The Tickle Trap

“Agent, please.” The gruff voice of the interrogator echoed around the room. “What was your name again?”

I stared ahead blankly, my body spread-eagle on a cold slab. I tried to move my arms or legs, anything to pull myself away from the incessant prodding and poking. But, I couldn’t budge. I could feel something in my veins keeping me paralyzed and immobile, as if cement had been pumped into my veins. It was a strange sensation that left me feeling lightheaded and giddy, a tingling all over my body making it difficult to focus on any one thought. I had no idea what they were pumping into my bloodstream but I knew it wasn’t making me feel very good.

The interrogator’s rough hands felt like sandpaper against my shoulders and neck, gently rubbing up and down, scraping away at the dry skin of my forearms and calves.

I was too tired and groggy to do anything about it. My limbs felt heavy, like someone had taken an eraser to them and rubbed them out until they were nothing more than shadows of their former selves with jagged edges that kept me from grasping or holding anything for long enough to do any damage.

“Hmmm… Agent… Agent?” He hushed his voice as he leaned over me to look into my eyes. “You see this? You see what is happening here? You have to talk or we are going to have to take action against you!” His voice went from a low whisper to a high pitched scream as he looked down at me with bulging red eyes, flecks of saliva flying out as he spoke. His breath wasn’t great even before his teeth rotted out but now I could see right through them into his black gums and throat full of sharp bones ready to tear apart anything that dared pass through them without his permission. It was almost funny how he seemed so angry at the situation when he was the one who brought it on himself by sharing his world with us in the first place. He was a fool not realizing how many lives were going to be lost because of his own short sightedness but as far as I knew there was nothing I could do about it now. At least not until they let me out of this chair or whatever it was they strapped me down to anyway.

The interrogator ducked back down under the table out of view leaving only his gnarled hands visible as they continued their slow torture across my fleshy bits and pieces that would normally have been hidden from view except now all bets were off considering all my clothes were gone along with any shred of dignity or decency that remained after the whole ordeal started anyway. I think about that for a moment. What did dignity even mean anymore anyway? Here I am naked being poked and prodded by some weird ass alien while being told how much trouble I was going to be in by another alien who wants me to spill all my secrets so they can get back home before breakfast time and eat me. All while still trying not to show how terrified I am at having two pissed off bloodthirsty beings so close by looking for any excuse they can find to remove me from existence in the most painful way possible so they can tell everyone back home how weak humans are when confronted with their mightiness and power by turning our own weapons against us before casually brushing it off like nothing happened afterwards when we didn’t fight back hard enough because we were stupid enough to think we could stand up for ourselves in the first place instead of just giving up when things got tough like we always do and dying like cockroaches hiding from the light instead of facing our attackers head on like real men should have done in the first place because that is what men do isn’t it? We are supposed to protect those weaker than ourselves by invading foreign countries with our advanced technology just so we can make sure their leaders are doing a good job at running things instead of letting them figure things out for themselves like normal people would do which is why every single man, woman and child on this planet is dead as far as anyone knows right now because none of us stood up for ourselves big enough or fast enough before those aliens showed up after abducting millions of people over a period spanning decades without anyone being able to react quickly enough because we thought our laws would protect us if something went wrong which anyone who has watched any alien movie ever knows is exactly what you should never expect because those laws were made by us so they wouldn’t apply to them in the first place which is why those aliens killed everyone in cold blood rather than teaching us their ways like they said they probably would have if only we had given them some time before jumping straight into slaughtering every last one of us in retaliation for all the hurt we caused them when we invaded their planet years ago which meant there was no telling whether or not humans would end up living on that same planet side by side with those same aliens if things hadn’t turned out this way but either way there is no point thinking about all this rubbish now because humans are dead now along with everything else worth living for which is why they had no other choice but kidnap innocent people off the street using a cover story involving magical space ships that fly faster than light speed just so they can pretend those people are still alive somewhere just waiting for us to rescue them except that won’t be true will it? Because there is no way those people will ever get rescued because there is no way anyone will ever figure out where these aliens live deep inside space where no human has ever set foot before which means humanity will die either here on Earth or at wherever these aliens took everyone else off too once they inevitably realize nobody cares about anyone else enough anymore especially since most governments don’t seem interested in helping anyone anymore despite pretending otherwise during election times only getting genuinely upset when news breaks about refugees dying or being enslaved while trying desperately cross borders between countries which had suddenly decided were too important protecting more than everything else even though most people would rather blame someone else than take action themselves which means no one really cares anyway unless its happening right under their noses which isn’t helpful since most alien abductions happen indoors where nobody notices anything suspicious except maybe lights flickering on and off or strange sounds coming from nowhere until it's too late then having everyone go missing without trace leaving behind distraught family members hoping against hope that someone somewhere finds their loved ones alive somewhere even though there is probably no point wasting time trying since our technology isn't advanced enough yet meaning there is no way anyone will ever know where those poor souls ended up after being taken away beyond our reach leaving behind frustrated police officers wondering what exactly went wrong this time just because nobody wanted life easy anymore deciding its easier blaming each other than actually taking action instead meaning most cops spend their time pushing paper around rather than helping victims who deserve better whether human or otherwise knowing full well that nothing can be done anymore because humans have already proven time and time again in recent memory alone that there aren't any heroes left anymore willing to stand up for others so why bother putting yourself in harm's way when you know perfectly well you'll either end up dead or worse off yourself anyway?

I guess I must've zoned out staring into space thinking about all these depressing thoughts but thankfully I snapped back into reality just before things got too bad because another rude interruption interrupted my train of thought by sending a wave of fear through my body straight down into my chest causing a tightening sensation strong enough to make me wheeze out loud while struggling against whatever unseen bonds held me firmly in place causing panic flooding through me everywhere at once making it impossible for me not scream bloody murder as loud as possible hoping someone might hear bringing someone down here fast enough before something horrible goes wrong just like everything else seems capable of doing nowadays which might explain why everyone's afraid all the time nowadays despite having more rights than ever including basic human rights supposedly guaranteeing protection against physical abuse etc which should help stop situations like this from going south so quickly but doesn't seem effective considering how many problems exist today despite supposedly improved methods available today compared with centuries past meaning tons more threats exist today so who knows how many kidnappings go unnoticed every day all over the world where people go missing never returning home never knowing what happened causing widespread panic among friends families workmates neighbors etc whose only goal seems finding answers starting rumors searching everywhere looking for clues etc until finally everyone gives up giving up hope resigning themselves believing nothing more can be done fighting back simply accepting random disappearances are part of life nowadays despite protests otherwise allowing children teens adults elders disabled etc alike vanish without a trace sometimes forever often never found leading families & friends left behind wondering whether those abducted people are even still alive anymore yet unable even knowing how much longer they might last if even faced with similar odds themselves unable able cope living day after day year after year decade after decade century after century millennium after millennium never seeing loved ones again ending relationships divorcing spouses getting remarried losing parents losing spouses losing children losing siblings gaining new children gaining new parents gaining new spouses gaining new siblings raising kids growing old never learning fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate fate

But, just as I thought I couldn’t take the claustrophobic darkness and the all-consuming fear any longer, the room was suddenly flooded with blinding light. I shielded my eyes, squinting through the brightness to see two figures standing before me. They were tall and imposing, dressed in sleek black suits that seemed to blend seamlessly with the shadows.

One of them approached, his face obscured by the shadow of his hat. He extended a hand, his voice deep and commanding. "Agent, we're here to rescue you. Come with us if you want to live."

Relief coursed through me as I grasped his hand, letting him help me up from the slab. The paralysis that had held me captive dissipated, allowing my limbs to regain their strength. The room spun as I tried to stand, but the stranger steadied me with a firm grip.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice shaky with a mixture of exhaustion and hope.

"We're part of an elite covert organization," he replied, his expression grim. "We've been tracking the aliens responsible for these abductions for years. It's time to put an end to this madness."

My mind raced with questions, but there was no time for answers. The other figure came forward, a woman with sharp features and an air of confidence. "We need to move," she said, her voice commanding. "The compound is heavily guarded. If we're caught, there's no telling what they'll do to us."

Nodding, I followed the two agents as they led me through a narrow corridor. The walls were lined with blinking screens displaying footage from all over the world—scenes of chaos, destruction, and despair. It became clear that the alien invasion was not limited to the abductions; they were systematically eradicating humanity, leaving no survivors in their wake.

As we neared the exit, the woman spoke again, her voice tinged with urgency. "Once we're out, we'll take you to safety," she said. "But we have to find the command center. That's where we can gather intel and find a way to fight back."

I glanced back at the room I had been held captive in, the memories of the interrogations and the hopeless resignation that I had felt. The thought of striking back filled me with a newfound determination. If there was even a sliver of hope left for humanity, I would do whatever it took to preserve it.

With a renewed sense of purpose, we slipped out of the compound, the night air crisp and cold against my skin. The city around us was shrouded in an eerie silence, as if holding its breath. It was a stark contrast to the chaos that the screens had shown just moments before. But there was a flicker of resistance in my heart, a spark of hope that grew brighter with every step we took towards uncovering the truth and finding a way to fight back against our alien oppressors.

Together, we ventured into the unknown, ready to face the darkest of times with courage and determination. As we moved silently through the city, I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of optimism. The world may be on the brink of extinction, but with this covert organization by my side, I knew we had a fighting chance. The journey ahead was treacherous and filled with uncertainty, but in that moment, I vowed to do whatever it took to save humanity from the clutches of the alien invaders. And for the first time in a long while, I felt a surge of hope that maybe, just maybe, we could turn the tides and reclaim our world.