Spring Thaw

It was early morning in the small town of Tombstone Arizona just before the sun hit the gallows on the outdoor stage. We had purchased our tickets to the sold out show well in advance.  For months it was all the town could talk about. Ever since producers had come here with plans to create an all new type of game show. A game show that was to pit slaves against each other in a deadly competition for their freedom.

Ten years ago the federal government had a problem. The homeless population had exploded bringing drug addiction amongst other crimes. Their solution was to create an indentured servitude program. The program was meant to get folks down on their luck a hand up by trading their work for goods, services and housing. Of course this only made things worse because many hard working people felt jaded that they had to work twice as hard as servants to get the same things in life. In our governments haste they failed to put any rules on the treatment of such servants. This lead to wide spread abuse of those with little to no rights. The result was an all-out uprising of servants across the country. With few rights and a lack protection the uprising was quelled quickly and anyone caught fighting in the rebellion where quickly executed. Those servants still bound by law would soon endure far worse as now there was a deep hatred for servants and the disrespect they had shown for those who gave them so much.

Another effect of the uprising was that the government stripped all servants of any rights they had, effectively making them slaves. Thus how the game show Spring Thaw came to be. Five contestants would be brought on stage just before dawn and forced to stand on blocks of ice under the gallows. Bound and noosed barefoot they would stand there as the rising sun thawed the ice beneath them. The last slave to still be breathing would be set free and given 500,000 dollars to start a new free life. The slaves were chosen at random and had no choice but to participate.

There was a large clock at the top of the stage in front of us counting down to the start of the show. As it rolled to 0 the lights came up on the stage before us. Soon five young women where brought out on stage. Hands cuffed behind their backs and feet shackled with metal chains dragging the floor. As this was a live primetime special the slaves had to be clothed as minors would be watching. Although the clothes chosen left little to the imagination. All five wore a pair of thigh highs held by a garter, a pair of lace underwear and a lace bra. Each of them wore a different color however as bets were made on each victim in accordance with their respective colors. I was too broke to make bets and only came to see the show and what a first show it would be.

I myself was young and barely of age to get into this show. I of course had seen all the girls on stage but one stood out to me. She appeared to be my age 18 as was mandatory for slaves to be chosen for the show. She was short, her stats in the program showed her at an even 5 foot weighing only 105 pounds, at least six inches less than the next shortest slave. She had long flowing red hair, fair skin and the most stunning blue eyes id ever scene. She was gorgeous and in white lingerie she was a vision. A part of me hoped she would win, as a beauty like her should be given another chance at life. On the other hand I couldn’t wait to see her dance as her legs clad in white nylon would look great for air dancing.

The guards placed the fresh blocks of ice behind the girls and began noosing the women.  An announcer came out and stated that bets would be taken for five more minutes and the show would commence immediately after. The clock began counting down from 5 minutes.

As the clock hit ten seconds the announcer came back out and began counting down. 10…….9……..8. The crowed quickly chimed in. 7….6…..5….4….3….2….1. In unison the girls were lifted by their nooses onto their blocks of ice.  Now the clock began to count up and a loud cheer arose from the crowd. Just as quickly as they had been put on the ice a tall skinny woman at the end in blue slipped off her block. A hush fell over the crowd, expecting her to simply put her feet back on the ice. She made no attempt and hung there limp. A guard touched her neck and through up a red flag. The clock flashed the current time several times. Then the announcer stepped forward with a short chuckle, “it appears that our first victim has just slipped and broken her neck.” “I apologize to all who placed bets on pink, but you are welcome of course to stay and watch the rest of the show.”

My eyes settled back on the little red head again she was obviously uncomfortable from the noose above and the ice below. She was visibly shaking from the cold ice and I’m sure fear of being hanged. Occasionally she would glance over at the girl who had slipped likely hoping if she fell she’d be as lucky.

As the sun rose so too did the temperature. With the light came a new and better view of the girls on stage. The ice had visibly melted under their feet and left small indentions were they’d been standing. One girl had been standing at the front edge of her block in an attempt to keep her feet as warm as possible. This however had an unintended consequence as she had created a slope to the front edge of the block and she was now finding it difficult to keep her footing. As the sun sped the melting she slipped and accidently pushed her block back just out of reach. She tried hard to reach it with her foot but it was just too far.
As the girl kicked and squirmed the announcer stepped forward again. “Well it appears we may have another victim,” he said with a grin. “Blue has just sent herself flying off her block.” “Tough break for those of you who have bets on blue.” “Please feel free to stay till the the end of the show,” he added. A few minutes later the clock flashed again as a guard threw his red flag. It was the end of blue.

Now down to three, my little red head looked determined to hold her own. With smaller feet and less body heat on the block she seemed to be making less of an indention in her ice. I hoped this would give her an advantage.

The clock was reading just over an hour and a giant thermometer next to the gallows showed the temperature already at 70 degrees. The girls were all standing on their toes now and any advantage the red head had was taken by the hot sun. All the blocks had melted a little over half way causing a watery mess at their feet. The red heads white nylon clad feet where now soaked and the materiel had become very see through. It gave a great view of her little toes all stretched out in an attempt to keep her balance.

Fifteen minutes passed and a small pop was heard from the stage. Yellow was now standing spread as far as her shackles would allow on two separate pieces of ice choking loudly. “Oh tough luck for yellow as it appears her block has broken leaving her partially hanged,” the announcer bellowed! “This could spell disaster for yellow and her fans.”  She curled her toes around the edges of the ice and tried to re-adjust when suddenly one of the blocks shot clean of the stage. The sudden imbalance twirled her body around and she began to spin like a top fully suspended. Sadly her dance was cut short as she passed out in less than 30 seconds. With the drop of a red flag a minute later and a flash of the clock little red and the girl in black where all that stood.

Both women looked to be focused on being the last and as the temps reached 80 there was no doubt the end was near. Both stood tip toed on less than three inches of ice and the ice was becoming slippery. As the sun ate away another inch the girl in black lost control of her ice. Being that they were side by side her chunk of ice careened into little reds block sending both of them flying.

“Look at this folks the last two will battle it out in a competition of pure stamina,” the announcer screeched! “Ladies and gentlemen it’s never been more black and white than this,” The announcer screamed, clearly playing on their outfit colors. The guards took their places beside the women to check vitals at the first sign of trouble.

Both girls may have been tired from standing but it was clear they both had plenty of fight in them. My eyes were glued to my red head in white. Her wet stockings flung water everywhere and oh how I wished I was in that front row getting sprayed.

Her dance was so erotic and mesmerizing I nearly missed the other girls show. The way she bucked her hips as if she was humping the air. “I hope she gets one last orgasm before she goes,” I thought to myself as a bulge in my own pants appeared. It was clear I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.

As I looked around there where many men adjusting their trousers and untucking shirts. I snickered and looked back to the stage as I saw red begin to convulse in a spasmic shake. Her legs stretched and she went rigid arching her back with her pretty blues eyes wide open. I thought this was it as too did the guard who reached up to feel for a pulse. I waited with baited breath for a red flag but none was thrown. He just held his hand there, just then I saw a flash of red fly across the stage. I had been so fixed on red that I hadn’t noticed the girl in black had stopped moving all together.

The the clock stopped at 1 hour and 43 minutes. Just then red seemed to jump back to life kicking and squirming as though new life was breathed into her. Her panties dripped with a liquid that clearly wasn’t water. The announcer screamed at the guards “cut her down.” Her small feet continued to kick and twitch as she desperately tried to escape the noose. Suddenly there was a loud thud and little red lay shaking on the floor, gasping for air. The announcer then belted “congratulations to all those who bet on white, our first spring thaw champion!”

It was clear that no one bet on the scrawny red head to have a chance of winning as they all began to leave in disgust. I hadn’t bet but I couldn’t help but stand there staring at her on stage receiving her rewards. Clearly still trying to catch her breath she began to break down and cry. Was it the money, her new freedom, the fact that she’d just been hanged half naked in front of millions of people! Who knows really but as the guards released her from her bonds and she looked out over the crowed I realized I was alone now at the edge of the stage.

Our eyes locked and for a moment I felt like the prepubescent boy unable to speak to girls. I didn’t have to as she suddenly asked me, “did you enjoy the show?” I giggled awkwardly and said it was fun. Strangely she smiled and said “Well I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Next thing I knew I found myself standing in front of her asking if she was free for dinner!

Looking back on that warm spring Arizona morning I thought I was just going to see a show. Little did I know I’d be taking my future wife to dinner that night. It’s been 5 years and we’re now married. From time to time I rub my hands around Ericka’s neck feeling the scars from her first noose dance. Now days the noose, gallows and restraints are all for fun. Once she told me her pause on the noose was caused by a massive orgasm I knew the noose would be our best friend. I can’t wait to get home at night to replay our  first date over and over again.