There are stories well know by everyone, stories that took place following fate’s capricious paths. Miss Croft’s is one of those. We all know her chanced wreck ship that sent her to the island of Yamatai. We are all aware of the subsequent struggle for survival that the young archaeologist faced. Destiny played its part in that series of events. But, what if the young tomb raider’s journey strayed from its destined course? Yamatai was one of the many islands she could have landed to.
    This is one of the various possibilities that could have been...     

     - So you finally wake up - Lara gritted her teeth, all of her body ached, her vision was blurry, her throat dry with a constant taste of blood. The voice roared like thunder that fell upon her head - C’mon look at me - There was that sound again, the demanding voice - You and I have many things to talk about - Lara blinked, her hazy eyes were unable to discern the identity of the one talking to her. Doubts and questions assaulted her: What happened? Where was she? Who was that person? What would become of her? Questions that she spoke aloud, only to receive another roaring striking bolt as a response - I’m the one doing the questions here, little miss! - The person’s patience was running out - You’ve got the nerve, appearing here, of all places. We have no idea who you are and me and my associates don’t like not knowing what’s going on! Name? - Lara’s senses were adapting little by little; still, she was not able to discern the person’s features. She began to realize her precarious situation and understood, with fear, that she might had been drugged.
    Lara swallowed hard and replied - My name is Lara Croft - Then she recalled all the details her foggy mind would permit to. It was difficult to think straight, no matter how much time it passed by, she could not see the other person’s reaction. She did her best to sound convincing. She could feel the hostility and mistrust.
     - Interesting story - It was a woman’s voice, Lara finally managed to discern that - But let’s get to the point. Who you really are? - The girl batted her eyelids in disbelief - I already told you... My ship’s wrecked and... - - 5 tries, I’ll ask you five more times, If I don’t like what I hear by then... - She paused - We don’t like to get our hands dirty with blood. But we like meddling trespassers even less. Don’t think we’ll go easy on you: don’t give me the answers we want and you’ll see what I mean - Her voice stopped - Who are you? What are you doing here? - .
    Lara wanted to protest, it was all an accident, an honest mistake. She tried to get up and to explain herself. She suddenly felt with dread the real precariousness of her situation: she was bound to a chair, her arms tied behind her back, and her ankles rested attached to a bar in front of her, hindering her movements greatly.
    Lara felt a cold shiver - Nothing to say? That’s one attempt, four more left - The girl wanted to complain, but words trampled in her mouth when she felt the laces on her left boot loosening. Fear took control of her body, she remained still until the heavy footwear fell to the ground with a deafening sound.
     - Second try, why are you here? - - I don’t even know where “here” is! - She tried to pull away, it was no use, the other boot also fell. - What are you doing here? - Lara began to panic when she saw a pair of hands, with their nails polished in green, peeling at her left sock. Little by little, a soft foot began to insinuate, Lara realised that whatever that woman was planning on doing to her, her bare feet would be involved - Please, I have already explained everything. Let me go and you’ll never see me again! - - I’ll take that as you fourth try - With this Lara’s feet were as how they first appeared in the world: nude and bared, she felt a cold breeze caressing her soles.
     - Last chance, what are you doing here? - Lara looked with pleading eyes - Please don’t hurt me - Her back stiffened, when her big toes were bent backwards and a small piece of string struck in between them. Making her the more vulnerable - I already told you everything I knew and... AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! - - Ticklish, of course - The woman seemed pleased at this revelation and spoke nonchalantly in the most casual way, as if the whole situation was something she was far too used to - That’s so bad, for you, we are just getting started! - Her sharps nails skittered around the soft arches that squirmed in all directions, forming wrinkles that would not be left unattended. Lara moved her bound feet in all the directions they were allowed - Pleahahahase don’t dohoho this! - She cried, her pleas were ignored - I’ll tickle your feet for thirty minutes. Then I’ll repeat my questions, if the answer is the same, I will tickle you again - Lara was horrified at his prediction, not one minute had passed and she was already struggling desperately to escape from the touch, she would die if that torment did not stop inmediatelly! - The woman grazed her sensitive soles when continuing with her threat - And I’m planning to use all of my tools. Which one will tickle you more: my nails, some feathers, brushes, a goat’s tongue? And how about some oil? Itching powder? Ice? There are so many things to do... It has been a while since I got to tickle feet as innocent as yours. The rest of the girls are...a little too overused - A cold shudder ran across Lara’s spine. Those nails were devastating enough, they were invaders ravaging an unexplored land that was her fair skin; but imagining those tools on her poor soles made her laugh even harder - Nohohohoho!!! Pleahahahase don’t tickle me! I can’t take it! - She laughed at the top of her lungs - I’ll do anything! I ahahaha. I cahahan gihihive yohohohu mohohoney! - Her mind was racing, the strain of deciphering the endless signals originating in her feet was taking its tool. She had to find a way to end that, there could not be any other outcome. Anything but having her feet tormented like that. Tears crept from her eyes as laughter emerged from her throat.     

    On the other hand, her tormenter was amused with her reaction - Just one hand are you are already in this state - She said in a tone that could be considered a compliment - What a ticklish girl you are - She added, using her two hands to caress the toes, doubling Lara’s torment - You’ll make a nice addition to our family - The room was filled with light. Everywhere, as she fought not to lose her sanity, Lara could see various artefacts she had never heard about before. There where brushes of different shape and size, rods with prickly hairs attached to them, spinning metallic wheels, tridents and other bars with blunt ends, pieces of cloth of varying broath and roughness and bottles filled with fluids of all kinds, among others. As her feet moved back and forth, dancing to the aggression of the nails, she knew that all of those devices were meant to be used on her feet, to torture her soles and to make her laugh. Which she did in realization of her fate. - Nohohohohoho!!!!! Pleahahahase, let me gohohoho!!!! - - Let you go? In the end, even if what you are saying is true, there’s no way I can let you go. Nobody has to know about this place. Besides, don’t you want to join our little group?- The woman used one hand to tickle Lara’s tired feet, which were turning red from the overload of sensations. She was out of breath, and what little air she could regain, despite the soft touched of the remaining hand at her soles; was completely lost.
    Lara wanted to cry, she wished that was all but a terrible dream: the woman had a remote controller in her hand. She pressed it and multiple screens showed dozen of girls strapped to various devices in different postures. At first glance there was no relation between them; some of them were fair skinned, others darker, some had red hair, others were blonde or black-haired, tall, petite, fit, chubby. All of them were different. They had only two things in common: the first one was that all of them had no clothing in her feet, all of them were bared and immobilized. The second one was that all of the girls were in distress, all were laughing, a few seemed to enjoy their ordeals, other trashed at their bonds and others simply accepted what was happening to their feet: all of those juvenile soles were being tickled in ways that only a wicked mind could think of: feathers, brushes, myriads of fingers, strange devices, different animals feasting their tongues at their tasty feet. There was no limit to the sadistic imaginative behind that image from out of this world - See all of them? They will be your friends. But before you can officially join them I need to show you the initiation ritual: your feet will have to experience all of the means we have to offer. Aren’t you looking forward to that? - Lara, who despite being laughing because of the nails scratching and tickling her feet, started to cry. Knowing that her destiny was to join the ranks of those howling banshees. What kind of place was that? She would get to know, but for the time being, she was sure it was hell, an inferno full of tickling.     

    Unsettling, is not it? Fortunately this never get to occur. She was lucky enough to flounder at Yamatai island instead, truth be told that poor Lara had to face life-threatening experiences one after another. But had she got the chance to choose what option would she have picked? To fight for her survival in a hostile territory or to be submitted to an eternity of tickle torture on the soles of her delicate feet? We will never get to know the answer to this question. But Fate can be capricious indeed and holds ticklish surprises for all of us...     

    The end.