Everyone was gathered around Kate Bradley's dinner table, finishing up one of her homemade meals. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Charley and Floyd were there, just like they often were during dinnertime. Uncle Joe was talking about one of his new get-rich-quick schemes, but Kate wasn't doing much listening. The three girls ate their meal quietly but occasionally smirked or chuckled at the interaction between their mother and Uncle Joe.
Suddenly, Kate heard somebody enter the Hotel lobby. She put her napkin down and went off to the lobby to find a stranger waiting by the front desk.
"Can I help you?" Kate asked.
"Perhaps," The man replied, as his eyes shifted around the room. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties, had dark hair and was dressed in dark clothes.
"Would you like a room?"
"Certainly," he said, burying a hand into his coat.
Kate picked up a key and held it out to him. "My family and I are almost through with dinner, but you can go freshen up and I'll see what I can fix you."
"Thanks," he said with a slight smirk. He slowly reached out and took the key from her hand.
Kate turned around and headed back to the kitchen.
"Mrs?"
Kate turned back to face the stranger. "Yes?"
"My name is Anthony Nalessi."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Nalessi," Kate smiled and turned to leave again.
"Just one more thing," he called.
"Yes?"
Mr. Nalessi pulled a pistol out of his coat and pointed it at her. "Go get your family and bring them out here."
"Wha-?" Kate stuttered, shocked by what she was seeing.
"Round up everyone in this place and bring them to me," Nalessi repeated, motioning with his pistol.
Kate swallowed hard and kept her eyes locked on the weapon. Slowly, she walked backwards until she got into the next room. Then she regained her composure and tried to get everyone's attention.
"I-I don't know how to say this…but there's a man in the lobby with a gun."
Uncle Joe nearly choked on part of his dinner.
"Oh Mom, really? What does he want?" Betty Jo whispered, jumping to her feet.
"I don't know but right now he wants us all in the lobby!"
Charley and Floyd looked at each other, startled but calm.
Uncle Joe cleared his throat as he rose from his chair. "Did you get a good look at his face, Kate?"
"Sure, why?"
"This fella could be a wanted criminal," Uncle Joe said, rubbing his chin. "There might be a cash award in it somewhere for us if we catch the guy."
Kate gave him a look. "We'll discuss that later. Come on." She grabbed him by the arm and pushed him towards the lobby, motioning with her hand for everyone else to follow.
When everyone walked out into the lobby, Nalessi was busy tearing the place apart and stuffing valuables into his bag.
"Hey, don't you know it's not nice to snatch things that don't belong to ya?" asked Uncle Joe.
Nalessi ignored his comment and continued going through the drawers. After a while, he pointed to the couch, indicating for everyone to sit down.
Kate and the girls obediently sat on the couch. The men were forced to remain standing.
"Hey, Mrs?" Nalessi called.
"Yes?" Kate jumped off the couch and approached him carefully.
"Where do you keep all your money?"
"Well, uh…you see, we haven't had much business in the past few days so I'm afraid I-I just don't have very much money!"
Nalessi glared at her - clearly not buying what she had said. "Alright, I'll ask again…Where's the money, lady?"
Kate bit her lip, nervously. She looked over at Uncle Joe, who was also at loss for words.
"Well?"
"Okay! I'll get my purse!" Kate said with a huff. She stomped off and a moment later, she returned with her purse.
Nalessi grabbed it from her. He torn it open and pulled out all the contents, including what little money was inside.
"Is that all?" he shouted.
"That's all!" Kate retorted.
"Surely you must have more money around here!" Nalessi's hand was getting close to his pistol again.
Charley rushed over and pulled Kate away, bringing her back to the couch.
Nalessi heaved a sigh. "Look…I don't want to hurt anybody but have to have some money. Now where is it?"
"She already told you. That's all she has!" Floyd said, pointing to the purse that Nalessi had thrown to the floor.
"I don't believe that!" Nalessi exclaimed, furiously. "And nobody is going in or out of this hotel until I get what I want!"
There was silence for a long, uncomfortable moment.
Frowning, Kate glanced at her daughters who were still sitting on the couch. They looked very worried.
Then Nalessi got an evil, nefarious idea as he stared at Charley and Floyd.
"Hey, get over here! Both of you!" Nalessi called.
Charley and Floyd were very nervous as they came close to Nalessi. They didn't like the way he was grinning at them.
"Okay lady, tell me where the money is or these two are going to suffer."
Kate crossed her arms and frowned darkly at Nalessi.
"Very well," Nalessi said with an evil grin. "Hey, you girls! Bring me some ropes!"
"Ropes?!" Floyd gasped, not liking the sound of that.
"You aren't going to tie us up, are you?" Charley asked, nervously.
Nalessi chuckled. "Not everyone. Just both of you."
Kate was getting very concerned. "Mr. Nalessi, what are you up to?"
"You'll see," he replied, as the girls returned with the ropes.
Then he forced Charley and Floyd to get on the floor and lay down on their backs. With skilled hands, Nalessi tied up both men and then checked the knots to make sure they were secure.
When Nalessi was finished tying up the two men, he grabbed Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo, dragged them over and made them sit on the floor beside Charley's and Floyd's feet.
Nalessi told the girls to take off the men's shoes. The sisters were confused but they obeyed.
Billie Jo removed Charley's shoes and Bobbie Jo removed Floyd's shoes. Then the sisters looked up at Nalessi for further instructions.
"Take off their socks too," said Nalessi.
Billie Jo slowly pulled off Charley's socks, while Bobbie Jo did the same to Floyd.
"Good," Nalessi smiled in satisfaction.
"What now?" asked Bobbie Jo.
"Put their bare feet in your laps."
Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo were growing more confused now. But Charley and Floyd were growing terrified.
"Now what, Mr. Nalessi?" asked Billie Jo.
"What else? I want you to tickle their feet."
"WHAT!?" Floyd cried, his eyes filling with fear.
"NO! Not our bare feet!" Charley begged, terrified.
"Do it, girls!" Nalessi ordered. Then he grabbed a chair and sat down to watch the show.
Billie Jo looked sadly at the bare feet nestled in her lap. She didn't want to torture Charley this way, but she had no choice.
"Please no!" Charley whimpered as the young woman's fingers came close to his helpless feet.
"I'm so sorry," Billie Jo whispered. Then she began tickling the bottoms of his feet.
Charley threw back his head and screamed with laughter.
"AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OOHH! OH MY! I CAN'T STAND IT! WOHOHOHOHOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! BILLIE JO, PLEASE STOP!" shrieked Charley. He was squirming and thrashing with all his might.
Billie Jo ignored his pleas and continued tickling. Her manicured fingernails scribbled up and down his bare soles. Then she tickled his toes for what seemed like hours.
Meanwhile, Bobbie Jo was doing the same thing to Floyd. Her fingers were lightly tickling the soles of his feet, making him laugh hysterically.
"HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! DON'T TICKLE MY FEET! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA PLEASE NO MORE!" Floyd shrieked, as he struggled violently in his ropes.
The two sisters looked up at Nalessi but he just told them to keep on tickling.
After about ten minutes, the sisters started to feel a little more relaxed. In fact, they were even starting to have fun with it.
Billie Jo squeezed Charley's big toe and wiggled it playfully. "This little piggy went to market...This little piggy stayed home..."
Bobbie Jo continued, "This little piggy had roast beef…And this little piggy had none!"
Both girls shared a big grin as they came to their man's pinky toes. "And this little piggy went WEEWEEWEEWEEWEE all the way home!"
Charley and Floyd cried tears of laughter when the girls rapidly scribbled their fingers on the arches of their ticklish feet.
Kate, Uncle Joe, and Betty Jo were standing by and watching this whole thing. Kate had to admit, that she thought it was pretty cute. But that didn't stop her from confronting Nalessi.
"Mr. Nalessi, I just want to say that I think what you're doing is disgusting!" she said, boldly. "Of all the nerve! Using my own daughters to tickle those poor men to death! Besides, why are you making them do it? Why not do it yourself?"
Nalessi shrugged. "It's just more interesting this way. I mean, just look at those girls! At first, they were timid and caring…and now look at them! A couple of merciless monsters!"
Kate gaped in horror. "They are not! And I'm putting a stop to this right now!"
"No, you're not. Not until I get your money! All of it!"
Kate was so furious now that she didn't know what to do. She opened her mouth to say something awful but couldn't get the words out.
Uncle Joe put a comforting hand on Kate's shoulder. "Relax, Kate. It's not like Charley and Floyd are in any real danger."
"I know." Kate nodded and touched his hand gently.
"But let me tell you, if something like that ever happened to me, I would never go all to putty like those two! I could easily handle anything a thief like Nalessi can dish out!" said Uncle Joe, proudly. He shoved his hands into his pockets and flashed Nalessi a smug smile.
"Oh? Is that a fact?" Nalessi stood up and strolled over to Uncle Joe.
"It sure is," Uncle Joe replied. "I ain't afraid of you."
Nalessi stared at him for a moment, then he looked back at Charley and Floyd who were still being tickled and laughing hysterically.
"You sure?" asked Nalessi, turning back to Uncle Joe.
Uncle Joe nodded.
"Are you ticklish?" asked Nalessi.
"Me? Ticklish? Well, yeah. I'm little sensitive around my midsection here…on my stomach and ribs especially," Uncle Joe admitted.
An evil grin spread across Nalessi's face.
"Um, Uncle Joe?" Kate whispered, tapping him on the shoulder. "Do you realize that you just made a really bad mistake?"
"Huh?"
Next thing he knew, Uncle Joe was tied down to the couch and his arms were tied over his head.
"No! Wait! I don't want this! Let me go!" Uncle Joe shouted, struggling frantically to get out of the ropes.
Nalessi stood back to admire his work and called Betty Jo to his side.
"It's time to tickle your uncle," Nalessi told her, amused by the appalled look on her face.
"But I don't want to do that!" she protested.
"Sure you do. Go ahead!" Nalessi urged her on.
Betty Jo bit her lip and slowly lowered her hands to Uncle Joe's sides.
"Don't you dare!" Uncle Joe yelled, trying to squirm away.
Betty Jo froze. She didn't want Uncle Joe to be mad at her but what other choice did she have? Nalessi was the one in charge now.
"Sorry, Uncle Joe," she sighed.
And with that, Betty Jo began lightly scratching at his sides, causing him to crack up with giggles.
"No! NO! Aaaahahahaha! STOP IT!" squealed Uncle Joe as he tried to wiggle away from her tickling fingers.
Nalessi smiled cruelly and went back to his seat.
Betty Jo smirked a bit as she started squeezing and digging her fingers between Uncle Joe's ribs. He yelped and began laughing more hysterically.
"NOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! BETTY JO! I CAN'T TAKE IT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! QUIT IT!" he cackled with laughter as his body twisted and shook.
Kate was shocked by what was happening. All three of her male companions were being tickled into hysterics by her own daughters. And there was nothing she could do about it. Kate wished that Sam Drucker was there with her. She knew Sam and Uncle Joe didn't get along, but right now she just needed that comfort of having another friend around.
Billie Jo was still having lots of fun as she tickled Charley's feet. She found a feather and began stroking it up and down his arches. She held back his toes and tickled under them with the feather.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! PLEASE STOOOOP! PLEEEEEASE! YOU'RE KILLING ME!" Charley screamed through his laughter.
Bobbie Jo was running her fingernails all over Floyd's soles, tickling every inch of his delicate feet. She dug her fingers between his toes and tickled them mercilessly.
"NOOOOO! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HEEEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEE! STOP! JUST STOP! THIS IS TORTURE!" Floyd shrieked.
Betty Jo tickled Uncle Joe's tummy and then went for his armpits. These spots were slightly protected by the fabric of his shirt, but it still tickled very, very much. Then Betty Jo decided to get a little too playful. She unbuttoned the area of his shirt around his bellybutton and exposed the bare skin. Then she put her head down and blew a loud raspberry on his belly, causing Uncle Joe to arch his back and explode with hysterical laughter.
"EEEEHEEHEEHEE! CUT IT OUT! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NO, WAIT! NOT THERE! EEEEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Uncle Joe wailed, going insane from laughter.
Kate had to do something. She was getting a headache from all their laughing and shrieking. Slowly, she crept to the kitchen and grabbed the handle of a frying pan. Then she snuck back into the hobby, came up behind Nalessi and knocked him out.
"Well, that was easy enough," Kate said to herself, pleased to see the unconscious thief sprawled out the floor.
Nobody else noticed this, so Kate went around the room and got her daughters' attention.
"Did you kill him, Mom?" asked Betty Jo when she saw Nalessi's body on the floor.
"Of course not." Kate walked over to him, grabbed his bag, and began to take out all the things that he had stolen. Then she and the girls untied the men.
Charley, Floyd, and Uncle Joe could only lay and gasp for air. They were still giggling from the tickle torture. It took several minutes for them to recover.
Kate took away Nalessi's pistol so that he couldn't use it in case he woke up. "Let's have him arrested," she told the others.
"I hope he has fun rotting in jail!" Uncle Joe grumbled.
Kate nodded in agreement and let out a sigh. "Oh, what a night!" she exclaimed, knowing they would have quite a story to tell.
The End