DjEtla
Magistrate
SUMMONED FOR AN EXECUTION
“Hey sweetie,” Andrea said as she got to work, hoping no one would notice she was late.
“Hey, what’s up?” Sydney said with a smile.
Andrea was glad to see her friend. They worked together in Human Resources for BDM, a major agriculture company. They were about the same age. They started work on the same day a few months before and seemed to hit it off well together.
Andrea hung her coat on a hook and tried to sit at her desk as if everything was fine.
Sydney sensed something was up. Her friend was always punctual. And something else was slightly different. For a moment she wasn’t quite sure what to say.
She noticed something else. Andrea liked to wear real tight blouses – they both did.
“Did you ….?” she asked, gesturing to her chest area. “Did you … get some piercings?” She thought she could make out the outline of two rings in the area around Andrea’s nipples.
Andrea sighed. She nodded.
In some ways she was happy and relieved her friend noticed. But in other ways the whole situation made her feel sick.
“Wow – very fun and sexy,” Sydney said with a sly smile. “You didn’t tell me you were thinking about doing that.”
Andrea looked worried and serious. “It wasn’t exactly my choice,” she said.
Sydney got a shocked look. “Oh my God … did you … did you get a summons?” she asked.
Andrea made a grimace. “Yeah, over the weekend,” she nodded.
“Wow … that’s such big news,” Sydney said with a tone of concern. “My God … how are you feeling?”
“I’ll be okay,” Andrea said. “It’s … it’s a lot to deal with. But mostly I guess I just want to carry on normally as long as I can. I mean, I know there are good reasons for the summons. I get that. I’m not angry. I’ll handle the feelings.”
Sydney studied her friend’s face closely while she spoke, seeing the strong, complex emotions play out on her expression. “Well, you’re being very brave,” Sydney said.
“And you picked electricity for your method?” Sydney asked after a little pause.
Andrea nodded gravely. “Yeah, I’m really nervous about that.”
“Did they give you a choice?” Sydney asked. “Could you choose the gallows?”
Andrea nodded. “They said I could pick the gallows and they’d try to work me in. But they said they’d have to do it really quickly – like later this week – because after that the gallows are going to be shut down for renovations for the next year for the upswing in demand. They said if I’d rather be electrocuted it would probably happen in two to four months. So … I took that option.”
“I see,” Sydney said. “And then you got the piercings?”
“Yeah,” Andrea nodded. “They showed me a couple of styles and colors to choose from.” She paused for a moment to collect her feelings, then continued. “I mean, getting the piercings might be kind of fun and sexy. I was trying to tell myself to enjoy the process. But it’s different when I know I’m getting the piercings so I can be … electrocuted. It feels funny,” she said with a serious tone.
It was well known that piercings helped the process of electrocution. Hooking the electrodes up to piercings in the body allowed the current to enter the body and flow as smoothly as possible, requiring much less power to achieve good, consistent effects on the condemned person.
“Did you get one … down there?” Sydney asked with a sly smile.
Andrea shook her head. “No, I’m supposed to go back later this week for the final piercing.”
“How interesting,” Sydney sad, still smiling.
“I don’t know,” Andrea said. “That part is scary. I mean …. maybe it’ll be fun. It might be kind of sexy. But also … good Lord, how humiliating. And it might hurt like crazy too, at least for the first few months.”
“Do you want me to go with you when you get it done?” Sydney asked.
Andrea nodded. “It would mean a lot to me,” she said. “I mean, I can cope with the feelings. I can handle this. But it’s a lot to think about. Having a friend to talk to would really mean a lot.”
“I’m here for you sweetie. I’ll do whatever I can,” Sydney said. And with a bit of a smile she said, “And I definitely want to see those piercings you have now – you’ve got to let me get a good look when the time is right.”
“I will,” Andrea nodded.
The government started a “summons” program to reduce population.
First they tried a few small pilot programs. Those were largely successful.
So the program was growing.
Some men got a summons between ages 18 and 21. But more of the summonses seemed to fall on women in that age range. By their 22d birthday a young person was mostly safe.
No one knew who would get picked or why. Some people thought they could see patterns. Some thought there were more summons in areas of the country where support for the current government was weakest. Others said that wasn’t true and the process was mostly random.
The summonses were mostly routine and didn’t usually become news.
Once in awhile the media focused on an unusual case – like a college math genius who got his Ph.D by age 21 and a summons shortly afterward, or a gorgeous young ballerina who got a summons right after she turned 18. They all told the media the same messages – the summons program is important to help the environment and they’d do their part even if their personal feelings were naturally reluctant or mixed.
* * *
A few months later Andrea reported to the execution facility on time. They told her she’d be waiting about 7-14 days. No visitors are allowed during the first 7 days so the prisoners have time to get acclimated. After that, a short visit now and then is okay.
Sydney went to visit Andrea on day 8.
There was a long process to sign in, get a background check and a thorough search.
Once she was approved for entry one of the guards took her to see Andrea.
The holding facility was a huge building. Maybe it has once been a factory.
Sydney noticed that the air was very warm and humid, almost tropical.
There was also a steady loud hum from the ventilation systems.
Lots of cages were bolted to the floor, spread far apart with wide aisles between them. Each holding cage was about 6-feet (2 meters) square with steel bars for all four walls and steel bars for a ceiling too. The condemned were held one to a cage. Clothing was not allowed for the condemned.
Sydney was excited as she was escorted to Andrea’s cell. “Hey hey, sweetie!” Sydney said in a happy, upbeat tone as she walked up to the cell.
Andrea was glad to see her friend but had a bittersweet attitude. “Hey,” she said. “I didn’t know you were coming. Thank you so much. I’m going crazy here with nothing to do.”
“Of course you knew I’d come,” Sydney said. “But I can’t stay too long – they said a couple of minutes,” she said. “It’s fantastic to see you! How are you doing?”
Andrea shrugged, “As well as I can I guess. It’s boring with nothing to do. I try to distract my thoughts about what’s coming up. But it’s hard.”
“Do you have what you need here?” Sydney asked.
Andrea shrugged. “I get food and water and washing supplies. At night there’s a sleeping pad. I guess it’s okay.”
Sydney nodded. She paused to let her friend collect her thoughts and say what she wanted.
“The worst part is I’m naked all the time,” Andrea said with a tone of exasperation, throwing up her arms in frustration and stamping her foot. “I asked several people on the staff if I could have something and they all just say, ‘Nope! Why waste money?’ like that’s some kind of private joke they have.”
Sydney nodded.
“Ugh, I feel so exposed and helpless,” she said.
“Yeah I can understand,” Sydney nodded thoughtfully. “I might feel the same way if I was locked up. Most girls would.”
There was a pause.
“On the other hand,” Sydney said with a smile and a flirtatious tone, “I think you look you look incredibly cute and sexy and gorgeous being all bare like that.”
“Well thanks,” Andrea said. She couldn’t hide a bit of a smile and blush.
“And being all bare like that you get to show off all of your pretty piercings,” Sydney said in an upbeat tone.
Andrea gave a rueful nod.
“How are your piercings doing?” Sydney asked. “Do they feel good?”
“Okay I guess,” she said. “There’s a throbbing pain sometimes with each of them. It comes and goes – I guess that’s normal. When I was home I’d take some aspirin for the pain. But I can’t have it here. So I just have to put up with it. But overall they’re not too bad.”
The conversation paused for a moment. Then Sydney got a sweet, girlish smile, “So, um, are there boys locked up here? Do we get to ogle any cute naked guys who are going to be executed?” she asked with a little laugh.
“Sadly, I haven’t seen any,” Andrea said. “I guess they’re in a different part of the building. Or maybe they have a different holding facility.”
“Have they told you when you’re going to be electrocuted?” Sydney asked.
Andrea looked nervous. “Not exactly,” she said. “The government is on a 4-day holiday starting tomorrow. I think this place will be really short-staffed and not much will happen.”
Sydney nodded.
“But when they get back from their break then … that may be my time,” she said nervously.
“Well I’m glad you’ve got a few more days to relax and take it easy,” Sydney said.
The “relax and take it easy” phrase bothered Andrea a little. But she didn’t say anything.
“I asked them if I could go home,” Andrea said, “then come back here when they need me here. They said ‘No.’ They said it’s too much paperwork to release someone then check them back in again later,” she said with exasperation. “I’m not resisting the process. I’m not trying to get away. But they said I have to stay,” she said.
“Do you have anyone to talk with?” Sydney asked.
“Not really,” Andrea said. “The staff mostly isn’t allowed to speak to me and I’m not supposed to speak with them. I’m not supposed to speak with the other condemned prisoners either. And anyway, the holding cells are so far apart we’d basically have to shout at each other,” she said.
She paused for a moment. “There was a girl I could see in the holding cell over there,” she said, gesturing to her left. “We couldn’t talk or anything. But it was nice to give her a little waive and she’d waive back. It was nice to think someone else knew what I was going through.” Andrea said.
“They took her away yesterday,” Andrea said with a sad tone.
There was a little pause. Andrea wanted to change the subject.
“How are things at work?” she asked.
“Okay,” Sydney said. “The quarterly diversity reports are due to the government next week so I’m spending a lot of time on that.”
Sydney continued, “I wish you could help me, sweetie – instead of just lollygagging your little butt around here!”
Andrea had not smiled or laughed much since she arrived at the facility. But she smiled at Sydney’s little joke. She was SO glad her friend took the time for a visit. And she was glad it wasn’t a sad or tearful meeting. Her emotions were welling up.
“Me too,” She nodded. “Sorry my execution is getting in the way of work,” she said trying to keep an upbeat tone.
A nearby guard gestured to Sydney, to let her know her time was about up.
“I think I’ve got to go sweetie,” Sydney said. “I can't visit again for about 5 days – the visitor's office here is going to be closed and anyway I'm going out of town to see my parents at their beach house. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous this weekend and I've got a great new little skimpy bikini I want to wear,” she said with a girlish smile. “I promise I'll try to visit when I can – I’ll try to see you again before your big day.”
Andrea nodded. “Okay,” she said. “Thanks.”
Sydney put her hands up onto the metal bars of the holding pen. She moved in very close, between two of the bars. She moistened her lips. “Give me a kiss, sweetheart,” Sydney said.
Andrea was mildly surprised at that. A kiss with her friend was not their normal way of parting. But it sounded like a fun idea. Ever since she got the summons, she realized, her emotions had been a whirlwind. And the cross-currents of emotions had just gotten stronger with time. She was nervous and frightened and worried. Most of all she yearned desperately for some nice human contact. She knew this might be one of the last chances in her life. She put her arms behind her back. She moistened her lips, got a bit of a smile and leaned in close. Andrea closed her eyes as they made contact.
The kiss was short. But it had a lot of meaning for Andrea. All of Andrea’s stress and fears and worries made her emotions extra strong. Her whole body was extra sensitive.
The short kiss brought a pretty smile to her face. She couldn't help feeling a tingle at some sensitive parts of her body.
“You take care,” Sydney said as Andrea opened her eyes.
Andrea nodded.
“God I’m so proud of you,” Sydney said. “You’re doing so good.”
Andrea shrugged. “I’m doing the best I can.”
“Look – you just have a few days left to live,” Sydney said. “Promise me you’ll try to enjoy yourself. Promise me you won’t feel bad about being bare. You look adorable and incredible. Someone who looks so cute and pretty shouldn't be unhappy. I want you to have a fantastic attitude and have a fun smile.”
Sydney was so bubbly and upbeat it made Andrea smile. “Maybe you’re right,” she said. “I’ll try.”
A guard started walking over to Sydney to escort her out. Andrea noticed he was a big guy – a bit over average height with strong shoulders. He looked good in his uniform, plus utility belt with weapons and restraints. Andrea noticed that Sydney noticed too.
After just a moment Sydney took her eyes off of the guard and turned to look at Andrea. “Bye sweetie,” she said.
When the guard came over Sydney stood close to him. With both hands she took hold of his left arm above his elbow, which he didn't seem to mind. She looked up at him flirtatiously. While he was escorting her away she turned back over her shoulder. With a cheery tone she said, “Be good!!”
Andrea smiled at that. She waived back.
The visit brought Andrea some intense bittersweet feelings. She felt really happy for the encounter. At the same time Sydney’s departure made her feel much more sad and alone and helpless than before. She didn’t know if she’d see her friend again. She licked her lips gently, to see if there was some lingering taste from their kiss.
* * *
Andrea was worried about what the days ahead would be like for her. In her cell she had few ways to distract her mind – no book, no magazine, no one to talk with. She was a bright, smart girl with a very active and vivid imagination. She frequently thought about the electrocution process even though she knew it wasn’t the best topic.
When she tried not to think about the electrocution then her thoughts turned to how helpless and exasperated and uncomfortable she felt in the holding cell.
To distract her mind she thought about what she’d do if she was released for a day of freedom. Heck, she thought, just one hour of release would be heavenly. She wanted to put on one of her favorite colorful and skimpy short dresses and go out among other people. She thought about getting a coffee at her favorite café. She’d sit at a table by the window and just watch the world.
She thought about other things too – cooking a special meal for a friend, going on a date, or strolling her favorite park.
Now all those things were gone. She thought people who have their freedom mostly have no idea how incredibly sweet it really is. She’d give anything for one hour of freedom. But it was not an option.
Andrea had never felt comfortable with her body. It was one of the main reasons she felt so uncomfortable being bare in her cell. She felt she was too slim. She admired the curved hips and larger breasts of other girls. Other girls often told Andrea how much they admired her slim figure. She figured they were just saying that to be nice.
For awhile she dated a guy who loved the slim look. He tried to build her confidence. He pointed out how lots of the most glamorous, highest-paid models in top-end magazines had the same slim build and small, firm breasts.
Andrea didn’t really appreciate his attempts to make here feel better about her figure. They didn’t go out for long.
The visit from Sydney was a pleasant memory.
Sydney asked if there were any boys locked up in nearby holding cells. Andrea thought about that.
In some ways Andrea thought the whole summons program was totally horrible and no laughing matter.
But in other ways she liked to imagine what it would be like if a guy was locked up in a nearby holding cell waiting to be executed. Andrea thought that having a man nearby might be kind of fun and funny and sexy. It was a fun little fantasy that stirred her loins a bit.
Sydney had told her to try to enjoy the feelings of being a naked captive.
“Was that possible?” she wondered. “Are there some women who would enjoy the feelings?” she asked herself.
She had a few friends who enjoyed the submissive role or the feelings of being an exhibitionist. So she thought it was possible some would enjoy the feelings.
During her first semester in college she took a gym class. One of the other girls was very pretty, like a model. She was a shameless exhibitionist and flirt in the girls’ locker room. She’d take any excuse to quickly get naked and parade around, taking her time going to and from the showers with a smile. After a shower she’d stop by one of the sinks – she’d use the mirror to put on some makeup and chat up the other girls while she was totally bare.
Andrea always had a more cautious and reserved personality. So this behavior was hard to understand. Now she thought back to that more. What was that girl thinking and feeling? Why did she enjoy that so much? Andrea tried to think about being back in that locker room with lots of other girls around, walking around like that and having a great time. It helped her to smile a little and distract her thoughts in a pleasant way.
Andrea tried a little experiment. When she noticed that one of the roving guards or other staff was going to stroll by her cell she stopped turning away from the guard and instead kept her place, so the guard could have a nice frontal or side-on view if he or she wanted.
She quickly noticed that some of them, men and women, didn’t seem to care at all. They didn’t check her out as they walked by. Others seemed to enjoy the sight and seemed to enjoy looking her over. It was interesting to notice the differences in personality and attitude among the guards and other staff. And it helped give her mind something to think about.
She noticed one young man in particular, a roving guard about her age or a bit younger. When he was on duty and making his rounds he’d stroll by her cell every hour or two. He seemed to feel it was wrong or not polite to look at her. But he also wanted to steal some glances. So he tried to act all casual and catch some glances of Andrea without being noticed. For some reason Andrea thought this was kind of cute and charming. She decided to play along. Whenever she noticed this young man was going to stroll by her holding cell she pretended to take no note of him. Yet when he came by she found some excuses to show off. She’d stretch her arms overhead and arch her back. Or she’d stretch her arms behind her back and pull her shoulders back. She pretended to be totally clueless and unaware that he’d be checking her out.
It became a fun, flirtatious little game for her. It offered a few minutes of pleasant distraction while she waited for her execution. And it helped her feel a little more confident about her looks.
Sydney never saw her friend again.
END OF PART 1a
“Hey sweetie,” Andrea said as she got to work, hoping no one would notice she was late.
“Hey, what’s up?” Sydney said with a smile.
Andrea was glad to see her friend. They worked together in Human Resources for BDM, a major agriculture company. They were about the same age. They started work on the same day a few months before and seemed to hit it off well together.
Andrea hung her coat on a hook and tried to sit at her desk as if everything was fine.
Sydney sensed something was up. Her friend was always punctual. And something else was slightly different. For a moment she wasn’t quite sure what to say.
She noticed something else. Andrea liked to wear real tight blouses – they both did.
“Did you ….?” she asked, gesturing to her chest area. “Did you … get some piercings?” She thought she could make out the outline of two rings in the area around Andrea’s nipples.
Andrea sighed. She nodded.
In some ways she was happy and relieved her friend noticed. But in other ways the whole situation made her feel sick.
“Wow – very fun and sexy,” Sydney said with a sly smile. “You didn’t tell me you were thinking about doing that.”
Andrea looked worried and serious. “It wasn’t exactly my choice,” she said.
Sydney got a shocked look. “Oh my God … did you … did you get a summons?” she asked.
Andrea made a grimace. “Yeah, over the weekend,” she nodded.
“Wow … that’s such big news,” Sydney said with a tone of concern. “My God … how are you feeling?”
“I’ll be okay,” Andrea said. “It’s … it’s a lot to deal with. But mostly I guess I just want to carry on normally as long as I can. I mean, I know there are good reasons for the summons. I get that. I’m not angry. I’ll handle the feelings.”
Sydney studied her friend’s face closely while she spoke, seeing the strong, complex emotions play out on her expression. “Well, you’re being very brave,” Sydney said.
“And you picked electricity for your method?” Sydney asked after a little pause.
Andrea nodded gravely. “Yeah, I’m really nervous about that.”
“Did they give you a choice?” Sydney asked. “Could you choose the gallows?”
Andrea nodded. “They said I could pick the gallows and they’d try to work me in. But they said they’d have to do it really quickly – like later this week – because after that the gallows are going to be shut down for renovations for the next year for the upswing in demand. They said if I’d rather be electrocuted it would probably happen in two to four months. So … I took that option.”
“I see,” Sydney said. “And then you got the piercings?”
“Yeah,” Andrea nodded. “They showed me a couple of styles and colors to choose from.” She paused for a moment to collect her feelings, then continued. “I mean, getting the piercings might be kind of fun and sexy. I was trying to tell myself to enjoy the process. But it’s different when I know I’m getting the piercings so I can be … electrocuted. It feels funny,” she said with a serious tone.
It was well known that piercings helped the process of electrocution. Hooking the electrodes up to piercings in the body allowed the current to enter the body and flow as smoothly as possible, requiring much less power to achieve good, consistent effects on the condemned person.
“Did you get one … down there?” Sydney asked with a sly smile.
Andrea shook her head. “No, I’m supposed to go back later this week for the final piercing.”
“How interesting,” Sydney sad, still smiling.
“I don’t know,” Andrea said. “That part is scary. I mean …. maybe it’ll be fun. It might be kind of sexy. But also … good Lord, how humiliating. And it might hurt like crazy too, at least for the first few months.”
“Do you want me to go with you when you get it done?” Sydney asked.
Andrea nodded. “It would mean a lot to me,” she said. “I mean, I can cope with the feelings. I can handle this. But it’s a lot to think about. Having a friend to talk to would really mean a lot.”
“I’m here for you sweetie. I’ll do whatever I can,” Sydney said. And with a bit of a smile she said, “And I definitely want to see those piercings you have now – you’ve got to let me get a good look when the time is right.”
“I will,” Andrea nodded.
* * *
The government started a “summons” program to reduce population.
First they tried a few small pilot programs. Those were largely successful.
So the program was growing.
Some men got a summons between ages 18 and 21. But more of the summonses seemed to fall on women in that age range. By their 22d birthday a young person was mostly safe.
No one knew who would get picked or why. Some people thought they could see patterns. Some thought there were more summons in areas of the country where support for the current government was weakest. Others said that wasn’t true and the process was mostly random.
The summonses were mostly routine and didn’t usually become news.
Once in awhile the media focused on an unusual case – like a college math genius who got his Ph.D by age 21 and a summons shortly afterward, or a gorgeous young ballerina who got a summons right after she turned 18. They all told the media the same messages – the summons program is important to help the environment and they’d do their part even if their personal feelings were naturally reluctant or mixed.
* * *
A few months later Andrea reported to the execution facility on time. They told her she’d be waiting about 7-14 days. No visitors are allowed during the first 7 days so the prisoners have time to get acclimated. After that, a short visit now and then is okay.
Sydney went to visit Andrea on day 8.
There was a long process to sign in, get a background check and a thorough search.
Once she was approved for entry one of the guards took her to see Andrea.
The holding facility was a huge building. Maybe it has once been a factory.
Sydney noticed that the air was very warm and humid, almost tropical.
There was also a steady loud hum from the ventilation systems.
Lots of cages were bolted to the floor, spread far apart with wide aisles between them. Each holding cage was about 6-feet (2 meters) square with steel bars for all four walls and steel bars for a ceiling too. The condemned were held one to a cage. Clothing was not allowed for the condemned.
Sydney was excited as she was escorted to Andrea’s cell. “Hey hey, sweetie!” Sydney said in a happy, upbeat tone as she walked up to the cell.
Andrea was glad to see her friend but had a bittersweet attitude. “Hey,” she said. “I didn’t know you were coming. Thank you so much. I’m going crazy here with nothing to do.”
“Of course you knew I’d come,” Sydney said. “But I can’t stay too long – they said a couple of minutes,” she said. “It’s fantastic to see you! How are you doing?”
Andrea shrugged, “As well as I can I guess. It’s boring with nothing to do. I try to distract my thoughts about what’s coming up. But it’s hard.”
“Do you have what you need here?” Sydney asked.
Andrea shrugged. “I get food and water and washing supplies. At night there’s a sleeping pad. I guess it’s okay.”
Sydney nodded. She paused to let her friend collect her thoughts and say what she wanted.
“The worst part is I’m naked all the time,” Andrea said with a tone of exasperation, throwing up her arms in frustration and stamping her foot. “I asked several people on the staff if I could have something and they all just say, ‘Nope! Why waste money?’ like that’s some kind of private joke they have.”
Sydney nodded.
“Ugh, I feel so exposed and helpless,” she said.
“Yeah I can understand,” Sydney nodded thoughtfully. “I might feel the same way if I was locked up. Most girls would.”
There was a pause.
“On the other hand,” Sydney said with a smile and a flirtatious tone, “I think you look you look incredibly cute and sexy and gorgeous being all bare like that.”
“Well thanks,” Andrea said. She couldn’t hide a bit of a smile and blush.
“And being all bare like that you get to show off all of your pretty piercings,” Sydney said in an upbeat tone.
Andrea gave a rueful nod.
“How are your piercings doing?” Sydney asked. “Do they feel good?”
“Okay I guess,” she said. “There’s a throbbing pain sometimes with each of them. It comes and goes – I guess that’s normal. When I was home I’d take some aspirin for the pain. But I can’t have it here. So I just have to put up with it. But overall they’re not too bad.”
The conversation paused for a moment. Then Sydney got a sweet, girlish smile, “So, um, are there boys locked up here? Do we get to ogle any cute naked guys who are going to be executed?” she asked with a little laugh.
“Sadly, I haven’t seen any,” Andrea said. “I guess they’re in a different part of the building. Or maybe they have a different holding facility.”
“Have they told you when you’re going to be electrocuted?” Sydney asked.
Andrea looked nervous. “Not exactly,” she said. “The government is on a 4-day holiday starting tomorrow. I think this place will be really short-staffed and not much will happen.”
Sydney nodded.
“But when they get back from their break then … that may be my time,” she said nervously.
“Well I’m glad you’ve got a few more days to relax and take it easy,” Sydney said.
The “relax and take it easy” phrase bothered Andrea a little. But she didn’t say anything.
“I asked them if I could go home,” Andrea said, “then come back here when they need me here. They said ‘No.’ They said it’s too much paperwork to release someone then check them back in again later,” she said with exasperation. “I’m not resisting the process. I’m not trying to get away. But they said I have to stay,” she said.
“Do you have anyone to talk with?” Sydney asked.
“Not really,” Andrea said. “The staff mostly isn’t allowed to speak to me and I’m not supposed to speak with them. I’m not supposed to speak with the other condemned prisoners either. And anyway, the holding cells are so far apart we’d basically have to shout at each other,” she said.
She paused for a moment. “There was a girl I could see in the holding cell over there,” she said, gesturing to her left. “We couldn’t talk or anything. But it was nice to give her a little waive and she’d waive back. It was nice to think someone else knew what I was going through.” Andrea said.
“They took her away yesterday,” Andrea said with a sad tone.
There was a little pause. Andrea wanted to change the subject.
“How are things at work?” she asked.
“Okay,” Sydney said. “The quarterly diversity reports are due to the government next week so I’m spending a lot of time on that.”
Sydney continued, “I wish you could help me, sweetie – instead of just lollygagging your little butt around here!”
Andrea had not smiled or laughed much since she arrived at the facility. But she smiled at Sydney’s little joke. She was SO glad her friend took the time for a visit. And she was glad it wasn’t a sad or tearful meeting. Her emotions were welling up.
“Me too,” She nodded. “Sorry my execution is getting in the way of work,” she said trying to keep an upbeat tone.
A nearby guard gestured to Sydney, to let her know her time was about up.
“I think I’ve got to go sweetie,” Sydney said. “I can't visit again for about 5 days – the visitor's office here is going to be closed and anyway I'm going out of town to see my parents at their beach house. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous this weekend and I've got a great new little skimpy bikini I want to wear,” she said with a girlish smile. “I promise I'll try to visit when I can – I’ll try to see you again before your big day.”
Andrea nodded. “Okay,” she said. “Thanks.”
Sydney put her hands up onto the metal bars of the holding pen. She moved in very close, between two of the bars. She moistened her lips. “Give me a kiss, sweetheart,” Sydney said.
Andrea was mildly surprised at that. A kiss with her friend was not their normal way of parting. But it sounded like a fun idea. Ever since she got the summons, she realized, her emotions had been a whirlwind. And the cross-currents of emotions had just gotten stronger with time. She was nervous and frightened and worried. Most of all she yearned desperately for some nice human contact. She knew this might be one of the last chances in her life. She put her arms behind her back. She moistened her lips, got a bit of a smile and leaned in close. Andrea closed her eyes as they made contact.
The kiss was short. But it had a lot of meaning for Andrea. All of Andrea’s stress and fears and worries made her emotions extra strong. Her whole body was extra sensitive.
The short kiss brought a pretty smile to her face. She couldn't help feeling a tingle at some sensitive parts of her body.
“You take care,” Sydney said as Andrea opened her eyes.
Andrea nodded.
“God I’m so proud of you,” Sydney said. “You’re doing so good.”
Andrea shrugged. “I’m doing the best I can.”
“Look – you just have a few days left to live,” Sydney said. “Promise me you’ll try to enjoy yourself. Promise me you won’t feel bad about being bare. You look adorable and incredible. Someone who looks so cute and pretty shouldn't be unhappy. I want you to have a fantastic attitude and have a fun smile.”
Sydney was so bubbly and upbeat it made Andrea smile. “Maybe you’re right,” she said. “I’ll try.”
A guard started walking over to Sydney to escort her out. Andrea noticed he was a big guy – a bit over average height with strong shoulders. He looked good in his uniform, plus utility belt with weapons and restraints. Andrea noticed that Sydney noticed too.
After just a moment Sydney took her eyes off of the guard and turned to look at Andrea. “Bye sweetie,” she said.
When the guard came over Sydney stood close to him. With both hands she took hold of his left arm above his elbow, which he didn't seem to mind. She looked up at him flirtatiously. While he was escorting her away she turned back over her shoulder. With a cheery tone she said, “Be good!!”
Andrea smiled at that. She waived back.
The visit brought Andrea some intense bittersweet feelings. She felt really happy for the encounter. At the same time Sydney’s departure made her feel much more sad and alone and helpless than before. She didn’t know if she’d see her friend again. She licked her lips gently, to see if there was some lingering taste from their kiss.
* * *
Andrea was worried about what the days ahead would be like for her. In her cell she had few ways to distract her mind – no book, no magazine, no one to talk with. She was a bright, smart girl with a very active and vivid imagination. She frequently thought about the electrocution process even though she knew it wasn’t the best topic.
When she tried not to think about the electrocution then her thoughts turned to how helpless and exasperated and uncomfortable she felt in the holding cell.
To distract her mind she thought about what she’d do if she was released for a day of freedom. Heck, she thought, just one hour of release would be heavenly. She wanted to put on one of her favorite colorful and skimpy short dresses and go out among other people. She thought about getting a coffee at her favorite café. She’d sit at a table by the window and just watch the world.
She thought about other things too – cooking a special meal for a friend, going on a date, or strolling her favorite park.
Now all those things were gone. She thought people who have their freedom mostly have no idea how incredibly sweet it really is. She’d give anything for one hour of freedom. But it was not an option.
Andrea had never felt comfortable with her body. It was one of the main reasons she felt so uncomfortable being bare in her cell. She felt she was too slim. She admired the curved hips and larger breasts of other girls. Other girls often told Andrea how much they admired her slim figure. She figured they were just saying that to be nice.
For awhile she dated a guy who loved the slim look. He tried to build her confidence. He pointed out how lots of the most glamorous, highest-paid models in top-end magazines had the same slim build and small, firm breasts.
Andrea didn’t really appreciate his attempts to make here feel better about her figure. They didn’t go out for long.
The visit from Sydney was a pleasant memory.
Sydney asked if there were any boys locked up in nearby holding cells. Andrea thought about that.
In some ways Andrea thought the whole summons program was totally horrible and no laughing matter.
But in other ways she liked to imagine what it would be like if a guy was locked up in a nearby holding cell waiting to be executed. Andrea thought that having a man nearby might be kind of fun and funny and sexy. It was a fun little fantasy that stirred her loins a bit.
Sydney had told her to try to enjoy the feelings of being a naked captive.
“Was that possible?” she wondered. “Are there some women who would enjoy the feelings?” she asked herself.
She had a few friends who enjoyed the submissive role or the feelings of being an exhibitionist. So she thought it was possible some would enjoy the feelings.
During her first semester in college she took a gym class. One of the other girls was very pretty, like a model. She was a shameless exhibitionist and flirt in the girls’ locker room. She’d take any excuse to quickly get naked and parade around, taking her time going to and from the showers with a smile. After a shower she’d stop by one of the sinks – she’d use the mirror to put on some makeup and chat up the other girls while she was totally bare.
Andrea always had a more cautious and reserved personality. So this behavior was hard to understand. Now she thought back to that more. What was that girl thinking and feeling? Why did she enjoy that so much? Andrea tried to think about being back in that locker room with lots of other girls around, walking around like that and having a great time. It helped her to smile a little and distract her thoughts in a pleasant way.
Andrea tried a little experiment. When she noticed that one of the roving guards or other staff was going to stroll by her cell she stopped turning away from the guard and instead kept her place, so the guard could have a nice frontal or side-on view if he or she wanted.
She quickly noticed that some of them, men and women, didn’t seem to care at all. They didn’t check her out as they walked by. Others seemed to enjoy the sight and seemed to enjoy looking her over. It was interesting to notice the differences in personality and attitude among the guards and other staff. And it helped give her mind something to think about.
She noticed one young man in particular, a roving guard about her age or a bit younger. When he was on duty and making his rounds he’d stroll by her cell every hour or two. He seemed to feel it was wrong or not polite to look at her. But he also wanted to steal some glances. So he tried to act all casual and catch some glances of Andrea without being noticed. For some reason Andrea thought this was kind of cute and charming. She decided to play along. Whenever she noticed this young man was going to stroll by her holding cell she pretended to take no note of him. Yet when he came by she found some excuses to show off. She’d stretch her arms overhead and arch her back. Or she’d stretch her arms behind her back and pull her shoulders back. She pretended to be totally clueless and unaware that he’d be checking her out.
It became a fun, flirtatious little game for her. It offered a few minutes of pleasant distraction while she waited for her execution. And it helped her feel a little more confident about her looks.
* * *
Sydney never saw her friend again.
END OF PART 1a
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