Till Death Do You Part

Jess stood in the dressing room, looking herself over in the mirror. She checked her long blonde hair, now done up in an elaborate coiffure. She checked her makeup. It was subtle and not too thick, but covered every minor flaw in her already beautiful skin. She checked to ensure that her form fitting, strapless white dress was appropriately clinging to her curves, showing off her ample ass and tits without being too obscene for church. She checked the shine and positioning of her diamond necklace and earrings, both were brilliant and flawless. Nearly everything was perfect, except the giant knot in her stomach.

"Ready?" Vicki asked from behind. Jess turned to face her maid of honor. She was wearing her bridesmaid dress, a form fitting, floor length purple gown which, like Jess's, struck a nearly perfect compromise between sexy and formal. Around her shoulders she wore a black, silk shawl.

"Yeah...I guess...I feel nervous,"

"Well," Vicki replied, stepping closer to Jess and putting a hand on her shoulder, "that's natural at a time like this. It's a big step."

"Yeah..." Jess said, pausing to nervously wring her hands, "am I doing the right thing?" Vicki looked her deeply in the eyes.

"Yes, Jess, you are absolutely doing the right thing. I know you've got butterflies in your stomach, but deep down, I think you know this is the right thing to do."

Jess took a deep breath. "Yeah, yeah you're right," Jess said, nodding her head.

"Alright, then let's go," Vicki replied, holding out her arm and signaling for Jess to take it. In this moment, Jess was incredibly grateful that she was still so close to her childhood best friend after so many years. If Vicki weren't here, lending Jess some of her confidence, Jess wasn't sure she would be able to overcome her nerves and go through with this ceremony.

Jess wrapped her arm around Vicki's, and the two trotted out into the churches main hall. There, Jess's family was gathered in the pews on one side, and Steve's on the other. They stood to and turned to watch her walk down the isle.

Jess looked up the isle. There stood the Her husband Steve in his wedding tux, in front of a pastor, the same one who had performed their wedding ceremony nearly four years earlier. Off to the side stood Steve's best man, Mark. Behind them, two nooses dangled from a beam. Jess shuddered and stopped for a moment at the sight of them. The knot in her stomach grew tighter as she realized that within minutes, one of those nooses would be around her neck, and within the hour, she would be dead.

Vicki rubbed Jess's shoulder soothingly, then leaned in to whisper in her ear. "It's okay, just take deep breaths, I'm right here for you." Jess nodded back, then began walking again. The band played 'Here Comes the Bride' as Jess approached her doom. Her relatives whispered words of encouragement as she walked passed.

"You're doing the right thing, we're so glad you're living up to your obligations, make that cheating bastard pay," they whispered, some reaching out and soothingly rubbing her shoulder. Her in laws just stared, it seemed they had nothing to say. Some seemed embarrassed, others angry. Some seemed sorry for her.

She was in the front row on the groom's side. The whore who fucked her husband. The reason this was happening to her. She wore a black gown and black shawl. Mourning dress, appropriate for the occasion. She seemed to have gone out of her way to wear a gown that showed as much cleavage as possible, and had a high slit in its sides to show off her legs.

"Bitch," the whore whispered as Jess passed.

"Whore," Jess shot back. If there was any justice, she'd be hanging up there with us, Jess thought.

As they reached the end of the isle and their guests took their seats again, Jess stood next to her husband and faced the pastor, while Vicki took her place off to the side.

"Your rings?" the pastor asked. Jess looked to Steve. He looked nervous too. After a brief pause, both Jess and Steve removed their wedding rings, and handed them to the pastor. The pastor promptly put the rings in his pocket before proceeding.

"This is an extremely solemn, disappointing occasion," he began, "the end of a marriage is a terrible thing. But as we all know, the betrothed have made commitments that cannot be unmade. One of the most fundimental of these commitments is fidelity, a commitment one of the betrothed apparently found inconvenient." The pastor glared at Steve for a moment. Jess smiled at the pastor's not-so-subtle jab at her man whore of a husband.

"Another of these commitments was written directly into their vows," the pastor continued, "'till death do you part.' There was a time when this phrase was taken lightly, when married couples could simply divorce in moments like this, but those times are over. The commitment implied by the words 'till death do you part' is now taken quite literally, and quite seriously. The only way a marriage can be dissolved, is through death. And in cases of infidelity, the marriage must be dissolved. So, it is with a heavy heart that I must begin divorce proceedings for Steven and Jessica."

"As is customary, the couple will hang themselves. Their maid of honor and best man may assist in preparing them for their deaths, but they must commit the final act of suicide unassisted. Maid of honor, are you ready to assist the bride in her duty?" the pastor asked, turning to Vicki.

"I am," Vicki replied solemnly.

"Best man, are you ready to assist the groom in his duty?" the pastor asked, tuning to Mark.

"I am," Mark replied, nodding.

"Then the bride and groom may take their places," The pastor said, stepping to the side to allow Jess and Steve a direct path to the nooses. Both stood nervous and catatonic for a moment, staring at the instruments of their demise. Whispers spread through the pews for a moment as their relatives wondered if they had what it took to go through with it. Vicki approached Jess from the side, rubbing her shoulder soothingly again and whispering in her ear.

"Hey, you can do this, I believe in you. I'll be right here for you, all the way to the end," Vicki whispered. Jess felt a rush of warmth in her belly, and the knot in her stomach loosened just a little. She stepped toward the stool under her noose. Seeing her begin to move, Steve approached his noose as well.

Jess took a deep breath, then stepped up onto the stool, staring through her noose at all her friends and family, gathered to watch her die. She looked to her left, to see her husband standing on his stool, looking back at her. A large bead of sweat dripped down his right temple. Jess was glad to see that he was scared too.

"Maid of honor, best man, do your duty," the pastor said, handing Vicki and Mark each a small piece of white ribbon. Vicki quietly stepped behind Jess. Jess was so nervous she forgot she was supposed to put her hands behind her back, so Vicki gently wrapped her fingers around Jess's wrists, and pulled them back. Jess whimpered softly as Vicki tightened down the ribbon over her crossed wrists.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm still right here," Vicki softly whispered, then climbing onto the stool behind Jess. Vicki was forced to press her body against Jess's in order for both of them to fit on the small stool. The warm and firm but soft curves of Jess's body felt familiar to Vicki, from the sexual experimentation they had done together in college. Just the feeling of Jess's near perfect body through her clothes aroused Vicki. From her soft moan, Vicki could tell Jess felt aroused as well. Vicki was happy if she could bring her friend any small pleasure or comfort in these final moments.

It was at this moment that Vicki realized, the chance of any future sexual flings with Jess were now truly gone. Vicki had accepted that her sexual relationship with Jess was over on her wedding day, but still, she was sad that she now knew with certainty that she would never kiss Jess's soft lips, or hear her moan in pleasure again. But Vicki was maid of honor, and she had duties to perform. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around the noose that dangled in front of Jess's face, then pulled it back over her head.

Jess closed her eyes tightly and whimpered softly as Vicki slowly drew the noose tight. The noose had been placed at precisely the right height so that, when it was fully tightened down, the coil pressed against Jess's left ear with a gentle pressure. It also tugged gently at her neck, not allowing her to move more than an inch or two in any direction without choking herself. Jess opened her eyes again as Vicki gently stroked her shoulders from behind.

"You're so brave, and you're so close," Vicki whispered in her ear, "you're past the point of no return. Now all you have to do is take one little step, and your duty is done."

"Thank you," Jess whispered, turning her head to see her friends face, "I couldn't do this without you...I love you."

"I love you too," Vicki whispered back, then stepped down from the stool. She stood at Jess's side, looking up at her consolingly. She reached up with her left hand, and interlocked her fingers with Jess's, gently holding her hand still tied behind her back. In return, Jess tightly squeezed Vicki's hand with all her might. She was terrified, but squeezing her best friends hand gave her at least some comfort.

"And now, it is time for the bride and groom's last words. As is traditional, ladies first," the pastor said. Jess stood stock still, silently staring out at the crowd for a moment. Vicki, seeing that she was nervous, gently squeezed her hand.

"You're so beautiful, and you're so brave, just say what's in your heart," Vicki whispered up to her. Jess gulped.

"I don't want to be up here today," she began, pausing and swallowing again to recover from the catch in her throat. "but I believe in living, and dying by my obligations. When I found out about Steve's affair, part of me wanted to keep it a secret, like he did, so that I wouldn't have to be here. But another part of me realized, I would rather die by the truth then live a lie. So I stand before you today, ready to die." There was a brief, silent pause.

"Is that all?" the pastor asked. Jess rapidly nodded her head, then turned to Steve. He was taking deep, seemingly labored breaths, and his face was drenched in sweat. He stood with his back straight as an arrow, for doing otherwise would cause the noose to clamp down on his neck.

"I...uh...I'm," he stamered, then finally finding his feet, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," was all he could bring himself to say.

"Is that all?" the pastor asked again. Steve nodded.

"As is traditional, the betrothed will die, and later be buried, in their wedding attire," the pastor said, "now, without further ado, the bride and groom must step off their stools, into the waiting embrace of the noose."

Jess picked up her left foot and began to step forward, then whimpered softly, and brought it back. Her white high heel clicked as she set it back on the stool. Vicki squeezed Jess's hand, "just one little step, that's all it takes, just one little step and your duty is done. I believe in you. I'll be here with you to the end, you just have to take that step."

Jess nodded, lifted her foot again, and stepped forward. This time, as she shifted her weight to her forward foot, she fell off the stool, her leg swinging back and toppling it with a clatter. As the noose tightened down on her throat, Jess's eyes shot open, and she gagged loudly. Vicki never let go of her hand.

"That's it, you've done your duty," Vicki said, smiling up at Jess lovingly, "I'm so proud of you."

Jess tightly squeezed Vicki's hand as she hanged perfectly stock still for a moment, every muscle in her body seeming to tense at the same moment. She was resisting the urge to fight the noose. Whispers passed over the crowd again, some complimenting Jess's discipline in being able to hang so still, others seeming disappointed that Jess wasn't giving them a dance to watch.

"It's okay," Vicki whispered, seeing that her friend was going through great pains to avoid struggling, "it's okay to dance for them, no one will think any less of you." As she spoke Vicki was unsure that Jess could still hear her, but as soon as she finished, Jess began to kick and buck wildly. The hem of her dress fluttered chaotically as her legs swung back and forth, in turn rotating her entire body back and forth. One particularly hard kick dislodged her left shoe and sent it flying into the pews.

Vicki continued to hold Jess's hand as Jess squeezed it in a tight death grip. As Jess's face turned from it's alabaster white to a shade of light red, she involuntarily dug her finger nails into Vicki's hand. Still, Vicki didn't attempt to pull her hand away. She would be there for her friend to the very end, just like she'd promised.

What surprised Vicki was how easy it actually was to keep that promise. She had expected that watching as her best friend since childhood hanged to death would be difficult, that she would want to turn away. Instead, she couldn't tear her eyes off the spectacle before her. She found herself staring, utterly transfixed on her friends struggles even as her choking and gagging grew steadily quieter, marking the approach of her now inevitable death. Vicki felt ashamed at the growing moistness in her panties.

As Jess rotated slowly to the right, she looked down at Vicki. Vicki was pleased to see a sort of resignation in her eyes, it seemed the initial panic had worn off and Jess was beginning to accept her fate. This was further evidenced by her kicking and bucking beginning to slow. Then, Jess rotated back to the left, and she began to kick and buck even harder.

When Jess rotated back and looked down at Vicki again, Vicki saw a renewed look of panic. Confused, Vicki looked passed Jess for the first time since she'd begun her dance. Despite the fact that they were supposed to step off at the same time, and Jess had already been dancing for several minutes, Steve was still standing on his stool, nervous expression covering his face. Both Mark and the Pastor were imploring him to do the right thing and step off, but he just kept shaking his head no.

Vicki looked back up to Jess's face, to see the look of panic still there. "Don't worry, he'll die in that noose," Vicki promised, "I'll make sure he doesn't come down from that stool alive." The look of terror in Jess's eyes seemed to fade as she once again resigned herself to her fate. Her jaw moved up and down a few times. Part of Vicki thought maybe she was trying to mouth the words "thank you," but another thought this was just an involuntary movement resulting from her hanging. She would never know for sure.

Jess's dance gradually slowed, and her legs peddled in a slow bicycling motion. As Jess succumbed to fatigue and asphyxiation, her face changed color once again, from red to a sickly shade of purple. Vicki was sure the end was near as Jess's grip on her hand began to loosen. "It's okay, it's almost over," Vicki said, reaching up with her right hand and rubbing Jess's shoulder, "you're almost gone." The expression on Jess's face changed so slightly that none of the guests would have seen it, but Vicki was sure it was relief. Jess was relieved that her death was imminent.

Then, Jess's squeezed Vicki's hand hard one more time as her back arched, she threw her head back, and she let out one last groan, her mouth opening in a nearly perfect circle, and here eyelids fluttering, almost closing but not quite. Vicki had seen it enough times to recognize Jess's O-face, her friend had just come to orgasm. The thought made Vicki's panties even wetter.

Then, Jess fell limp, released her grip on Vicki's hand, and her bladder released, staining the skirt of her dress and splashing onto the floor. Jess's body rotated slowly back and forth under it's remaining momentum. For a moment, Vicki remained by her best friend's side, still gently holding her hand and caressing her shoulder.

Vicki stared at Jess's face, her facial muscles now totally slack. Her head was cocked to the side at an odd angle by the tug of the noose, almost resting on her right shoulder. Her eye lids hung half open, the eyes underneath staring, totally fixed, at some point in the distance. Her mouth hung slightly open, her jaw totally slack. She looked simultaneously grotesque, and oddly peaceful. Tears began to fill Vicki's eyes as let go of Jess's hand for the last time. Simultaneously however, moisture was still dripping down her thighs.

"Steven," Vicki heard the pastor say, "your wife is dead. I'm afraid I really must insist you jump now."

"I can't...I just can't" Steve replied.

"You're fucking pathetic!" Vicki shouted at him, finally tearing her eyes away from Jess's face.

"I'm scared, I'm sorry," Steve replied, then breaking down in tears.

"So was she, but she did her duty with some fucking dignity!" Vicki replied. The pastor walked to Vicki, with a concerned look on his face.

"Vicki, I know this is a difficult moment for you, but I'm afraid I have to ask you to watch your language in my church," the pastor gently implored, putting a hand gently on Vicki's shoulder. It was at this point that the tears began to flow.

"I'm sorry father, it's just...it's just she was my best friend, and HE..." Vicki said, then practically snarling with rage.

"I know, I know. He'll get what he deserves, you have my word on that," the Pastor replied.

"Thank you father, but I have to stay until that happens, I promised her."

"Of course, but he's not going anywhere, I think maybe you should go to the restroom and compose yourself," the pastor replied.

"Yes father, I think that's a god idea," Vicki replied. She speed-walked back up the isle, wiping tears from her cheeks as she passed by the assembled guests, all whispering about Steve still on his stool. Then she stopped, as she saw a single white high heel sitting on one of the pews. Vicki stepped into the row and picked it up, then marched back up the isle. She knelt down in front of Jess, lifted the hem of her dress, and gently slid the shoe back on. Then, she got back up and marched out of the main hall.

Vicki found the woman's room, it was a single occupant bathroom. She entered, locked the door, leaned over the counter, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and tears were still streaming down her face. For a moment, she simply stood there over the sink, weeping for the loss of her friend. Then, as she kept thinking about Jess's sensual last dance, her arousal only grew. Finally, insatiably horny, Vickie gathered the skirt of her dress in her arms, pulling it up until she could reach her panties.

Finally, Vickie jammed her hand into her panties and began to finger herself. Her sniffling turned to aroused moaning as her crying stopped, her arousal eclipsing the deep sorrow she felt. So there Vicki stood, bent over the bathroom sink, fingers deep inside herself, desperately hoping none of the other guests could hear her moaning.

As Vicki continued to vigorously stroke herself, she thought of Jess. At first she thought only of Jess's final dance, then she thought of the times she and Jess had pleasured each other, then she alternated between the two. Jess moaning, Jess gagging, Jess eating her pussy, Jess squeezing her hand, all flashed through her mind until finally, it came. Vicki was overcome by a wave of pleasure, she moaned loudly as the arm she had braced against the bathroom counter gave out, and she found herself laying across it.

Vicki stood still leaning on the counter for a moment, panting heavily, trying to listen and hear if there was anyone on the other side of the bathroom door who might have heard her moaning. Hearing nothing, Vicki cleaned herself up with paper towels, straightened her dress, and returned to the main hall.

There, at the head of the room, Steve still stood on his stool, and Jess still dangled in her noose. Vicki rolled her eyes, and walked up the isle, noticing as she did that several of the guests had already left.

"Come on now Steve, this is ridiculous," Vicki said, looking up at him.

"I just...I can't"

"Yes, you can," Vicki replied. Steve offered no retort. The pastor approached Vicki.

"I've told him he's not coming down from that stool alive," he told her.

"Good...can we help him speed up the process?"

"I'm afraid not, the law is very clear on the subject, no one can push him or remove the chair,

he has to die of his own accord."

"And if he doesn't?" Vicki asked.

"Well, his knees will give out eventually" the pastor replied.

"How long will that take?" Vicki asked.

"Longest I've ever heard of someone holding out like this was three days, but I think after a few hours he'll realize he's not coming down from there and he'll jump on his own."

"Well, I certainly hope so," Vicki replied.

"I've told the other guests that they can wait and watch until nightfall, but that the ceremony is over and they can leave if they wish."

"Can...can I stay longer if he hasn't done it? I promised Jess I'd be here to make sure he held up his end."

"Of course, as long as he's standing there, you can stay. I'll get you a cot from the basement in case you have to stay the night," the pastor replied.

"Thank you so much," Vicki replied. Vicki then walked to the first row of pews and sat down next to Mark. "You need to convince your boy there to do the right thing."

"Don't you think I've tried?" Mark asked.

"I don't think you've tried hard enough," Vicki replied. Mark simply shook his head, then stood up, and went to talk to Steve again.

Over the next few hours, most of the guests left of their own accord. Many came to the front of the room to implore Steve to do the right thing and step off his stool. He almost seemed ready to do it when his sister came to speak to him. "Just one little step, a few minutes of pain, and this can all be over. Doesn't that sound better than standing up there in fear for god knows how long?" she asked him, gently putting a hand on his knee. "Your life is over no matter what you do, wouldn't it be better to accept that and go out on your own terms?"

Steve lifted a foot and swung it forward, but then he brought it back and planted it firmly on the stool. He closed his eyes and shook his head, unable to look his sister in the eye. Finally, just after sunset, the pastor told the few guests still present that they had to leave. Vicki and Jeff however, could stay until the ceremony was complete. Vicki, needing to keep her promise to Jess, chose to stay the night. Mark said he would stay till 11, go home, and come back at 8am the next day.

Vicki asked a friend who was among the guests to stop by her house and bring her back a set of pajamas and some toiletries. Then, the pastor wheeled in a cot. "Here's a cot and some sheets for you, I figured you'd want to stay in this room."

"Thank you father," Vicki replied.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked.

"Well there is one thing. Jess wanted an open casket funeral, so she wanted me to clean and preserve her to make sure she was still pretty at her memorial service."

"Well I'm afraid we can't take either of them down until both bride and groom are dead," the pastor replied.

"I know, I can clean her and cover her in preservatives without taking her down, I just need some supplies," Vicki explained.

"I see," the pastor said, scratching his chin, "well I can bring you some buckets of water, soap and some sponges, but I don't have anything to preserve a corpse."

"That's fine, Jess gave me a jar of preservative before the ceremony."

"Alright, I'll be right back then," the pastor said, leaving the room. He returned a few minutes later carrying two five gallon buckets and some sponges. "This one's just water, this one's soapy water," the pastor said, pointing to each of the buckets. Then, he left and returned pushing a rolling coat rack. "You can hang her dress here as you clean her."

"Thank you father, you've been very kind during this whole ordeal," Vicki said.

"Of course, a divorce like this is tragic, not just for the couple but for those close to them, Jess was lucky to have a friend like you by her side," the pastor replied.

"Thank you father, that's very kind of you to say." The pastor nodded.

"Well, I suppose I'll give you some privacy to undress her," he said, then leaving the room. Vicki set each of the buckets in front of Jess's dangling body, and got to work. First, she knelt down and removed each of Jess's white stiletto heels. Then, she stepped behind Jess and untied the ribbon binding her wrists.

Then, she reached up, and unzipped the back of Jess's wedding dress, careful not to simply let it fall to the floor. Vicki slowly and carefully lowered the dress off of Jess's body, then hung it on the coat rack. This left Jess hanging in nothing but her jewelry, and a pair of white lace panties. Vicki wasn't surprised that her friend hadn't worn a bra, her tits had always been perky enough not to need one, except the occasional sports bra.

Vicki stood in front of her dead friend, looking up at her. She then placed a thumb under the elastic band of her panties on each of her hips. Touching her friend in this intimate way again, a way she hadn't touched her in years, left Vicki incredibly aroused. As she slowly slipped the panties down Jess's legs, Vicki's vagina once again began to moisten. To her surprise, the fact that Jess's flesh was cold, and that she didn't respond to being touched, only made the experience more arousing.

As Vicki slipped the panties over Jess's dangling feet, she looked over to Steve, still standing in the noose, watching her. She grunted in disgust, then placed the stool Jess had kicked off from a few hours earlier in front of her. She climbed it to remove Jess's jewelry. As she stood atop it, she looked into her friends face.

Jess's eyes were still slightly open, staring fixedly at some point on the floor. Vicki reached up with the index and middle fingers of her right hand, and closed her friend's eyes. With her eyes closed and her facial muscles totally slack, Jess looked at peace. The slackness of her face gave her a look of restfulness. This filled Vicki with a sea of powerful, conflicting emotions.

She felt sad that she would never speak to her best friend again. She felt rage that her husband would betray her this way, and then refuse to accept his rightful punishment for it. She felt aroused seeing her former sexual fling's nude, dangling corpse. She felt ashamed of feeling aroused. She felt relief that her friend was no longer in pain. All of this, she expected. The emotion that surprised her was envy. Seeing the peace on Jess's face, Vicki felt immensely jealous, wishing to experience what Jess had. She suddenly wanted to put on a noose, knowing she would never take it off again, and she wanted to experience the peace that came at after.

Trying to shake off a feeling that scared her, Vicki removed Jess's diamond earrings and necklace, and stepped down from the stool. She soaked a sponge in soapy water, and began to clean every inch of Jess's corpse. She scrubbed thoroughly to remove the thick layer of sweat that Jess had built up during her dance, starting at her feat and working her way up. She paid extra attention to Jess's inner thighs, making sure to scrub off the dried urine.

Then, Vicki stood on the stool again, to wash Jess's upper body. She paid extra attention to Jess's ample breasts, spending a long time scrubbing between them. She did this both because Jess had sweat there more than in other places, but also because fondling her dead friends breasts made her steadily more aroused.

As she was still cleaning Jess's breasts, Vicki looked over to Steve, to see that he was staring. The bulge in his pants told her he was turned on too. "Fucking perve," Vicki said.

"Don't try and tell me this isn't turning you on too, I know what that look in your eyes means," Steve replied.

"Kill yourself," Vicki retorted, then going back to bathing Jess. She finished by soaking Jess's hair in soapy water, then rinsing her off with regular water, and finally drying her body with a towel, and her hair with a hair dryer she had from home. Then, she used a paint sponge to cover Jess in a preservative compound from a jar. The compound provided a thin, invisible layer of protection that would slow the decomposition process and ensure Jess would still look, and more importantly smell good at her open casket funeral, scheduled for a few days later.

Once Jess was completely cleaned and preserved, Vicki chose to dress her again. She felt Jess should look as dignified as possible, even while hanging, and that she didn't want Steve getting any jollies looking at Jess's tits after betraying her like he did.

She started by slipping Jess's panties back on. Then, she slipped the long, white wedding gown back up her friends body. This required Vicki to caress the length of Jess's body with her hands, making her more aroused. Then, she slipped Jess's stiletto heels back on, and replaced her earrings and necklace. Lastly, Vicki once again tugged Jess's hands behind her back, crossing one wrist over the other, and bound them with the white ribbon.

Vicki then walked in front of Jess, turning around to admire her work. Newly cleaned and dressed again, Jess looked even more peaceful. The envy Vicki felt only grew, as did the moistness in her panties. She grabbed her toothbrush and her pajamas, and marched off to the bathroom.

In the bathroom Vicki changed out of her bridesmaid dress, careful to hang it up so it would not wrinkle, and into her pajamas. Then she brushed her teeth, and was about to go to bed. But, before she could bring herself to leave the bathroom, she had to address her arousal. She sat on the toilet, stuck her hand down her fuzzy pajama pants, and masturbated one more time.

Vicki returned to the churches' main hall, finding Jess still dangling totally motionless, and Steve still standing on his stool, sniffling and whimpering. She dimmed the lights, crawled into her cot, and tucked herself in.

"Vicki?" Steve asked, interrupting her attempt at sleep.

"What?" Vicki said with annoyance in her voice, not rolling over to look at him.

"Please let me down."

"Go fuck yourself," she replied.

"Please, my knees will give out soon, I can feel it, they hurt. I don't want to die." At this point, Vicki sat up and faced him.

"Well I'm here to make sure that you do. Frankly, this would be easier on both of us if you would just do the right fucking thing and step off that stool. The sooner you die, the sooner you won't feel scared and the sooner your knees stop hurting."

"Please Vicki, I'm scared."

"SO WAS SHE!" Vicki practically screamed, "she was fucking terrified, but she went through with it anyway because that was her duty! Now I'm tired, and I'm done talking about this." Vicki rolled back over, laid down, and pretended she was already asleep. Steve's continued whimpering and crying kept her up for a while, but eventually, she was able to a drift off to a restful sleep, during which she dreamed of being in a noose herself.

The next morning, she was awoken by Mark at 8am on the dot, returning to hopefully finish the ceremony. She was surprised to see he was in his best man tuxedo. "You put your tux back on," was the first thing Vicki said as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"Well, I figured until they're taken down, the ceremony's not really over," Mark replied.

"True...I guess I'll go change back into my bridesmaid dress," Vicki replied.

"Okay, I'm going to go talk to Steve," Mark replied. Vicki went to the bathroom and changed, then returned to the church's main hall.

"Please, I don't want to die, please just let me down," Steve was saying as Vicki returned. She now noticed that his face showed exhaustion, and he seemed to sway back and forth as he stood there.

"Steve, you know I can't do that," Mark replied.

"Come on man, I would do it for you if this were reversed,"

"I wouldn't want you to," Mark replied with conviction, "I would want my best friend to help me do what needed to be done."

"PLEASE!" Steve said, again beginning to cry.

"Steve, you've been my best friend for years," Mark replied, "I don't want you to die either, but you have a duty to your wife. You have to do the right thing."

"FUCK YOU!" Steve shouted.

"Wow," Vicki put in, "he's about the only friend you've got left and you're about to burn that bridge cause he's telling you to do the right thing? Maybe you should step off that stool now just so you don't leave EVERYONE hating you."

"That's easy for you to say," Steve replied.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME!?" Vicki practically shrieked, "You think any of this was EASY for me? I helped my best friend in the world kill herself yesterday. Do you think that was EASY for me?"

"I think it's easy to tell me to 'do the right thing' when you're standing down there without a noose around your neck!" Steve shouted back. Vicki Stood staring at him intensely for a moment, as if she was trying to kill him using nothing but her eyes. Then, she turned to look at Jess. The look of peace on her face continued to make Vicki profoundly envious.

"Mark," she finally spoke, still looking at Jess, "if I weren't here, would you stay and make sure he doesn't try to escape?"

"Of course," Mark replied.

"Thank you...now can you find something to bind my hands with?" The room was silent for a moment. Vicki looked to Mark, clearly taken aback by the question. "Well?" Vicki asked again.

"Uh...yeah, sure," Mark replied, turning and leaving the room. Vicki then picked up Jess's stool and placed it between Jess's dangling corpse and Steve. She turned to Jess, reached up and caressed her cheek. Then, she turned and climbed the stool.

Vicki removed her black, silk shall and tied one end around the beam above her head. The other end, she tied into a simple slipknot. She made sure the knot was at an angle that would leave her looking at Steve as she hanged. Then, she slipped it over her head, taking care to brush her flowing black hair out of the way, and tightened it down, resting the knot on her left shoulder. She suppressed the urge to moan in pleasure at the makeshift noose hugging her throat, instead staring at Steve in angry silence.

"The pastor gave me..." Mark said as he entered the room, trailing off as he took in the sight before him.

"Gave you what?" Vicki asked, not taking her eyes off of Steve.

"Uh...he gave me this," Mark finished, holding up a length of the same white ribbon she had used to bind Jess's hands.

"That will be perfect," Vicki replied, then resolutely placing her hands behind her back, one wrist crossed over the other, "would you do me a favor and bind my wrists?"

"Sure," Mark said, sounding uneasy. He stepped up behind Vicki, and began to bind her wrists.

"Make sure it's nice and tight, I don't want my hands to get free as I struggle," Vicki said with an unnerving calm. Steve stared at her from his stool with a look of complete shock. Vicki's panties became moist again as Mark finished tying a tight bow around her wrists.

"Alright, that should do it," Mark said, standing behind her awkwardly for a moment.

"Thank you Mark, I think that's all I'll need from you for right now," Vicki replied. Mark nodded and walked to the front row of the pews, and taking a seat. "Actually there is one other thing Mark."

"Yeah?" Mark asked.

"Would you tell my family that I want an open casket funeral, and that I would like to be buried in this dress?" Vicki asked.

"Of course," Mark replied.

"Thank you Mark," Vicki said again, then turning back to Steve. "Steve, you can't even face death to live up to your sacred obligations. I on the other hand, can do it just to prove a point to a cowardly, two timing piece of shit like you. I'm happy to use my last words to tell you what a horrible, low life sack of human garbage you are, and that I hope, when your knees finally do give out, your death is slow, painful and terrifying."

With that, Vicki swiftly kicked over the stool. She fell a few inches before bouncing to a stop, her descent arrested by her makeshift noose. The slipknot she'd placed in her shawl was crude, but effective, it tightened down instantly, forcing her to cock her head to the right at an uncomfortable angle. As had happened to Jess when she began hanging, every muscle in Vicki's body tensed, and she hung totally still as the pain and shock set in.

Of course Vicki had known hanging would be painful, but she hadn't prepared herself for how painful it would be. This was the most intense pain she had ever experienced, and the panic at suddenly being unable to breathe was absolutely overwhelming. For a moment, Vicki regretted her choice to hang herself.

Oh god no, oh god no...OH MY GOD YES!!! Vicki thought, suddenly being overcome by an intense orgasm. The orgasm broke her muscles free from their reflexive tensing, and started her bucking and kicking with all her might. The orgasm also released endorphins, which lessened the panic she had felt at initially being choked.

Well she still felt intense pain, both in her crushed and kinked neck and her burning lungs, Vicki now found herself enjoying the pain. She got over her initial fear and was able to enjoy her dance. She was once again glad to hang, but the reflex to fight the noose was to strong to overcome, so she threw her entire body into it, kicking and bucking so much the beam above her began to creak. Her entire body became glazed in a glistening layer of sweat.

Vicki continued to stare directly at Steve, who stared back at her as she bucked away the final precious moments of her life. His face showed only fear and trepidation, but when she looked down, his groin betrayed something else. Oh great, I'm getting him horny, that's not what I wanted, Vicki thought. Then, she was able to turn her head just far enough to see Mark, still watching from the pew. He had his phone out and was recording her.

I wonder if he'll masturbate to the video later, Vicki thought. Then she surprised herself with another thought, I hope he does. Finally, after nearly fifteen minutes, Vicki's dance changed from a fast paced rave dance, to a slow waltz. Following the same predictable path that Jess had, Vicki's legs stopped swinging out wildly in every direction and began peddling in the air in a slow bicycle motion. Her arms stopped desperately trying to wrench themselves free and simply hung limp behind her back, and her choking and gagging fell silent.

Eventually, Vicki stopped peddling her legs and simply let them hang limp, then began gyrating her hips back and forth, humping the air as her arousal once again reached a fever pitch. Beads of moisture from her vagina dripped down her inner thighs as continued the final stage of her dance. At nearly the same moment, her vision went grey and began to narrow to a fine point. She knew unconsciousness, and then death, were near.

No, no, just a few more seconds, Vicki thought, desperately trying to hold on long enough for one more orgasm. Then, all coherent thought stopped, and her vision exploded into a rainbow of color obscuring the world around her, and her body was racked by a wave of pleasure, as the most intense orgasm she had ever experienced tore through her. Vicki's head lifted, her eyelashes fluttered, and her toes curled in her shoes as she let out one last groan of pleasure. Then, she fell limp, and her bladder released on the floor.

Vicki's eyelids, suddenly feeling very heavy, slowly closed. As they did, every muscle in her body relaxed, and her limbs went numb. Her mind was overtaken by a wave of euphoria. She could feel the muscles in her face go slack just as Jess's had, and she knew, although she would never see it, that she had the same peaceful expression on her face that Jess did. It gave her great pleasure to know that the peace she felt within was now plain on her face. All sound faded away, until all she could hear was her own heart, beating very slowly as it lost the battle against her impending death. Then, she heard it beat one last time, and everything was quiet.

Vicki's corpse was left hanging, facing Steve as a constant reminder of his failure in his duty. A few hours later, Steve's knees gave out, and he fell off his stool. Already exhausted from more than twenty-four hours standing in the noose with no rest, water or food, he lost consciousness quickly. He pissed and cummed in his tuxedo pants as he died, but he was not conscious to feel his final orgasm.

Once Steve died, the pastor called the funeral home to have the bodies taken down. Mark went home, where he and his wife pleasured each other as they watched the video of Vicki's demise on a loop.

A few days later, Jess and Vicki's families held a single memorial service for the both of them. They were each displayed in open caskets, Jess wearing her wedding dress, and Vicki wearing her bridesmaid dress, the shawl that strangled her to death wrapped gently around her shoulders. Many commented on how peaceful and beautiful the two women looked. Some who knew of Jess and Vicki's sexual relationship, lamented that had Jess married Vicki instead of Steve, the two might still be alive.

After the service, Jess was buried in her family grave plot. Vickie was buried direclty next to her, in a plot originally meant for her husband. Both families agreed that the friends should be close by each other, and that Steve no longer had any place in their family plot.

Steve's family, ashamed of his behavior and not wanting to draw more attention to it than necessary, held no memorial service for him. Rather than spend money on a grave for him, they donated his body to science, with instructions that it simply be destroyed when it was no longer useful.