It all started when I was enjoying a quiet Saturday morning with my mom not too long ago. I was sipping coffee while she made us eggs and toast.

    She seemed to be in a good mood. We chatted about this and that. There seemed to be something on her mind. I figured she would let me know when she was ready.

    “Did you hear Jamie is thinking about having a noose party?” she asked me, kind of out of nowhere. Jamie Rogers was a good family friend. And I was good friends with her daughter Sidney who was just my age. We’ve grown up together.

    It didn’t make a lot of sense to me. “A noose party?” I asked.

    Mom seemed embarrassed but she smiled. “Yeah. She wants to have a real-life noose party. Can you believe it?”

    “Wait – you mean like … you mean like … where someone really hangs?” I asked. It was hard to believe.

    Mom served our food and sat down. She still had a smile. “Yes, like that.”

    “Oh my God,” I said. I was stunned. “Why would she do that? Why would anyone do that?”

    Mom shrugged. “It’s a really scary idea, isn’t it? It might be fun and exciting too – I’m not sure.”

    “Wait – you’re not thinking about doing this, are you?” I asked. I tried to eat some of my breakfast. But I was also kind of shocked and wanted to know more.

    She shrugged and smiled again. “I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see if anyone else wants to. It might be quite an experience don’t you think? I imagine a real-life noose party would bring out a whole lot of strong emotions. It might be truly horrible. It might be an interesting once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

    “You might have to hang!” I blurted out.

    She nodded seriously. “Yeah, it’s part of the game.”

    “Aren’t you scared?!” I asked.

    “Oh yes, sweetheart. Of course I’m scared. The whole idea is totally terrifying. It’s incredibly scary and exciting. Just going to this kind of party would be a huge challenge.”

    “Does the person get a chance to back out?” I asked.

    “Well, Jamie says she wants to do this right. Everyone who attends will sign a consent form a week before they party. On the day of the party they have to sign again, to show they haven’t changed their mind. The consent form says the one who is picked will definitely hang – she can choose to do it herself or have the others do it with force. So no, I guess the one who is picked will not be able to back out.”

    “Oh my God,” I said.

    “I think it’s better that way, don’t you?” she said. “The person who’s picked might have an easier time going through the process if she knows there’s no choice.”

    “What are the odds of getting picked?” I asked.

    “Well she wants to have eight do the consent paperwork,” Mom said. “If any two back out before the day of the party then it’s still on with six. But if we get less than six the party is called off. One out of six are pretty good odds – high enough to be very scary but low enough to attract some interested players for the game.”

    “So you’re going to do this?” I asked.

    “I told her I’d do it if there are enough others who want to do this.”

    “You’re not like depressed – this isn’t a call for help is it?” I asked.

    “Oh no,” she said. “It’s not like that. That’s what makes the party so intriguing. It’s all much more interesting with people who don’t want to be picked.”

    “Well,” she continued, “I suppose everyone is different. Maybe some of the women are hoping they’ll get picked and would be happy if they do. That’s not how I feel though.”

    “Well ... ” she said after thoughtful pause, “if I was picked I'd have mixed feelings. God it would be horrible. But ... I don't know ... it might be kind of strange and exciting in its own weird way, don't you think?”

    “God, I don't even want to think about it,” I shuddered. I couldn't help imagining it. “Well ... maybe a little,” I said.

    She nodded, “I hope I could go through with it without complaining.”

    “Well anyway,” she said, “I didn’t know if you heard about this. I’m sure you’re probably not interested but I wanted to let you know anyway.”

    “What are you saying?” I asked. “You mean I could do this too??”

    She shrugged. She nodded. “Only if you really want to. Only if you understand the risks,” she said. “You’re old enough. You could do it too. It would have to be your choice and your wish.”

    “Is Sidney going to do this?” I asked.

    “I don’t know,” Mom said. “Jamie was going to talk with her about it. Maybe she won’t want to. LOL – that’s probably the smart decision!” she said. “Or maybe she’ll want to join in.”

    “Wow,” I thought. “It’s a lot to think about.”

    Hanging parties were a new idea. I knew they happen from time to time. The idea seems to slowly become a bit fashionable. A new wave of state privacy and right-to-die court cases paved the way for effective, enforceable contracts for these games. A few very talented artists and filmmakers helped bring the idea to the public. The best artists didn’t try to hide or sugarcoat the real fear and horror that comes with a game. Yet they also made the game seem very darkly sexy and oddly appealing to those who were interested. It was a lot to think about.

    “How will the person to hang get picked?” I asked.

    “We’re thinking about ‘face-card draw,’” she said.

    “What’s that?” I asked warily.

    “Well,” she said with a tone of voice that said “I'm glad you asked,” and she continued, “Each woman starts with two items of clothing. Each one takes a card from a deck. On the first face card – well, one clothing item goes away. She’ll lose the second for the second face card. And on the third face card, well....”

    “So there's no strategy,” I said.

    “Nope – no one can try to win or lose. All she can do is draw a card and turn it over for all to see.”

*             *             *             *

    We talked more about this in the coming weeks. When I got over my initial shock I realized that the whole noose party idea was very strange, scary, fun and exciting to talk about. But I wasn't sure I wanted to do it for real.

    I talked with Sidney about it quite a bit. At some point I guess we both felt bold. One of us said something like, “I’ll do it if you do it.” We both laughed about it. And in the end we agreed to join in.

    We all had a lot of fun getting ready for the party. We talked and laughed a lot.

    Sidney and I were assigned to go to the home improvement store for rope. We looked at several kinds. We decided against the slick nylon rope. We picked a rough, natural-looking type with lots of little prickly hairs on it – somehow that just seemed like the best choice.

    The guy at the store might have guessed what we were up to. As we were leaving the store he said, “Have fun girls.”

    Back home we all took turns tying a proper noose – we all got better with practice.

    Others went to a shop with police and security equipment to get the cuffs. There was a little debate between polished silver and flat black. Black won in the end. I'm glad. I think black looks classy and strong and serious. There wasn't much debate about whether we wanted the kind with the chain or the kind with the hinge. The hinge type is more restrictive so that's what we got.

    After that, just for fun, we all had a chance to play around with them in the weeks before the party to practice. Sydney seemed to enjoy the handcuffs most of all – she seemed to look for excuses to lock her arms behind her back and wear the cuffs for extended periods. I guess she liked the feelings and she liked how they made her look. I played around and had fun with them too – we all did. We all promised that if we were the one who is picked we’d put them on proper and snug.

    We got some champagne too.

    Anyway, the whole run-up to the party was fun. And it got better as the time for the party got close.

    Sydney and I went shopping for new lingerie and shoes. We each got a manicure and pedicure and waxing.

    Even the paperwork was kind of cool – I had to smile when it was my turn to sign at the lawyer's office. It was exciting and made me feel grown up.

    I got to the party early and took the opportunity to strip down to lingerie right away. That was scary but a lot of fun. I felt very grown up and sexy to show off my skimpy little black little bra and panties to the others, especially while wearing my new shoes.

    There were seven of us. Jamie’s house had a lovely finished basement and it was comfortably warm.

    I was worried about the outcome of the game – mainly about my mom and Sidney and Jamie. I didn’t really know the other women as well. They worked at the school where Jamie was a teacher – Carol was a teacher too, Suzy was a secretary, and Vicky was the school nurse. I figured it wouldn’t be quite as hard seeing them hang. But whatever happened I decided it’s all part of the overall emotional experience.

    Everyone had obviously worn some special lingerie and shoes. It was fun to see all the beautiful things everyone had on. There were lots of compliments going about. Sydney wore some especially skimpy little panties. They didn't cover much. She was nervous but liked how they looked. Suzy had made a bold choice. She was a petite, slim girl and she wore a delicate little shelf bra with pretty lace trim. It gave some support to her small breasts from below, which she didn't really need. And it left her areolas and perky nipples exposed for all to see. It all looked really sweet and cute and feminine and pretty. So she got lots of extra compliments and extra attention from everyone at the party. She seemed to enjoy that.

    All of us with long hair had it pinned up – we all agreed on that so the hair on whoever got picked would not interfere with the noose or with the onlookers getting a good view during the hanging.

    There were a few small hors d’oeuvres. I tried to nibble a little and act casual. But I was too nervous to eat. In some ways I was eager for the game to start. But in some ways I wanted to put if off as long as possible.

    While we were waiting to get started Sydney and I walked to one end of the room, to check out the noose. It was ready to go, along with a foot stool underneath. There were extra lights at that end of the room -- it was well lit up. The handcuffs looked cool and sinister – just waiting for someone.

               

    When the time was right Jamie called us together.

    It was a weird feeling to gather around the table with the cards in the center. We were all scared. But in spite of the fear and the serious reason we were there, everyone was pretty happy and upbeat. 

    Jamie shuffled the cards a few extra times in front of all of us to show they are random. Carol cut the cards and we were ready to begin.

    Jamie was willing to go first. She started off with a quick little reminder. “Okay girls, one of us will get picked,” she said with a cheerful smile. “We're all here for our own reasons. We all have our hopes and fears about this. When someone gets picked let's not be too sad or down about it.”

    Everyone nodded.

    “If you need to feel sad you can do that after it's all over,” she continued. “But until then, the kindest and nicest thing we can do for whoever is picked is to help her get through it all with the best possible attitude. So let's all stay cheerful and let's have fun with this.”

    It was good advice. I told myself that no matter what happened I'd try to handle it well.

    Then we started the game.

    With seven women I figured my odds were pretty good.

    Anyway – here I am now, standing on a small stool, wearing nothing on my body but a noose, and the handcuffs holding my arms behind my back. The cuffs are tight and the hard steel will cause pain if I squirm or fidget too much, so I’m trying to mostly be still.

    I was surprised when I was picked. Okay – I wasn’t exactly surprised. I was absolutely stunned and speechless.

    When we started picking cards I was actually hoping to draw a face-card or two. I thought it would be fun to do that and lose some clothing.

    The first time I got one I couldn't help smile and giggle like all the others were doing. It didn't take me long to slip off my bra and toss it aside with a big smile. I was kind of shocked to realize my nipples are all stiff and pointy. I guess that's from some strong mix of stress and deep fear and excitement. There was nothing I could do about that except blush and laugh. And anyway, I wasn't the only one who was like that.

    The second face card was fun too – I guess I was pretty quick and happy to wiggle out of my panties and toss them aside with a grin. Everyone else was laughing and joking and clapping. Getting whistles and cat-calls from the other women was funny.

    Even when my clothes were gone I wasn’t too worried. I guess I was mainly just enjoying the game. Other women were naked too and I guess it just seemed likely someone else was going to draw the third face card.

    For some reason I wasn’t super scared as I turned over my last card – until I looked. Then my heart just about stopped cold.

    I froze. Everyone was silent for just a second.

    “We have a winner,” Jamie said softly.

    Some gasped. Others cheered. A few clapped.

    For a moment I was stunned. I didn't know what to do.

    I saw Jamie tap something on her phone. I realized it was a timer. Then she looked at me. “Better hurry, sweetheart,” she said seriously.

    We’d been over the rules many times and everyone knew them well. When someone is picked she has a tight time limit to get up on the stool, get the noose on and get cuffed.

    There’s a penalty for those who don’t comply – immediate hanging with no chance to catch her breath or collect her thoughts or anything like that. That’s a scary and undignified way to go.

    In spite of my shock I knew I had to get going – the seconds were ticking away.

    I got one wrist cuffed okay – I even remembered to put it on with the keyhole facing away from my hand, which we all agreed was the best and most proper way to wear them. The footstool was small – barely big enough to stand on. I had to step up on it carefully, especially because of my heels that I wasn't used to wearing. Then I slipped the noose over my head and pulled it snug. The tighter the better, I figured. Then I made myself quickly put my arms together and slip on the second cuff with no delay. Locking my arms behind my back was really a scary moment. And it felt kind of good too in a weird way – it was nice to think I was crossing a point of no return. It's complicated.

    “Time!” I said as confidently as I could manage, praying I had met the time limit.

    Jamie tapped the timer on her phone. She picked it up and took her own sweet time looking at the readout. It may have only taken her a few seconds but it felt like forever and my heart was pounding like crazy. Then Jamie nodded said I met the goal.

    That was a slight relief but my heart was beating really hard. I thought others could see it in my chest. My thoughts were a whirlwind. How should I react? Should I laugh and act bold? Should I say something to the others? I thought I might burst out in tears but wanted to stay calm. I tried really hard take deep breaths, calm down, and think about what's ahead. I figured it’s going to hurt bad. Well, I guess it's supposed to hurt. It’s not supposed to be easy, right? I started to wish we got that nice, slick nylon rope – the kind that would probably close up quick and smooth. I wasn't sure how well this prickly hemp rope will close up, especially because we tied the coils on the noose a bit snug and I don’t weigh much. We figured that snug coils would make the noose close up slowly and that would make for a better show. I guess I’m going to find out if that’s true.

    While I was still in shock I was startled by the "Pop!" of a champagne cork at the far end of the room.

    My mom came over to chat.

    “I'm sorry you got picked, sweetheart,” she said, looking up at me as I stood on the stool. "That's bad luck."

    “Someone had to get picked,” I said, trying to pretend I was feeling brave and bold.

    “Well, okay, that’s a good attitude,” she said. “But I'm sorry I got you in to this. I'd trade places with you if I could.”

    “That's not how the game is played,” I said, with mixed feelings.

    “I know,” she said. Then after a pause she asked, “Do you think you can step off when the time comes, or do you need someone to help you?”

    “I don’t know,” I said. “I think I can do it. We’ll see.”

    “Did you get the handcuffs on tight?” Mom asked.

    I nodded. “They’re tight.”

    “We don’t want you coming loose when you struggle,” she said.

    “No,” I said.

           
             
    Jamie and Sydney drifted over to talk. They both had champagne and Jamie had an extra glass for Mom. It was funny how none of them had a stitch on except their shoes, and none of them seemed to mind being bare.

    Jamie took some time to look over my body from head to toe. 

    That made me feel kind of funny, especially because I realized my nipples were even more engorged and erect than before. I guess that was from the fear. And, okay, maybe I was feeling kind of excited too in an odd way.

    “You look great,” Jamie said when she spoke up. “Pretty shoes,”  she said.

    “Thanks,” I said.

    “Well how are you feeling?” Jamie asked.

    “Okay I guess,” I said with a sigh. “Really nervous,” I added.

    “I bet,” she said. “But don't worry your pretty little head too much – we're here to help and I know you'll do great.”

    “Did you get those cuffs on snug?” she asked.

    “Yes, they're snug!” I said with some frustration. “Everyone can stop asking me that please.”

    “Heh – don’t get snippy with me young lady,” she said in a sly tone. “If you’re going to be unpleasant I can take that footstool away from you right now.” She bent over as if to take hold of the stool.

    “No! No! No!” I blurted, truly terrified. “Please! Please! I’ll be good!”

    Jamie smiled. “Well okay,” she said sweetly. “I know you're nervous about hanging. But you still have to be pleasant, okay?”

    “I will,” I nodded, trying to catch my breath, “I promise.”

    She looked at the timer. “You have a few minutes left in the green period sweetheart. Enjoy your time,” she said. “When we move into the yellow period I expect you to step off, okay? Don’t make us get to the red – that’s undignified.”

    “Yes Ma'am,” I said. I was really scared and breathing deep.

    “I’m sure you’ll give us a lively little show,” she said.

    Sydney had been silent until now. She just looked up at me, studying me intensely.

    “God, you must be scared,” she said.

    I nodded. “I guess so,” I sighed.

    Jamie said to Sydney, “Say something pleasant to her.”

    Sydney looked up at me. “You're really brave,” she said.

    “Thanks,” I sighed.

    “And you look super hot,” she added with a sexy tone of voice.

    That made me smile. “Thanks,” I said, trying to act confident.

    “I hope it doesn't hurt too much to hang,” she said.

    I sighed and nodded. “I guess I'll find out.”

    I noticed Vicky now had a stethoscope around her bare shoulders. I gave me a new chill from that because I knew what it was for. She was going to check for a heartbeat after I had been hanging long enough. When my heart had fully stopped beating that would signal the end of the game and everyone would be free to get dressed again.

    The other women sipped a bit of wine and tasted the snacks. It was easy to tell from their tone of voice and body language they were feeling very relieved from the stress of the game. 

    Little by little they gathered around me in an arc.

    I could sense my time was running out.

    I was breathing really hard and trying to control my feelings. There was nothing else I could do but stand on the stool and wait.

    Suzy walked up next to Carol. With a little laugh and a pretty smile she said, “I guess this means I don't escape going to work on Monday.”

    Carol nodded. “Yeah,” she said soberly, “I was thinking the same thing.” Then she added, “Well, maybe there will be another noose party some day.”

    Suzy nodded. “Count me in,” she said cheerfully.

    The last minutes slipped by quickly.

    When I knew my time was about up Jamie came over and stood close. She reached up her hand and laid it on my chest above my left breast -- about where my heart is.

    She held her hand there for a moment. “Wow,” she said softly, mostly to herself. “So much warmth. So much life.”

    I didn't know what to do. I just stood still on the footstool.

    Then Jamie took her hand away, stepped back, took a deep breath, and spoke up. “Well sweetheart, you might be getting bored just standing there. You're probably eager to take the next step on your journey. So I have good news for you,” she said with a nice tone of voice. “It's about time to get you dangling. It's time for you and that noose to get more intimate with each other and get more acquainted if you know what I mean,” she said with a nice smile. “It's exciting,” she said.

    I gulped. I tried to nod and agree.

    “You've got to do this,” she said. “So you probably want to do it with good style and good cheer. That way everyone can look back later and remember how happy and brave you were, right?”

    “Okay,” I said with mixed feelings.

    Jamie turned to speak to the others. “Annie is going to be very brave and bold. She's happy to give us a good show. So even if this part is tough to watch we should all give her our full attention.” 

    Several of the women nodded.

    Turning back to me she said, “You look gorgeous. You've been a good sport so far. I know all of this isn't easy and you've done great. You should stand up straight and tall and feel very proud about how brave you've been.”

    I guess that made me smile a little.

    “Now comes the good part,” she said. “You're probably ready to get going,” she said with a cheerful smile. “And we all want to see that cute little body squirmin' and a-wigglin' for us. So take some nice, deep breaths and give us a smile. Then step off – everyone wants to what see a cheerful and kinky and eager little noose slut you are.”

    I tried to nod. I looked down at the women standing around me. I felt really odd to be the center of attention of so much rapt attention. I worked to keep emotions under control.

    Mom was starting at me intently with one hand over her mouth. She didn’t say anything. Jamie leaned in close to her for some comfort and warmth and put one hand on her shoulder.

    “This is it,” I thought. I wondered if I should say “Goodbye,” or something like that. But I didn’t want to lose my composure and start crying. “I better just do it,” I thought.

    I tried to smile but I guess it came out kind of crooked.

    Annie had a hard time pushing herself off. She made some half-hearted attempts to step off but always changed her mind as she realized how difficult it was. Finally, when it was looking like someone would have to take the stool away she bent her knees, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, said "Oh God," and pushed away. She swung out like a pendulum. Immediately she struggled very hard. And seconds later her struggles became truly frantic. Her legs flailed wildly in all directions and she quickly kicked the stool away, probably by accident. Then she kicked and thrashed and sputtered like crazy as the rope and gravity did their work. Her legs jerked in all directions. She made some stabbing motions toward the floor. She seemed to sense that the floor was just inches away below her feet, which it was. But it was just out of reach. Her shoulders and hips twisted sharply. The muscles in her belly flexed and strained. She made scissor kicks to the front, back or sides with her toes stretched to their limits, trying desperately to connect with some kind of footing. But there was nothing she could reach - just empty air in all directions. With all her energy and stamina she struggled quite a while. The other women watched as it all unfolded. Some were spellbound and didn't move. Others sipped their wine casually. After a while they watched as her struggles gradually got slower, then came to an end at last.

    Vicky said there still seemed to be a weak heartbeat the first time she checked. After another five minutes she checked again and reported there was none.

    When it was all over the reactions varied.

    Suzy and Vicky seemed happy, maybe exhilarated by the overall experience and the risks they had run. They talked happily about going out for a night on the town and maybe meeting some guys.

    Others felt more somber as they tried to sort out their feelings after so many intense up and down emotions.

    Annie had to remain hanging. She would stay in the noose for the next 20 hours. Her bare, handcuffed body made a sad, macabre, and perversely beautiful sight. Her mom, Jamie and Sydney felt she shouldn’t be alone. So they brought in a couple cots and some bedding to spend the night near her. 

    When it was time for bed the women got undressed. Sydney took one cot and the two women took the second. They wanted a chance to talk and cry and snuggle and get very close, and try to deal with the almost overwhelming emotions of the day. They were up very late.

    The next day they took turns staying with Annie while she continued to dangle. As needed, they kept her clean with a washcloth and a bucket of soapy water. The disposal crew arrived that next afternoon to take down the body and take it away.

    Over the next few months Sydney tried to deal with her strong feelings from the noose party. The memories partly felt like a nightmare. She could only imagine what kind of terror and pain her friend must have gone through. She missed Annie terribly. Yet it was all strangely appealing too. Sydney often wondered what it would feel like to be picked to hang. It would be horrible. But the idea was darkly exciting too. She was worried she'd seek out another noose party in the future, to get that same thrilling surge of emotions and maybe get picked herself. To help work through her feelings she sat down and tried to write the noose party story from the point of view of her friend.

[This story was originally posted on July 26, 2018. It's been substantially changed and lengthened since then. Last edit on August 22, 2018.]