Raise the Stakes
This story was mostly inspired by a discussion with a DA friend “@MagicalFirefly”. It stars her, so be ready.
Carlie paced the green room, not really sure what she was doing. Oh, sure, everyone she knew had placed an application to star on this show. It was very popular.
Raise the Stakes had contestants try to endure something for the entire show. It was never torture, but it did make some people very uncomfortable. If they managed, they’d get a cash prize.
But, if they decided to try and raise the stakes, they’d have to endure something else along with the first enduring. If they managed to do both, the cash prize would be whatever multiplier a wheel before it all landed on.
Carlie had only seen one person, in the show’s run, endure both to the end, although they decided against going for the further multiplier. Of course, she hoped that she wouldn’t have to lay in a bed of non-poisonous snakes like that guy had. Another had a bed of non-venomous spiders crawling all over them, she tapped out after 5 minutes.
Carlie had only been told to wear what she usually wore to the gym. Sure, it showed a lot of her skin, she wasn’t ashamed of it, but she had to wonder what her endurance would be. Would it be tarantulas? Would it be laying in something disgusting? Would it be something that might hurt?
She kept working herself up until the aide came and got her. As she led her out onto the set, the announcer’s voice came over the stage. “Welcome back to Raise the Stakes. We’d like to say hello to our next contestant, Carlie.”
He went on to describe her a little too well, which made her uncomfortable as she walked out onto the set. The host, a man who could make anyone nervous, called her over. “Carlie, you know the rules. You must endure what we present you with for 20 minutes in order to win today’s prize, $100,000 in cash. But, first, let’s introduce what we have in store for you.”
A trap door opened, and the camera panned inside as the host led Carlie over to what was waiting for her. “A narrow cabinet, not much room to move around in, and, inside that cabinet, 10 electric, high-speed fans, each with 50 feathers attached to each blade. Although the fans will have their covers on for safety, the feathers will be able to poke through all the time.”
Carlie had to act a little nervous to try and hide her delight. Sure, she knew most people wouldn’t like a tickle torture like this, but she adored being tickled. She tried her best not to smile, knowing that money was as good as hers. “Now, Carlie, for the second part of the challenge, we need to spin the wheel to determine whether or not you want to raise the stakes.”
If being tickled for 20 minutes was what she had to endure, she wondered what the second part was. One of the aides brought the wheel out and Carlie got to spin it. If she decided to go through with it, it would multiply her winnings. It landed on 10.
The host smiled at her, a little sinisterly but he did smile. “Carlie, before we tell you what the extra challenge is, I must ask you if you want to try it for $1,000,000.”
A million? Carlie would be able to pay off her student loans, maybe even get a nice house. Maybe even a boyfriend who wouldn’t mind her weirdness. “Sure. I’ll raise the stakes.”
The host grinned as Carlie was led to a table. What was this for? As she lay down, a man she hadn’t seen approached from backstage, carrying a handsaw. What was he going to do to her?
The host finally told her and the viewing audience. “In order to win her $1,000,000, Carlie must endure the tickling cabinet for 20 while being sawed in half.”
Carlie shuddered for a moment, almost backing down. Sawed in half? That didn’t sound like fun at all, but she had to admit that it had always intrigued her. She’d seen magicians do it to their beautiful assistants, and they always seemed to be smiling and enjoying themselves. Sure, some screamed, but, in the end, they always smiled.
She nodded, giving consent when the host asked if she wanted to continue. The magician placed the saw on her waist and Carlie almost gasped. She could actually feel the prickles of the teeth of the saw on her flesh before the magician started cutting into her.
Carlie yelped at that first cut. It hurt. She’d never been stabbed, but it felt like he’d done just that. But the magician went on and Carlie felt something new. She felt like she was on vacation, with the sun on her back. She felt like she’d eaten a really rich Death by Chocolate. She felt like she had when she made love.
It felt that good as the magician cut her in half. And she could feel the saw’s progress through her body, knowing where it was the whole time. When the magician reached her spine, she felt the most intense sensation of pleasure imaginable before he finished cutting all the way through her.
The host emerged again. “Now, folks, in case you’re wondering, yes, Carlie really is cut in half. And, to prove it….”
Without any fanfare, the table Carlie was laying on was split in two, separating her. Carlie had to gasp as she felt herself come apart.
Then the host and the magician attached manacles to her ankles and her wrists. “Carlie, we’ll have to lower you into the chamber, and we’ll have to take you out, so you won’t be able to use your hands to try and block the feathers.”
Carlie just smiled. “I’m ready.”
It was dizzying as they lifted her two halves up, keeping them separate. They lowered her lower half in first, and Carlie felt it hit bottom. She could even feel the grating on her lower half, protecting her from the fan blades. Then they lowered her top half in, and she tried to look terrified.
Inwardly, she was smiling. She knew they were trying to make it as uncomfortable as possible, probably so they wouldn’t have to pay out the money, and she knew there was a clause where she could end this as soon as she wanted, but she felt good. And she loved being tickled.
The host looked over at her. “Are you ready, Carlie?”
She gulped, surrounded by fans with feathers on them and next to her lower half. “Ready.”
The fans turned on, and Carlie started laughing. The tickling was intense, more than she’d ever experienced, but she was loving it. She realized why they really wanted her to have so much skin showing and why they lowered her in with her arms over her head.
It was so the feathers could have more areas to work on, and she was enjoying herself. She kept laughing, trying to wipe away the tears that came to her eyes as she laughed. Each feather brought a new sensation of laughter as she kept going.
She didn’t keep track of time. She couldn’t. But all too soon, the fans stopped, and Carlie’s bisected body was lifted out of the chamber. She couldn’t help but still laugh as the aides came and unshackled her. She’d done it, she’d won $1,000,000, but she knew it wasn’t the end.
The host appeared and told her he’d expected her to quit after only a couple of minutes, so Carlie let him in on the secret. “No, I love being tickled.”
The host honestly laughed, showing he wasn’t all doom-and-gloom. “Well, you bested us. Now for the question. Would you like the shot for even more cash, or do you want to just go back to your normal life?”
Carlie was still laughing. “What would I have to do?”
The host gave his sinister grin again. “First, let’s see how much you’d be able to walk away with.”
He spun the wheel this time and it landed on the 2. From her truncated position, Carlie saw that. She’d have the chance to walk away with $2,000,000. “If you want that, Carlie, you have to stay divided.”
Carlie looked over at her bottom half. She felt great being in halves. “How long?”
The host gave his sinister smile. “Forever.”
Carlie looked him straight in the eye and smiled. “Okay.”
The host sighed, then they took her two halves offstage to where they had the $2,000,000 check already signed. The host appeared after signing off. “Honestly, Carlie, that was amazing. I didn’t expect you to take that. But here, I have something for you. No catch or anything.”
He produced a large patch of Velcro. “This way you can stay in half, like we agreed, but you can have a normal life.”
He helped Carlie put the different sides of Velcro on her two cut ends, and she managed to get them stuck together.
And she began her new, wealthier life being permanently sawn in half.