Carnival Games

 

“Look!” Mishelle exclaimed. “Hanging games!”

“I heard the carnival had-em,” Elliot said.

“Soon as it was legal,” Alex said.

“Wanna watch?” Vera asked. “See if anyone hangs.”

“Sure,” Elliot said.

“Absolutely,” Mishelle said, flipping her long black hair back.

“It's expensive,” Vera said.

“Who cares,” Mishelle said. “Only live once.”

“What makes hanging games so intense,” Elliot said.

“I meant watch,” Mishelle said. “I'm not playing.”

“Let's do it,” Alex said. “I can pay.”

“Wow, 10K for risking a spin of the wheel,” Vera said.

“Maybe more than 10K,” Mishelle said. “That's the Baroness Sandra de Velamma over there. She is
mega rich.”

“Oh, wow, you're right,” Vera said. “Well looks like some girls are doing it for 10k.”

“Ok, $20,000 wager,” the booth operator announced. He turned and spun the wheel.

“Come on,” the Baroness exclaimed.

The wheel stopped on a vacant location and the girl standing with the noose around her neck smiled.

The booth operator went to the gallows to release her handcuffs and give her the $10K winnings.

“Wow,” Vera said. “She won $10K for just standing there.”

“With a noose around her neck,” Mishelle said.

“Yeah, but what are the odds,” Vera said.

“You're thinking of doing it!” Mishelle exclaimed.

“Well, maybe,” Vera said. “But more money.”

“You two girls are interested in taking a spin,” the Baroness said.

“She is interested,” Mishelle said pointing at Vera.

“Me?” Vera said.

“You said something about more money,” the Baroness said.

“Yeah, maybe $100k,” Vera said.

“Too much,” the Baroness said. “I'm not that rich. Best I can offer is a 40K bet, you win 20K.”

“I don't know,” Vera said.

“But only if both of you take the bet,” the Baroness said. “You would win 20K each.”

“What?” Mishelle said.

“You could win 40K between you,” the Baroness said with a smile.

“What do you think Mishelle?” Vera asked.

“I think it is crazy,” Mishelle said.

“It is crazy,” Vera said. “the Baroness wants to bet a lot of money that I will hang at very long odds.”

“It'd be wild to stand on the gallows while the wheel spins,” Mishelle said. “But chance I'd hang.”

“Only a tiny chance,” Vera said. “It is dangerous to get out of bed in the morning ... Got to live a little.”

“Seems like a bigger risk than getting out of bed,” Mishelle said.

“A little bit bigger,” Vera said. “But that is what makes it such a rush. Come on, we both need to do it.”

“I don't know,” Mishelle said.

“It's a package deal,” the Baroness said. “If you both won't do it, then just the regular bet.”

“I want to do it,” Vera said. “I can see in your eyes you want to do it too. Let's do it. I'll be fun.”

“Well, ok,” Mishelle said. “But just this one time.”

The Baroness got her double size bet out of her brief case and put it on the table while Vera got the noose in place around her neck.

“You know if I hang, your not getting any tonight,” Mishelle whispered to Elliot. “So you hoping I hang or not?”

“Of course not,” Elliot said. “But Vera could hang.”

“Oh, that's mean,” Mishelle said.

“I'm just being honest,” Elliot said. “You'd like to see someone hang too.”

“Just not my friend,” Mishelle said.

With Vera on the gallows and her arms handcuffed behind her back, the operator spun the wheel.

The wheel stopped on a blank location just before one of the red loser.

“Wow, that was close,” Mishelle said.

The operator grabbed a couple of stacks of bills and went over to release Vera's handcuffs.

“Your turn,” The Baroness said to Mishelle.

Mishelle took a deep breath and walked over to the gallows, smiling at Vera. She climbed up the gallows stairs staring at the rope.

The Baroness got another double sized bet out of her briefcase.

“God, that was a rush,” Vera said.

“It was a close one,” Alex said.

Mishelle got the noose on and then fastened the handcuffs behind her back.

“Were ready to spin as soon as she has the cuffs on,” the Baroness said.

The operator spun the wheel. The Baroness cheered hoping to win a hanging tonight. Vera, Elliot and Alex cheered for Mishelle too.

The wheel seemed to stop one location short again, but then the pointer flipped over the pin and came to rest on the red loser label.

“Nooooooooooooooooooo,” screamed Michelle

Before anyone else could say anything, the operator ran to the gallows and stomped on the foot lever that released the gallows.

The Baroness raised her fist as the gallows platform folded away.

Mishelle's scream of “Nooooooooo” was cut off as the noose closed around her neck.

The Baroness and the operator cheered as Mishelle kicked and struggled in the noose.

Vera, Elliot and Alex looked on in stunned silence.

Mishelle squirmed and wiggled, but there was no escaping the noose.

After a struggle that seemed like forever but was probably only a few seconds, Mishelle started to relax.

With the show over the Baroness and the operator discussed how she wanted the payout for the bet, $400,000.

“God, I never expected that,” Vera said.

“Don't blame yourself,” Eliot said. “She wanted to do it.”

“Yeah,” Alex said. “It's a hanging game. Somebody has to hang to make it exciting for everyone else.”

“What happens to her body now,” Vera asked.

“They will leave it hanging for the rest of the night,” Alex said. “Then they turn it over to the authorities.”

“Oh wow,” Vera said. “So lots of people could come here to see.”

“Yes,” Alex said. “Could be a lot.”

“I think we should take her clothes off to make it more interesting,” Elliot said.

“What,” Vera said.

“She's dead,” Elliot said. “Not going to be embarrassed.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Alex said.

“Gee, guys have one track mind,” Vera said as Elliot pulled Mishelle's top down.

“Her skirt too?” Vera asked.

“Yeah,” Elliot said. “Can't get top off because of the cuffs, but can get the skirt off.”

“There,” Elliot said. “Now she looks good.”

“If you say so,” Vera said.

The Baroness paused and smiled as she admire Mishelle's body.

“Your bad luck,” the Baroness said. “My good luck.”

The End