Dancing in the Dark

It was 1:45am as Nyx walked home from work.

She hadn't planned on working a double at the restaurant, but when her coworker called out last minute, her boss had given her a choice: "Stay, or you're fired." The goblin snarled, moonlight glinting off her pointed teeth. Grandia worked them like slaves. Nyx's sharp nails dug into her palms as she envisioned hurling her fist into her boss's face, but no matter how it vexed her, there was no way she could take a seven foot tall minotaur.

Nyx pulled off her uniform's cap, unleashing a shock of blue hair. It was an unseasonably warm October. Her body was damp with sweat, and she could still smell the grease in her clothes as she opened the door to her apartment.

The youth groaned loudly as she was greeted by piles of dirty clothes everywhere. Since she'd neglected to do her laundry for over a week, there were no clean clothes for after her shower. Throwing open the fridge door, she grabbed half a rotisserie chicken and devoured it angrily over the sink, bones and all. Then she wiped her hands and face on a dirty t-shirt, stuffed it and the rest of her laundry into a laundry bag, and walked down to the laundry room.

Sitting on the washing machine, Nyx purred as it whirred beneath her. After spending 16 hours in a loud kitchen, she was relieved to hear nothing but its soft mechanical churning and the hum of cicadas. The surrounding apartments were dark, and a warm breeze drifted through the open laundry room door. She closed her eyes. Beneath her, the washing machine rocked and vibrated. Pursing her green lips, Nyx spread her legs a bit. It felt good. Nyx's round butt and thick thighs jiggled as the machine gently shook her body. Her brow furrowed slightly. If she sat here long enough...

One of Nyx's pointed ears twitched. Something was scuffling past the laundry room window. She jumped up, but saw nothing through the dirty glass. Probably a resident, she thought. It was a small complex, and she knew most everybody. A few night owls, but most would be asleep at this hour. Maybe it was an animal? It sounded too big to be a possum or a raccoon. Nyx quietly made her way to the window.

The complex had two floors and was arranged in a U shape, with all doors facing inwards. In the center was a courtyard of grass, a few scattered trees, and a pool that didn't see much use. Only the entrance door led out to the street. Surrounding the complex was a parking lot, with a gate that closed at night. After 9pm, the only way in was with a remote to the gate or a key to the front door. Nyx always wondered what the point of this was, considering it wouldn't stop anyone who could fly or climb...

A shadow darted past the window. Gasping, Nyx threw it open to face the lurker.

"I'm not afraid of you!" she shouted in her most menacing voice. The concrete wall across the parking lot echoed her shout. She looked back and forth. Nobody sign of anyone. Pointed ears twitching, Nyx listened carefully for a few more moments, hearing nothing but cicadas and the washing machine.

Irritated that her private moment had been interrupted, she shut the window. The washing machine stopped after a while. She transferred her clothes to the dryer and headed back.

Hot water cascaded down Nyx's shoulders, her eyes closing as it flowed over her tired muscles. She was strong for a goblin, and tall, too, at five foot (152cm) even. Toned, sturdy legs led up to a peachy ass, curvy hips and a gently muscled belly. Her breasts were small but supple, with puffy nipples just a bit darker than her jade skin. Short, unkempt blue hair framed her gamine face, her fierce yellow eyes a stark contrast to her otherwise soft, pixie features. Pale freckles adorned her like a shawl, from her hairline down her chest and back. She knew she was small, but she was a fighter, and she held herself as such.

Standing on one leg and then the other, Nyx washed the soles of her dirty feet. Like most goblins, she did not wear shoes, choosing instead to wrap her feet in bandages when she left home. Her pointed toenails would never fit in shoes, anyway. She gritted her teeth as she quickly scrubbed between her toes, which wiggled uncontrollably as she held back a snicker. Though she would never admit it, she was unbearably ticklish, to the point that she could even tickle herself in some places.

Nyx got out of the shower and dried off, then went to her bedroom to assess her clothing situation. One pair of blue-and-white-striped panties and a purple bra sat at the bottom of her drawer. She slipped them on and glanced at the clock. It was 3:30am. Maybe she could sneak down to get her laundry without anyone noticing. At least, there was a better chance than if she waited until tomorrow morning.

She started down the dark hallway, cicadas buzzing in the trees as she tried to step as quietly as possible. It wasn't the end of the world if someone saw her, right? She wore a bikini to the pool sometimes, was this really so different? Nyx's hypervigilance alerted her to the left leg of her panties riding up her butt crack as she walked. A blush rose in her cheeks as she imagined one of her neighbors seeing her naked behind. Quickly, she closed the gap to the laundry room, eyes darting around as she entered. Vacant. Phew. She quickly threw on a clean pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, gathered her clothes and started back to her unit.

About halfway back, a familiar scuffling stopped Nyx in her tracks. She dropped the laundry bag and whipped her head in the direction of the sound. Stillness - not even a hint of movement. She held her breath as she remained frozen. Nothing broke the silence; even the cicadas had stopped chirping. No animal that Nyx knew of could move that fast, so someone must be lurking in the darkness. Nyx lowered her stance, forming her fingers into claws as she scanned the courtyard. She waited.

After a while of stillness, Nyx slowly picked up her laundry bag and stepped quietly to her apartment. As her hand touched the door handle, something wrapped around her face.

"MHPHhhh!!"

Before she could struggle free, whatever was wrapped around her face also coiled around her body until she was totally immobile. She tried to scream.

"Anyone you wake will die," a voice whispered in her ear.

Fearing for her neighbors, Nyx stopped. As she struggled to break free, the strong coil around her body lifted her off the ground and carried her into the apartment. The door shut and latched.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

The lights in Nyx's apartment went out. With her arms pinned against her body and legs roped together, all she could do was wriggle uselessly. Her mouth was pinned so tightly she couldn't even bite her assailant. Tears of fear and rage welled in her eyes. She squirmed as much as possible, but the coil's grip was unbelievably strong. Transporting her into the bedroom, the coil held Nyx over her bed, then unwound and deposited her there. Springing to her feet, she dove at her capturer.

"I'll kill you!" she screamed, slashing with her claws. Her hand sliced through open air. "Where are you, you bastard!"

She made for the living room, but gasped as she was thrown backwards by some invisible forcefield. Scrambling to her feet, she tried to turn on the light, but the switch was just beyond the barrier.

"Please, Nyx... I'm not going to hurt you, and I don't want you to hurt yourself," the voice spoke again. It was surprisingly gentle, which only enraged Nyx more.

"Fuck you! You broke into my house, you put your hands on me, I'll kill you!"

"You do have quite the temper... but I have a remedy for that."

As Nyx searched the dark for the mysterious figure, she became aware of a sweet scent filling the room. Quickly, she covered her mouth and nose with her bedsheets.

"What is this! Are you poisoning me!?" Nyx coughed out of reflex, though really, the scent wasn't irritating at all. In fact, it was quite pleasant.

"Please relax, Nyx... you can trust me. I'm not going to harm you," the voice soothed again.

Nyx tried, but she could not determine what direction the voice emanated from, nor what creature possessed it. She couldn't even discern if the voice was male or female -- it had qualities of both. Unable to hold her breath any longer, she began to inhale the saccharine aroma. As she did, a curious feeling welled inside her. Though she tried to fight it, small sounds began to escape her lips.

"There we go... don't fight, just let it out."

First a squeak, then a giggle, then boisterous laughter began to pour from Nyx. She fell back on the bed and wrapped her arms around her midsection. It was as though she had heard the world's funniest joke, and no amount of fighting could prevent the gales of laughter that flowed from her. Just below her own laughter, Nyx could hear the creature laughing, too. However, the sound was not mocking or scornful - they sounded delighted. Were they laughing with her?

After a while, her laughter calmed and she began to catch her breath. Silence fell on the room. Though a tingle of elation still lingered in Nyx's chest, she kept her wits about her.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked into the quiet dark. Her words hung, unanswered for what seemed like ages.

"I'll make you a deal," the entity answered, "I will let you go by the time the sun rises. If you still want to kill me by then, I will let you. If you don't, then I will tell you who I am."

Quiet pressed on Nyx's eardrums. She couldn't penetrate the barrier, so there was no escape. Perhaps the creature could be reasoned with. Since it was willing to communicate with her, it seemed the only option.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Nothing that you don't want."

"How do you know what I want?"

"Oh, but you ask so many questions. I have ways."

"Can I see you?" Nyx scoured the darkness. Her eyes had adjusted, but she could see nothing out of the ordinary -- even the forcefield was totally invisible.

"Not now. But when I let you go, if you still want to, I will let you."

"What was that smell earlier?"

"No more questions now," the voice replied, adopting a slightly more stern tone than before. Nyx sensed something else, too; impatience?

As she sat in the center of her bed, Nyx felt something wrap around her ankles and pull them down to the corners.

"Hey! Let me go!"

She reached forward, but before her hands could make it to her ankles, her wrists were likewise ensnared and pulled above her head. Like the coils before, these bonds were strong and unyielding as she pulled at her wrists and ankles. She hissed, baring her sharp teeth.

"Oh, what a scary gobbo... I'm shaking in my boots," the voice teased, and Nyx felt something soft stroke her cheek. She snarled.

"I'm not afraid of you. I'll kill you when I get out of this."

"Such a temper... have you killed anyone before? Do you think you've got it in you?" the voice cooed, falling on Nyx's ears like ribbons of silk. Though currents of rage coursed through her, she began to sense something else stirring, too. She tried to force it back, but something about this entity was... alluring, somehow. Unwilling to admit weakness to the intruder, Nyx remained silent.

"What's the matter? Don't go cold on me now, we're only getting started."

Nyx gasped as she felt something slide under the front of her shirt, then lift it over her head.

"What the fuck, you pervert!" she hissed, though she could no longer deny that her body was beginning to betray her... a familiar heat was kindling in her belly as her body laid stretched across the bed.

"Mmm... pervert, huh? Coming from someone who gets friendly with public washing machines?"

Nyx flushed. How did they know about that?!

A gleeful laugh filled the room.

"Nothing to say? That's alright, you'll be making plenty of noise soon."

Nyx felt her pants being tugged down and off of her ankles; only her stripey panties and purple bra remained. She kicked in protest, but as the futility settled upon her, tendrils of fear suffocated her rage. She was helpless, now. Could she really trust this creature not to hurt her?

"Please... don't do whatever you're gonna do. Just let me go, okay? I have money, just take whatever you want."

"Just wait a little longer. I think you'll change your mind."

Before she could protest further, Nyx felt something on the bottoms of her feet. She gasped and jerked, her strong toes curling defensively. A warm, soft sensation began to rub up and down her soles, from her heels to her tense, spiked toenails. Likewise, she felt a similar sensation on the tops of her feet, massaging up and down in sync. Releasing a shaky exhale, Nyx wanted to deny it... but god, it felt good.

"Why don't you uncurl those toes for me, dear? I know you've been on your feet all day... let me take care of you."

Hesitantly, Nyx unclenched her toes. As she did so, the warm sensation flowed between and under them, massaging slowly and soothingly, deeply rubbing along her tired arches and sore digits. Losing herself for a moment, her lips parted and she let slip a quiet moan.

"Ahh... isn't that nice?" the entity sounded pleased. Maybe it would be okay to relax a bit; surely if they wanted to kill her, they would have already. Right?

The invisible hands worked up Nyx's feet to her legs, massaging the muscles of her calves and thighs, working them slowly and expertly. There seemed to be no friction between the invisible force and her skin, almost as if her body was coated in oil.

"Aughhh... mmmm..." Nyx couldn't help but groan openly now. When was the last time someone had touched her like this? Not even her last partner had been so tender and attentive. Maybe... no, she was sure that nobody had ever treated her this way before.

"Oh, Nyx... you've been lonely for so long, haven't you? You poor thing," the voice murmured softly, almost as if to themselves.

As the gossamer appendages neared the tops of Nyx's thighs, they grabbed each side of her panties and pulled them down and off. Nyx whined and wriggled, trying to press her legs together.

"Please... don't..." she whimpered, an equal measure of embarrassed and afraid.

There was no response -- only the ghostly hands continuing their massage, deeply rubbing the sides of her hips and muscular bottom. Slowly, Nyx began to relax again. They moved up to her belly, gliding over the smooth skin and rippling muscles beneath. Up her sides they went, and then around to her back, seemingly unimpeded by the bed. Nyx's shoulders were massaged tenderly, then her biceps, forearms, and even her hands and fingers. As the massaging force worked its way up, her bra was unfastened and dropped to the floor, her small breasts spilling out. Nyx bit her lip, blushing fiercely as the entity continued up her neck, ending by gently rubbing her burning cheeks.

The hands withdrew, and Nyx slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at the dark ceiling. Her body radiated with relaxation, every nerve buzzing with pleasure. Moonlight spilled in from the venetian blinds above her bed, painting her naked form in stripes. For a while, it was quiet.

"God, you are beautiful. You're enjoying yourself, aren't you? Don't lie, I'll know if you do."

Nyx pursed her lips. It came as a surprise even to her -- she was enjoying herself, with a stranger who had forced their way into her home, drugged her, and restrained her to her own bed. What happened to all her anger? Could she trust her feelings now? What if it was all just the effects of the drug?

"Am I still drugged?" Only after speaking did she realize there was no assurance of an honest response.

"No, dear. It was a mild sedative, which has long worn off by now."

"Are you going to hurt me?"

They chuckled again, a sound like water over river stones.

"I don't make a habit of repeating myself, but, no. I will not do anything you don't want me to do."

"But how-"

"Shhh. No more questions. I've already answered more than enough, don't you think? How about I ask you one, now. Tell me -- are you ticklish, Nyx?"

Nyx's blood ran cold. Her ticklishness was already a big enough secret, but there was an even bigger one lying beneath it. What if they found out? She was laid bare both body and soul before this creature, whom she had ascertained could at least sense her thoughts. Panic rose in Nyx's stomach. Like a cornered animal, her rage muscled to the forefront again.

"I don't have to tell you shit," she spat.

"Tsk tsk. Such language! And after the nice massage I gave you, too. You goblins are so hard to handle -- rage, fear, then rage again. But then, that is what makes you so fun. Oh, well -- if you won't talk, I'll find out for myself."

Perspiration formed along Nyx's hairline. She knew begging wouldn't save her now. The air in the room stirred, and she felt a slight breeze over her feet. Her toes curled tightly.

"Hmmm... where to start. You seem keen to protect your toes, is that your special spot? I bet it is. In fact, I bet you have a lot of special spots."

Nyx's blush spread to her ears and chest, her hands balling into fists.

"Oh, this is going to be fun."

Before she could react, Nyx felt something soft brushing over her heels. She held her breath. Her heels weren't too bad. Maybe if they stayed on just that spot, she would be okay.

Shit! The brush was moving up her arches. She clenched her teeth as her back arched off the bed. What was that object, a makeup brush? Her mind scrambled for a distraction. Cooking at the restaurant. Playing soccer with her friends. Fuck, it was getting closer to her toes.

"How long can you resist? Will you lose it if I brush those curling toes of yours?" her capturer teased gleefully.

The tiniest squeak escaped Nyx's lips at the threat. Truthfully, she didn't know how she'd react. The last time she was tickled by someone else was in elementary school, but she could only imagine it would be ten times worse than scrubbing her feet in the shower.

She didn't have long to ponder before the brushes began to swish back and forth over the bottoms and tops of her curled toes.

"Stahahahap!" she laughed finally, her feet squirming as much as possible - which wasn't much - in the restraints.

"Tough little Nyxie is ticklish after all. I thought so. I knew a cute goblin like you wouldn't be able to resist a little toe tickling. Why don't you uncurl your toes so I can get to the really tickly bits?"

"Fuck youhohou!"

More delighted laughter. "Fine, then. In a little while, you'll be begging me to brush your toes. I guarantee it."

The brushes withdrew from her feet, and Nyx sighed in relief as she caught her breath. Moonlight glowed on the sheen of sweat covering her body.

"I hope you don't think we're done, dear."

Movement in the air again. This time, Nyx was unable to determine where the next strike would be. Every nerve ending in her body stood on end, prickling with anticipation.

Another light brush crossed Nyx's belly, which quivered in response. Then another, just above her bellybutton. Even though the moonlight illuminated her body, Nyx could see nothing touching her, which made the sensations all the more unpredictable... and powerful.

A soft touch, like the tip of a feather, suddenly lighted upon the top of her ribcage. It traveled down slightly, and then began to make a slow, winding spiral, the center of which would be her bellybutton. Her belly trembled as the feather wandered along her skin, all of her rippling muscles doing nothing to help her now.

"What are you going to do now, hm? You know that feather's going for your bellybutton. What are you gonna do when it gets there? Will you overflow with cute giggles? Will you burst into delicious, uncontrollable laughter? I can't wait to find out."