2022 

Haven’s Hollow had been the backdrop of many occasions over the years. It’d hosted small weddings, photoshoots, and a few romantic evenings here and there but this was the first time it was being used for a movie. Honestly it’s surprising it took so long with the quaint, picturesque cabin and the sea of trees surrounding the grounds like something out of a painting. The beauty of the old English estate however wouldn’t be shown off in the way a period piece or a drama would do, instead it was slated to be the setting of a new horror film aiming to capitalize on its isolation and the eerie personality that arose with each sun down. 

The movie was already attracting heavy amounts of press attention due to its star-studded cast, forcing the studio to hire security just to keep them out of the way. There was Joseph Quinn, fresh off his breakout role in Stranger Things 4 and John Boyega of Star Wars fame looking to make his horror debut. Liam Hemsworth was taking his most high-profile role in years and last but not least, Harry Styles rounded out the cast, determined to prove he was a decent actor and could hold his own among his more seasoned peers. The film, titled Blood Brothers, was about four college friends reuniting after five years for a weekend trip but they soon become the target of a mysterious killer looking to take them out one by one. The foursome were all English on purpose except Liam who was supposed to have been an Australian import from their time at University.

The movie’s budget had been squeezed fairly tight before shooting began, so tight in fact that the four stars opted to stay at Haven’s Hollow at night during shooting instead of driving two hours every day to sleep at a cheap hotel. But as unusual as the circumstances were, it gave the cast a great chance to get to know each other and become at least a little like the friend group they were playing. 

The gang were currently seated around the living room while a fire in the fireplace  kept them company as they enjoyed the bottle of liquor John had brought with him. “So did you really learn to play that Metallica song for the show?” Liam asked Joseph from the couch. “Yeah, I learned the whole thing so it looked real on screen. It was pretty awesome” Joseph gushed from one of the chairs on either side of the fire. “But I’m guessing you weren’t using a real lightsaber for that last movie” Liam added with a playful nudge of his socked foot against John at the other end of the couch. “I still looked pretty badass though, didn’t I?” John answered with a cocky smile, making the others laugh with him. 

Harry, from the other velvet chair, finished off his glass and started pulling off his crew socks like it was too much clothing for him. “You getting warm, mate?” John asked. “I think the whiskey and the fire together just got me kind of hot…you guys don’t mind do you?” Styles answered with a slight smirk as his tan toes rested on the carpet and he tossed his dirty socks to the side. “Actually, do you mind letting me get a few pictures of those? I could make some extra cash if I find the right buyer” Joseph teased as he pulled out his phone to pretend snapping some shots but Harry played along more than he expected, putting on a big smile and turning around so his legs were hanging off the arm of the chair and sticking his feet in the air so his silky soles were facing Joseph. “Make sure to get the money shot” Liam added as Joseph actually took a few pictures, figuring it’d be nice to have some photos of their time filming.

“Oh yeah, I’m gonna get a new watch from these babies” Joseph joked while Harry relaxed his legs back so they were just hanging off the side of the chair. “Can I ask you a personal question?” Liam spoke up. “Go for it” Harry answered. “How do you handle being followed all the time and all the tabloid shit? I mean I thought I used to get it but you’re on a different level” “I honestly just try to act like they’re not there or I even wave sometimes. I stopped trying to fight them years ago” “See, I think if I were you I’d be ready to knock someone out, know what I mean?” John added like he was getting hot under the collar just thinking about it. “I guess that’s one way to deal with it” Harry answered before pouring himself another glass. 

It was close to 11:30 but they were all still in the clothes they’d worn that day, the lack of pajamas seeming to keep them up like it was too early for bed. “Alright I have an idea” John announced. “Oh shit” Joseph laughed like he was eager to hear what his new buddy had in mind. “What about a classic game of truth or dare? We’re supposed to be getting to know each other, right? That’s a great way to do it” Boyega proposed, getting humored expressions from the rest of the cast. “I’m in” Liam agreed. “Yeah me too” Harry added. “Yeah, alright…just no streaking, ok? I think my nipples would freeze off out there” Joseph answered. “Deal. Well, I guess I’ll ask first then. Hmmm…Liam, truth or dare?” 

“It’s not a pussy move to start with truth is it?” Hemsworth asked. “Nah, you’re good. Let me think…ok, I got it; is it true you auditioned for Thor instead of Chris?” John asked while the others waited for the answer. “Yes, we actually both auditioned but as you probably know by now, I did not become the god of thunder. My turn now?” “Yep” “Let’s see…Harry, truth or dare?” “Truth” “Ok…what really happened when the band was breaking up toward the end there?” Liam asked, getting a gossipy ‘oooh’ from John and Joseph. “The thing is, if I told you I’d have to kill you…well, actually somebody may be hired to do it but you get what I mean” “No, come on!” Joseph pressed with an excited laugh like he couldn’t stand not knowing. “Alright, alright…it was a mutual decision. Once there were four instead of five, we knew it was only a matter of time. Everybody happy?” Harry asked. “Mind if I sell that story, mate?” John teased. “Fine, as long as I get a cut” Harry laughed before turning to Joseph. 

“Truth or dare?” “Ya know what, I think I’m gonna say dare” Joseph answered, perking the rest of the gang up. “Alright, here’s one for ya. I heard there’s a tree near the woodline of this cabin with a message carved into it. It’s supposedly a spell left by a witch years ago; go take a picture of it and come back and show us” Harry laid out, shocking his co-stars. “What? Are you serious?” Joseph combated with a nervous smile. “Are you rejecting the dare?” Liam challenged, making Joseph squirm with the attention on him now. 

“Ok, fine…I’ll go find the silly message” Joseph gave in after a little peer pressure. “Don’t let Jason get you out there” John chimed in. “If Jason made it across the pond I’d be impressed” Joseph joked before he slipped on shoes and opened the door to head for the trees. “I can’t believe he’s actually doing it; it’s pitch black out there” Liam added as they watched from the window. “I was kind of expecting him not to and choose truth instead” Harry admitted with mild regret just before Joseph walked into the woodline and out of sight from the others. 

“This should be good…there’s hundreds of trees out here” Quinn realized as he looked around with his phone flashlight and tried to find the tree with writing on it. Leaves crunching around him and the wind blowing through the trees quickly put Joseph on edge, beginning to worry what was out there with him. “It’s just deer or squirrels or raccoons…cute, little raccoons” Joseph talked to himself with mounting anxiety until finally laying eyes on a tree with carving. “Hell yeah! I got it!” he smiled with excitement as he switched to take a picture of the message but when his phone snapped the photo, it suddenly went dead in his hand.

“What the hell? It was at 50%!” Joseph complained while trying to turn it back on but as he fiddled with the phone in the dark woods, he failed to see the roots of the nearby trees creeping closer to him, growing across the forest floor like snakes until finally wrapping around his legs. “Shit! What the fuck is that?!” Joseph exclaimed with sudden fear as he tried moving his feet but the roots grew up him until he couldn’t even bend his knees. “HELP! GUYS!!” Joseph shouted with panic shaking his voice but his cries were interrupted by two branches bending down to lasso his arms and stretch them away from his body. 

“What the fuck is happening?!?! HELP!!” Joseph yelled as loud as he could with adrenaline pumping through his immobile body but it only got worse when another branch started popping the buttons off of his shirt, allowing the two sides to fall open and expose his bare upper body. “No! Fucking stop!” Joseph tried to argue in hopes it would somehow make a difference but the woods didn’t listen, instead keeping him prisoner so two more roots could climb up his body and steal the laughter Haven’s Hollow demanded. 

It was too dark for Joseph to even see much of what was going on so when he felt something start teasing his right armpit, making him nearly jump out of his skin. “AoOHwhAAatTIiSStTthhAAT?!” He couldn’t help but laugh as the root twirled around on the pale skin like it was painting a messy picture, flicking around and moving with long strokes while Joseph succumbed to the incredibly ticklish attack. “ohAohAFuUCCK! AOhAOAGETTooOFFFmMMEE! IImMSEERrRiIIOouUuSS!! HHEELLPPMMEEAHAHA!!” Quinn tried to call out, praying his co-stars were in earshot but he never heard any response or any footsteps as whatever it was had its way with his helpless body. 

A second root appeared only a few minutes later and snuck right into his bellybutton, shocking the 28 year old as the pointed end began swirling around like a skinny, devious finger. “AHOAoAANNoONNoOAOhA!! PPLLeEeaASSEEahoAHOA!!” Joseph begged like he’d walked into some kind of twisted nightmare and his bubbly, distressed laughter filled the vast woods. Joseph couldn’t even see the root on his armpit split itself in two, unaware his other delicate underarm was in trouble until he felt the same twisty teasing and he nearly squealed into the night. “AAHoAOHASShHIIiTT!! AOhAOhAMMmEerRRcCCyYY!! JJUuUSSTTLLEeETTmMEeGGOhoO!!” Joseph roared with his frightened laughter echoing through the trees while the roots exploited his supreme ticklish nature. 

The confused actor started to think he was losing his mind or that this was somehow an elaborate prank set up by his new friends but he could hardly think straight at all, overwhelmed by the mysterious tickling that somehow knew all his best spots. “AhoAoHLlLEETTTmMMEGGoOhOOO!!” Joseph surged with all his strength against the roots and trees but his frustration was met with another branch leaning down to tickle him with its leaves, snaking around his neck and even down the back of his shirt like a feather boa come to life. “AhOAWWhhAATTThhEEFFuUHUCCK!? AhoAnNoONNOoMmOOORRREE!!” Joseph’s eyes were full of disbelief, unable to wrap his head around what was happening but the tickling was too relentless to let him believe for even a moment that it wasn’t real. 

“GGUUYyYSSS!! AHAOhAOHAAOhSSOOmMEEBBoOODDDYyY!!” Joseph howled with growing desperation as his pits tingled with over-stimulation and the root as his belly button branched out so it was slithering all over his stomach as well. The leaves on his neck and back kept him dancing in place with every twist of the branch, all of it working together to tickle him senseless and squeeze out every bit of laughter they could from the rising star. But Joseph’s already animated stream of laughter soon intensified even more when two more slender roots slipped up his pant legs and down his socks, infiltrating the layers of protection until they were wiggling along his soft soles like winding worms textured just enough to be absolutely unbearable. “AHOAHoAHOAHAOHAOHAFFUUUCCKK!! AohAOhNNooNNOOHAOHAOHAohAAsSSTTOhOOOPP!!” Joseph jerked in place and pleaded to whoever or whatever was tormenting him but nothing answered him back and the woods of Haven’s Hollow continued feeding off his ticklish suffering as John, Harry, and Liam began to worry the dare had been too much for their friend.

“It’s been half an hour; surely he’s still not looking for that stupid message” Liam added. “I’ll call him and see if he’s alright” Harry offered and quickly rang Joseph but there wasn’t an answer. “Shit, what now? I mean he could be hurt or something” John pointed out as a collective panic began to stir. “I’m gonna go look for him. There’s no way he’s still after that damn tree” Liam declared as he put his jacket on. “What if there’s a bear? What if that’s what got him??” John questioned. “I’ll bring a weapon then” Liam decided as he fumbled through the kitchen drawers until he found a metal meat tenderizer. “This will have to do” the strapping blonde concluded like he was prepared to take on whatever he encountered outside. “Fuck…this is crazy” Harry admitted with a nervous hand through his hair. “Yeah well, let’s just hope he got lost. I’ll call you when I find him” Liam assured before walking out the door. 

John and Harry watched him like they had Joseph as he walked toward the woodline but Liam’s long strides helped him move faster, almost marching toward the woods to save Joseph until suddenly his boots stopped walking. “What’s he doing??” Harry asked. “I don’t know...Liam!” John shouted with a knock on the window to get his attention as he stood almost 100 feet from the house but he didn’t respond. Liam looked at his clothes and looked over his shoulder like he was spooked by something, then looking around again as his co-stars watched his strange behavior. 

“Your clothes are too hot…” a voice whispered to Liam but he couldn’t find where it was coming from. “Who are you??” “You’re starting to sweat…you can hardly breathe under all those layers” the voice continued like a ghost but as confused as Liam was, he couldn’t deny how warm he suddenly felt. “Where’s Joseph?!” he shouted into the air but got no response other than another floating whisper. “You don’t need that jacket…or that shirt…or any of it” the voice haunted him as he tried to find the source but his body was now burning up despite the chill of the night air. Liam couldn’t help but agree with the voice and took his jacket off to relieve himself but it wasn’t enough, prompting him to strip his shirt off and then his pants as if the clothes themselves were on fire. 

“Is he getting naked??” John asked in disbelief. “Shit, I guess so” Harry answered as Liam finished by peeling off his socks and stood there with his bare cheeks facing the cabin. “Joseph! Hey, come on out!!” Liam shouted toward the woods but the voice quickly returned, “There are feathers between your toes…” “What??” Liam questioned but suddenly felt wispy discomfort between all ten of his toes, looking down to find nothing there but the feeling of feathers weaving down each row quickly became too much to ignore. “hoAOhAoh…stOTohOPP! aohAooOHAoohAAohASshIIiTAOha” he struggled to make sense of the invisible sensations but they were horrible, like someone was trying to clean between each of his handsome toes at the same time. 

His bare feet shifted around on the grass and he couldn’t control his laughter as the ghostly feathers grew stronger, “AhAooKOookAohAOAohA…FuUCCkkoAohACCOoMmEeoONN!!” Liam objected like Joseph had but there was no one there to hear him. “The feathers have spread to your soles…now using the stiff ends to trace the lines on your feet…” the voice explained and Liam immediately felt the points running along his pink soles, forcing him into a ridiculous dance on the lawn. “HAohAOhANNoOOhNOoAhoa SSTTOhohOPPP!! AOhAOhAFFuUuCCKK!” Hemsworth’s forced smile and bizarre behavior left John and Harry in awe at the window, watching him struggle to stand and grab at his feet and toes like they were itching him. 

“JJOoOSsEEEpPhhHAhAHA!!” Liam tried to yell to avoid abandoning his mission but the tickling was too much, wrecking any chance of moving forward into the woods or even just standing in one spot for more than a couple seconds. “They’re moving faster now…snaking between your creamy toes and teasing those big strong feet just right…” the voice announced and it was right; what felt like 20 feathers weaved in and out of his toes twice as fast and the ends of the other feathers doubled in number until they were moving all over his feet, now ignoring the lines all together. 

“NnOOAohAohAOHA!! MmAakkEEiIItSSTToHohoPP!!” Liam fell to his knees and then onto his back overcome with roaring laughter. “Your nipples are getting hard…wet and slippery from two tongues licking them over and over…” the voice added and Liam felt his chest come alive as his nipples stiffened up like clockwork. “OOohAoOHAohAooAohASshHiITITAohAohOA FFuUUCCkkOOoFFF!!” the 32 year old tried to combat but he had no control as the invisible tongues licked his tender nipples without a moment’s peace and the army of feathers continued dominating his gorgeous feet. The nipple attention tickled more than he anticipated and even with his hands firmly on his chest, they were tingling like crazy from the steady stimulation, further confusing his naked body as he writhed around in the yard. 

“Now there’s someone counting your ribs…moving up and down both sides with strong, stiff fingers…” the voice told Liam and just as promised, he felt two jabs land at the top of his ribs and start making their way down. “AhoAohAohAOhA!! FFUUUCCkKIINNGgohAOHsSTThOOOPPP!!” Liam raged like a man possessed as he writhed on the grass, dominated by the team of un-seen attackers hell bent on driving him insane. “What the fuck is going on?? He looks like he’s out of his mind out there” Boyega admitted like he couldn’t believe his eyes. “...we’ve gotta get out of here. We’ve gotta get Joseph and Liam and leave. I don’t know what’s going on but it’s getting fucking scary” Harry confessed as he put his socks and shoes back on.

“We don’t have a car! How are we supposed to leave??” “Call Uber or something, I don’t care!” Harry suggested and John pulled out his phone to try but his phone was dead. “What? How is that even possible?? My phone’s died!” John announced with a freaked expression and Harry stood up to check his own only to find the same lifeless device. “Let’s just go, come on” Harry instructed and started out the door but it wouldn’t budge. “It’s stuck” “Let me try” John volunteered but couldn’t get it either. “Fuck!” Boyega exclaimed like he was really starting to freak out. “Isn’t there a basement? Maybe there’s a crowbar or something we can use to open it or break a window” “Yeah, I’ll check” John answered and made his way to the bottom level. 

He turned the light on and went down the stairs to see it was virtually empty, only with a few random things hanging on the wall. But before he could really get a good look around, he realized he wasn’t alone. “What the fuck!? Adam?? What are you doing here?” John asked after recognizing the man in the rocking chair to be their director. “Just hanging around, you boys having a good time?” “The hell are you talking about, mate?! Some crazy shit is happening up there - we need to leave!” John stressed and started toward the older man to bring him along but suddenly couldn’t move. 

“What? What happened?? Hey! Adam, why can’t I move?!” Boyega tried to figure out but he was frozen in place facing the director, allowing John to see him bring out a small homemade doll. “What is that?” “It’s you, John. Don’t you see the resemblance?” Adam asked as the paralyzed 30 year old became even more nervous but he didn’t have time to argue with Adam before he felt a single finger start teasing his stomach. “oHoAohhHEY! WwhAaTTiiisStThAAT?!” John tried to ask without laughing but failed to keep it up. “I told you…it’s you” Adam answered with a cold, creepy expression as his finger continued wiggling across the doll’s belly and John struggled to fight how much it tickled. 

“cCoOmmEeoOOnNAOhAO SSToHOoOPpPPiIiTT!” Boyega argued, still not wanting to believe the doll had any effect on him. “You still don’t think it’s you, do you?” Adam challenged as he added more fingers to the mix and a sudden outburst escaped John with a wide smile. “AhAOhAohoOkOokAOhAOhA FFuUCCkKIInnGSSThOhOPPP!!” Boyega tried to convince but the fingers refused to stop and he couldn’t believe how much it tickled, like a giant hand wiggling across his bare belly. John tried to bend his body or shake off the sensations but he was a laughing statue, only able to move his face as Adam held the doll in his hand. 

The figure John perceived to be his director quickly proved the doll’s power as he grabbed its arms and held them up above its head, forcing John to do the same. “Holy shit!” was all Boyega could say, stunned by the manipulation but Adam sent a nervous twinge up his back when he stuck his tongue out toward the doll. “Hey! Hey, no don’t fucking do that! Hey, man, I’m serious!! Don’t fucking lick mEAAohAohAooAohOHAA!!” John protested until Adam’s tongue was flicking back and forth on the doll’s underarms and forced Boyega to feel the same, horribly ticklish tongue action. “HAAohAOhAOFFuUuCCKkkIIinNnGGSSTTTOOOPP!! NNONNooOhOHAOH!!” John cringed through his whole body like he couldn’t stand being licked but Adam’s tongue was enthusiastically cruel as he lapped up every inch of the savory pits and alternated between sides to keep John bubbling over with reluctant, thunderous laughter. 

With his free hand, Adam used two fingers to start squeezing up the back of John’s leg, hitting the young actor like an avalanche he didn’t see coming. “WWOoAOhAOhANNoNONOAhA!! FFuUuCCkkOOOFFAOhAOHA!!” John filled the basement with a fiery outburst as the fingers moved up and down both meaty thighs with incredible ease, the slightest pinch feeling like a massive chomp digging into his legs. “AohAohAOAHAAADDAAMMMPPPLLleEEAASSEE!! AOhAOhAAJJJUuSSTTHOHOPP!!” John pleaded like he was on the verge of tears, far more ticklish than he ever realized and totally wrecked by the voodoo doll demonstration. 

Boyega couldn’t imagine it getting any worse but ‘Adam’ proved him wrong when he started letting the legs of the doll graze against his jeans so the feet were dragging along the textured denim. “AAohAOhAAHAOhAOAHOAHAFFUuHUHCCKAOHAohaA!! NNOoNnOOO!! AOhAOhAAEEnNNOouUuGGHh IIiIGGiIVVVeEEuUUPPP!!” John roared as the tongue licked his pits clean while the fingers squeezed his thighs on a loop and the feeling of the jeans brushing all over what felt like his bare feet overloaded his body and tickled worse than anything he could’ve ever imagined. 

15 minutes passed and John hadn’t returned from the basement but waves of tortured laughter started getting loud enough to spill out from the lower level of the house and Harry knew whatever had happened to Joseph and whatever had Liam floundering around in the yard had gotten him too. “Shit!” Harry let out with mounting anxiety and tried to open the door again but failed, frustrating him further as he tried to figure a way out of Haven’s Hollow and escape the mysterious effect it was having on its guest. But despite having heard the story of the tree with the witch’s message, he’d failed to learn the whole legend. 

The whole story is that if anyone lays eyes on the carved message, they will bring on the curse of Haven’s Hollow but it won’t stop with just them. The curse will spread to everyone that person brought with them and use their common weakness to drive them to the brink of madness and make sure they never return. It could mimic anyone who’d stepped foot on the property, bend the grounds themselves to its will, and get inside people’s heads to make them think whatever the curse wanted. It had been enacted by an actual witch years earlier and the reason why changes depending on who’s telling the story but one recurring element to each re-telling is that the curse always left the Hallow’s most ticklish guest for last. 

The frightened heartthrob paced the floor like he didn’t know what to do or what he even could do. His phone was dead, he was trapped in the cabin, and now he was all alone…fearing he would be targeted next as the wind blew harder outside and the lights began to flicker off and on. His heart pounded and he grabbed a knife from the kitchen, gripping it like a real final girl would as he prepared for the worst until suddenly, it all calmed down. The lights stayed on and the wind was silent, confusing Harry as he looked around but fell against the wall at the sight of Joseph, Liam, and John now sitting in the same positions they’d been in earlier that night. 

“How did you…what happened?! You’re ok?!?” he asked, still holding the knife and very startled at the sudden reappearance of his new friends. “What are you talking about?” Liam asked with a humored grin. “You having a laugh?” John questioned as he sipped from his glass. “You guys were…you were gone, something got you” Harry tried to explain as he took cautious steps closer. “Did you smoke something funky without us or something?” Joseph teased, making the others laugh but Harry didn’t crack a smile, unable to compute what was happening and how things had changed so abruptly. 

“Come sit down, you’re freaking me out” John suggested and Harry forced himself to oblige, beginning to wonder if he was the one that’d gone crazy as he took a seat in the same chair as before. “I think you just need to loosen up a bit” Liam added as his default smirk grew wider across his face. “Yeah, you’re right” John agreed before he was smiling with just as much unsettling enthusiasm. “I’m fine…but why are you smiling so hard?” Harry asked like he was getting squirrely in his seat and Joseph turned to face him with the same exaggerated expression, “Truth or dare, Harry?” “What?? We’re not playing anymore” “Truth or dare?!” John and Liam asked in unison as they stood up and moved closer to him. “Guys! Stop it!” “Fine, we’ll choose for you - I dare you to laugh until you’re ready to tell everyone you know to stay away from Haven’s Hollow!” Joseph announced before all three of them pounced on him and the chair tipped back onto the floor. 

“What are you doing?!?” Harry tried to argue but was no match for the seemingly possessed trio as they ripped his sweater off and made quick work of his shoes and socks. “No! Get off me!” “Ticklish, Harry?” Liam taunted as he held one arm down and dove into his right armpit with furious fingers. “AAHOAhAOhAAoFFuUuCcKkAKOAHA SSTTooOhOHPP!!” Joseph held his other arm in place with his knee and went after his ribs and stomach with a divided attack, drilling between each rib of his left side while kneading into his abs like a massage from hell. “GGuUYySSAOhAHAaPPlLLEEaASSEE!!” Harry pleaded like he truly couldn’t handle such a direct gang tickling but he had no choice and it only got worse when he felt John corral his ankles in a headlock, telling him what was coming for his bare feet before the eager fingers could even make contact. 

“NNoOOHAOoHAOhA!!” Styles bowed against the back of the chair with wide-eyed horror as John scribbled all over the dreamy soles as if to punish them for how smooth and supple they were. Boyega held a firm grip and let his fingers fly across every inch of the famous pair but somehow his un-focused technique felt like he was concentrating on every part of Harry’s feet, the simple brush of his fingertips across the balls or arches far more devastating than it should’ve been, even on feet as sensitive as his. 

Joseph counted his ribs faster than Harry knew possible as he wiggled down the row like a machine while his other hand migrated from the stomach to his hip, latching around near the flank and showing Harry how vicious of a squeeze he could give. “AAOhAOhAOHAOHOoHmMMyyYGGOOODDOAoAHAOhaA!! SSThOhOOP!!” the 28 year old squealed like he couldn’t believe how brutal the simple chomp into his waist was but Joseph just kept going, working his supernaturally strong fingers up and down the inch of space while his other hand dug into the vacant armpit to make Harry flounder even harder. “AAhAOHAOhAJjUuuSSTSSThohOHOPP!! AOhAOAHAGGUuyYySSPLLlEEASSEEE!” Harry tried to get through to them, still not understanding that they weren’t really his co-stars. The real John was still a victim of his own doll in the basement, the real Joseph was still howling into the woods with tired lungs, and real Liam was a slave to the invisible feathers, tongues, and fingers tickling him without an end in sight.

The handsome Aussie soon began to change up his approach as well by leaning closer to Harry and rocketing his laughter up even higher by letting his wily tongue loose in the wide open pit. “AAHohOAOHAOAHAWWhhaATTThHEEFFuUUCCkAAohAOANNoOO!! AOhAHOSSToOOPPP!!! AOhAHOAGGUUyYSS!!” Styles bucked and cringed at the devilish tongue flicking around and licking up every bit of his tasty underarm but Liam wasn’t done, instead producing a feather not unlike the unseen ones still weaving between the real Liam’s toes outside, and started dancing it across Harry’s face. The flexible yet sturdy feather teased his lips and his nose and his ears worse than Styles could’ve expected, like the feather itself wasn’t normal either. “AHAoAHAohAAJjuUUSSSTTTlLLEEEAAVVEEMmMEEAALLOONNEE!! AHAHAnNNOOMMmOOORrRETTiICCkKLLIinNnGG!!” Harry begged with a strained throat and giggly desperation, struggling to even talk under the evil feather tickling his face. 

“Haven’s Hollow is not satisfied” John answered as if the curse was speaking through him. “AAHOAOhaOhAPPLLLEEEAAASSEeEE!! IiIWWOONnntTTCCOomMEEbBBAACCCKK!!” the tattooed star assured through the crazed, miserable laughter consuming him. “Haven’s Hollow will be the judge of your suffering” Boyega offered as if no amount of begging or desperate laughter could appease the curse; it had its own standards. John proved as such when he took hold of the ankles sitting on the edge of the chair and showed Harry just how ticklish his beautiful feet were. 

John stuck his tongue out and it extended more than any humans’ should, becoming a Venom-like appendage that quickly began slurping up Styles’ peachy pink soles. “AAHAAAAHAOHA!! NNOOnNNOO!! AOhOhAohAOhaNNoOoOTTTThHEETTTOOnNGGuUUEE!!” an overwhelmed Harry tried to convince with fresh panic on his now sweaty face but John was a monster, slithering and slinking from the heels, up the sides, along the low arches, and along the rows of bubbly toes like a ravenous creature incapable of being satiated. The tongue continued to prove how unnatural it was the longer it lathered Styles’ helpless size 10s, more textured and cartoonishly agile as it indulged in the delicious feet so many people lusted after. 

Harry couldn’t see straight after another five minutes, his head bouncing around and his body surging like a live wire from the relentless tickling. His neck was red from laughing so hard and his arms tired of trying to get free while his tasty feet continued to serve as John’s late-night snack but as wrecked as he was, the tickling didn’t stop. Liam’s tongue soon grew to match John’s and returned to the right armpit for generous seconds and the feather on Harry’s face started terrorizing his nipples to embarrassing success as Styles shrieked into the cabin. Joseph began daggering up the left side like it was some kind of game he was determined two win and his other hand sunk into Harry’s thigh, immediately helping to destroy him with just a simple squeeze but the real killer came when John retired his tongue and wrapped his entire mouth around one set of toes. Styles didn’t even know what was happening or what to expect until he felt what must’ve been three rows of teeth nibbling on his juicy toes, sending a shocked Harry through the roof with sensory overload. 

“AAHAOAOAHoAAAOHAOAAOHNNOONNONO!!! AOHAOHAOAHAOhaAohAAHOAA!!! FFUUuCCkKIinnNGGSSTTTOhoHOPPP IiIICCAANNNTTAAKKEEIIiITT!!” Harry screamed with wild eyes and broken laughter like he was beyond defeated, unable to process the absolute nightmare he was trapped in as versions of his Blood Brothers co-stars happily tickled him out of his mind. But just as John started devouring his other toes and promised another round of sadistic nibbling, a single tear rolled down his face and all the insane tickling suddenly stopped.

He opened his eyes and sat up like it’d all been a dream but he knew better; his soles were wet and tingling from the unruly licking and he could still feel fingers and the feather lingering on him. Harry stood up against the wall like he wasn’t sure if  it was over and he heard footsteps in the house, putting him on edge until he saw John. “Is it really you? The real you??” “The fuck are you talking about??” “Stick your tongue out” “What?!” “Just do it…please” Harry convinced and John obliged, confirming it was really him. “We need to get the fuck outta here - now!” John made clear and Harry agreed, putting on his shoes and socks and shirt before they opened the door to find Liam and Joseph on the porch, both of them just as bewildered and exhausted as their co-stars. 

With only a few words between them, they left the cabin. None of them wanted to discuss what’d happened, that they’d been tickled half to death and been made to laugh more than anybody ever should. No, they knew with a single shared look that they’d all suffered the same fate in different fashions and refused to go back to shoot the movie there. The studio, director, and the whole crew couldn’t understand what’d spooked the group enough to collectively push to move locations but the studio eventually agreed to keep their cast happy. Joseph, John, Liam, and Harry all refused to give an explanation to what happened that night to avoid the can of worms the bizarre truth would surely open. The boys certainly didn’t want to have to admit how ticklish any of them were and even more importantly, were secretly always a bit fearful that the curse of Haven’s Hollow wasn’t really at rest, paranoid it would come back to haunt them again and this time might not ever let them go.