prestigious event, but she could not help but look down at her heels. Would the group pay too much attention to her unusually big feet? Would she be the laughingstock of the meeting? There was only one way to find out….
Erika arrived at the estate in her ride share, counting the number of luxury cars as she made her way down the winding private road. The mansion was spectacular. It was like something out of movie, complete a circular driveway, fountain and winding stone steps that lead to the main entrance. The host greeted her at the front door. “Hello, may I have your name please?” the host said with a smile on her face. “Erika Andrews” Erika replied as she waited anxiously to be let in. The host acknowledge Erika’s invite and gave her silver metal name tag.
“Enjoy your time at the Boswell estate. Everyone with a wooden nametag is a current member, feel free to ask them any questions you may have and get to know as many people as possible. If the night goes well, I will tap you on your shoulder to attend a special meeting for those selected prospective members. Good luck!”.
Erika was flattered beyond belief. She could not believe that she was already being considered to become a potential member. She walked into the ballroom, where there were other women already mingling. There was plenty of food, an open bar and a live jazz band. Throughout the night, she met several of Atlanta’s most prestigious black women and eventually she bumped into Crystal.
“Hi Erika. I am glad that you could make it!” Crystal said as she looked down at Erika’s heels. Erika became uncomfortable as Crystal took a good glance at her shoes. “Nice heels. I see that you have great taste.” Relieved, Erika responded “Thank you! I don’t usually wear heels, but I couldn’t miss this event.” Just as Erika was about to ask Crystal some questions, she felt a slight tap on the shoulder from the hostess who whispered, “Meet in the chandelier room in 10 minutes.”
Wow, had she really been selected? Erika went to the bathroom to freshen up before the meeting and to help pass the ten minutes. As she made her way to the hallway to the chandelier room, she heard an announcement in the main ballroom:
“Thank you for attending tonight’s Teakwood Society event. Please grab a gift bag on the way out and enjoy the rest of your evening”. A few the prospects exited in disappointment as Erika walked past them to the Chandelier room, where there were three prospects already waiting. There were four chairs in the middle of the room, with one empty one for Erika. The other prospects were wearing the same attire as Erika and looked equally anxious.
After 10 minutes, the doors to the room closed and the current members gathered behind the four prospects. Crystal entered the room and gave instructions:
“Ladies, you have been selected as potential new members to the Teakwood Society. While we are not technically a sorority, we are a sisterhood. We confide in one another, trust one another, and trust each other with personal information. Before you are accepted, we must test each one of you for trustworthiness and dedication. If you do not wish to be a part of tonight’s ceremonies, you are welcome to leave.”
Erika was slightly wary about the tests but wanted to be a part of the group. This could be the social connection she needed, and she felt like she had earned the right to be mentioned amongst the elite. All the prospects remained seated and awaited the next steps.
They were each handed an envelope with a number. Crystal then said “Each envelope contains a word. Open your envelope and memorize the word inside. Once you have memorized the word, exchange the envelope with the person next to you.” Erika had envelope number 3 and her word was “Dashing”. The four prospects exchanged envelopes with one another as the hostess gave further instructions. “You now hold each other’s secrets in your hand. Open the envelope you have received and memorize that word. No matter what happens, you must not reveal your sister’s secret. For the initiation, you will be blindfolded and lead to separate rooms, where our members will do what they can to get you to reveal each other’s secrets. Do not worry, there is no pain involved. Just some test.”
As soon as the hostess finished, Erika felt something padded cover her eyes and it felt a lot like her VR headset at home. She was led by a group of current members to a room that smelled of leather and expensive wood. Erika grew more nervous as she awaited the next steps. The reassurance that there would be no pain gave her some solace, but she did not know what to expect. The envelope that she received in the exchange said “Brush”. Erika knew that whatever happened, she had to make it through the tests.
Chapter 4: Initiation
The members sat Erika in what felt like a leather armchair. “Put your wrists together” one of the members asked. Erika obliged and felt rope wrapping around her wrist. Just as she was starting question the purpose the rope, she felt her arms being pulled over head. She tugged at her bonds to no avail, her wrists were now secured firmly over head and to the top of the chair it seemed. She was paying so much attention to her wrist that she barely noticed the members raising her legs and resting each ankle on what felt like fur. Within seconds, she felt the same fur-like texture rest on the tops of her ankles, stabilizing each ankle in what felt like some sort of cuff. Erika could not fathom what was going to happen next, all she could remember was the hostess saying, “No pain”. Whatever was going to happen, there was nothing that she could do about it now.
After a moment of silence, a member spoke “Erika, I want to assure you are not in any danger or trouble. To become a Teakwood, you must pass the test for trustworthiness. While we pride ourselves on good works, solidarity and transparency, we also value privacy. If something were to happen within our group, we must know you can be trusted. To start we are going to ask you a series of questions to get to know you.”
Another member said “You can say your sister’s secret at any time, and we can end the night. In fact, if we get you to say the secret, we will get a prize from Crystal. This a win/win for us; either we welcome a new member to our group, or we get rewarded. You decide your fate. Just to assure you that you are not in any danger, we are going to give you a look at the surroundings and who you are in the room with now. Do not ask us any questions! If you do, well…. You will find out what happens”.
Erika did not know what she meant by “Find out what happens”, but she had a ton of questions. After the member stopped speaking, a video feed appeared in her VR headset. The video showed her sitting in the armchair with her arms secured above her head to the back of the chair and her ankles secured in stocks, surrounded by three members of the Teakwood Society. To test if the feed was live, she moved her foot and saw that the movement was displayed in real time. The camera was directly in front of her, giving her a glimpse of the bottom of her heels. The room resembled a huge study, with books, a desk and wooden walls. Just as she started to visually inventory the rest of the room, the video feed was cut off and Erika’s VR set went dark.
“See we aren’t so bad, are we? No let’s get started. First, tell us a little about yourself” asked one of the members. Erika started telling the women about her upbringing in Arizona and her time in school. She explained that she had just moved to Atlanta for work.
“Impressive! You seem like Teakwood material. Are you dating anyone?” one of the members asked. “No, not at the moment.” Erika responded bashfully. “Really? We want to make sure you are telling us the truth. What’s the code to your cellphone?” demanded on the members. “Why?” Erika asked. Just as she asked the question, she heard the heels of one of the members moving towards the back of the chair. “We said no questions!”. Erika had forgot that they said no questions, but she did not care at this point. She did not want to give them the code to her cellphone. She was not dating anyone at the moment, but she had a number of pictures in her phone that she had sent to the person she was seeing before she moved.
Before Erika could figure how to re-phrase her question, she felt one the members manicured fingernails lightly tracing down her arms. The sensation caused Erika to jerk, but to no avail since her arms were tightly secured. The fingers stopped at Erika’s armpits and began to wiggle with reckless abandon. Erika tried to fight the sensation and hold in her laughter, but then the fingernails found a spot that turned Erika’s smile to uncontrollable laughter. “HAHAHAHA!!!STTOOAPPAAHAHAHAHA.” Erika pleaded as the member continued to work on Erika’s tender armpits. “Lets try this again. What is the code to your cellphone?” the member repeated as she made her way from Erika’s armpits to Erika’s ribs. “394064!394064!” Erika yelled as she felt the fingers graze the her ribs, one of her most ticklish spots. The fingers stopped moving and Erika heard the faint sound of her phone unlocking.
“Interesting! I guess you were telling the truth. Eric must be devasted that you broke up with him. Especially with these types of pictures.” Said one of the sisters as they went through Erika’s photo album. “It’s okay Erika, we all have sent a picture or two in our day. We are just glad you were telling us the truth”. Erika felt a sigh of relief from the words of affirmation. Maybe it was all over? Maybe she would be a Teakwood.
“Now we really want that prize from Crystal. What is your sister’s secret?” one of the sisters asked. Just as the words left her mouth, she heard two of the members move to each side of the chair. “Let’s make Erika more comfortable” said one of the members as she unbuttoned Erika’s blouse, unveiling a red bra and Erika’s exposed midsection. Erika was not self-conscious about her body, but it was slightly embarrassing being undressed. “Remember, we can stop at anytime if you give us the secret. Until we hear the word come out of your mouth, we are going to have a little fun” said one of the members devilishly. Before Erika could prepare herself, two the sisters began methodically tickling Erika’s exposed sides, causing fits of laughter. Erika wiggled pointlessly as the woman poked, caressed and kneaded her sides and stomach. All Erika could do is sit there and take it. She was determined to hold out, but it was becoming harder by the second.
“HAHAHAHAAHA, OH NOOOOOO NOT MY BELLYBUTTON HAHAAHAHAHAHA. AHHHHHAHAHAHAHA” Erika yelped as one of the women probed her bellybutton with a brush like tool. The other two women played Erika’s ribs like a piano, and traced lines all over her stomach. Erika radiant mocha skin began to glisten with sweat from the tickle treatment. The sweat didn’t seem to bother the members, it just helped their fingernails glad more effortlessly over her tight abdomen and
under her freshly shaven armpits. After 5 minutes, they stopped to give Erika some air.
“You’re on tough cookie. One of your fellow prospect’s was not as tough. She could not stop asking questions, which only made it worst for her.” As Erika gasped for air, she saw a video appear in her VR headset. Just as the video was about to play, one of the members put a pair of noise cancelling headphones over Erika’s ears.
The feed started, and Erika could see the prospect struggling to keep her composure as one member terrorized her armpits, and another worked on her knees. The prospect was flailing so much, that one of her shoes flew off. In that moment, another came in began to tickle the prospects exposed sole. “Let’s see how long it takes to melt this caramel cutie.” Her coffin nails danced all over the prospects helplessly exposed sole and the top of her foot, creating shriek like laughter to was music to the other members ears. One minute into the clip, the prospect gave up her secret “HAHAHAHAHEHHHHHH, DASHING!!!DASHING!!!!MAKE IT STOP!!!” The members immediately stopped and released the prospect, as she walked out the room in disappointment. The video feed faded out and the sound cut off, leaving Erika in the dark and unable to hear what was going on. A moment later, Erika heard a familiar voice in the headset.
“Erika, this is Crystal. You are almost finished honey! Hang in there!” Erika had finally started to get her wind back and was comforted by Crystal’s re-assurance. She hoped that there was light at the end of the tunnel because she did not know how much more she could take.
Chapter 4: Erika meets the Teakwood Talons
Erika sat helplessly waiting for the next part of the initiation. She had finally regained her composure after the previous onslaught of tickling. Unable to hear or see what was going on, all she could do is sit and wait. Right as she started to relax a bit, she felt a tug on her heels and, without warning, she felt her heels slide off exposing her big bare feet. The cool air from the room rushed between her toes as she scrunched and flexed her feet in anticipation of another tickling episode. Instead, she felt a warm, liquid substance being poured over feet. Erika’s feet were then wrapped in, what felt like, plastic bags.
A few minutes passed the liquid began to solidify. It felt like the wax from the salon, but she could not be sure. She felt the bags being removed, and two hands on each foot peeling the wax away. Erika could not deny that the wax treatment felt great, leaving her soles soft and warm; unaware of the effects the treatment would have in the moments to come. Suddenly, Erika heard another familiar voice through the headphones.
“Hi Erika! It is Thandy. Remember me? I had to remember to bring extra wax and large bags for these big, beautiful feet. My job here is done. Maybe I will be giving the Teakwood treatment more often…. if you make it through the final round. Good luck!”. Thandy’s voice faded from Erika’s ears and transitioned to Crystals voice. “Remember, you can stop us at any time by saying your sister’s secret. Until then, you will need be introduced to our infamous Teakwood Talons, the final step in your initiation. If you make it past this step, you will be one of us.” Confused, Erika blurted out “What is a Teakwood Talon?”
As Erika tried to conceptualize what Teakwood Talons meant, she a fabric like texture between her toes. The sensation was maddening and caused Erika’s toes to move involuntarily to escape. Suddenly, Erika felt her toes being pulled back. She tried to flex her feet forward again and realized that her toes had been tied back, leaving her soles defenseless and immobile. She felt a warm oily like substance stream down each foot, followed by gentle rubbing from two pairs of hands. Then she heard Crystals voice again “The Teakwood Talons have been in the society since it’s inception. They were hand-crafted in Thailand by an export wood worker out of Teak wood and have stood the test of time. Each member must get past the Teakwood Talons to be a member. We will soon find out if you are Teakwood Society material. Since I recruited you, I will be administering this phase myself.” Erika then saw her VR video feed re-appear.
Crystals fingertips were adorned with wooden talon-like extensions. The each wooden talon had several hand-carved designs that led up to the small, rounded tips of each extension. Erika noticed the look menacing look on Crystals face as the wooden talons made there way closer to Erika’s helplessly exposed soles. “Such wonderful curves and I love the way your skin tone and your soles contrast. Such juicy toes, and they are all mine” Crystal said as one of the wooden talons made contact right under her toes.
“What did I get myself into? I could barely sit through pedicure, how am I going to make it through this?” Erika’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden spider-like motion on both of her heels. She immediately jerked her foot, trying to evade the Crystals methodical touch; but it was no use. Erika fought with every ounce of strength she had as Crystal warmed up her wooden talons. The oil on Erika’s soles made the talons glide effortless over the heels of Erika’s feet. The wax treatment had softened and sensitized Erika’s tender soles so much, that the sensation of Crystals talons was ten times worst than any pedicure she had experienced. The touch of each talon created an electric sensation that shot through Erika’s body.
After a few minutes of toying with Erika’s heels, the talons stopped their torturous exploration, allowing Erika to relax her face after fighting to hold in the laughter. Without warning, Crystal used both hands to explore Erika’s vulnerable right sole. Erika lost control and succumbed to the sensation of the wooden talons, leaving her in fits of laughter. It was like Crystal knew all of Erika’s most sensitive spots before she started. The ten talon-tipped fingers danced all over Erika’s foot, drawing unpredictable patterns that Erika couldn’t anticipate.
“UMMMMMHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,WAAAITTT,HAHAHAHA HAAAAHAHAHAAAA!” Erika yelled through her fits of laughter as Crystal effortlessly glided the talons all over Erika’s sole. Once she found a spot right below Erika’s toes, she focused on making Erika crack.
“What’s the secret? Crystal asked as she slowed her pace and light traced her wooden talons along Erika’s tender arches. Erika could barely think as Crystal skillfully worked to extract the secret. “I…… I don’t know how much more this I can take…..” Erika said as she contemplated spilling the secret. “Well, while you decide…” Crystal said sarcastically as she redirected her talons to explore the spaces around and between Erika’s toes. Erika tried to scrunch her toes together as much as she could, but she was no much for the nibble fingers of Crystal. “HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! PLEASE!!! PLEASE!!! AHHAHAHAHA!! OH NOOOOAHAHAHAAHA!” Erika had never been tickled with such vigor and finesse. She had no idea the spots in and around her toes were so sensitive and would do anything to stop the torture at this point. Her toes had been tied back individually, making it easy for Crystal’s talons to move in and out with ease. Erika’s back arched off of the chair as her tender toes were terrorized,
Just as she thought that it could get any worst, she felt another set of talons caress the outside of her left foot as Crystal kept working on the right foot without skipping a beat. Erika was delirious with laughter as the other member squirted oil all over her left sole, making sure to squeeze extra oil between her toes. The torture continued for 10 minutes, as each woman found there favorite spot on each foot. The other members focus on Erika’s arch left her in spasms of laughter. “Don’t forget these juicy toes” Crystal said as she shifted her focus to help out her fellow Teakwood on Erika’s left foot. “HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! GOT DAMNNN ITTTT! GET OUT OF THERE!!! AAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!! PLEASE GET FROM BETWEEN MY TOEEEESSS AHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!”. Crystal deviously slid the talons in between each toe of both feet as the other member traced patterns all over both of Erika’s arches, sending Erika into convulsions of laughter as her toes fought to escape the toe ties. After a minute or two, the two ladies ceased their onslaught.
Erika sat limp in the chair as her video feed re-appeared in the VR googles. The other sisters had joined Crystal and her assistant in the study, along with one of the other prospects who looked as though she had endured her own tickle hell.
Erika found herself in the feed and was able to wiggle a toe to ensure the feed was live. Her soles were glistening with oil and sweat, contrasting against her glowing mocha skin. Her curly black hair was all over the place from flailing to escape the talons. Crystal walked over to Erika an removed the VR headset and the headphones. “Erika and Tranice, it is with great pleasure that we welcome you both to the Teakwood Society! Congratulations!” Applause erupted in the study as the members cheered and congratulated its newest members. One of the members untied Erika’s wrist while the others loosened the toe ties and unlocked the stocks (not before sneaking a tickle or two).
“Unfortunately, the other two young women did not make it through the process. Not everyone can be a Teakwood. One of the prospects didn’t make it past the first few questions, and the other succumbed to the will the Teakwood Talons.” Crystal explained. “You ladies earned these”. Both Erika and Tranice were presented with a Teakwood nameplate with their names engraved. The dust from the custom etching was still fresh. “Now that you are both Teakwood members and you know what it takes to join our group, you can help us recruit future members. If you come across women that represent the high standards of our society, we will vet them and allow you participate in any initiations”
Erika had finally found a circle of women that help her grow personally and professionally. As a 23-year-old computer science prodigy, she knew that there would be few opportunities to meet a similar group of women, which is why she chose to endure the tests. Even through the maddening strokes of Crystals skillful, taloned fingertips, she knew that her perseverance would pay off. Now her and Tranice had to find other women around their age to join the order.
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