TICKLE TOWERS (part one) Bethany Chamberlain placed her bag of groceries on the kitchen counter and answered her ringing telephone. "Hello?" "Bethany? It's Ash. Listen, I'm having a pool party to end all pool parties today. Why don't you come on by?" Bethany sighed. Her cousin, Ashleigh, had moved into a new condo, and she was always trying to get her to stop by. "I don't know, Ash, I have to clean the apartment..." Ashleigh cut in. "Oh, come on, Beth, I am beginning to get insulted. What, are you afraid to come by?" "Of course not, but..." "Good. See ya in 30 minutes! Toodles!" Bethany resigned herself to the fact that she couldn't win, so she took a quick shower, changed, and drove over to Templeman Towers, the condo Ashleigh lived in. When Ashleigh saw her cousin her eyes glared. "For goodness sakes, Beth, this is a *pool* party; where is your bathing suit?" Bethany stared at the floor, hemming and hawing, till Ashleigh said, "Here! Take this." She thrust a bikini at her. "It's all I have. Loosen up for just one day, ok? For me?" Bethany sighed and went to change into the scanty pink 2-piecer, regretting the night ahead. Little did she know what lay ahead! Ashleigh brought a bronzed adonis over to the chaise lounge Bethany lounged on. "Michael, this knockout is my cousin, Bethany. She's um, new here, so, uh, make her feel at home, ok?" Michael had a wicked gleam in his eye that gave Bethany the willies. "Nice to meet you, Michael, but, if you don't mind, I really would just like to lie here for awhile." Ashleigh winked at Michael. "No problem. Come on, Michael, let's let her rest." As the two walked away Bethany couldn't help but wonder what her cousin was up to. She pushed these thoughts aside and closed her eyes. After what seemed to be 5 minutes or so, Bethany felt 2 hands on her feet. She opened her eyes to see a handsome guy seated at the foot of the lounge. "Hi, there," he said devilishly. "My name's Jason. You looked so comfortable, yet you still have your flip-flops on." He gently removed them and said,"You have lovely feet, Bethany. They're so soft. Are you ticklish?" Bethany's mind raced. She knew Ashleigh had set her up. When they were kids, Ashleigh derived great delight in seeing her cousin tickled. She used to tell the other kids to hold Bethany while several others (Ashleigh especially) would tickle her till tears poured down her face. She had to think fast. "No, Jason, I'm not in the least bit ticklish, so please take your hands off my feet!" Jason grinned. "Funny, but I hear you are extremely ticklish!" He started to run his fingers under the soles of her feet. She stifled a giggle. "Please," the words were muffled. "Aww, is the baby ticklish?" He said mockingly. His fingers accelerated in rapid motions around her soles, insteps, all the way up to Bethany's knees, a very ticklish spot. She burst out laughing, her entire body a mass of quivers. "P-p-please, don't!" Ashleigh walked over and laughed. "Sorry cuz, but this is your coming out party. After this night is over, you will be tickle-tortured beyond your wildest dreams! Greg! Tony! Come on, let's take her inside!" Bethany kicked Jason's hands away and made a run for it. She heard Ashleigh scream, "Get her! Now she'll get DOUBLE the torture!" Bethany ran into the lobby. Seeing a door leading to the basement, she opened it and ran down the steps, to at a time, till she reached the boiler room. "Hi, Beth," a voice said. She turned around, horrified to see Max, Ashleigh's older brother, standing there. "Please, Max, pretend you didn't see me," she pleaded. He shook his head and grinned. "Sorry, Bethany, you might just as well accept it. Come with me," he held a hand out. "No!" she screamed. He sighed. "OK, have it your way. I guess we'll have to do this the hard way." He reached for her and whispered in her ear. "Are you still ticklish here?" and started tickling her under arms. She doubled over and squealed with horror/ delight. "Now, I'll stop if you come along with me." "OK,OK, I'll go with you!" she gasped. As they reached the top of the steps, Ashleigh greeted them with a sneer. "Ready for a good laugh, cuz?" She pulled out several stiff feathers from behind her back. TICKLE TOWERS Bethany struggled in vain to pull free as Tony and Greg dragged her out to the pool area. Ashleigh laughed devilishly and said, "Well, cuz, do you have anything to say before your punishment?" Bethany's heart pounded. "Ash, I'm sorry I tried to get away, but can you blame me? After all..." "Enough!" Ashleigh snapped. She walked over to a large contraption that stood near the middle of the solarium. It had a large white drop cloth covering it, but it was off at the snap of her wrist. Bethany was horrified to see what appeared to be a torture rack! It was made of wood and cast metal, with stocks for the hands and feet. Confine her on Mercy!" Ashleigh ordered Greg and Tony. "M-mercy?!?" Bethany swallowed hard. She was swiftly restrained on Mercy, her hands and feet immobile in the stocks. "Don't bother asking, cuzzy dear; you'll soon find all about Mercy!" Ashleigh smiled that smirk that Bethany so hated. "Max, please," Bethany said plaintively. "Help me!" Max chuckled softly. "Come on, Beth, why don't you just relax and give it a go? You might actually enjoy it!" "Enough stalling!" Ashleigh bellowed. She pulled out a black kerchief and proceeded to blindfold Bethany with it, so that her cousin wouldn't know how, when, or by whom the tickle-torture would be. Ashleigh stood over Bethany, who was trying desperately to free herself. Ashleigh bared her long, perfectly-manicured fingernails, lightly dragging a fingernail along Bethany's right side. Ashleigh got the response she was hoping for. Bethany's most sensitive, ticklish spot were her sides, so she nearly jumped out of her restraints at her cousin's teasing. "Ah, I've hit the proverbial nerve," Ashleigh said. She bared her nails again, this time lightly scraping all ten nails along Bethany's sides. Bethany shrieked. "Please, Ash, not there! Haha!" Ashleigh ignored her cousin's plea and proceeded to mercilessly tickle Bethany. In rapid-fire motion she ran her fingers all over Bethany's sides, belly and under arms, causing Bethany to laugh so hard tears rolled down her cheeks. "Hahahaha!!! No! Please! Hahahaha!!!" Bethany writhed in torturous tickles. Ashleigh suddenly. "You know, Bethany, dear, you look awfully pale. You could really use some color!" She reached behind Mercy to pull out a blush makeup kit. She removed the brush and ran it all over Bethany's upper torso, causing Bethany to go wild with hysterical laughter. Her voice was hoarse when she screamed, "Oh god, Ash, I beg of you, please stop!!!" Ashleigh had a satisfied look on her face. "There! You've said the magic word!" She stopped the brutal tickling and motioned for Tony and Greg to remove the restraints and blindfold. Bethany lay there, exhausted from her ordeal. All of Ashleigh's friends applauded her mastery. She took a bow and sat down. Then an older woman entered the solarium and said giddily, "Marvelous, Ashleigh dear, you were simply brilliant!" She turned to Bethany, who was still on Mercy. "Well, my dear, how did you enjoy your ordeal?" "I hated every minute of it!" Bethany spat the words out. "I'm getting out of here -- and fast!" The woman clucked her tongue in a condescending manner that both angered and frightened Bethany. "Hmmm, I see that you're a very ungrateful young woman who hasn't learned what she's been taught. You're a wild horse that needs taming -- at once. Welcome to Tickle Towers. You will learn many things, but first you must be taught a lesson. Greg, handcuff her arms behind her back. Michael!" The young man Ashleigh had introduced Bethany to earlier stood. "Yes, Mrs. Davidson?" "Bring her to Malachi -- immediately!" At the mention of the name Malachi everybody gasped and whispered amongst themselves, heightening Bethany's fears. Who was this Malachi, and what ticklish torture did he hold in store for our heroine? Tune in to the next installment of TICKLE TOWERS!!!