Seeking comfort

Jasmine untangled herself from the sheets and slipped out of bed, padding across the small apartment towards her mother's room. Times were tough for the 20-something young artist, and she had moved back in with her mom after struggling to make ends meet on her own. Jasmine gently pushed open the door and made her way to the bedside.

"Mom?" she whispered, giving her mother's shoulder a gentle shake. "Mom, wake up."

Her mother stirred, blinking sleepily up at Jasmine. "Mmm...what is it, honey?"

Jasmine hugged her arms around herself. "I...I had nightmare." Part of her felt stupid. She wasn’t a little girl anymore, yet here she was. However, her mother's brow creased with concerned understanding. Reaching out, she took Jasmine's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Come here, sweetie," she said softly, pulling back the covers in invitation.

Jasmine crawled onto the bed, scooting closer until she was enveloped in her mother's warm embrace. She rested her head on her mom's shoulder as comforting hands stroked her hair. Even after all these years, her mom, Eliza, remained a strikingly beautiful woman. Thick chestnut locks tickled Jasmine’s face. Her full lips were naturally rosy and perpetually curved in that warm, affectionate smile that were now planting light pecks on her daughter’s cheeks. Despite being in her 40s, Eliza could easily pass for a woman ten years younger. Jasmine felt a pang of wistful envy, hoping she had inherited at least some of those stellar genes. The one thing she knew she inherited were Eliza's smooth, toned legs and her exquisitely shaped feet, dainty and delicate, with slender arched soles and petite toes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" her mom asked gently.

Jasmine shuddered, the phantom tickles still fresh in her mind. "It started normal enough. I was in an art class, painting someone's feet, but then...the tickling sensations started, just light brushing feelings at first. It was like the whole class was painting my feet, and the tickles just kept getting stronger and stronger."

Her mom made soothing sounds, continuing to stroke Jasmine's hair as she spoke. "Then everyone turned into these creepy clown people, with crazy makeup and huge smiles. But they just kept painting, acting like nothing was wrong while the tickles on my feet got out of control!" Jasmine shivered again. "I was laughing so hard and begging them to stop, but they just grinned at me. It was horrible..."

"Shhh, it's okay sweetie," her mom murmured. "It was just a bad dream. You're safe now."

Jasmine took a deep, steadying breath and nodded, the residual fear slowly ebbing away in her mother's comforting embrace. They sat in silence for a few peaceful moments before her mom spoke up again.

"You know, when you were little, you used to have the most adorable laughs whenever I'd tickle those pretty little feet of yours," she reminisced with a wistful smile.

Jasmine groaned, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "Mom, not this again..." Her mom was the only one she let freely tickle her feet. One, because she knew she would never go over the line with her, and two, Eliza’s feet were just as ticklish as her daughter’s. Whenever Eliza reminisced about tickling Jasmine’s feet, there was only one thing that could be coming. Jasmine bit her lip apprehensively as her mom instructed her to lay down on the blanket.

"Mom, I'm way too old for tickle burritos," she protested weakly, even as she obediently stretched out.

Her mother just grinned and winked. "Nonsense, you're never too old for a good old-fashioned tickle burrito!"

With practiced ease, Jasmine's mom swiftly rolled the blanket around her daughter, cocooning her snugly inside until only her head poked out one end and her bare feet stuck out the other. The tickle burritos were always ambivalent for Jasmine. On the one hand, having her feet tickled could drive her crazy. On the other hand, there was something about being all cocooned up, at her mom's playful mercy, that filled her with an indescribable warmth and contentment. As if no matter how mercilessly Eliza tortured her ticklish soles, Jasmine knew she was ultimately safe and loved. And every time after it was all done, Jasmine couldn’t deny feeling more relaxed.

"My, don't your little piggies look pretty all pampered and pink," her mom cooed teasingly, giving Jasmine's upturned feet an appraising look.

Jasmine felt her cheeks warm at the compliment despite herself. "Thanks...I guess," she mumbled, wiggling her toes anxiously. Her mom always started out with some teasing compliments. Jasmine didn’t mind these so much. Eliza reached out, letting her fingertips glide over the tops of Jasmine's feet. "Such soft soles too," she marveled. "So smooth and tender… so helpless…"

That last comment made Jasmine shiver. She sucked in a sharp breath as she braced herself for what was to come. She tried not to dwell on how unbearably ticklish and sensitive her feet were. "M-mom, please go easy..." she couldn't help pleading.

But her mom's eyes just danced with impish delight at her daughter's predicament. "I'll try, sweetie. But you know how these little tootsies just beg to be tickled!"

With that, her **** began. Jasmine squealed, squirming helplessly in her blanket burrito as her mom's teasing fingers danced along the tops of her feet. Eliza kept the torturous contact light and maddeningly unpredictable.

Jasmine bit back a giggle as her mom lightly scratched the arch of one foot. "Mom, you're the worst!" Despite her protests, she couldn't contain the growing smile on her face.

"The worst? Why, I'm simply the best tickle monster around!" Eliza booped Jasmine's nose playfully. "Don't you worry, we'll gitchy you feeling better in no time."

Jasmine's smile froze as her breath caught in her throat. "W-what did you say?"

Eliza paused her teasing, looking puzzled. "Huh? I said we'll get you feeling better." She cocked her head. "Why, what did you think I said?"

"N-nothing, nevermind..." Jasmine **** an awkward laugh, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling that had momentarily washed over her. Surely she had just misheard...

Giving her daughter's bare soles a meaningful look, Eliza's fingers wiggled meaningfully. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, I believe these ticklish tootsies need some extra special attention!"

The teasing instantly resumed in full ****, any lingering disquiet pushed aside as Jasmine's hysterical laughter filled the room once more.

"You really went all out with this pedicure, didn't you sweetie?" Eliza mused, gently trailing a perfectly manicured fingernail along the soft underside of Jasmine's foot. "The salon did such a lovely job."

Jasmine squirmed as her mom's teasing digits paid special attention to her sensitive heels. "Y-yeah, I got the full package this time."

"Well, they certainly did a good job." Eliza's crimson nails glinted as she lightly raked them over Jasmine's arches. "Gorgeous shade of pink polish, exactly like cute little piggies." She grinned mischievously. "And my, what smooth soles you have too. Like two freshly powdered buns, just begging to be kneaded!"

A tremulous giggle burst from Jasmine's lips as those wicked nails lightly scored along the balls of her feet. "M-mom, stoooop!"

"What's that? You want more?" Eliza switched to using all ten dexterous digits, giving Jasmine's tingling soles a light clawing motion. "Coochie coochie coo, little piggies!"

Jasmine thrashed wildly in her blanket prison, loud peals of laughter ringing out. The torturous tingles danced across every inch of her hyper-sensitive soles.

"Ticklish tootsies need extra attention," her mom continued to tease relentlessly. "Kitchy kitchy koo, don't they?"

Jasmine could feel tears start to form in her eyes as she gasped for air between helpless giggles. Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, Eliza's merciless fingers sought out her wriggling toes.

"Gitchy gitchy goo, who's got the most ticklish little piggies?"

Jasmine's eyes flew open at that phrase, a chill running down her spine even through the unbearable tickling. "W-what? You said it again!"

Eliza paused, looking momentarily confused before realization seemed to dawn. "Oh! You mean 'kitchy', sweetie. I said 'kitchy kitchy koo'." She laughed lightly. "I'll have to speak up over those adorable giggles of yours!"

Despite her mom's reassurance, Jasmine couldn't shake a growing sense of unease. Surely she hadn't imagined it twice...had she? Before she could dwell further, Eliza's digits resumed their maddening motions.

"No more stalling, you're not getting out of this tickle burrito that easily!"

Helpless laughter once more filled the room as Jasmine resigned herself to her wiggling fate. Her giggles spiraled into breathless laughter as her mom's talented fingers zeroed in on her arches. The blanket burrito that had initially been a cozy cocoon was starting to feel confining, almost prison-like as the relentless tickling held her trapped. But this was her mom - the woman she loved and trusted most in the world. Surely the uneasy feeling creeping up her spine was just leftover jitters from the nightmare. Jasmine squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on riding out the ticklish onslaught.

"You're not going anywhere, missy!" Eliza's mirthful voice rang out. "I'm going to tickle you forever and ever!"

A chill shot through Jasmine's core at those ominous words. Her eyes flew open to find her mom's face had transformed - now coated in grotesque, garish clown makeup! The grinning features seemed to stretch impossibly wide, colored wigs and floppy shoes materializing from the shadows.

"No! Get away from me!" Jasmine screamed, panic and revulsion crashing over her in waves as she thrashed wildly against her blanket bonds.

Eliza flinched back, startled by her daughter's outburst, and just like that the nightmarish clown visage was gone. Only Jasmine's concerned mom remained, makeup free and brow creased with worry.

"Jasmine? Honey, what's wrong?" Her hands hovered uncertainly, afraid to worsen whatever had triggered such a traumatic outburst.

Gasping for air, Jasmine could only stare back with wide, haunted eyes, struggling to make sense of what she'd seen. Had it been another waking night terror, cruelly bleeding into reality? Or had her worst fears about the tickle games actually been realized in some twisted way? Seeming to recognize she was truly distressed, Eliza quickly set to work unwrapping the blanket from around her shaken daughter.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Eliza murmured, voice thick with remorse for causing such distress. "I went too far, didn't I?"

Jasmine couldn't find the words to respond, instead wrapping her arms tightly around herself as she recovered her bearings. She knew her mom would never knowingly take the tickling games too far...right?

Despite the reassuring embrace and soothing apologies, a nagging seed of doubt had taken root. She remained tense and on edge even as her mom pulled her into a warm, comforting embrace. Eliza gently stroked her daughter's hair, murmuring reassurances that it was just an overactive imagination from the nightmare.

"No more tickling tonight, I promise," Eliza soothed. "Just gentle kisses to make it all better, okay?"

Still rattled, Jasmine could only manage a small nod. As scared as she was, she trusted her mom completely. This was the woman who had been her source of unconditional love and safety her whole life. Jasmine focused on Eliza's soothing touches, the residual fear slowly ebbing. True to her word, Eliza lifted one of Jasmine's feet and softly pressed her lips to the sole in a feather-light kiss. Then the other foot received the same tender treatment. Despite her lingering trepidation, Jasmine had to admit the gentle caresses felt nice, grounding her back in the moment.

"There, that's my good girl," Eliza murmured affectionately. She lifted Jasmine's foot again, this time nuzzling her cheek against the soft skin as she inhaled.

"Such pretty tootsies."

Jasmine felt her cheeks flush at the compliment, a hesitant smile playing across her lips. "Thanks, mom..."

Eliza continued, lightly kissing along the ball of Jasmine's foot. A tremor of surprised laughter bubbled up as Jasmine instinctively curled her toes. Her mom's touch had taken on that familiarly teasing lilt again. Jasmine shot her a warning look, but Eliza just grinned unrepentantly. As silly and childish as it all was, she had to admit it was helping brighten her mood after the unsettling nightmare.

"Feeling a little better now, my dear?" Eliza asked with a warm smile, giving Jasmine's wiggling toes an affectionate squeeze.

"Yeah...I think so," Jasmine replied, hoping the dim lighting hid the way her nipples had peaked beneath her thin nightshirt.

Her mom seemed not to notice as she lifted Jasmine's foot once more to place a loud smacking kiss on the arch. "Good, I'm glad. You know I'd never let anything truly bad happen to my precious girl."

Jasmine felt a flush of reassurance, realizing how foolish she'd been to let an irrational fear get the better of her. This was her mom - her safe haven.

"I know, mom. Thank you..." She gave Eliza's hand a grateful squeeze.

Eliza beamed, looking perfectly content holding her daughter's foot hostage between her palms as she idly stroked the soft sole. "Of course, sweetie. Any time." She gave Jasmine's toes a final affectionate wiggle before releasing her foot. "Now, are you ready to try getting some more sleep? No more clowning around tonight, I promise."

Stifling a shiver, Jasmine nodded. The cozy warmth and playful teasing had relaxed her in a way, but there was still a lingering feeling of unease. "Yeah, I'm ready. G'night mom, love you."

"Love you too, pumpkin." Eliza leaned in to drop a tender kiss on Jasmine's forehead before slipping off the bed. "Sleep tight."

Jasmine made her way back to her room and laid down in her bed. She closed her eyes and quickly drifted off.