Madame Hortense surveyed her unconscious slave. He looked so cute tied helplessly to the bed. He had been her slave for almost five years now and she had actually grown quite fond of him. "If he would just remember to do his chores when he's told!" she thought to herself. She really hated to subject him to those torturous tickling sessions, but slaves had to be taught their place. She raised David's head slightly and watched it drop as she released it. She twitched back David's eyelids; he was still unconscious. She tweaked his nipples. No response. She pinched David's toe digging her fingernails deep into the flesh, but David was so far gone, he didn't even feel the pinch. She reached into the night stand drawer for the smelling salts and broke them under David's nostrils. David's head jerked back and he started to come around. His poor body was sore, and ached from being tied and tickled for so long. Madame Hortense smiled broadly as David regained consciousness. "Wake up, love," she sang, "you've been asleep. Did you enjoy your little nap?" "Where am I?" David utter groggily. "Oh, you're in your natural habitat," she assured him. David surveyed his bound condition. "Madame Hortense, wha-" "Are you starting to QUESTION me again?" she warned. "I have given you the day off from your chores, but NOT from being tickled," she explained. "You see, my love, being tickled by me is your fate in life--so enjoy," and she tickled him with a flourish. David broke out into a fit of laughter; he couldn't help himself. Madame Hortense was right. Being her tickle slave WAS his fate in life. AND HE LOVED EVERY TORTUROUS MOMENT OF IT! Madame Hortense tickled him from head to toe in a flourish, with David laughing uncontrollably. He was starting to get weary and "tickle-tired" from this latest session, and his arms and legs ached from being tied to the four-poster for so long, but he didn't dare tell his mistress. He literally grinned and bore it. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...HAHAHAHA...HA...HA...HA...Haaaaaaaa," he passed out again. Madame Hortense removed the scarves from around his hands and feet, allowing his limbs to drop heavily on the bed. She kissed his forehead. "I think I'll let your rest...for a while," she said. "Sleep ti-ight." * * * David lay on the four-poster for about four hours, drifting in and out of consciousness. All of a sudden, he was awakened by the sensation of fingernails dancing on his toes. "David," his mistress said in mock whininess. David was to weak too answer her. "David," she whined again, "I'm tired of dominating you today. Would you please tie me to the four-poster bed and tickle me?" "Wha--," David said, still groggy, shaking his head. Madame Hortense bent over him and spoke distinctly, "I am asking you to tie me to the four-poster and tickle me." David looked at his mistress in astonishment. "You're not serious," he said, scarcely believing his ears. "Now, David," she said stroking his foot, "YOU know you'd like nothing better than to get back at me for all the times I've tickled you. I am giving you that opportunity. I might not be this generous tomorrow, you know," and she gave him a look that indicated that she WOULDN'T be this generous tomorrow. David leaped from the bed, reveling in his new role. "Now don't get excited!" she warned. "I'm only allowing this because I'm tired, and I did give you the day off. I'm just being generous, so don't lose your head," she said with a pout. Madame Hortense lay down on the four-poster, arms and legs extended, looked up at David and whispered, "Tie me." David grabbed the scarves and started to tie Madame Hortense's hands and feet. "No, no, not the scarves!" she admonished him, "Use the ropes! And tie them tightly! I want to enjoy every torturous moment of this." David got the ropes out of the night table drawer and tied Madame Hortense's hands and feet securely to the bed. Madame Hortense actually seemed to be enjoying her new-found captivity. "Sooo, this is what it feels like to be tied up. I like it. It's different," she said with a smile. "So, Master David, when are you going to start tickling me?" "Patience, patience, my slave," David admonished her. "Perhaps I'll just leave you suspended here for a while and torture you with anticipation." "Oh, master, you're so cruel," she whined in mock agony, "why do you torture me so?" "You'd do the same to me," he retorted, "and you KNOW it!" "Oh please, Master," she cried, really getting into her new- found role of subservience, "I know I've been a cruel mistress but please, do not tickle me. Have mercy. I promise to be more lenient in the future. I'll give you another day off tomorrow." "YOU are in no position to bargain with me, you worthless bitch!" he snapped. Remember you VOLUNTEERED for this duty! Now you must suffer the consequences! Here, off with these sandals!" "Oh my God, you're going to tickle my feet!" she gasped, "NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" David had her sandals off in no time and was dancing his fingers up and down Madame Hortense's soles. He tickled her shapely feet shamelessly. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHOHOHOHOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" she cackled, her laughter filling the house. "Oh, I just LOVE it when you tickle my feet." she exclaimed, wiggling her toes uncontrollably. "Let's see how you like the Feathered Plume, Madame Hortense," David said reaching inside the night stand. Madame Hortense's eyes widened in mock horror. "OH NO! OH NO! OH NOOOOOOOOOOooaaaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" his mistress roared as David danced the feather over her soles, between her toes and up her ankles. He rolled the pant legs of Madame Hortense's jeans up to her thighs and ran the Feathered Plume up her legs. Madame Hortense was beside herself with the laughter. David unbuttoned her shirt exposing her bare belly. "Oh no, not there, please" she exclaimed, eyes agape, "pleeeeeeeeease, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed convulsively, her ample tummy moving up and down spasmodically. David stopped for a moment to let his mistress catch her breath. "Oh, David," she panted over and over, "Oh, you shameless bastard!" She gulped, moaned, and her head rolled back over one shoulder. David tickled her under her exposed chin with the feather. "HEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" she tittered, "Oh, I'm going to get you for that one, David!" "If I decide to let you up from here," David reminded her and continued tickling her under the chin with the feather. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you," she said lowering her eyes to slits. David looked her straight in the eye defiantly. "So are YOU," he said, daring her to disagree. Madame Hortense felt a quizzical expression cross her face at David's words. She hoped he hadn't noticed. Deep down inside she really WAS enjoying it. She had never realized just how much fun being tickled could be. But she mustn't let David know. She tried to compose herself. "Why are you being so gentle with me?" she taunted. "Is this how you get back at the woman who's made your life so miserable for the past five years? Tickle me! Show me how ruthless you can be!" David tossed the feather aside and went after his mistress's belly full force with his bare hands. "WHOOOOA!" she hollered, her body bucking against the tightness of the ropes. David tickled her abdomen, sides, and under her armpits. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" she cackled, "OH! OH! DON'T STOP! DON'T STOP! DON'T EVER STOP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! TICKLE ME! TICKLE MEEEEYEEEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEE!" "Enjoying yourself, Madame Hortense?" David inquired continuing to tickle her. "YEEEES, YES, YES!" she cried with tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks, "I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT! TICKLE ME EVERYWHERE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" David tickled her under her chin again, then behind the ears, on the checks. Madame Hortense cackled uncontrollably. She knew her relationship with David would never be the same again, but she didn't care. She had discovered a whole other side to herself, one that enjoyed receiving tickle-torture as well as giving it. David's fingers returned down his mistress's body the same way they had come, retracing the path under her armpits, down her forearms, her sides, belly and abdomen. He tickled the backs of her legs. Madame Hortense shrieked with glee. She was totally caught up in the sensations of being tickled and loving every torturous nanosecond. Her mind laughed in rhythm with her body. David continued tickling down her legs to her ankles and came to rest on the bottoms of her feet. "OH YES, OH YES!" she was pleading now, "DO MY FEET! DO MY FEET! I LOVE IT WHEN YOU DO MY FEET! FINISH ME OFF!" David went at his mistress's feet full force, tickling them mercilessly. Madame Hortense felt a tingle go through her body from the tips of her toes to the top of her head and back. David tickled the tops of her feet and inside her toe crevices. Madame Hortense's toes began to twitch out of control. She was half laughing, half gasping now, a quivering mass of jelly. She swooned and her body sagged against the ropes. She was thoroughly spent. David kissed his mistress's forehead. "Kootchy, kootchy," he said teasingly. She laughed half consciously. Just his saying the words "kootchy, kootchy" was bringing giggles to her lips. "Kootchy, kootchy," he said again, realizing the power those words were having over her. Madame Hortense was laughing in spite of herself amid aching limbs and a crampy stomach. "Kootchy, kootchy," David kept repeating. Madame Hortense was laughing harder at each utterance--and David wasn't even TOUCHING her. He kept it up. Madame Hortense was roaring now. Tears were running down her cheeks. She outstretched her hand against the weight of the ropes. "Enough...enough," she uttered weakly. "Well, are you happy? Did you enjoy reducing your poor mistress to a quivering mass of jelly? Just what manner of slave ARE you?" "A vengeful one!" David said triumphantly. "And if you don't watch yourself, I'll say 'kootchy, kootchy' again!" "All right, David," Madame Hortense said weakly but determinedly, "I'll let you have your fun for today. Enjoy it while you can, my slave, for tomorrow it's back to business as usual." "Don't be so sure about that, Madame Hortense," he cautioned. "I haven't untied you yet." [to be continued]