Tickle Street Chapter 44 – “All in the Family”

By Strelnikov
Copyright 2007 by the author


Dramatis Personae (in order of appearance)

Vicky and Veronica Righetti
They’re “mirror twins” – identical, but Vicky is a lefty (Latin “sinister”) and her twin Veronica is right handed. They’re 20 yrs old, medium height, with very trim and fit figure that they maintain by martial arts. They have wavy dark brown hair worn shoulder length, dark brows and lashes, brown eyes. They’re extremely ticklish, and great fun to tickle.

Brittany Righetti
Brittany is 18, almost 19, and has lived on Tickle Street all her life. She has long dark hair and brown eyes, a beautiful Italian face and features, curves in all the right places. She has a bit of an attitude, but it can quickly be destroyed if she's tickled. She's super-ticklish, and her twin older sisters Vicky and Veronica always take advantage of that.

Kathy Brocato Righetti and Karen Brocato Shaw
Like Kathy’s daughters Vicky and Veronica, they’re “mirror twins” – Kathy is the lefty of this pair. They’re Boomer moms in their mid-40’s, medium height, with dark brows and lashes and brown eyes. Their wavy dark brown hair has a few streaks of gray by now, and they’ve got a few wrinkles – they’re a little heavier than they were in their youth but still reasonably trim and fit. They married Chuck Righetti and Bill Shaw in a double wedding years ago. How ticklish are they? Well, that’s another thing that runs in the family...

Lindsey Thomas
Lindsey is a tiny girl, almost 19, who stands 4 ft 11 in tall in her bare feet and weighs 87 lb soaking wet. She has a cute shape, curly blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Her feet are off-the-scale ticklish, and it seems that it’s gotten worse since an odd incident last Christmas. Of course, her friends take full advantage...

The Sadistic Siblings…
Nathan Wrazen is 18 – he graduated high school with Lindsey and Brittany. His brother David is 20. They’re tall and fit-looking, with brown hair and brown eyes. Daniel Thomas is David’s age – they’ve been friends all through school. He’s blond and blue-eyed like his little sister. The girls in Tieson City know better than to let any of them get in tickle range of their feet, but sometimes... well, shit happens.



********************


Veronica Righetti giggled in her sleep, squirming just a little. She giggled again and drifted gently into wakefulness – she was in bed, still covered to her chin. Fingernails flicked her sole – she giggled and sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Het twin Vicky was at the end of the bed, one hand under the covers – Vicky straightened up, put finger to lips in the universal “hush” gesture, and beckoned.

They were “mirror twins” – Veronica was right-handed, Vicky was a lefty. Even in ratty nightgowns, they were attractive – medium height, trim and fit, with summer tans, wavy dark brown hair worn shoulder length, dark brows and lashes, brown eyes. Veronica slipped out of bed and looked at the clock on the nightstand – it said 6:55. They eased down the hall on silent bare feet.

Brittany’s door was open just a crack – Veronica peeked in. Brittany was a little shorter than her sisters, with a life guard tan, but there was a strong family resemblance – similar features, and her coloring was the same. She must have had a restless night, thought Veronica. The covers were wadded up in the middle of the bed, with Brittany curled under them. Her long dark hair was in tangles on the pillow – both bare feet stuck out the other end.

Veronica leaned close to Vicky’s ear. “She’s all twisted up in the covers,” she said. “We’ll have to try something different.”

“Tag-team foot tickling,” Vicky whispered back.

“I’ll grab her, you start– ” Veronica continued.

“ –and then we’ll switch,” Vicky completed the thought. “On three.” She raised three fingers and counted them down, three, two, one, and pumped the fist once.

Veronica ran into the room, with Vicky right behind. Veronica scooped up Brittany’s ankles with her left arm, gripped it with her right hand to lock it in place and sat on the bed. Vicky sat cross-legged on the end of the bed and danced her nails in Brittany’s arches. “Tickle tickle, Little Sis!” she said.

“Vickiee– hehehe! Sta– haha! –ap!” Brittany giggled and begged. “NOOO! HAHAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHA! AH-HAHAHAHA!” Vicky spider-walked her nail tips up the arches to the soles, tickling skillfully and enthusiastically. Brittany’s toes twitched as Vicky tickled her soles – Brittany laughed like mad and squirmed like a worm, trying desperately to pull her feet away.

Vicky tickled Brittany’s soles two-handed, covering the sensitive skin with fiendish tickling. She paid special attention to the creases in the middle, scratching and flicking, and Brittany’s laughter went up a notch. Vicky tickled down Brittany’s arches two handed, then lingered on the ticklish heels, drawing circles and other tickling shapes. She tickled in the back of both arches, flicking her nails onto the heels – Brittany laughed harder, helpless laughter pouring out. She wasn’t struggling any more, the tickling had sucked away her strength.

“Swap!” Vicky said. Veronica switched to a one-arm hold, tickling a heel with her free hand. Vicky switched to one-hand tickling, shifted around and grabbed the ankles with other arm. She grabbed her forearm to lock it in place – Veronica shifted to face Brittany’s feet and dug in with both hands. Brittany laughed her head off, red faced, tears of laughter running down her face.

Brittany laughed wildly as Veronica’s tickling fingernails explored her soft soles, flicked in her arches, scratched and scrabbled her ticklish heels. Veronica tickled a zig-zag path down Brittany’s arches, flicking her nails onto the heels behind. She put on a burst of speed, tickling the arches and heels mercilessly. Brittany laughed and laughed – she was losing it, red faced and sweaty, lost in ticklish delirium.

“Want some more of this, sis?” Veronica asked, raising her voice over Brittany’s ticklish laughter.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Vicky answered. “Left foot?”

Veronica shifted around and grabbed the ankle. Vicky switched to a one-hand grip on the other – now they were facing the foot of the bed with Brittany between them, each with one trapped foot to tickle. Brittany had time for a quick breath, then she was laughing harder than before as the twins tickled her feet.

Veronica held back Brittany’s toes and tickled a sole, along the crease and onto the arch behind – four fingernail strokes in succession, three times a second. Vicky circled a single nail around the ball of the other foot. Veronica copied Vicky and tickled the ball of the other foot. Brittany’s feet were sensitized by the tickling – her laughter was off the charts, she was sweaty and red-faced, her face streaked with tears.

Mom stuck her head in the door. “Stop teasing her, you two,” she called out over Brittany’s helpless laughter. “Finish her off and let’s have breakfast.”

“OK, Mom,” Veronica replied. “Together now, sis.” The twins released Brittany’s toes and tickled the soles – Brittany’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed her head off. They tickled down the arches, drawing circles and other tickling shapes, covering every square inch of sensitive skin with fiendish tickling. They finished in the sweet spots, and tickled Brittany’s breath away.

The twins released Brittany, leaving her red-faced and gasping on her bed. “Did that tickle, Little Sis?” they asked in chorus.

“Like you... wouldn’t believe...” Brittany got out. Her hair was even more tangled now, her face was streaked with tears of laughter. She took a deep breath. “You two... outdid yourselves... this morning.”

Veronica grinned. “Glad you enjoyed it,” she said. Brittany looked indignant, but wisely said nothing.

“What are we gonna do on Saturday mornings when she goes away to college?” Vicky asked as the twins headed down the hallway to their room. The tickle fest was a family tradition – they had tickled Brittany silly every Saturday morning for years.

“Tickle each other, I suppose,” Veronica answered. “That's fun too.” An understatement if ever there was one, because the twins had a guilty secret: they got off on it. Not every time, of course, but often enough.

“Won’t be the same, though,” Vicky said.

“Well, there’s always school holidays,” Veronica consoled herself. “C’mon, let’s get dressed and grab some breakfast.”

Vicky dressed for her tennis date with David Wozniak, her new boyfriend – the public courts at the park were first-come-first-served, so she needed to get an early start. Veronica wasn’t going anywhere, so she made do with gym shorts and a t-shirt. She didn’t bother with shoes.

Mom and Dad were already having breakfast when the twins got downstairs. Brittany was right behind, in a red t-shirt and jeans shorts, barefoot like Veronica. Nobody commented on the tickling – that sort of thing was just part of life in the Righetti family.

David showed up just as they were clearing away the dishes. He had the rest of their doubles group with him, dressed for tennis – his younger brother Nathan, and Nathan’s girl friend, Lindsey Thomas. The guys had outdoor jobs of some sort – they were fit-looking, deeply tanned, with sun-bleached light brown hair and blue eyes. They had some size to them too, though not as big as Michael Gabreski. They towered over Lindsey – she was a tiny girl, just 4 ft 11 in tall, and weighed 87 lb soaking wet. She had a summer tan, a cute shape, curly blonde hair and crystal blue eyes.

Veronica had just started dating Lindsey’s older brother Daniel. He was a life guard like Brittany, but unlike her, he was working today. They had plans for later on, but until then, Veronica was on her own.

“You and Daniel coming out to the cottage tonight, Veronica?” Lindsey asked.

“Yah, as soon as the pool closes,” Veronica replied. “What’s the program?”

“Nothing too rowdy, more’s the pity,” Lindsey said. “Because Mom and Dad will be there too. Cook out, maybe some fishing after dark. Swimming tomorrow. Sound OK?”

“Looking forward to it,” Veronica said. “What do I need to bring?”

“Gotta go, Lindsey, or we’ll never get a court,” Nathan interrupted.

“Coming!” Lindsey called back. To Veronica: “Swim suit, night shirt, tooth brush, change of clothes. And bug dope – plenty of bug dope. Bye!”

Dad left too, down the street to help Uncle Bill with a construction project, a big garden shed (almost a barn) that he was building from a kit. Mom and Brittany went outside to do some pool maintenance – skimming dead bugs off the surface, adding a bit of chlorine, that sort of thing. Already the day felt odd to Veronica. She and her twin were individuals, of course, but Vicky’s absence left a gap, like a missing tooth. No help for it, she thought – might as well get busy. She went outside and joined in the pool work.

Aunt Karen showed up just as the three women were finishing. “I decided I didn’t want to listen to hammers and saws,” Aunt Karen said. “Need any help?”

“Nope, you timed it just right,” Mom said. “Did it on purpose, I’ll bet.”

“No, just lucky,” Aunt Karen said. She and Mom were twins too – it ran in the family. They were Boomer moms in their mid-40’s, medium height, with dark brows and lashes and brown eyes. Their wavy dark brown hair had a few carefully-dyed streaks of gray, and they had a few wrinkles – they were a little heavier than they had been in their youth but still reasonably trim and fit. Veronica knew that she and Vicky would look like this in another 20 yrs or so.

“Where’s the girls?” Mom asked.

“Jamie’s pounding her ear, no doubt,” Aunt Karen said. “She and Katie spent the night at Anna’s house. Probably went to bed around sunrise. And Joanna’s helping Bill with his barn, believe it or not.”

The day was already warming up – Aunt Karen shucked her shorts and top and dived into the pool. She had opted for a one-piece suit – her figure wasn’t bad, for an older woman, thought Veronica.

The three Righettis went indoors to change and joined Aunt Karen in the pool. After a while, Aunt Karen climbed out and toweled off. She sat on the side of the pool, feet danging in the water. “Kinda wish Bill was building one of these, instead of that silly barn,” she said.

Mom paddled over to her twin. “Why?” she asked. “What’s wrong with this one?”

“Nothing, but– ”

“It all works out,” Mom interrupted. “All that junk in our garage that Chuck won’t get rid of – care to lay odds that it winds up in Bill’s barn?”

Aunt Karen laughed. “No bet,” she said. “Hey, what are you– ”

Mom had hold of Aunt Karen’s ankle. “Checking for callus,” she said, and tickled the foot. All of the female members of this extended family were tickle maniacs – Veronica and Vicky had come by it honestly.

Aunt Karen giggled and pulled loose. “Trying to start something?” she asked.

“Nah,” Mom lied. “But you could do with a pedicure. Have you been walking on gravel?”

Aunt Karen grinned. “Just for you,” she said. She stood up. “OK, might as well do it while my calluses are soft.”

“Our stuff’s in the downstairs bathroom, Mom,” Veronica said. She and Vicky gave each other home pedicures, and Brittany too – it was tickly good fun, and kept their feet soft and extra-ticklish.

Aunt Karen flopped down on her tummy on a lounger. Mom fetched the plastic tote with the gear – she sat at the end of the lounger and trapped Aunt Karen’s ankles in a simple leg lock. Veronica climbed out of the pool and sat down to watch – there was always something new to learn.

Mom selected a scrub brush from the tote basket and scrubbed a sole. Aunt Karen burst into helpless laughter – ticklish feet ran in the family too.

Veronica watched and made mental notes as Mom continued with the pedicure. Aunt Karen giggled, laughed, giggled some more. Veronica knew that the older twins’ feet were really ticklish – their noisy tickle fights featured in some of her earliest memories. She knew, too, that pedicures tickle like mischief, especially the way her family did them. But this pedicure seemed a lot more tickly than most – Aunt Karen was laughing her head off, pretty much non-stop.

“You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?” Brittany asked. Veronica looked around – the younger girl was out of the pool too, sitting with her knees drawn up.

“We’re pretty ticklish,” Mom said, evading the question. “It’s like this every time – you ought to know that. Doing OK, sis?”

Aunt Karen just laughed like mad.

Mom finished with the foot and started on the other. She was more careful this time, or maybe Aunt Karen just controlled it better, because there was less laughing. But near the end, Mom did something – Veronica didn’t see what it was – that had Aunt Karen howling with forced mirth.

“That ought to do it,” Mom said at last. Aunt Karen blinked away tears of laughter while Mom wiped her hands on a towel. But Mom wasn’t through yet. “Gotta check for calluses, make sure I got ‘em all,” she said.

Aunt Karen sighed – she knew what was coming next. But she was a good sport about it. “Oh, go ahead,” she said.

Mom traced a fingernail along the ends of Aunt Karen’s toes. Aunt Karen giggled. Encouraged, Mom continued her fingernail tracing along the soft skin under the toes, watching them twitch and curl as a stream of little giggles came from Aunt Karen. The giggles were non-stop as Mom held the toes back and gently circled the balls of Aunt Karen’s feet, stroked along the creases in the center of the soles, drew some figure-eight’s under the right little toe, then continued down to the heel.

Looks like Mom did a fine job, thought Veronica. Aunt Karen’s feet were baby soft, without a trace of callus. Even the heels – Mom made sure of that by drawing a few more figure-eight’s. Ticklish too – Aunt Karen was giggling like a little girl. Mom worked her way up the left foot and tickled between the little toe and its neighbor – that got a burst of flat-out laughter.

“Oops! Sorry!” Mom said, but she kept it up, flicking her nails lightly across Aunt Karen’s soles.

“Ehehe! Are you– ahaha! –about through– haha! –tickling me– hehehe!” Aunt Karen asked and giggled.

“Nope,” Mom said, and scrabbled her nails in Aunt Karen’s arches, just ahead of the heels. Aunt Karen arched her back and laughed at the top of her lungs. Mom tickled two-handed up Aunt Karen’s arches, then held the toes back and tickled side to side under all ten toes. The stretched out soles got it next – she covered them with tiny nail flicks, tickling side to side, and Aunt Karen went wild, laughing her head off. Mom scratched along the creases in the middle, then flicked the balls of both feet. Aunt Karen laughed and laughed, tears of laughter running down her cheeks.

Aunt Karen laughed helplessly as Mom’s nails spider-walked down her arch – tears of laughter ran from her closed eyes, she was turning pink from laughing. Aunt Karen’s sweet spots were the same as Brittany’s, and Mom was giving them her best effort – Aunt Karen laughed like a madwoman. Mom shifted her tickle target, held Aunt Karen’s toes back and drew fast, looping figure-eight’s around the balls of both feet, applying just enough pressure to tickle like mad. She guitar-chorded her nail tips along the sole creases, then down both arches and on the heels, getting great reactions and a flood of ticklish laughter. Then the sweet spots again, and Aunt Karen’s laughter went off the charts – she laughed herself breathless.

Aunt Karen blinked away tears and took a deep breath. “Now are you finished?” she asked – she wasn’t the least bit upset.

“Just about,” Mom said. “Hold still.” She finished up with lotion on Aunt Karen’s feet. Even then, Aunt Karen giggled.

Everybody got back in the water to cool off. Aunt Karen needed it – that kind of tickling was hot work. They splashed around, enjoying the cool water and the warm summer day. Veronica got out after a while and laid down on her back on a lounger to work on her tan. The day felt almost normal now – the ordinary (for this family) activities had gone a long way toward that end. She drifted – the late morning sun just about put her to sleep.

“Hehehe!” Veronica giggled. She sat up and drew up her legs with her soles flat on the lounger, wide awake now. “Quit it, Mom!”

Mom grinned. “Sorry, sweetie,” she said insincerely. “It won’t happen again.”

“No, huh?” Veronica said – it wasn’t a question. “Pull the other one.”

Mom sat down – Veronica shifted over to make room. “Ever wonder how we got to be this way?” Mom asked.

Veronica knew that the question was on more than one level. “Not really,” she said. “I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember. You too?”

“No, more’s the pity,” Mom said. “Karen and I didn’t figure it out ‘til we were seniors in high school. Oh, our friends Jeff and Frank tickled us sometimes, but they tickled Jeff’s sister a lot more often.” She paused, remembering. “Sue, her name was. She had a pretty tickle laugh, and she couldn’t control it at all.”

“They must’ve been like Michael Gabreski, or Josh and Jim Kincaid,” Veronica observed.

“Not so... flagrant? I guess that’s the word,” Mom said. “Different times. But thinking back on it, probably so. How about Daniel?”

“I think so,” Veronica said. “That “Tickle Time” booth we had at the Fair – there were six of us working it, and he tickled us all.”

“Good for you!” Mom said. “Sometimes I wish your father... well, never mind. Ready for some lunch?”

“I could eat,” Veronica said.

“Hey Karen!” Mom called out. “Let’s make some sandwiches. We can make some extras for Chuck and Bill.”

“Suits,” Aunt Karen said, and climbed out of the pool. “Hand me that towel, will you?”

Brittany stayed in the pool. Veronica laid back down and rolled onto her tummy. Odd that Mom hadn’t drafted some slave labor to help with lunch...

Weight landed on Veronica’s hips. She squirmed and bucked, but it was too late – Brittany was sitting on her facing aft, pinning her to the lounger. Brittany grabbed Veronica’s ankles, pulled, wrapped a leg around the shins and tucked the foot under the upraised knee of the other leg – the figure-four leg lock.

Veronica stopped struggling – she was had, and she knew it. “Get it over with,” she said.

“You’re no fun,” Brittany said. She gently circled a single nail around the ball of a trapped foot, forcing a cheerful stream of girlish giggles. “I like it better when you struggle and beg.”

“Hehehe! Not gonna– ah-haha! –give you– haheha! –the satisfaction– hahaha!” Veronica said and giggled.

Brittany switched to lightly drawing figure-eight’s in the arch – the giggles were non-stop now. “This is kinda fun,” she said. “But you’re just giggling. I want to hear you laugh.” She flicked her nail-tips in the arch with a guitar-chording motion – Veronica’s giggles morphed into solid laughter. It tickled maddeningly! Brittany spider-walked her nails along a sole crease. Veronica arched her back and laughed at the top of her lungs.

Brittany held back Veronica’s toes and tickled the stretched out soles. Veronica laughed like mad as Brittany scratched the crease in the center of the right sole. She made a Peace sign and scratched the balls of both feet, just behind the big toes where it tickled horribly. She tickled the soft skin under the toes, then released the toes and tickled the soles two-handed. Veronica laughed wildly, toes twitching and curling, tears of laughter running down her cheeks.

The overload of tickling had sensitized Veronica’s feet – they were beyond ticklish now. She laughed helplessly as Brittany spider walked her nails in both arches, not making much contact but tickling like crazy. Brittany flicked and scratched with both hands, four nail strokes in succession, three times a second – Veronica laughed her head off, red-faced and sweaty, tears streaming. Brittany made a claw of her right hand and raked the nails down one foot, drawing four fast parallel zig-zag lines and using just enough pressure to tickle unbearably. She repeated the foot rake, left-right-and-repeat, over and over – Veronica’s laughter went off the scale.

Brittany flicked the arches, faster now, nail tips dancing on ticklish flesh – Veronica was losing it, laughing her head off, lost in ticklish delirium. Then Brittany tickled at the back of the arches and onto the heels, fast as she could, and tickled Veronica into gasping, red faced silent laughter.

“Good one!” Aunt Karen said.

Brittany still had Veronica trapped. Veronica blinked away tears and looked up – Mom grinned down at her. “Gotta be extra-careful when you don’t have your wingman,” Mom said. “We learned that years ago.” She had a grocery bag, sandwiches for Dad and Uncle Bill.

“Reminds me of us,” Aunt Karen said cheerfully. “Give her some more, Brittany – we sure would.”

“Mmm... In a little while, maybe,” Mom said. “She needs to catch her breath first.”

“I guess... I had... that coming,” Veronica said breathlessly. “Woo! Get off me, Brittany!”

Brittany dismounted and gave Veronica a hand up. She wrapped a beach sarong around her hips and stepped into a pair of flip-flops. “I’ll take those, Mom,” she said. “Something tells me I need to disappear for a little while.”

“OK, sweetie,” Mom said. “Ready for lunch, Veronica?”

“I think I’ll have lunch with Daniel instead,” Veronica said. She made a clean running dive into the pool. She surfaced, climbed out again and toweled off. Mom and Aunt Karen were gone.

Veronica passed through the kitchen on her way in. Mom was at the table, having lunch. She looked up. “Change your mind?” she asked.

“Thanks anyway, just passing through,” Veronica said. “Where’s Aunt K?”

“Bathroom,” Mom said. “Too much iced tea, I guess.”

Veronica went upstairs and changed into gym shorts and a t-shirt – “Is Nothing Sacred?” it asked, over a picture of Superman getting hit in the face with a cream pie. She looked out her window while she brushed her hair, and saw that Aunt Karen had sneaked outside. The woman picked up a donut-style plastic float from the side of the pool and disappeared toward the garage. Trouble brewing, thought Veronica.

Veronica was halfway down the stairs when Mom started laughing. Cautiously, she made her way to the kitchen to check it out. Mom was sitting in a kitchen chair, laughing her head off. Aunt Karen had sneaked up behind Mom and jammed the swim ring down over her upper body, pinning her to the chair back with her arms pinned to her sides. Aunt Karen sat in another chair, with Mom’s ankles trapped in a leg lock, tickling Mom’s feet two-handed.

“Having fun?” Veronica asked. She was impressed – I’ll have to remember that trick with the float, she thought.

“Is the bear Catholic?” Aunt Karen asked rhetorically. “Does the Pope crap in the woods?” She kept on tickling, getting great reactions and a flood of laughter.

Veronica laughed. “Stupid question,” she said. “Here, try this,” she said, and handed Aunt Karen a spaghetti scoop with finger-like protrusions.

“OH NOOO!” Mom yelled. “WAH-HAHA-HAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHAHA!”

“Works OK,” Aunt Karen allowed, flicking the tips across Mom’s ticklish soles. She paused. “What d’you think, Kathy?”

“Oh ghod... It tickles so much...”

Aunt Karen tossed the scoop to Veronica. “A little too rough – I think I’d rather use my nails,” she said, and did just that. Mom threw back her head and laughed her head off. “Put that in the dishwasher, will you?”

Aunt Karen drew circles around and onto the balls of both feet while Mom laughed and laughed. She flicked and stroked her way down Mom’s arches, then flicked her nails onto her heels – Mom went crazy, laughing at the top of her lungs, squirming and bucking and trying desperately to pull her feet away.

“Better go easy,” Veronica advised. “She’ll lose it if you keep that up.”

“Not to worry – she can take it,” Aunt Karen answered. She spider-walked her nails up the arches – Mom laughed like a maniac, eyes closed, tears streaming. She tickled between Mom’s toes two-by-two, forcing burst after burst of helpless laughter. She held back Mom’s toes and tickled the soft skin underneath, then back and forth across the stretched out soles. She released the toes and tickled the soles again, watching the toes twitch and curl – Mom laughed like a madwoman, unable to move or even form a coherent thought.

“Looks like you’ve got this under control,” Veronica said. “See ya.”

Mom’s laughter followed Veronica as she went outside. She cranked the Mustang and drove off. Daniel’s phone number was already in Veronica’s cell – she speed-dialed it as she drove.

“What d’you like on your hot dogs?” Veronica asked.

“Dog off on that,” Daniel punned back. “We’ve got a pizza coming – I just called it in. Join us – ought to be plenty for you too.”

“Who’s “we”? ”

“Lindsey and her gang,” Daniel said. “I’m meeting ‘em near the tennis courts in a few minutes.”

Veronica parked near the tennis courts. Her twin and the others were still playing, though the other courts had emptied out as people went to lunch. She walked over to watch, but Nathan drove home a hard return and the game ended.

“Good game,” David said.

“Better if we had some opposition,” Lindsey said.

“Hey, be nice!” Nathan said. “This is the first time Vicky’s played with us – they’ll do better next time.”

“Especially after I provide her with some motivation,” Lindsey said, grinning evilly. “Ready to pay your forfeit?”

“What forfeit?” Veronica called out, though she was pretty sure she knew.

The others looked around. “Oh, hi, sis – didn’t expect to see you here,” Vicky said. “Lindsey and I had a wager on the outcome, and David and I lost. I think you know what the forfeit is.”

“I imagine so,” Veronica said. “Well, you could do with a few laughs.”

“More than a few,” Lindsey said. “Get the blanket out of the car, Nathan – we’ll do a Blanket Roll.”

They spread the blanket under a big oak tree. Vicky took off her shoes and socks and laid down on the blanket, arms by her sides. Lindsey rolled her tightly in the blanket, with just her head and feet showing. Lindsey sat cross-legged and trapped Vicky’s ankles in a leg lock. The others sat down to watch.

“Time to laugh, girlfriend,” Lindsey said. “Any preference?”

“Start at my toes and work your way down,” Vicky said. “Eep! Hehe! HAHAHA! HAHAHA-HAHAHA-HAHAHAHAHA!”

Lindsey scratched between Vicky’s toes, tickling between each pair, getting a wild burst of ticklish laughter each time. She held Vicky’s toes back and tickled the soft skin underneath, then the stretched out soles, paying special attention to the creases in the middle. Vicky laughed like a madwoman, tears of laughter running down her cheeks.

Lindsey released the toes and tickled the soles again, two handed – Vicky’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed her head off. Vicky laughed and laughed as Lindsey covered the arches with tickling nail flicks. She drew triangles, squares and other tickling shapes on the heels, then counter-rotating circles with a single nail each. Vicky’s face turned red as she laughed at the top of her lungs.

“That looks like fun,” Daniel said. “She’s pretty ticklish, isn’t she?”

Veronica looked up. Daniel was in Life Guard Formal – red Life Guard swim trunks and t-shirt, ball cap, flip-flops. He was blond and blue-eyed like his little sister, fit-looking, tanned the color of old oak.

“We both are,” Veronica said. “You know that.” Here it comes, she thought, and I don’t think I’ll mind at all.

“Like music, isn’t it?” Lindsey asked. “Wanna play a duet?” She didn’t miss a stroke – Vicky kept on laughing, howling with forced mirth.

“Pass,” David said, surprising Veronica. “Pizza guy just pulled into the lot,” he continued. “I’ll flag him down – go ahead and finish her off.”

Lindsey nodded and speeded up, tickling in the back of Vicky’s arches and onto the heels, getting great reactions and stream after stream of helpless laughter. Vicky lost it and laughed herself breathless.

Lindsey unrolled Vicky – the two girls spread the blanket again. Daniel came back with the pizza and a 6-pack of Cokes. Veronica kicked off her sandals, and all of them sat cross-legged on the blanket to eat. Lindsey ate as much as the guys, but the twins had just one slice each – they were watching their weight. Should’ve got Diet Coke, thought Veronica – everybody knows that diet drinks wash away excess calories.

Lindsey straightened her legs, sneakered feet straight ahead, and leaned back on her elbows. Veronica shifted and curled up her legs, then started gathering trash into the empty pizza box. That brought her bare feet in easy reach of Lindsey. Mischievously, Lindsey reached out and tickled a sole.

“Hehehehe! Quit!” Veronica said and giggled, and pulled her feet away from Lindsey.

Daniel took advantage of the distraction. “Haha-hehe!” Veronica giggled, and shifted again, feet flat on the blanket. “Jeez Louise, you guys are as bad as we are!”

“Better get used to being tickled if you’re gonna date my brother,” Lindsey advised.

“Goes for you too, Lindsey,” David said.

“She’s used to it already,” Nathan said, and grabbed Lindsey – he was pretty fast for a big guy. He plopped her onto her tummy and straddled her facing aft – not sitting on her, his weight was on his knees, he just had her pinned. He gathered up both tiny ankles in one big hand. “And right now, she needs tickling.”

“Oh shit, not again!” Lindsey wailed, squirming and struggling. “I’m way too ticklish! You’re gonna kill me!”

Nathan flipped off a sneaker, then the other. “Nah, not likely,” he said. He grabbed the puffs at the heels of her short tennis socks and stripped the socks off. “You’re tough.”

“NOOO!” Lindsey yelled. “Dan-neee! Hel-l-lp!”

“Doesen’t look like he needs any help, sis,” Daniel said.

“Ple– hehe! –ease! Sta– haha! –ap!” Lindsey begged as Nathan started in on her, nails flicking her soft and extremely ticklish feet. “HAHA-HAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!”

Nathan flicked his nails on Lindsey’s heels in a guitar-chording motion that tickled like crazy. He tickled up the arches to the soles, then scratched between Lindsey’s toes, tickling between each pair. Lindsey laughed her head off, tears of laughter running down her face. Nathan scrabbled his nails across both soles, left to right and back again. Then two fingernails, drawing circles around and onto the balls of both feet – Lindsey laughed at the top of her lungs.

Nathan backed off a little – he didn’t want to tickle Lindsey out too soon. He tickled Lindsey’s arches and heels, drawing circles, squares and other tickling shapes. The balls of Lindsey’s feet got it again – Nathan’s nails spider walked the ticklish flesh, four fingernail strokes in succession, three times a second. Lindsey went crazy, bucking and squirming, laughing her head off. He made a Peace sign and zig-zagged the nails down both sole creases –Lindsey laughed wildly, helplessly, at the top of her lungs, and ran out of air. Nathan had tickled her breath away.

Nathan turned loose and dismounted – Lindsey laid there gasping, trying to get her breathing and heart rate normal again. Veronica was feeling frisky – she nudged Daniel. “Got time to do it to me?” she asked mischievously.

Daniel checked his watch. “Rain check,” he said regretfully, and gave her a hand up. “Got to get back to work.”

“This was fun,” Vicky said.

“Want some more?” David asked, making tickling motions in the air.

“I’ll pass,” Vicky said hastily, and doubled her legs under her to protect her feet. She doesen’t mind being tickled any more than I do, thought Veronica. Quite the opposite, sometimes, depending on who’s doing it. But it doesen’t pay to be too easy.

“We’re gonna head out to the cottage,” Lindsey said. She had her breath back – she had had plenty of practice, after all. “Want to come with us?”

“And be a fifth wheel? Nah, I’ll wait and come with Daniel,” Veronica said. “See ya.”

Mom and Aunt Karen were under an umbrella by the pool when Veronica got home, drinking iced tea and passing the time. Brittany hadn’t come back, she discovered – it was safe to take a nap. She excused herself, went indoors and up to her room.

The sun was lower when Veronica woke up – the nightstand clock said 2:45. She stretched, rolled out and started packing – that killed another 15 minutes or so. The city pool didn’t close until 6 PM. A game of chess with Alex or Julie Budanov next door? Nah, she was a wood pusher, way out of their class. Either one would clean her plow effortlessly – not much fun for anyone in that. Might as well read, she thought.

But Daniel must have ditched work early – he showed up just a few minutes after 4 PM. Veronica grabbed her bag, said goodbye to Mom, and off they went.

They rolled out, north on Johnson’s Ferry Road and then east on the interstate. The last few miles were on a twisting gravel road through dense woods. The lake was maybe half a mile wide and 5 miles long, created when a landslide dammed off a good-sized creek valley around the time of the Civil War. The ground sloped at about a 45 degree angle from the ridgetops to the water surface. The cottage was on one of the few level spots, about a mile from the old landslide. Two cars were already parked behind it – Daniel pulled in and parked beside David’s van.

The cottage was small, board-and-batten construction, with a screened porch on the lake side – it had started off as someone’s fishing camp years ago. It was empty – everybody else was down by the lake, it seemed. Daniel gave Veronica a tour. It had been improved and added onto over the years – it even had electricity and indoor plumbing now. Inside was a combination living room/eat-in kitchen, a tiny bathroom, and two small bedrooms. A trail switchbacked down the slope to the lake – it led to a floating dock at the water’s edge, Daniel said.

Veronica sat in a porch chair and propped her feet on another. “Feeling kinda lazy,” she said. “I guess I could do with some caffeine.”

Daniel reached down and slipped off a sandal. “Maybe this’ll wake you up,” he said, and tickled the foot.

Veronica giggled and pulled away. She toed off her other sandal – what she said next surprised him. “I’m stronger than I look. Better tie me up.”

They went indoors to the living room, and Daniel tied Veronica’s hands behind her back. “Not too tight?” he asked.

Veronica tested the bonds. “Just right,” she said, and sat sideways on the couch.

He sat too, and she put her feet in his lap. He tied her ankles together, and tied off to his own thigh to anchor them. “Sure about this?” he asked.

“Of course I’m sure, silly! Go ahead, tickle me– hehehe! HAHAHAHA! HAHA-HAHAHA!” Veronica laughed, squirming and struggling. Daniel drew circles on both heels – Veronica’s laughter went up a notch. He traced circles in Veronica’s arches – Veronica laughed like mad, tears of laughter running down her cheeks. Daniel worked his way up Veronica’s arches, then scratched a sole in the exact center, along the crease. He switched to the other sole crease, tickling with a single nail. Veronica laughed helplessly, squirming and struggling, loving every second of it.

Change of pace – Daniel held Veronica’s toes back and scratched lightly under them, tickling the soft skin, and Veronica laughed with wild abandon. Daniel released the toes and tickled both soles two-handed, watching the toes twitch and curl, then down the arches to the ticklish heels. Veronica bucked and squirmed and laughed her head off. Her feet didn’t have a sweet spot any more, it was all good. Everything Daniel did drove her wild!

The screen door banged open. “I thought I heard laughing,” Lindsey said – she was in a floral print bikini, Veronica saw through a haze of tears. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Hi, sis!” Daniel called back. “I’m just giving Veronica her singing lesson. Sings good, doesen’t she?” His tickling fingernails roamed Veronica’s sensitive soles, forcing wave after wave of helpless laughter.

“Better her than me,” Lindsey said. “Don’t you think she needs a breather? She’s turning purple.”

Daniel gave Veronica another flurry of nail flicks, and was rewarded with an especially loud burst of laughter. “Nah, she’s tough,” he said. “Right, Veronica?”

But Veronica was laughing much too hard to answer. She was red faced and sweaty, tears running from her closed eyes as she laughed and laughed.

“Ah, maybe you’re right,” Daniel said. He quit and slapped Veronica’s soles. “Time for a break. I need to get something out of the car anyway. Want something to drink?”

Veronica nodded, giggling as she came back to earth – already her color was better. Daniel untied the bound ankles from his thigh. “Back in a flash,” he said.

“Woo!” Veronica said. “That tickled like crazy! He learn that tickling you?”

“Yah, he’s been doing it for years,” Lindsey said unhappily. “How do you stand it?”

“There are compensations,” Veronica said. She grinned. “And I’ve got two sisters – shit happens. Like now,” she added, wiggling her toes. “I don’t suppose you’ll pass up this chance to tickle me,” she said slyly.

“Not hardly,” Lindsey said, grinning. She sat, and Veronica obligingly put her feet in Lindsey’s lap.

“Leg lock,” Veronica instructed. “Let’s have a sample.”

Lindsey flicked her nails on Veronica’s heels – Veronica burst into helpless laughter. She tickled two-handed up the arches to the soles – Veronica laughed like a madwoman, tears of laughter running down her face. Lindsey held Veronica’s toes back and scrabbled her nails on the soft skin underneath, then across both soles, side to side, over and over while Veronica laughed and laughed. Lindsey tickled up and down the creases in the middle of Veronica’s soles, and Veronica laughed at the top of her lungs.

“Hey, that’s my job!” Daniel protested. He had a water bottle in one hand.

Lindsey quit tickling, looking guilty, and stood up. “I guess I shouldn’t’ve done that,” she said.

Veronica took a deep breath. “Why not?” she asked. “It’s not like you’re the only one who does it.”

“Beat it, sis, or you’re next,” Daniel threatened. Lindsey took off – the screen door banged behind her.

“A little rough on her, weren’t you?” Veronica asked. “And how about that drink?”

He held a bottle of water to her lips – she drained it in three long draughts. “You’re not finished yet, are you?” she asked.

“I guess not,” he said. “How d’you want it?”

“Tickle my arches and heels – it drives me wild!” she answered. “HAHAHA! HAHAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!”

Daniel tickled Veronica’s heels two handed, flicking and scratching. He tickled into the back of the arches, and Veronica went crazy, bucking and squirming, laughing her head off. Daniel kept it up, tickling higher in the arches now, then onto the soles, making his victim laugh like mad. He shifted one hand under the right toes, the other to the left heel, and countermarched both hands, tickling from toes to heels and back. Then the back of both arches and onto the heels, tickling mercilessly. Veronica laughed herself breathless.

Daniel quit, and considerately rubbed Veronica’s feet to get the tickle off. “You OK?” he asked.

Veronica took a breath and blinked away tears – she felt warm all over, high on endorphins from laughing. She had come that close... Well, maybe next time, and then he’ll be in for another surprise! “I’m fine,” she said with a lazy smile. “But you better untie me – I’m not sure your folks would understand.”

“Not sure I understand either,” Daniel confessed. “I’ve never had a girl friend quite like you.”

Veronica rubbed her wrists, drrew up her legs and rubbed her ankles. “Is that good or bad?” she asked.

“So far, so good,” he said cheerfully. “It’s nice that we share a hobby. C’mon let’s light the grill.”

(continued)

They were just in time – the others came back to the cottage just as they put match to charcoal. Daniel introduced his mom. Discounting the 20+ yr age difference, she and Lindsey looked much alike – small, blonde and blue eyed, nicely tanned, in shorts and t-shirts over their swim suits.

“Call me Bonnie,” the woman said. “This is my brother, Ray Douglas. My husband couldn’t make it – he got called in to work.”

Ray had spent the day fishing, he said, and had arrived by boat. He didn’t look much like his sister or her kids, but there was a family resemblance of sorts anyway. The rope marks hadn’t completely faded – Veronica saw him checking them out. He gave her a speculative look – she gazed back blandly, looking like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.

“Do any good?” David asked, and the moment passed.

“D’you see any fish?” Ray responded. “Nothing big enough to keep,” he continued. “But I caught the same snapping turtle three times.” He took a short-barreled revolver out of a pocket of his sports vest and unloaded it. “Should’ve shot him,” he grumbled. “Don’t really know why I didn’t.”

“Crack him open, and there’d be plenty of meat inside,” Nathan agreed. “Flour it up and fry it in bacon grease. Good eating!”

“Ewww!” the women said in chorus.

Ray laughed. “I like the way you think,” he said. “Maybe next time.”

“Hey Dan’l Boone, see what you can do with these hamburgers instead,” David said to his brother. “Anybody else want a beer?”

Dinner was grilled hamburgers with potato salad and such, and good Mexican beer to wash it down. As usual, everybody ate too much. They took their drinks outside afterward and sat on the porch, digesting and enjoying the summer evening. Lindsey helped her mother with the cleanup – they joined the others on the porch afterward. Lindsey propped her bare feet on the railing. Veronica checked them out. Soles are a little dirty, and the polish could use a touch-up, she thought critically. But it would be fun to–

“So tell me about yourself, Veronica,” Ray said, interrupting her thoughts. “For starters, I’ll bet you’re ticklish, if I know my nephew. Am I right?”

Daniel grinned. “She is indeed!” he said. “And she has plenty of other good qualities too.”

Veronica blushed. “What’s to tell?” she said. “I’m half of a pair of twins. We’re in college. We work at Squander Mall... ”

Daniel scooped up Lindsey’s ankles in an arm lock and stood up – suddenly she was sprawled back, feet up and gravity working against her. “Dirty feet!” he said. “And I’m gonna tickle ‘em clean!”

“NOOOOO!” Lindsey wailed. “NOT THAT! HAHAHA! HAHAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHA!”

“You deserve this for tickling Veronica,” Daniel said. He flicked his nails on the soles, forcing a solid stream of laughter. “She didn’t try to get even, because she’s a guest.” He tickled faster, and Lindsey laughed with wild abandon. “So I’ll do it for her,” he concluded. He guitar-chorded both arches, and Lindsey laughed at the top of her lungs.

Bonnie tried to stop him – she hadn’t much liked it when Ray had done the same to her, years ago. “Stop it, Danny!” she said. “That’s mean!”

“Oh, come on, sis,” Ray said. “It’s not so bad, remember?”

“Yes it is, Ray – it’s torture!” Bonnie said angrily. “I never– ”

“Allow me to refresh your memory,” Ray interrupted. He snatched up Bonnie’s ankles in an arm lock, flipped off her sandals and tickled her soles with his nail tips.

“OH SHIT! Ple– hehe! –ease, Ray!” Bonnie begged and giggled. “Sta– HAHA-hehe! –ap!” She struggled and squirmed, laughing and giggling, trying desperately to escape.

Daniel eased off a little, watching the Master at work. It must not tickle Lindsey as bad now, thought Veronica, but bad enough – a solid stream of girlish giggles escaped from her lips. She tried to pull loose. “Behave!” Daniel said – he spider-walked his nails on her heels, and she laughed her head off as the tickling sensation overpowered her.

Ray couldn’t resist teasing his sister – he gently scratched the exact center of her right sole. “Does this tickle, Bonnie?”

“Hehehe!” Bonnie giggled. “Yes!”

“How about this?”

“Ah-haha! You know it does!”

“And this?”

“Hahaha! NO MORE!” she yelled.

“This too?” He got down to business, guitar-chording both heels.

“HAHAHAHA! HAHA-HAHAHA!” Bonnie laughed, squirming and struggling.

“What, no answer?” Ray said, drawing circles on both heels – Bonnie’s laughter went up a notch. “I guess I’ll just have to see for myself.” He traced circles in Bonnie’s arches, tickling fiendishly and driving Bonnie wild. Bonnie laughed like mad, tears of laughter running down her cheeks.

Vicky leaned close. “They’re like our family, aren’t they?” she said, grinning.

Veronica grinned back. “Bonnie sure has a pretty tickle laugh,” she said. “As nice as Lindsey’s. Mom could have some fun with her.”

“Aunt Karen too,” Vicky said. “Wonder if they ever tickled that girl back in the old neighborhood?” she continued. “Their friend’s sister, the redhead with the pretty tickle laugh.”

Mother and daughter laughed their heads off in two part harmony, their sweet ticklish duet filling the air. Neither one was struggling, overcome by the tickling, unable to move or even form a coherent thought. All they could do was laugh, and laugh, and laugh some more. Their sibs knew all the best spots, and how to get the best reactions – Bonnie and Lindsey laughed like lunatics, eyes closed, tears streaming.

“Wouldn’t doubt it,” Veronica said.

“We would,” Vicky agreed. She crossed one thigh over the other, bare foot dangling. “That’s what we do.”

David snagged the ankle – Vicky didn’t pull away. “Care to sing along?” he asked, and tickled the foot.

Vicky giggled. “That all you’ve got?” she asked.

“Not now,” Nathan said. “I think they’re about finished.”

Sure enough, both women were near the limit of their endurance – red faced and sweaty, hair in tangles, laughing at the top of their lungs. Bonnie lost it first – Ray guitar-chorded her heels and tickled her breath away. Lindsey was right behind – Daniel spider-walked his nails in her arches, and her laughter went off the charts. He speeded up and tickled her into gasping, red-faced silent laughter.

Ray released Bonnie. “Been a while since we’ve done that,” he said. “Almost forgot how much fun it was.”

“For... you... maybe... ” Bonnie gasped out. “You know... how that... drives me crazy!” she added indignantly. She took a deep breath. “Sometimes you’re a real asshole!”

“Round, brown and puckered,” Ray agreed cheerfully. “And I’m happy to see my nephew is carrying on the family tradition.” He checked his watch and stood up. “Better get moving,” he said. “They chain the gate shut at the boat launch at 10 PM, and I’ve got a ways to go.”

Lindsey shuffled her feet to get the tickle off. “Danny, sometimes you really chap my ass!” she said angrily. She turned to the twins and went on in an aggrieved tone. “And there’s no getting even, because he’s not the least bit ticklish. It’s not fair!”

“You ought to be used to it by now,” Vicky said.

“Easy for you to say,” Lindsey said. “I think you like to be tickled. Oh well, let’s grab some dessert. I’m starving after that workout.”

“You eat like a bird,” Veronica said. “Twice your body weight every day, and never gain an ounce. That’s what’s not fair!”

It was dark by now, time to hammer the catfish. The younger folk sprayed themselves with bug dope and headed down to the lake. The guys had an old, leaky cooler to use as a live well, and a Coleman lantern so they could see what they were doing. Daniel introduced Veronica to the mysteries of monofilament and split shot, treble hooks and stink bait. They sat cross-legged on the dock and cast their lines. The leakage from the cooler soaked the seat of Veronica’s shorts – just part of the experience, Daniel said.

Veronica got a strike almost immediately. “Set the hook!” Daniel said, handing his pole to David. “Now reel him in.” Catfish don’t jump like smallmouth bass – it was more like a strong, pulsating pull. She got the fish to the edge of the dock – it gave an odd groaning sound as the head broke the surface. She hesitated.

“Here, like this,” Daniel said. “Grab him behind the gill cover, fingers inside. Be careful of the spines.” He lifted the fish out of the water. “You’ll never get the hook out,” he continued. “Cut the line, and I’ll tie another one on.” He dropped the fish into the cooler with a splash.

Ray had gotten skunked earlier, but they did pretty well – a baker’s dozen, all good eating size, over a two-hour period. Nathan gathered up the poles and lantern. Daniel drained the water from the cooler, and he and David carried it back to the cottage.

“We’ll fry ‘em up for breakfast,” Daniel said. “Let’s get ‘em inside and clean ‘em.” The twins came indoors to watch, but Lindsey stayed on the porch – she didn’t care much for this part, she said.

The guys set up an assembly line on the kitchen counter. David laid the first fish on the counter, hit it hard between the eyes with a hammer to kill it, slit the skin on both sides just behind the gill covers and passed it along. Nathan got a firm grip on a gill cover with one hand, grabbed the edge of the skin with pliers and stripped it off. “Bad stuff accumulates in the fat under the skin,” he explained. “This gets rid of most of it.” He flipped the fish over, skinned the other side and passed it to Daniel. Daniel neatly filleted both sides, placing the fillets in a bowl. He reached into the gullet from behind with needle-nose pliers and extracted the treblehook. “Waste not, want not,” he said, and tossed the carcass into a plastic bag.

They cleaned up afterward, and by then it was time for bed. Bonnie was already asleep – Lindsey went in to share the master bedroom with her. David and Nathan got the twin beds in the other room, Vicky and Veronica got the fold-out sofa bed. Daniel made do with the sofa cushions – he tossed them on the floor between the twin beds.

Veronica was ready before her twin and got into bed. Vicky came out of the bathroom in her night shirt – she rapped on the bedroom door and said something Veronica didn’t catch. David came out, wearing just his shorts, and they headed toward the porch together.

Vicky winked. “He’s gonna give me a foot rub,” she said. “Don’t wait up for me,” she added. They went out onto the porch together.

Veronica listened. Vicky started giggling softly, a cheerful girlish sound.

“OK so far?” David asked.

“Haheha! Doing– HAHA! –just fine– hehe-hehe!” Vicky said and giggled and laughed. “I can– hahaha! –go like– hehe-AHAHA! –this for– haha! –hours– hahaha!”

He must have tickled a little faster – a sudden burst of laughter escaped Vicky’s lips. He eased off, and Vicky dropped back to giggles again. “Too much?” he asked.

“Hahaha! Feels– haha! –kinda– hehehe! –nice– haheha!” Vicky said and giggled. “Hahaha! Tickle– heha-hehe! –harder– hehehe! Whoop! WA-HAHA! HAHAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!”

“Is that better?” David asked, but Vicky was laughing too hard to speak. “Want me to stop?” he asked. She must have shook her head, because he kept on tickling. She was laughing much harder now – the tickling must have sensitized her feet.

David eased off – he doesen’t know what to make of this, thought Veronica, any more than Daniel did. Giggles again: “Hehe! Dammit– haha! –don’t– hehehe! –sta– haha! –ap!” Vicky got out. “Haha! Gimme– hehe! –more! HAHAHA! AH-HAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHA!”

I’ll bet that surprised him, thought Veronica. Hope she’s luckier than I was. But the fresh air and outdoor activity had its way with her – she dropped off to sleep with a smile on her face.

She woke up to morning twilight, with a touch of rose to the east – it wasn’t long before sunrise. Next to her, Vicky was still fast asleep, on her tummy and hugging her pillow. She slipped out of bed and gently lifted the end of the blanket, looking at her twin’s upturned soles.

Vicky stirred. “What are you doing?” she asked sleepily.

“Checking for fingernail tracks,” Veronica said. “I know they’re there.”

Vicky rolled over and yawned. “And you’re thinking of adding some more,” she said.

“Moi?” Veronica said, the picture of wounded innocence. “Would I do that to you?”

Vicky snorted. “Don’t kid a kidder,” she said. “And besides, we’d wake up the whole house. Go away – I could use some more sleep.”

“How long did David tickle you last night?” Veronica asked.

“I wasn’t wearing a watch,” Vicky said crossly. “But not long enough.”

Veronica sighed. “Me either,” she said. “Too bad. Well, get some rest – you can try again later.” She padded outside barefoot, raking night tangles out of her hair with her fingers.

“Morning, Vicky,” Lindsey whispered. “You’re up early.” She was in shorts and t-shirt, with a sweat shirt against the morning chill. She hadn’t bothered with shoes.

“I’m Veronica,” she whispered back. “And I could say the same about you. What are you doing up so early?”

“Woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep,” Lindsey said. “Sorry I woke you.”

“Not sure you did,” Veronica said. “That fold-a-bed’s pretty uncomfortable.”

“And speaking of uncomfortable... ” Lindsey said. “You’re dating Danny – makes us family, I guess, for as long as it lasts. Well, I think you know by now that tickling is a family tradition. Give him a chance and he’ll tickle you to death, just like he does me.”

“No big,” Veronica said. “My sisters do that anyway.”

“It drives me crazy,” Lindsey said. “Do you enjoy it, or just put up with it?”

“With Daniel? I really like him, and... well, you know,” Veronica said. She paused, considering. “Or maybe you don’t. Anyway, it depends on who’s doing it. It’s fun with Daniel, or with my sisters. Everybody else, it’s an excuse to get even, and that part’s fun too.”

“I guess that’s where I am,” Lindsey said. “The get-even part, I mean. I don’t get off on it like Tiffany does.” A flash of insight. “Or like you and your sister?” she asked speculatively.

Veronica winked. “That would be telling,” she said. “But you’re welcome to experiment. Want to finish what you started last night?”

Veronica slipped inside and dressed in yesterday’s shorts and t-shirt – no sense getting clean clothes all sweaty, she thought. She followed Lindsey down the path to the dock. Somebody had gone to the trouble to dig out the rocks – it was smooth, hard-packed, easy on their bare feet. The dock was a squared-off U, its uprights parallel to the shore, with a canvas-covered boat nestled in between. There was no beach – like the hillside, the lake bottom sloped sharply away into deep water.

They took the seat cushions out of the boat and laid them on the dock. They improvised the bondage from odd pieces of rope – a simple hogtie, nothing fancy. Lindsey kneeled at Veronica’s trapped feet and put a knee on either side – a rollover might be dangerous, this close to the water.

“Ready to laugh?” Lindsey asked.

“Make me laugh hard!” Veronica said. “HAHAHA! HAHA-HAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!” By happy accident, Lindsey had found the sweet spots – in Veronica’s arches, just in front of her heels. The technique was nothing fancy, but it was getting great reactions anyway – Veronica laughed her head off, squirming and trying desperately to pull her feet away. Lindsey spider walked her nails back onto the heels – Veronica laughed like mad, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Lindsey took hold of Veronica’s right foot – she made a claw of her left hand. Veronica laughed at the top of her lungs as Lindsey raked her nails down the foot, drawing four parallel zig-zag lines and applying just enough pressure to tickle unbearably. Lindsey repeated the foot-rake half a dozen times or so, then switched to the left foot, forcing wave after wave of helpless laughter. She held Veronica’s toes back and tickled the soft skin underneath, side to side under all ten toes. Veronica laughed, and laughed, and laughed some more.

Veronica laughed helplessly as Lindsey tickled side to side on the stretched out soles. Lindsey found another good spot, in the arches just behind the sole creases – she made a Peace sign and circled the nails there, tickling horribly. She released the toes and tickled both soles two-handed – Veronica’s toes twitched and curled as her laughter poured out in a solid stream. Lindsey tickled down Veronica’s arches, faster now, and flicked her nails in the back of both arches and onto the heels. Veronica ran out of air, and mercifully the tickling stopped.

“How was that?” Lindsey asked – she sounded pleased with herself.

Veronica laid there, breathing hard but in no great distress. She took a deep breath. “Could’ve... been better... ” Veronica said, a little disappointed, bringing Lindsey down to earth with a bang.

“Hey, give me a break,” Lindsey said. “I’m kinda new at this. Mostly, people tickle me.”

“I know,” Veronica said simply. “You could do with some practice,” she added. “Untie me, and let’s make some coffee and talk it over.”

But they had to defer their conversation, because everybody else was up when they got to the cottage. Vicky had a mixing bowl, whisking up some egg batter. The bowl of fish fillets was already on the counter. An iron skillet sat ready on the stove, the oil in it was almost hot enough to smoke. The oven was on too – to keep the fried potatoes warm, Daniel said.

Daniel speared a fillet with a fork, dredged it in the batter, and placed it gently in the hot oil – it sizzled and bubbled furiously. He added more fish, watching carefully, testing occasionally with the fork. Finally he lifted the golden-brown fillets out of the oil with a big slotted spoon, and laid them on folded paper towels on a platter. He retrieved the potatoes from the oven – “Ladies first!” he said. “Grab a plate and have some fish, Mom.”

The fried fish and potatoes were greasy and satisfying. The tickling had given Veronica an appetite – she ate ravenously. “Better go easy,” Vicky advised. “We’re going swimming after breakfast – you’ll sink like a rock.”

Veronica speared another fillet off the platter. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I worked some of it off in advance already.”

“We heard,” Nathan said. “Lindsey got you pretty good.”

“She’s turned into quite the tickler lately,” Daniel said. “That little redhead who works with her at the toy store corrupted her.”

Meghan Meyer, thought Veronica, the tiny strawberry blonde who lived on Tickle Street. Meghan was an avid and enthusiastic tickler – Lindsey had probably started just in self-defense.

“All that tickling,” Bonnie said, shaking her head. “I’ll never understand you kids.”

“Talk to my mom,” Veronica said wickedly. “She could explain it lots better than I could.”

Afterward, the three couples took towels and floats down to the lake. The floating dock was big enough to spread out – it substituted for the non-existent beach. There weren’t enough cottages here to create the heavy boat traffic one would find on a waterway closer to the big city, so they had the lake pretty much to themselves. Lindsey cannon-balled off the dock – she was too small to make much of a splash, but she tried anyway.

They swam and splashed around all morning. Unsurprisingly in a group like this, there was a fair amount of touchy-feely. Daniel paddled over to Veronica and put an arm around her– she wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him enthusiastically. A promise of more to come? Maybe. It’s been a while, she thought. Why the hell not?

Lindsey was feeling mischievous – she made a project of tickling the twins. Nothing major, a few nail flicks on upturned soles, some giggles, that was all. But it escalated, a little more each time, when they didn’t retaliate.

Veronica surfaced to the sound of ticklish laughter. Lindsey was sitting on the dock – she had Vicky’s ankles trapped in an arm lock. Vicky was laughing her head off as Lindsey covered her soft feet with tickling nail flicks.

Lindsey tickled the sensitive soles – Vicky’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed and laughed. Then side to side just behind the soles, using her nail tips, not making much contact but tickling like crazy – Vicky squirmed like a worm, laughing at the top of her lungs, tears running from her closed eyes. Lindsey tickled a zig-zag path down Vicky’s arches, then flicked her nails onto the heels behind – Vicky was helpless, laughing like a wild woman.

“Hey, go easy, Lindsey!” David said. “You’re killing her!”

“Spoilsport!” Lindsey grumbled, but she quit and turned loose. She dived off the dock and left Vicky gasping.

Veronica paddled over. “How’d she catch you like that, sis?” she asked.

“She’s sneaky,” Vicky said. “It really tickled a lot, too. Guess I had it coming for not paying attention.”

Veronica’s turn came not long afterward. She was floating in a big inner tube, legs hooked over the side, drifting slowly wherever the gentle breeze took her. She drifted inshore, past the dock into shallow water. Time to paddle back out...

Lindsey surfaced suddenly, standing in the shallows, and grabbed Veronica’s ankle. She tickled from toes to heel, fingernails dancing on the ticklish flesh, getting great reactions and wave after wave of wild helpless laughter. She made a claw of her hand and raked it down the foot, drawing four parallel zig-zag lines and making just enough contact to tickle unbearably. She repeated the foot-rake tickle, over and over – Veronica howled with forced mirth.

“Quit it, Lindsey,” Daniel said. “What did she ever do to you?”

“That never stopped you,” Nathan said, raising his voice over Veronica’s laughter. “Or me either, for that matter. Why should it stop her?”

“Too right!” Lindsey agreed, tickling harder and faster and making Veronica laugh like mad. Veronica’s laughter went off the charts as Lindsey got on the back of her arch and lingered, drawing circles and other tickling shapes. Lindsey guitar-chorded Veronica’s sole and arch, then fast and furious flying fingernails on the sweet spot. That finished it – Veronica laughed herself breathless.

“Oops! I think I overdid it a little,” Lindsey said. “I guess it calls for more practice.” She tickled the heel, and was rewarded with another wild stream of helpless laughter.

“Give it a rest,” Daniel said. “You’re enjoying it too much.”

She’s not the only one, thought Veronica. She pulled her ankle loose and took a deep breath. “No big deal,” she said, with masterful understatement. “Anybody else thinking about lunch?”

Breakfast had been pretty filling – it was already close to 1 PM. They made do with sandwiches. The sky was still sunny when they finished, but a brassy haze had set in. The wind had picked up, the lake was choppy, and towering banks of cumulus clouds were building to the west.

“Looks like we’re in for some weather,” Bonnie said. “I think I’ll head for home. I never much liked driving on this road in the rain.”

“We’ll chance it, I think,” Daniel said. “But we’d better get moving if we want to do any more swimming.”

An hour later, the bottom fell out of the sky. The first big drops fell, thunder boomed, lightning blazed across the sky, the air held a whiff of ozone. The temperature dropped precipitously. They ran for it as cold rain came down in buckets. Hail started falling just as they reached the cottage, pea-sized pellets that hurt like mischief.

Daniel and Lindsey found some dry towels. They dressed in the bedrooms, shorts and t-shirts again, while the rain drummed on the roof. The guys were already dressed by the time the girls came out. If anything, it was raining harder now.

Lindsey sat on the sofa and leaned back. “We better wait this out,” she said. “Mom’s right about the road.”

Veronica caught Vicky’s eye. “Then I guess we’ll have to find– ” she started.

“ –something to pass the time,” Vicky completed the thought, easing over to Lindsey’s left side.

“Lots of possibilities,” Veronica continued, slipping over to Lindsey’s right. “But I’m thinking of– ”

“ –one in particular,” Vicky said.

The twins lunged, grabbed Lindsey’s ankles and stood up. “GOTCHA!” they said in chorus.

Lindsey was sprawled backward, feet up and gravity working against her. “OH NOOO!” she wailed. “NOT THAT! HAHAHA! AH-HAHA! HAHEHA-HAHAHA! WAH-HAHAHAHA!” she laughed as the twins got to work, tickling the upturned feet mercilessly.

Synchronized tickling was a Righetti family specialty. The twins started at Lindsey’s toes, each slipping four fingers between all five toes and tickling them all at once. Lindsey laughed her head off as they tickled the soft skin underneath the toes, flicking the nail strokes down onto her sensitive soles. The soles got it next, big figure-eight’s that circled the balls of the feet and crossed over in the sole creases – Lindsey’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed at the top of her lungs.

The twins scratched zig-zag lines down the sole creases with a single nail each, then circled in the arches behind. Lindsey howled with forced mirth as they worked their way down the arches, drawing circles, squares and other tickling shapes. They spider-walked their nails on the ticklish heels, forcing a solid stream of helpless laughter.

“Great tickle laugh, huh, sis?” Vicky said, guitar-chording the arch.

“Like music,” Veronica agreed, copying her twin. “Having fun, Lindsey?”

Lindsey’s only answer was a flood of ticklish laughter. She was helpless, overcome by the tickling sensation – all she could do was laugh like mad.

“No sweet spot,” Veronica observed, scratching the ball of the foot right behind the big toe.

“It’s all good,” Vicky said, and did the same. “Foot rake?”

“Good thinking,” Veronica said, scratching along the sole crease. “Especially for a rib tickler,” she added, raising her voice over an extra-loud burst of laughter.

“Gotta admit, foot tickling grows on you,” Vicky said, giving the other sole crease its share of tickle torture. “Ready? Switch!”

They shifted their grip, held Lindsey’s toes back and raked their nails from toes to heels – four parallel zig-zag lines, applying just enough pressure to tickle horribly. Lindsey bucked and squirmed, laughing her head off at the top of her lungs. They alternated, one tickling toes-to-heel while the other flicked her nails on the return stroke. Lindsey laughed and laughed, tears of laughter running down her cheeks.

“Rain’s easing up,” Nathan said. “Give it a rest, before you tickle her to death.”

“They’ve only been at it for 15 minutes,” David objected. “And besides, Lindsey deserves it, the way she’s been tickling them this weekend.”

“Up to you, Veronica,” Daniel said. “Like he said, she deserves it.”

Veronica checked Lindsey out. The girl was a mess, red-faced and sweaty, hair in tangles around her head. Her laughter had an edge of desperation – she was very near her limit of endurance.

“I think we’re even,” Veronica said, still tickling.

Vicky nodded agreement. “Let’s finish her off,” she said.

They scratched and scrabbled in the back of the arches and onto the heels – Lindsey laughed with wild abandon from an overload of tickling. Then the finale, fingernails flying on sensitive soles, covering every square inch with unbearable tickling. They finished in the arches and tickled Lindsey breathless.

It took Lindsey a while to recover – the others were packed up and ready to leave by the time she did. She stood up, a little unsteady on her feet, and winced. Her abs and ribs must be pretty sore from laughing, thought Veronica, and it serves her right.

“See, Lindsey, I told you the “get-even” part was fun,” Veronica said cheerfully.

“For us, anyway,” Vicky added, grinning ear to ear.

“Jeez Louise, that tickled!” Lindsey said. “I guess I had it coming,” she added, and winced again. “But I’ll get you for this! Both of you!” she threatened good-naturedly.

“I’m sure you will,” Veronica said.

“Unless we get you first,” Vicky added.

“Hey, no fair ganging up!” Lindsey said indignantly.

“Even if it’s you and me ganging up on Vicky?” Veronica asked.

“Such things have been known to happen,” Vicky said. “We’re all tickle maniacs in our family.”

“Ours too,” Lindsey said. “I’m getting so I kinda like it. The tickling part,” she added hastily. “OK, fair enough. But not too soon, huh?”

The rain had stopped, so they loaded their gear into the cars. Veronica came to a decision – she slipped off her watch and dropped it between the sofa cushions while no one was looking. Daniel locked the cottage, and they rolled out, David’s van in the lead. They were almost back to the blacktop when Veronica made her move.

“Daniel, stop!” Veronica said. “I think I left my watch at the cottage.”

“You sure?” he asked. “No big deal, we’re not in any hurry. We’ll go back.”

Veronica let Daniel “find” the watch – again, it didn’t pay to appear too eager. He gave it to her and turned to leave, but she stopped him with a touch.

“Like you said, we’re not in any hurry,” Veronica said. “So tickle me silly again! I know you enjoyed it, and I enjoyed having you do it.” Surprised him again, she thought. But that’s nothing compared to the surprise he’s gonna get...

He tied her up again the way he had before, sitting sideways on the sofa with her hands tied behind her back and her bound ankles tied off to his thigh. “You really want me to do this?” he asked.

“Why else would I ask?” she said. Her voice was a little husky – she was already half-way aroused. “Make me laugh! Tickle HARD! AHAHA! HAHAHA! WAH-HAHA-HAHA!”

The tickling completed Veronica’s arousal – her senses were wide open, her crotch was wet, her nipples were so hard that they ached. She was so ticklish that she didn’t have a sweet spot, so everything Daniel did drove her wild. She laughed helplessly as Daniel drew circles, squares and other tickling shapes in her arches. Daniel flicked and scratched Veronica’s heels, four nail strokes in succession, three times a second. Veronica howled with forced mirth – her face colored under her tan, turning red from laughing.

Daniel held Veronica’s toes back and traced a figure-eight around the balls of both feet, tickling like crazy. The loops got smaller, faster, covering every square inch of ticklish flesh. He switched to fast nail flicks, covering the balls of both feet with fiendish tickling. Veronica laughed her head off, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks.

Daniel was an above-average tickler – he held Veronica on the edge, never letting her zone out, while she laughed, and laughed, and laughed some more. He tickled between Veronica’s toes, under them, down the soles and arches onto the ticklish heels. Veronica laughed helplessly while the tickling fingernails flicked and scratched her heels, her ticklish laughter filling the room. Daniel guitar-chorded her arches, then the soles again, side to side – it really, really tickled, and she loved it! She was losing it, laughing her head off, flying high in Tickle Paradise. Not now! she thought, laughing at the top of her lungs. Not yet!

Daniel tickled the balls of her feet, getting great reactions and a flood of laughter. He tickled her soles two handed, then down the arches, faster now. Then two-handed heel tickling, fast as he could, and Veronica’s laughter went off the charts. He guitar-chorded both arches and onto the heels behind, and tickled Veronica into gasping, red faced silent laughter.

Veronica took a deep breath. She had managed to hold on – she was wound up tight, as horny as a brass band. “That tickled... so much!” she gasped out.

“It was supposed to,” Daniel said cheerfully. “Want some more?”

“Nope,” Veronica said, surprising him yet again. And now for the final, glorious surprise...

“Untie me. I’ve got a better idea...”


***THE END***

Yet another fabulous episode in the "Tickle Street" saga.
Wonderful descriptions of foot tickling. 😀

Nothing like a double dip...except TWO double dips...

Strel,
Not only do you give us a tale where the fearsome Righetti twins are quite satisfactorily tickled pink themselves, but you treat us to a tickling tit-for-tat
featuring the twin Brocato moms, too. Add the delicious sprite Lindsey (with the bonus of HER ticklish mom) and this really is a summertime treat.
I love the fact that, even though you didn't stint in portraying the younger twins' usual mischievous tickling side (their ambushing of Britt at the start and their upending of Lindsey near the end of Part One being highlights), you gave them a dollop of sweetness by having them tickled with a lovely romantic payoff.
Adored the moms' tit-for-tat play: Karen's tickley pedicure followed by Kathy kitchey-cooed in doughnut bondage. Hilarious! (And a firm take-that to the widespread misperception on the Forum's story and discussion forums that mature women aren't playful nor ticklish.)
Throughout this tale, there is this playful business-as-usual-on-Tickled-Street casualness from all concerned about all the ticklish goings-on. That in itself got me giggling, and makes this series a fun exception to the many one-dimensional scenarios of tickle torture that predominate the Story Forum. (I should know. I've written a few of 'em...)
It's another winner, Strel. Thanks! 😉