The Suicide Club – Coffee With Emily and Claire

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First Chapter: The Suicide Club - Introduction

The coffee shop was only a block and a half away. Raquel, Emily and Claire walked.

“So you’re hanging poker fans?” Raquel asked.

“When we were in college our friend Liz found a video online,” Emily said. “One of those crazy Mexican bikini tournaments with lots of players hanged. Liz showed it to us.”

“And that is why you wanted to join the Suicide club?” Raquel asked. “For the hangings?”

“It’s complicated,” Emily said. “Let’s get coffee and I’ll tell you the whole story.”

 

The coffee shop was almost empty this late. There was no line. They got their coffee quickly.

“Let’s sit over there,” Emily said in a low voice to Raquel. “So the barista can’t overhear.”

 

They found a table in the middle.

“I can’t believe you’ve never watched hanging poker on pay per view,” Emily said.

“I’ve heard of about it,” Raquel said. “But those programs are expensive.”

“True,” Emily said. “Liz said she got the vid on some underground site.”

“I’ve never looked for those,” Raquel said.

“The four of us, Liz, and another friend Isabel, were really fascinated,” Emily said. “But some of us were too young. In California you have to be 21 to play. We kept talking about hanging poker and getting more excited. When Liz finally turned 21, we all signed the consent forms and registered them with the police. It took us 6 more months to work up the courage to do it. One weekend when Liz’s parents were out of town the four of us played in her attic.”

“You really played?” Raquel ask.

“We didn’t know much about how to play,” Emily said. “We decide to do the bikini game like in the video. That’s a crazy way to play. You only have 2 pieces of clothes and your neck to bet, but we didn’t know. We didn't have bikinis. We used our underwear. We all were trying to be very careful, but there is no way. You have to ante a piece of clothes every time the blind comes around.”

“I’ve played poker with friends,” Raquel said. “But not the hanging kind.”

“We played a bunch of hands with no one betting,” Emily said.

“Emily was the first one to bet,” said Claire.

“Yeah, and I won Isabel's bra on that bet,” Emily said. “After that there was more betting and our clothes went back and forth.”

 

“Finally, Liz and Isabel had no clothes left,” said Emily. “They had to ante their necks in the blinds. No one bet against Liz, but I bet on Isabel's blind.”

“And you won Isis's hanging,” said Claire.

“Yeah,” Emily said. “I remember how Isabel turned and looked at the noose for a long time.”

 

“I wasn't sure Isabel would do it,” Emily said. “But suddenly she just stood up, walked to the chair, put the cuffs on one of her hands and climbed on the chair.”

“She seemed so calm as she put the noose around her neck,” Emily said.

“She stared at me for several seconds,” Emily said.

“Then she just stepped off the chair ...” Emily said.

 

“And kicked the chair out of the way,” Emily said.

“Her face turned red and the way she twisted and struggled was all so amazing,” Emily said. 

“From her expression she was in pain,” Emily said. “But she could not cry out. We all just sat on the floor and stared in amazement.”

“Then she slowly relaxed,” Emily said. “Her body kept twitching a little for what seemed like forever, but was probably only a few minutes.”

  

“After she stopped twitching we argued about how long to leave her hanging,” Emily said. “Finally agreed on an hour before we called and reported the hanging.”

“We talked about making another noose and playing for another hanging,” Claire said. “But Liz had no clothes left and wouldn’t play more.”

 

“Wow, that is amazing,” Raquel said. “Emily, did you feel like you hanged Isabel?”

“Isabel hanged herself,” Emily said. “We all took the risk. One of us was going to hang herself.”

“But you won Isis’s hanging,” Claire said.

“You won some of her clothes,” Emily said.

“No I didn’t,” Claire said. “You won her bra and then lost it to me.”

“Well, doesn’t matter,” Emily said. “We all knew the risk.”

“It’s a real thrill to take the risk and watch someone else hang,” Claire said.

“Like we did tonight,” Raquel said.

“Exactly,” Emily said.

“So that’s why you joined the club,” Raquel said. “Liz decided once was enough for her?”

“No, Liz played again,” Emily said. “We all did.”

“What happened?” Raquel asked.

 

“It is a long story,” Emily said. “Some guy found out we had played hanging poker and challenged us to a game with his buddies. We were reluctant but eventually we agreed. We played at one of the guys apartment and with a lot more clothes than the bikini game. The guys started by betting their shoes but our strategy was to start by betting our tops and bras, try to distract the guys from the game with our boobs.”

 

“The strategy partially worked,” Emily said. “But Liz got a run of really bad cards and lost. The guys just snapped cuffs on her ...”

“… forced her up onto the chair and put the noose around her neck,” Emily said.

“They didn’t even give Liz the chance to step off the chair,” Emily said.

 

“They just pulled the chair out from under her,” Emily said.

“I’m sure she would have stepped off, if they gave her an chance,” Emily said. “The way they treated her was awful.”

“Is that even legal?” Raquel asked.

“Technically not in a private game like that,” Emily said. “But it would be our word against the guys and nothing would be done about it. Liz put on a good show for the guys.”

 

“Claire and I got dressed and out of there while Liz was still twitching,” Emily said. “God only knows what those guys did with poor Liz’s body.”

 

“That was mean,” Raquel said. “Not giving Liz the chance to show she would hang herself, but it is still amazing you played with those guys.”

“Didn’t feel real amazing at the time,” Claire said.

“Yeah,” Emily said. “It was a big let down.”

“That’s why you joined the club?” Raquel asked.

“Yeah,” Emily said. “Joss was allowed to take her time and hang herself the way she wanted. I like that.”

“The card drawing game is exciting,” Claire said. “But not the same as poker.”

“We suggested hanging poker to Jennifer,” Emily said. “But she did not seem interested.”

“She likes the card drawing,” Claire said. “No way to try to lose at that.”

“There’s that,” Raquel said.

“Would you support us in proposing hanging poker to the other club members?” Emily asked.

“I think so,” Raquel said. “But Jennifer is kind of set in her ways.”

“Yeah, my impression too,” Emily said. “Maybe some day.”

“I have to go soon,” Raquel said. “I’ll give you my number. We can talk.”

“Ok,” Emily said. “See you soon. Should be another club meeting in a month or two.”

“Nice to meet you,” Claire said.

Raquel headed home her head spinning from all the events of the evening.

Next Chapter: The Suicide Club – French Roulette