The Suicide Club - The Luxe Cruise

Previous Chapter: The Suicide Club - Introduction

First Chapter: The Suicide Club - Introduction
 

Raquel found the 'The Suicide Club' story by Robert Louis Stevenson on Amazon and the Kindle version was even free. She quickly read it. The club sounded stuffy and was only for gentleman. It seemed to be more of a consensual murder club. If you drew the ace of clubs you were selected to kill the person that drew the ace of spades.

Raquel sent an encrypted email to Jennifer asking about the ace of clubs part of the story. She quickly got a response that the club was strictly a suicide club, not a murder club. Those selected were expected to voluntarily kill themselves with a minimum of assistance. Only if someone refuse would they be forced.

Raquel was relieved. She had accepted that one day she would kill herself, but killing someone else was completely different.

Karen had told Raquel that joining the club had liberated her to do what she had always wanted. Raquel now understood that feeling. She felt truly liberated.

Flirting with guys at the gym. Going home with ones she fancied. They might not be great lovers, but it was stimulating and she could always take care of herself when she got home. Raquel felt liberated waiting for the first suicide club event.

After a couple of weeks Raquel got an encrypted email from Jennifer with the details of the Luxe cruise. They were meeting on the docks two weeks from Saturday.

 

Saturday morning Raquel arrived early in her best bikini. Jennifer was already there with with two other woman, Hailey, with long red hair, and Cristel, with short dark hair. Hailey and Cristel had been on the Luxe before.

The other women arrived over the next few minutes. Maria had light brown hair with a few light streaks. Joss was another red head with short hair, but didn't say much. The last to arrive was Christine, with long brown hair.

As soon as Christine arrived Jennifer got everyone on board the Luxe.

 

The Luxe was huge, the biggest yacht Raquel had ever seen. Apparently Joss had never been on the Luxe before either and Jennifer gave her and Raquel a tour of the boat. Cristel and Hailey tagged along.

The swimming pool was at the rear of the yacht.

“This pool is where we do the drowning,” Jennifer said. “The rope and shackles are already setup. There is metal ring set into the bottom of the deep end. You put on the leg and hand shackles and walk into the pool from the shallow end. Rope is to hold you under.”

“Very … effective,” Joss said.

“There is an observation window on the lower level,” Jennifer said. “We can see better down there. Let's have a look.”

 

Jennifer, Joss and Raquel walked down the stairs to the back of the Luxe.

“You can see the metal ring clearly from here,” Jennifer said. “The rope though that holds you down.”

“You pull them under by the rope?” Raquel asked.

“As a last resort,” Jennifer said. “You're expected to just walk down from the shallow end to the deep end.”

“Wow,” Raquel said.

“Do you ever need to pull someone under?” Joss asked.

“It has happened,” Jennifer said. “Usually only at the very end, just before they take the last breath.”

“That is amazing,” Joss said.

 

“After a drowning in the pool,” Jennifer said. “We use to weight the body down and dump it off the back here in the deep ocean.”

“That isn't needed anymore?” Raquel asked

“Since suicide is legal and we are a registered, we are required to turn bodies over to authorities when we get back to port,” Jennifer said.

“Oh,” said Joss. “Dumping body where it is never found has some attractive features.”

“Yes,” Jennifer said. “But we can't do it anymore.”

“Too bad,” Joss said.

 

“This is Hailey and Cristel,” Jennifer said. “You know Joss. Meet our new member Raquel.”

“Hi,” Raquel said.

“I have to go up and check with the Captain,” Jennifer said. “Cristel is the clubs oldest active member.”

 

“The oldest member,” Raquel said. “How many meetings?”

“This is the ninth,” Cristel said.

“Wow,” Raquel said. “You have been lucky.”

“Or unlucky,” Cristel said. “Depends on how you look at it. It has opened my mind.”

“Yes,” Raquel said. “Just signing up for the club opened my mind.”

“If Cristel survives one more meeting she can challenge Jennifer for control of the club,” Hailey said.

“Jennifer said something about that,” Raquel said.

“That's Hailey's idea,” Cristel said. “She is only one meeting behind me. Maybe she will.”

“Ah,” Raquel said. “So both of you are old timers.”

“Yep,” Hailey said. “Chris and Maria are more recent members.”

“I should go meet them,” Raquel said.

 

“Hi,” Raquel said. “I'm Raquel.”

“I'm Joss,” Joss said.

“I remember,” Maria said.

“Have a seat,” Christine said.

“So are you here to kill yourself or watch someone kill herself?” Christine said.

Raquel was taken back by the direct question.

“I'm here for either,” Joss said. “Watching the hanging last time was exciting, but it could be me this time.”

“I was hoping to attend one or two more meetings,” Raquel said.

“I think we are all hoping for that,” Maria said.

“We are all hoping to fuck our brains out tonight,” Christine said. “But one of us will be at the bottom of the pool instead.”

“I wouldn't have said it that way,” Maria said. “But it's true I think.”

“I understand that,” Raquel said. “Just joining the club kind of liberated me.”

“Just remember the club doesn't meet very often,” Maria said. “So don't completely blow up you life. Likely you need to go back to work next week.”

“Yes,” Raquel said. “I understand that.”

 

Shortly Jennifer came back down and called everyone into the dinning area. Everyone took a seat around the table except for Jennifer.

“This is the joker,” Jennifer said as she held up the card for everyone to see. Jennifer shuffled the cards and then began to deal them out one at a time starting with Cristel. Jennifer would lay one card face down in front of each woman. She turned it over to see if it was the joker.

Jennifer worked her way around the table to Raquel and laid a card face down in front of her.

Raquel felt a knot in her stomach. Her hand shook as she reached for the card to turn it over. Raquel got her finger under the card and flipped it over, the ace of spades. In Robert Louis Steven's story this was the death card but here it was harmless. Raquel relaxed a little.

 

Jennifer continued around the table. The second trip around the table, Raquel's hand shook less but she still felt the knot in her stomach. The card was a a king of hearts, harmless.

Jennifer started her third trip around the table. When Maria turned her card over she gasp at the joker.

Joss cheered. Raquel felt relieved.

Maria took a deep breath to try to calm herself.

“It's ok,” Maria said. “Today is just my day.”

 

Everyone followed Jennifer and Maria to the swimming pool. Hailey and Christine stopped to get some champagne and glasses.

Maria quickly took her bikini off.

Maria stood quietly as Jennifer attached the shackles to her legs and then to her arms behind her back.

 

“Get your champagne,” Hailey said. “Before you go down to the observation window.”

Raquel and Joss got their glasses and headed for the stairs to the back of the pool.

Maria stepped into the shallow end of the pool and started to slowly walk to the deep end. Cristel had positioned herself where the rope came up and pulled on it to take up the slack, but not enough to pull Maria into the pool.

 

As Maria walked into the deeper water, the group hurried down to the observation window.

“Looks like the water is almost over her head,” Raquel said as she and Joss reached the back of the yacht.

 

Maria held her head above the water and sucked in a big breath. 

Maria pulled her head below the water and slowly shuffled to the deep part of the pool.

“They always do that,” Jennifer said. “Get one last big breath and resist as long as possible rather then just sucking in the water and getting it over with.”

 

Maria got to the deepest part of the pool still holding her breath.

“How long can she hold her breath?” Raquel asked.

 

The answer came quickly. Not much longer.

Cristel smiled as the bubbles broke the surface. Maria had surrendered.

 

“Wow,” Raquel said. “That is amazing.”

“I think she is finished,” Raquel said.

“Yeah,” Joss said. “Looks like it.”

 

Cristel came down to join the others.

“A toast,” Jennifer said. “To Maria.”

“To Maria,” everyone said.

“Rest in peace,” Raquel said.

 

Maria's body was left to drift at the bottom of the pool while the yacht cruised back to the city. Raquel, Cristel, Hailey, Joss and Christine enjoyed the afternoon sun around the pool.

As the yacht approached the harbor, Raquel went down to the back for a last look at Maria.

Cristel followed her down.

“What did you think of you first meeting? Cristel said.

“It was amazing,” Raquel said. “Didn't really expect it would be like that.”

“It's amazing to watch someone kill themselves,” Cristel said. “I've been working on some ideas I think you'll find interesting, but it's going to be a a few months. Can I give you a call if things are ready?”

“Sure,” Raquel said. “Any hint what?”

“I can't say here,” Cristel said. “But my hunch is you'll be interested.”

“Ok,” Raquel said. “I can give you my number when we get back to shore.”

As the yacht eased up to the dock, Raquel stood staring at Maria's body.

Raquel thought “It could have been me. As Chris said, I am going to find some guy to fuck my brain out tonight.”

Next Chapter: The Suicide Club - Dance Studio