Womanly Duties

Mandy, a brunette in her mid forties, stood in her kitchen, wearing black and gold dress, fixing a plate of hors d'oeuvres as the sound of her guests chatter and the clinking of wine glasses filled the house. She put the finishing touches on the plate, ensuring that it would display well on her coffee table, before walking out into her living room. Her living room contained a long glass wall looking out on her pool in the back yard. At one end sat a grand piano, next to a set of couches around a coffee table. It was filled with guests, all with a glass of wine or scotch in their hands. The women all wore casual dresses, the men polo shirts and khaki pants. In the corner by the window, a noose dangled over a wooden chair. Beneath it stood a petite Asian woman wearing black leather pants and a black turtleneck, speaking to no one.

"I've got some snacks here" Mandy announced as she put the large plate down on the coffee table. Her guests immediately swarmed the plate and began eating.

"Oh, these are delicious Mandy, you simply must let me have your recipe" a woman in a white dress said, munching into a mini quiche.

"Of course, they're all in my recipe book. It's on the bookshelf in the corner" Mandy replied, before going to pour herself a glass of wine. She then began to make small talk with her guests.

"We're so glad you decided to throw this little party" her friend Martha said.

"Oh thanks, it was thrown together rather last minute" Mandy lied.

"Could've fooled me with how great it came together" her friend Sue put in, indulging in some of the appetizers.

"Well, for something this big I figured I should go all out" Mandy said.

"Of course, by the way, congratulations, I heard Dustin got into Brown?" Martha said.

"He sure did, he says he wants to be a lawyer" Mandy said, beaming with pride.

"You must be so proud" Martha replied.

"I sure am" Mandy said, then taking another sip of her wine.

The party wore on for another few hours. Mandy continued to make small talk with her friends and neighbors, and drank two more glasses of wine. She appeared cordial and conversational, but every once in a while she couldn't stop herself from looking over at the noose, and the woman standing beneath it.

"Mandy," a man said, approaching her with a glass of scotch in his hand, "I just wanted to let you know we're all very proud of you"

"Oh, thank you so much" Mandy replied, almost by reflex.

"This is a great thing you're doing for all of us, we won't forget it" he said. As they continued talking for a moment longer, the woman in black approached.

"Ms. Jacobs, it's time" she said in a serious tone.

"Please Kim, call me Mandy" she replied.

"Alright Mandy" Kim said.

"Well Tim," Mandy said, looking to the man with the drink in his hand, "I guess we'll have to cut this conversation short"

"Oh don't worry, I wouldn't want to keep you from your duties" Tim replied. Mandy then quickly poured herself another very large glass of wine, then lead Kim down a long hallway and into her bedroom.

"So...what happens now?" Mandy asked, after shutting the door.

"Well first off, is this how you would like to be dressed during the ceremony?" Kim asked.

"I thought I had to do it naked?" Mandy replied.

"Many women do go naked, but that is their choice" Kim explained.

"So I can wear whatever I want?" Mandy asked.

"Yes, legally the only rules for your hanging are that your hands must be restrained behind your back so you cannot interfere with the noose, and your full body weight must be on the noose for at least three hours"

"Three hours?" Mandy asked, her tone betraying her nerves.

"You'll be unconscious in less than thirty minutes," Kim reassured her, "and most likely dead in less than an hour, but the law is very strict that you be left up for three hours to ensure you pass."

"Oh" Mandy said, then pausing to think and take a sip of her wine, "well that's good I guess."

"So, is this how you would like to be dressed?" Kim asked again. Mandy turned and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Will it seem strange if I don't hang naked? Will my guests be disjointed?" Mandy asked.

"Don't think about them, tonight is about you," Kim advised, "how do you want to look as you die?" Mandy considered the question as she continued to look at herself in the mirror.

"Yes, I'll stay dressed like this" Mandy finally decided.

"Great. Would you like me to explain the process?" Kim asked.

"Yes please" Mandy said meekly as she turned away from the mirror.

"Well," Kim began, "first I'll restrain your hands. You can choose a rope or handcuffs. Then, I will lead you, holding you by the arm, out to the noose. Your husband and children will be waiting there to say a final goodbye to you. Once that's done, you will step onto the wooden chair. You may find this difficult with your hands restrained and those high heels on, but I'll be there to help you balance. Once you're standing on the chair you will turn to face your guests, who will be gathered around to watch. Stand as far forward on the chair as possible, as I will then have to stand on it behind you to put on the noose. Do you have any questions so far?"

"Would it be easier to get on the chair if I went out barefoot?" Mandy meekly asked.

"It might, although climbing the chair may still be difficult. Of course, many women, even those who chose to hang clothed, go barefoot as the think it will look more peaceful after." Kim replied. Mandy thought in silence for a moment.

"I think I'd like to go barefoot" Mandy said, reaching down and taking off her shoes.

"Alright," Kim continued, "once the noose is on I will step down. At this point you will have time for your last words. You can say as much or as little as you want, but by law you must say something. I would recommend that you decide exactly what you're going to say now. You seem nervous and, trust me, that won't get any better once there's a noose around your neck. I've seen many women go to the noose thinking they'll find the right last words in the moment, it almost always ends either in tears, or a babbling, incoherent mess."

"Okay, I'm ready" Mandy said. She chose not to tell Kim that she had written out her last words weeks before, and had been rehearsing them in her head ever since.

"Okay," Kim continued, "once you are done with your last words, simply look down at me and nod. At this point I will stand behind the chair and put my hands on the back of it. Then, I can either pull it out without warning, or I can quietly whisper a countdown for you. Which would you prefer?" Mandy thought in silence for a moment. She was worried she might cry out in panic if she had no warning, but she also worried that she would begin to hyperventilate or even cry during the countdown.

"I think...I think a countdown would be best" Mandy decided.

"Alright," Kim continued, "at this point I will tip the chair forward. It is important that you remain standing as far forward on the chair as possible, as that way your weight will actually help me to do this, rather than make it harder. You'll slide off the front edge, and then I will pull the chair away. At that point, your duties are done, you must simply wait for death. Any questions?" Mandy thought for a moment. She knew that hanging would be painful and slow, she had no doubt about that. But she did have one more question.

"I hear hanging can be...unflattering" Mandy said.

"It can. You will almost certainly squirm and writhe against the noose quite a bit. You may also drool a little and your tongue will probably protrude from your mouth. Some people find think this is embarrassing to the victim, others find the process quite beautiful" Kim replied. This made Mandy shudder, but she appreciated Kim's honesty.

"Is there anything I can do to prevent that?" Mandy asked.

"No," Kim replied flatly, "and I would recommend you not try to fight it. Your struggles will deplete your air faster and make the noose tighten down more. If you try to keep still you will only prolong your own suffering, and everyone struggles eventually anyway. Besides, it's your final moments. I think you should be in the moment, rather than focusing too much on what you look like to your guests." Mandy nodded. "Okay...are you ready?" Mandy sighed deeply, then downed the rest of her wine, and nodded her head.

"Okay, then just one last decision" Kim said, reaching into a small bag she had placed at the foot of Mandy's bed and retrieving a small piece of twine and a pair of handcuffs. "Rope, or cuffs?" Mandy thought for a moment.

"Cuffs" she replied, deciding it would be less likely that she could get her hands free this way.

"Alright, please turn and face the door, with your hands behind your back" Kim requested. Mandy kindly obliged, and Kim stepped behind her to secure the cuffs. Mandy felt a chill run down her spine as the first cuff clicked shut. To her surprise, as the second cuff clicked she also felt another sensation: her vagina was wet. Kim stood next to and slightly behind Mandy, taking a firm but gentle grasp of her left upper arm, then leading her to the bedroom door.

"Are you ready? Your guests will be waiting on the other side" Kim asked. Mandy took a deep breath, then shook her head. Kim opened the door, and lead Mandy into the hallway. Many of Mandy's guests had lined either side of the hallway, waiting to greet her as she left her bedroom.

"Congratulations" a man to her left said. Mandy silently smiled and nodded to him.

"We're so proud of you" a woman said as she passed.

"Thank you so much" Mandy replied, stopping for a moment before continuing to walk down the hallway.

"I'm so glad you're doing this" one of Mandy's neighbors said as she walked past.

"Thank you, so am I" Mandy said, all the while thinking only because I beat you in the last election for PTA President, Sharon. Then another woman stopped her.

"Mandy, you are such an inspiration. I want you to know that because of you, I'll be doing this next year, when my son graduates" the woman said.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that" Mandy replied, genuinely happy to hear this news. Then, she and Kim reached the end of the hallway and entered the living room. The rest of the guests were waiting there, looking at her with drinks in hand. Mandy, at Kim's firm direction, turned toward the noose. There, to the right of the noose, stood her husband Mike. To the left, stood her son Dustin and her two daughters, Jane and Emily, all now adults. They all smiled at her, but she could see in her husband's face that he was not happy about the coming events. Still, Mandy strolled toward the noose, trying not to appear too afraid. As Mandy had expected, the sight of the noose in these final moments sent a chill down her spine. What she did not expect was that it also spurred a growing tingling and warmth in her groin.

As Mandy approached the noose, Mike stood just in front of her. He put his hands on her shoulders, then leaned in and kissed her deeply. Mandy kissed him back, desperately wanting to wrap her arms around him, but being unable to do so with her wrists in her handcuffs.

"Awwww" the guests said in unison as they kissed. Then, Mike pulled back and looked deeply into his wife's eyes.

"Ya know," he said quietly, with a deep sadness in his voice, "you don't have to do this"

"Oh honey," Mandy said sweetly, then taking a long pause. Part of her desperately wanted to agree with him, and to call off the whole thing. Then she thought about all of the guests standing behind her, who had come expecting her to hang. "Yes, I do" she finally said. Mike nodded in understanding.

"I love you honey" he said.

"I love you too" Mandy replied. Then, Mike stepped aside and allowed the three children to approach.

"Congratulations mom" Dustin said, then leaning in to hug her. Her daughters quickly followed after Dustin. All the while, Kim kept a firm grip on her left arm. Mandy wished she could hug them back one last time, but was unable with her restrained hands.

"You know kids," Mandy said as her children stepped back, "I love you all very much, and I am so proud of you"

"Of course mom, we love you too" Jane replied. Then, her husband and children stepped back to take their places at either side of the noose. Kim lead her to the chair beneath the noose. Mandy stood frozen for a moment.

"Ms. Jacobs," Kim whispered in her ear, "you have to climb the chair." Mandy nodded silently, then put one foot on the chair. She took a deep breath, then attempted to bring her other foot onto the chair. Mandy had some trouble balancing, as Kim had predicted she would. Fortunately, Kim was there to help steady her, keeping one hand on her left arm, and using the other to push Mandy up by her butt. Once Mandy was standing on the chair, she turned around, and peered through the noose at her many guests. She stood frozen in the center of the chair for a moment.

"Ms. Jacobs," Kim whispered again, "I need you to step forward so I can place the noose." Mandy stood frozen for another moment, then nodded and stepped forward until her toes hung over the edge of the chair. Kim quickly stepped up behind her and grabbed the noose. Mike then stood in front of Mandy, and put his hands on her hips.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, looking up at his wife as Kim grasped the noose and draped it over her head.

"Well," Mandy replied in a hushed tone, "I'm very nervous...but also..." she paused, looked over her shoulder to make sure her children were standing back, then turned back to her husband "I'm soaking wet down there" Mandy whispered.

"Eww, mom, gross" moaned Dustin. This made Mandy smile a little.

"Really? That's surprising" he said.

"Not really," Kim put in at a whisper as she pulled Mandy's long hair through the noose, "arousal before and during the hanging is quite common, in fact many women orgasm during the procedure"

"Really?" Mike asked.

"Oh yes, that's why I hope to die this way someday"

"Well honey, at least that's nice" Mike said. Mandy nodded, and Mike stepped off to the side to give the guests a better view.

"So if you want to hang, why haven't you?" Mandy whispered to Kim as she finished adjusting the not and placing it on her left shoulder.

"We all have our duties. Yours was to raise your children, mine is to hang women like you. When I'm done, I'll go out just the same" Kim replied. Then, she tugged the noose tight around Mandy's throat. Mandy's entire body tensed as she felt the noose bite into her neck. She felt scared and nervous, but also began to feel even more aroused. Then, Kim stepped down from the chair. Mandy stood still and silent for a moment.

"Ms. Jacobs," Kim whispered up to her, "it's time for your final words." Mandy nodded her head, but remained silent for a moment as she mustered the will to speak.

"Good evening everyone," she finally began, "I'm so glad you're all here tonight. I'm sure you all remember, as I do, a time before this tradition existed, when overpopulation, lack of resources and the resulting unrest and disorder threatened to destroy everything we'd built. My children don't, but we do. When our excess population threatened to destroy everything we held dear, when it nearly tour apart the fabric of our society, we finally realized it was time to return to the traditional ways, to our duties as men and women." Mandy paused to clear her throat.

"The men, once again, became the bread winners, going out to bring home money for the family, and the women returned to our rightful role in the home, raising the children. But of course, this alone wasn't enough. We women had to take on another duty: the duty to die. Once our role as caretaker was done, once our children were grown, we had to realize that our usefulness was over, and it was our time to die, so as to make room for others to live productive lives, in service of the community." Mandy paused again. The noose tickled her throat as she spoke.

"That is why I am choosing to die tonight. My youngest, Dustin, is about to move out of the house, to pursue an ivy league education and a legal career. His older sisters have already found great husbands and moved out long ago. My duties as a mother and caretaker are done. I have only one duty remaining: my duty to die. I hope that every woman here, including my beautiful daughters, will follow in my footsteps when the time comes." Mandy paused for a moment more, then looked down to Kim, and nodded. Kim nodded back, then stepped behind the chair and put her hands on its back.

Oh god, this is it Mandy thought, as Kim began her countdown.

"Three" Kim whispered. Mandy felt another shiver down her spine and even more wetness in her vagina. "Two." Oh god, here it comes. "One." Kim tipped the chair forward, then yanked it back.

OH MY GOD! Mandy thought as she fell just a few inches. Them, suddenly, the noose caught her and yanked tight around her throat. At first, Mandy's entire body tensed. She held every muscle still, not wanting to squirm and wiggle in front of all her friends and neighbors. After a few seconds she remembered what Kim had told her, everyone struggles eventually.

Fuck it Mandy finally thought, and allowed herself to writhe against the noose. It began with just one kick, her left leg flung forward and back, and then she was still again for a moment, before beginning to violently writhe and squirm in the noose. Mandy rotated slowly back and forth as she struggled. Her friends and neighbors watched with rapt attention as she slowly asphyxiated. To her Mandy's surprise, Kim was right, she was growing only more aroused as the hanging continued. Her panties were practically soaked through with her arousal as she continued to squirm and writhe in agony.

After about five minutes in the noose, Mandy's back arched, her toes curled, and her eyebrows fluttered, as she was struck by an intense orgasm. Oh god that's good! Mandy thought as she climaxed. Just then, Kim reached up Mandy's dress, and pulled her panties down around her knees. What'd she do that for? Mandy wondered. Her question was answered a moment later, when she lost control of her bladder, and urinated on the floor. Mandy watched her guests giggle and point at the pool of urine beneath her. To her surprise, Mandy didn't feel embarrassed by the spectacle she was putting on, she felt proud. Seeing that many of the men in the room were trying and failing to hide their erections made her not only more proud, but also more aroused.

After another ten minutes of writhing in agony, Mandy's movements had slowed until she was giving a few feeble twitches, a token resistance against the noose, which would inevitably win. Her vision had narrowed to a fine point, and her fingers and toes were now numb. Then, the numbness began to spread inward, and soon all her extremities felt ice cold. It was clear to Mandy that her death was imminent, but to her surprise, this didn't scare her or make her sad. Instead, she felt remarkably at peace, she was content.

Mandy continued to twitch and writhe for a few more minutes, her guests still paying close attention. Mandy scanned over their faces as her thoughts began to lose coherence. One thought, then another would randomly flash through her mind with not particular pattern or clarity. Then, she looked down at her two daughters, standing at the front of the group and looking up at her, smiles on their faces. They'll get to experience this bliss one day Mandy thought, making a smile spread across her face. Then, as image of each of her daughters writhing in the noose crossed her mind, Mandy was overcome by one, final, incredibly intense orgasm. Mandy would have let out another groan, but the noose was now to tight for any sound to escape her throat. Still, her eye lashes fluttered, her toes curled and then, finally, she fell limp.

Mandy's body continued to twitch involuntarily for a moment, and rotated back and forth in the noose under its own momentum. Once it was clear she had finally passed, Mandy's guests applauded, then returned to their drinks, snacks and small talk. The party continued for another twenty minutes, but the guests cleared out quickly after that. Many of the men were clearly trying to hide their erections, and the women all had flushed red skin, it was clear many of the couples wanted to get home quickly.

Mandy's daughters each had flushed red skin as well, and excused themselves to the bathroom as soon as the hanging was done. Their husbands had not accompanied them on the trip home. Dustin went to his bedroom and continued to pack for college. Once the room was empty, mike stood in front of his wife's dangling body with a drink in his hand, looking up at her. Kim was still standing next to her.

"She was so beautiful" Mike said.

"She still is" Kim replied, moving next to Mike and looking up at her.

"Yes, she looks very peaceful...So what happens now?" Mike asked.

"By law, her body has to be left up for at least three hours, and I have to stay here to tend to it until then. After that, I will cut her down and bring her to the morgue." Kim replied.

"Okay," Mike said, "should I stay with her as well?"

"That's not necessary, it's late and you have work in the morning, she would understand if you went to sleep" Kim replied.

"Okay," Mike said. He sighed and stood looking at Mandy for a moment, erection visible through his pants. Then, he reached up and put his right hand on her cheek. "Goodnight honey, I love you" he said, before turning and walking to the master bedroom. Kim pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Mandy, facing her. She reached into her bag and retrieved a small, leather bound notebook, which she opened to a bookmarked page about halfway through. Then, she pulled out a pencil, and began to sketch Mandy. She drew an intricate, shaded sketch, capturing every detail, from how Mandy's panties still hung just above her knees, to her brunette hair cascading down over her shoulders.

Once Kim was satisfied with her drawing, she put the notebook away and looked back up at Mandy, staring intensely at her. Then, almost by reflex, her left hand drifted down her black leather pants, and she began to stroke herself.