"Flowing freely in the clouds, drifting high above the sea,
A little leaf sought for rest, till it landed on top of me.
I took the leaf from my head, and held it safely in my palms,
So lonely and tired it looked, so I treasured it like an alms.
If ever a little leaf falls on you, and never wants to part,
I hope you treat it kindly, giving it a place in your heart.
Flowing freely in the clouds, drifting high above the sea,
The little leaf is no longer there, because it found rest in me."
The hippie girl finished her poem and looked around the room. All the officers stared curiously at her, then at each other. She waited patiently for a response but the room got so quiet they could hear crickets chirping. None of the officers knew this young lady very well, but she seemed lonely and stopped by the station every now and then to recite her poetry. She was always dressed the same way – wearing a loose fitting cardigan, old pants, old shoes, and a bird's nest of white flowers over her long hair.
She bit her lip and glanced at each man, waiting for any reaction, good or bad. Harrelson finally took pity on her and came over to pat her shoulder. "It was a very good poem, Miss…Miss…"
"Cover," she said, looking him in the eye. "Just…Clover."
"Right. Well, that was a very sweet poem you wrote," Harrelson said, encouragingly.
Clover smiled softly and looked back at her hand-written words on the piece of recycled pizza box. She never wrote her poems on paper because it was bad for the trees.
"You really liked it?"
"Sure, it was uhh…very metaphoric," Harrelson replied, in a slightly wary tone. "Now if you'll excuse us, it's time to get back to work."
With that, all the officers gathered themselves up and headed for the door. Clover stood by the door and watched them go, so she could bid each of them Farwell.
"I hope I see you again soon, Mr. Harrelson! I'm glad you liked my poem," she said, waving to him as he left. "Bye TJ! I'll try to bring another poem the next time I come."
"Yeah, see ya," TJ replied shortly.
Then Clover turned her attention to Luca, who was next in line to leave. "Luca hun, I was wondering, did you like my poem too?"
"Oh, I dunno," Luca shrugged. "I didn't really understand what it was supposed to be about. A mean, a leaf? That's kind of silly, don't you think?"
"You can find the true meaning of everything if you look within yourself," Cover said.
Luca rolled his eyes. "I doubt if I'll find the meaning of any little lost leaves inside myself."
Clover pouted her lip and gave him a sad puppy-dog look. "Oh, you don't like my poetry?"
"I didn't say that exactly."
"Well, do you like them or don't you?" she inquired.
"Come to think of it…No, not really. Can't say that I do," Luca came out rather bluntly. He then cringed because he expected Clover to cry and run out, but instead she just stood there with her arms folded.
"Okay fine," she said. "But I feel sorry for you, Luca dear. Your soul lacks the spirit of love and peace and understanding. I can always sense these things…Just from meeting someone I can tell."
"Sure you can," Luca responded, adding a hint of sarcasm to his voice.
"Luca, try to understand…If you really wanted to, you could feel the beauty and power in all the loveliest poems in the world. You could look at any person or animal or plant, and you could relate to them. You can understand them. You can feel the things they feel…all the joys, the sorrows, and the loneliness. All you have to do is just one simple thing."
Luca groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Let me guess…I have to look within myself."
"Correct," she said, giggling at his stubbornness. "You have to look deep, deep inside yourself. In fact, the special place is right about…here!" With that, she reached out and poked him in the belly.
"Eeeek! Don't do that!" Luca yelped, jumping back a little.
Clover smirked and let one of her flower peddles fall onto his shoe. "Meet with me after your shift is over. We'll see if we can change that stubborn little mind of yours."
Luca scoffed and hurried out the door, inwardly sighing at the thought of meeting privately with that loony hippie.
But he foolishly decided to go through with it anyway.
x X x
"What do you want from me, Clover?" asked Luca, as he entered an empty room and found the hippie girl waiting for him. Many of the officers had gone home, freeing up some of the rooms. This way, there would more privacy.
"Sit down, love bug. No wait…maybe you should lay down. Yeah, that's better. Just be a good little .T. officer and lay down on this table for Clover."
"Whatever. Anything to get this ridiculous session over with," he grumbled.
Clover smiled in satisfaction as Luca climbed onto the sturdy table and lay down on his back.
"That's more like it," she said, strolling over to where he was laying. "Now just close your little eyes and let your mind go blank."
Luca sighed again as he closed his eyes. "Okay, they're closed. What now?"
Clover had come prepared. She reached into her bag and pulled out some ropes. Then she slowly tied Luca's hands and feet to the four corners of the table.
"You may open your eyes," she sing-songed.
Luca slowly opened one eye and then slowly opened the other. He yanked at his wrists and ankles to see if he could get out, but the knots were too secure.
"Are you comfortable, love bug?" she asked with a grin.
"No…Can I get a pillow or something to go with this stretching rack?"
Much to his surprise, Clover did have a pillow on hand. She produced one from her large bag and put it under Luca's head.
"Thanks, is the session over?"
"That's a silly question," she laughed. "We haven't even started yet."
"Well, let's get on with it. I have a home to go to," he grumpily reminded her.
"Patience, my bug!" she scolded, playfully.
Luca growled quietly under his breath and glared up at the ceiling. This wasn't going to be a fun evening. He could feel it in his bones.
Clover walked over to his midsection. She stared at it for a moment, before poking a finger into his stomach.
"AH! Stop it!" Luca started to squirm and twist his body, trying to get away from her.
Clover chuckled and began to lightly scratch all over his belly, causing him to arch his back and squeal like a girl.
"OH NO! NOOO WAAAAAY! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA! C-CLOVER, KNOCK IT OFF!" Luca laughed, blushing like a tomato.
"That's my good little lovey buggy!" Clover cooed, as her fingers danced across his ticklish stomach.
Luca couldn't remember the last time he had been tickled by a girl. He knew some people used tickling as a form of flirting and foreplay, but he never expected to be the victim in such a helpless position such as this. Had he not been tied down, Luca would have pushed her away and curled up in a ball. But he was completely helpless and vulnerable right now. He just hoped that she wouldn't find his worst spot.
"EEEEHEHEHEHEEEEHEHHEHEHEHEEE STAAAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAP!" he howled, as Clover scribbled her fingers in his underarms. His upper body was slightly protected by the fabric of his shirt but it didn't save him from going wild with laughter.
After a while, Clover began to move down his body, squeezing and pinching his ribs, stomach, hips, and thighs. Luca prayed that somebody would hear his laughter and run in to save him.
"Tickle tickle tickle, my little Lucey Poocey!" she teased him.
Luca really wished she would quit calling him those stupid pet names.
"Tell me, where is your most tickly spot?" she asked, giggling.
"HEEEHEEHEEHEHEHEHEEHEE! I-I'LL NEVER TELL HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ST-STOP TICKLING ME!" Luca roared through his helpless laughter.
"If you won't tell me, then I'll just have to find it myself!" she told him, smirking. "I will find your most ticklish spot and when I do, I will tickle it. Oh, I will get that spot and give it the worst tickling of your life."
"WHY?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Because you were rude to me!" she barked, staring into his tear-filled eyes. "You told me that you didn't like my poems! You did not have to say that to my face. Now you will pay the penalty. You will pay in laughter! And you will pay and pay and pay until I say you've had enough!"
Then she walked over to his restrained ankles and removed his shoes. Without saying a word, she yanked off his socks and began tickling his bare feet.
Luca arched his back and laughed even harder than before. "AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAAAHAHHAHAHAHAHA! BUT YOU'RE A HIPPIE! HEEEEEEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEEEE WHATEVER HAPPENED TO PEACE AND LOVE?!"
"I haven't forgotten about love, dear Luca. I have lots of love in my heart…And I LOVE TO TICKLE!"
"YOU'RE CRAZY! HAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOOOOOOOP! I-I CAN'T TAKE IT!"
Though his feet were certainly very ticklish, they still weren't his most ticklish spot. So the worst was still yet to come and it filled Luca with dread.
Clover continued tickling the soles of his feet for several long minutes. Then she went up to his toes and tickled the undersides of them, causing Luca to shriek and turn crimson in the face.
"Ooooh, these little piggies sure are ticklish!" she cooed, playfully.
When she finally stopped, there were tears and sweat dripping down Luca's tired face. He was panting and gasping and still grinning like a fool.
"P-P-Please no more," he begged.
"But I don't think I've found your worst spot yet, hun. Your tootsies seem pretty ticklish but there's still one place I haven't tickled yet."
"Please no!" he begged, hoping she wouldn't figure it out.
"Let's see…I already tickled your tummy, sides, ribs, hips, thighs, and feet. What else is left, Luca?" she asked, smiling coyly.
Luca stared at her with frightened eyes. He was still panting and sweating like crazy. "Clover, no…don't do it! Just stay away from my belly button!"
Clover grinned an evil grin.
"Oops." Luca wanted to kick himself but he couldn't because he was a little tied up at the moment.
Clover ran over to his midsection and unbuttoned his shirt. She then pulled up his white undershirt, exposing his cute and deathly ticklish navel.
"Clover, please! I'll do anything…I-I'm sorry for the way I treated you before," Luca apologized. He was desperate now.
"Sorry, love bug. But this going to be too much fun! Now get ready…it's time for belly button tickles!" And with that, she dug her index finger into his belly button and swirled it around mercilessly.
Luca's face turned blood red as he burst into shrieking laughter.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAA! OOOOOOOHHH YOU'RE KILLING ME! STOOOOOOOP! MEEEERCY! HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOHOHOHOHOHO! PLEEEEEEEEASE!"
After only a few minutes, Clover noticed that he was truly having trouble breathing. She took pity on him and decided to let him off easy this time.
Then the horrible tickle torture ended as quickly as it had begun. She untied his hands and feet, helped him put his shoes back on, and dried the sweat and tears from his face.
"If you ever do this again…"
"I might have to if you ever misbehave again, love bug."
From that day on, Luca planned to NEVER lay down on a table for a young woman ever again.
The End