Three Little Bitches Beheaded

by Azalel

Prologue

Tyra Fastenne, Renee Dupois, and Kelly Green sat in the waiting room. The other hopefuls had already left the studio. The three preteens sat waiting while the producers talked to the mothers of the three little actresses.

"Would you three like anything to drink," the receptionist asked.

Tyra looked up at the woman. Bernadette Andrews was likely the last person one would expect to work for Child Bondage Studios. She was stunningly beautiful, had a quick easy smile that put everyone at ease, and really cared about the comfort of her employers' guests.

"Do you have soda," the blonde 10-year-old asked.

"I sure do," Bernadette replied. "I have orange, cola, root beer, ginger ale, and grape sodas. What would you like?"

"I'll have a cola," Tyra said with a smile.

The other two preteens, emboldened by Tyra's success, also requested a soda. Renee went with a ginger ale and Kelly went with a root beer.

"I'll be right back," the woman said as she went to retrieve the drinks her young guests requested.

***

Leanne Fastenne was not pleased. She had expected her Tyra to be the only actress selected. Leanne did not like that anyone would be sharing the spotlight with her daughter. As the producers conferred amongst themselves, she looked at the other two mothers.

Monique Dupois was a large black woman who was new to the child bondage scene. From what she knew of the picture being planned, it was expected to be a smash hit. It was a surprise that this woman's daughter was picked to be in it. Leanne had seen Carol and Danii Naylor in the waiting room and surely, Danii would have been a better choice.

Looking at the other woman, Leanne's confusion lingered. Lauraine Green was pretty, but slender to the point of being emaciated. Her daughter was a little more solid, but not much. The one thing this woman's daughter had going for her was the red hair. It was very uncommon to see a redhead in these films.

Looking back at Monique, Leanne had a thought. As drab as these women's daughters were, they would provide excellent contrast for Tyra. Oh, all three were pretty (well, Tyra was stunningly beautiful), but they had very little else in common.

The little black girl had sizable tits for a preteen where both Tyra and Kelly were flat as boards. There was something about Kelly....a kind of innocence not seen very often...that separated her from Tyra and Renee. Leanne was still pondering this turn of events as the producers entered the room.

***

"Thank you for your patience," Jim Armbruster said as he entered the room. "I apologize for making you wait so long."

"We were just going over the videos of your daughters again," Arnold Buchwald said as he and Jim took their seats.

"And," Lauraine asked, breathlessly, "what's your decision? Did Kelly get the part?"

Monique glared at the red-headed woman but Leanne just sighed. If you're too eager, they'll pay you very little, thinking you're happy just to have your daughter on the screen,

"Well," Jim said, "that depends on you. You may not want your daughter to participate. This film's a lot more extreme than most child bondage movies. This isn't without compensation, but I'll be frank. If they participate, your daughters won't survive the filming of this movie."

"Before you object," Arnold interjected before the three women could start yelling, "you should know that for their parts in this film, each of you will receive $100,000 and 1% of the gross profits."

Leanne was stunned. Tyra had been in quite a few films but had rarely earned more that $10,000 for a single film. And they'd never made a percentage of the profits. The other two women, being new to the scene, had no idea how generous the producers were being. Then again, there was that 'won't survive' bit to think about.

"You're talking about a snuff film," Leanne calmly said to the producers. "You're going to do whatever to the girls but, in the end, you're going to kill them. Is that right?"

Lauraine and Monique sat in stunned silence. The snuff part wasn't such a big deal. Snuff films had been legalized for a decade now. As long as the actor or actress signed the waiver, they could be snuffed in a movie. The catch was the age of the victims.

"Yes," Jim said. "A new bill in congress just gave parents unlimited control over their dependents. If the parent covers at least 51% of the dependent's living expenses, the parents can do as they wish."

"Until this bill passed," Arnold continued, "you had the right to commit your dependent to anything non-lethal. With the rising cost of living and the increasing number of children living with their parents, congress finally passed the bill."

"Granted, " he continued, "most people will think this bill pertains only to adult children, but our attorneys assure us that minor children are also covered in this bill. Something about unmanageable minors putting too much of a burden on their parents."

"To our knowledge," Jim said, "no other studio has thought to do a snuff film featuring children, but, with the growing acceptance of child bondage, it's merely a matter of time. We're just getting a jump on them."

"Let me get this straight," Lauraine said, "you're going to torture my daughter and then kill her?"

"That's right," Arnold said.

"And I'll get $100,000 and 1% of the gross profits? Preposterous!"

Lauraine turned to retrieve her purse and was halfway to the door when Jim called to her.

"Mrs. Green," he said, "you may want to reconsider that. If this wasn't a snuff film, we never would've selected your daughter. She's too scrawny to be a decent bondage model. And though she is pretty, there're lots of pretty 10-year-olds to star in bondage films."

"The same goes for your daughter, Mrs. Dupois," he continued. Though Renee is a beautiful child, she looks far too mature to be in child bondage films. She may be only 10 years old, but she looks 13 or 14. Most people who want to watch those films want to see a young child get tied up and punished."

"As for Tyra," Arnold said to Leanne, "well, she's gorgeous but she's no longer a big draw. She's been in what....13 films now?"

"Fifteen," Leanne said with a sigh.

Though she hated to admit it, Arnold was right. So was Jim in his accurate description of the other girls. Then again, it was their job to know what the audience wanted. Tyra was too well-known for her own good. The jobs would dry up and soon, there would be no more films for the young girl.

"How were you going to do it," she asked. "Kill them, I mean."

"If you and the other ladies agree, Ms. Fastenne, we'll behead them."

"You're going to cut their heads off," Monique gasped, no longer able to stay silent.

"Yes."

"And when will they find out," Leanne asked, surprised to find that she had already come to terms with the death of her 10-year-old daughter. "I assume you won't tell them up front that they'll be dead in two weeks time."

"No," Jim said. "We want them to be willing for the first part of the film. They'll find out halfway through the second week. At that point, we'd need to keep them at the studio so they don't run away."

"Makes sense," Leanne said thoughtfully.

"It makes sense," Lauraine asked incredulously. "What makes sense? Are you really going to let these men cut your daughter's head off?"

***

With a nod from Leanne, Jim realized she wanted to speak privately to the other mothers. She was coping with the shock better than he had hoped. Maybe she could explain things to Monique and Lauraine.

"I'm going to get something to drink, ladies," he said. "Would you three like anything?"

"Do you have scotch," Lauraine asked. "I really think I need a drink."

"I hope you'll understand but we can't offer alcohol to you during the negotiations. Once we've finished, I can get you a scotch, but for now, we have soda, water, juice, or milk."

"I'm fine," Lauraine said.

As the other two ladies shook their heads, Jim left, motioning for Arnold to come along.

***

The door shut quietly and the men were gone.

"You two," Leanne said patiently as she looked from Monique to Lauraine, "are new to the industry. I have worked with Jim and Arnie many times in the last three years and they're the best producers in the business."

"Other producers I've worked with would've hidden a clause in the contract. I would've found out about the clause when I came back to pick up Tyra only to find out she'd been killed."

"This is a rough industry and I understand if you ladies can't give up your daughters. You should know, however, that this genre has gained a lot of acceptance lately. With this acceptance, the would-be actresses are coming out of the woodwork. Three years ago, Tyra made $20,000 for her first film."

"Now, the average salary for an average girl is between $2,000 and $4,000. Your girls are above average and could possibly make between $5,000 and $6,000. In Tyra's last three films, she made only around $5,750 per film."

"I don't tell you this to brag, but to give you a realistic view of what they're offering. It's unlikely that any new actress will earn $100,000 throughout her acting career. There's just too much competition now."

Leanne sat on the couch and massaged her temples. This was giving her a headache. A scotch after negotiations would be greatly appreciated.

"To answer your question, Monique," Leanne said, "I am going to do it. What they don't tell you when you begin in this business is that the girls become addicted to the abuse. Tyra's already begging me to take a strap to her when she gets home from school."

Both Lauraine and Monique stared wide-eyed at the other woman.

"She likes the pain. She doesn't know why she likes the pain, but that's her youth showing itself. She's been praised for taking abuse. That positive reinforcement, along with the sexual pleasure the producers mix in with the torture, conditions the girls to the point where they associate the pain with feeling good."

"What this means," Leanne continued, "is that Tyra's turning into a masochist. A victim, if you will. Your daughters may not be there yet, but, if you continue in this field, it's merely a matter of time."

"I keep coming back to these films because if I didn't, Tyra would get someone else to torture her. An amateur could maim her for life. What I realized as Jim was talking was this: by allowing them to behead Tyra, her life as a victim will come to an end. "

"Yes. I know that Tyra will die anyway, but, this way is merciful compared to what awaits her. Believe me."

Lauraine hung her head. Although everything Leanne said was right, it was just wrong to kill a kid. The blonde woman, however, had made several good points. Lauraine knew that Kelly was already a bit of a masochist. That was what brought them to this audition. The troubled expression on Monique's face told Lauraine that the black woman was also seeing the truth.

Without knowing it, both Lauraine and Monique had made their decisions. Their daughters would be in this movie.

***

Arnold and Jim came back into the room. They sat down and looked at the solemn faces of the three mothers.

"I think," Leanne said, "that we've decided."

"And your decision," Jim asked.

"I accept your offer," Leanne said.

"Me too," said Lauraine.

Monique hung her head and sobbed but nodded her head as well.

"There's one thing, though," Leanne said. "I know the bill you speak of and it does indeed give you the right to use children in snuff films. My question is this: will we have to be there for the beheading?"

"I am afraid so," Jim said. "The law is clear. We can do this, but the lawful guardian has to witness the deed to make it completely legal. You'll have to be with us when we film the end."

"I was afraid of that," Leanne said. "It doesn't, however, change my mind. We have a deal."

"And you two ladies," Jim asked as her turned to Monique and Lauraine, "what's your decision?"

Neither woman could say anything. They just nodded.

Jim picked up the office phone and dialed a number.

"Bernadette," he said into the phone, "please convey our apologies to Carol and Danii, but the roles have been filled."

***

Tyra looked at her mother. Since leaving the studio, Leanne hadn't spoken. This silence, Tyra knew, meant something was troubling her.

"So," Tyra said, "I got the part?"

"Yes," her mother replied. "I should tell you, though, that this movie will be harsher than any you've done before."

"Harsher?"

"They're going to torture you, Tyra. There will be real pain in this movie. I don't know the details but they may burn you, cut you, or push needles into you."

"Is that all?"

"Is that all," Leanne asked incredulously. "That's enough, isn't it? I mean it's really going to hurt."

Tyra grinned at her mother.

"I like pain, mommy. You know that."

"You're weird," Leanne said with a chuckle.

"No. I'm just extreme."

***

Renee was humming along with the music. Monique looked at the 10-year-old and wondered if Leanne had been right.

"Renee," she said. "Do you like pain?"

"Um....."

"Don't worry." Monique said. "You can tell me anything."

"Yes, mommy."

"Yes?"

"Yes," Renee repeated. "I like pain."

"Have you ever hurt yourself?"

"..."

"I promise," the mother said. "I won't be mad."

"Yes."

"How?"

"Nikki and me poked needles in our skin."

"What?"

"Well, we were watching these video clips on the 'net where this guy pushed long needles through a girl's boobies. He also pushed them through her cunny. It looked cool so Nikki and I did the same thing."

"How?"

"I had Nikki push a needle through my nipple."

"Ouch!"

"It did hurt," Renee said, "but it felt good too. So we tried more."

"More?"

"In one of the clips, the guy sewed the girl's cunny lips together. In another clip, he pushed. like, 40 huge tacks in a girl's butt and had her sit down."

"Wow."

"We couldn't find any tacks," Renee said, "but Nikki put about 20 pins in my butt. The were the pins with the colored balls on the end. I had her push them all the way in and then I sat down on them."

"And?"

"It hurt real good."

Monique shook her head in astonishment. Maybe Leanne had something there.

"At least, it wasn't as bad as the competition."

"Competition?"

"We saw it on the 'net. Mothers were killing their daughters. The one who got the highest score won a prize."

"Really? Mothers killing their little girls?"

"No. The contest rules said the girls had to be at least 18 years old. In the one Nikki and I saw, this woman had a really big fake penis and she used it to fuck her daughter to death."

"Fuck," Monique asked. "Where did you learn that word?"

"Nikki's brother Billy. He was watching the clip with us and then her did it to Nikki to show us how it worked."

"He fucked his sister," the mother asked, incredulously.

"Yeah."

"And did he do it to you, too?"

"Um..."

"Come on, baby. I told you I wouldn't get mad."

"Oh, yeah," Renee said with a sigh of relief. "Yeah he did it to me but it hurt a bit and he freaked out when I started to bleed a little."

"Hmmm...." Monique said. "He broke your hymen."

Neither had anything more to say so they finished the drive in silence.

***

Kelly was a chatterbug during the ride home.

"That was so fun, Mom," the little girl said. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"I'm glad you had a good time," Lauraine replied. "Tell me about the interview. You were in there for quite a while. What did they have you do?"

"Well, first, they hit me with their fists. Not too hard, but I think I may have a bruise or two later. Then, they had me bend over and the spanked me with a wooden paddle. It had holes in it."

"It was broken?"

"No, the holes were like a design."

"Ah, I see. That's to reduce air resistance. It allows the paddle to hit you harder. Did it hurt a lot?"

"Yes," Kelly said with a grin. "It hurt real good. I was screaming and crying and everything."

"Wow," Lauraine said. The studio must have excellent sound-proofing. Nothing was heard from the waiting room.

"What else did they do," the mother asked.

"They put clamps on my nipples and cunny."

"Clamps?"

"Yeah," Kelly relied. "Like those big black ones you use to hold your papers together."

"Damn, kid. Those must've really hurt. Were they big ones?"

"Yep. I couldn't even open them."

"I'm surprised you still have nipples after that."

"Then they put a rope around my neck and lifted me off the ground."

"They hung you? That could've killed you."

"No," the 10-year-old said. "I told them it wouldn't. I don't weigh enough."

"And how, exactly, do you know that?"

"Siobhan and I have done it to each other before. It gets hard to breathe and it hurts, but it is fun, too."

"Siobhan has done this too?"

"Yeah, we were reading a book in in the library and it mentioned hanging people. We wondered what it was like."

"Didn't it say the people who were hung died?"

"Yeah, but that was because they dropped. When they fell, the rope pulled them up short and broke their necks. We went into her cellar and hung a rope over a pipe near the ceiling. Then we tied a loop and put it over our heads. Then we took turns pulling each other up."

"You weren't afraid you'd die?"

"Well, we were a little nervous, but everyone dies. If I died doing something I liked, that wouldn't be too bad."

"Do you want to die?"

"Not really," the little girl replied, "but I could die getting hit by a car while crossing the street. If I die, I die. If you're always afraid you might die, you never try anything new. That's awfully boring."

"I see."

"Besides, I've seen people die before and it wasn't too bad."

"Sorry kiddo, but when they die on TV, it's part of the story. They are just acting dead."

"No. It was on the Internet. Siobhan and I watched this competition where mothers killed their daughters. This one mother cut off her daughters boobies and cunny. Then she took the girl's skin off."

"What!?"

"Yeah, and then she put the girl in a pot and cooked her. When the girl was dead, the mother cut her daughter's head off. It was so cool."

"Where was Siobhan's mother while you were watching this?"

"She was out running errands. Siobhan's big brother Seamus was watching us."

"Did he know you were watching this competition?"

"Yeah. He helped us find it on the net. He's helped us find other websites before."

"What websites," Lauraine asked, intrigued despite her mounting horror.

"There's this website called Brutal Master and another website called Torture Galaxy. They have movies of women really being beat up."

"Well," Lauraine said thoughtfully, "when we get home, I'd like you to show me these websites."

"Okay, mommy."

***

After Leanne and Tyra got home, the mother called Carol Naylor.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Carol. This is Leanne, Tyra's mother."

"Oh, hello, Leanne. Do I understand correctly that congratulations are in order?"

"I guess. Hey, do you have some time to talk tonight?"

"Sure, if you want to come over around 9:00pm."

"Thanks, Carol. I just need to talk to someone and you'd understand me better than anyone else."

"Leanne? Are you okay?"

"I can't talk right now, Carol, but I'll be over there around 9:00pm."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

***

After hanging up, Leanne arranged for a babysitter. Tyra resented it, but Leanne was not comfortable leaving the 10-year-old at home alone at night.

Carol would understand. Those two other women - Monique and Lauraine - thought they understood the hazards of the child bondage industry. They didn't. Danii Naylor hadn't been in as many movies as Tyra but she was in enough for Carol to understand the situation.

It was 7:00pm. Tyra was just finishing up her dinner. The babysitter would be there in about 30 minutes. It wouldn't take 90 minutes to get to Carol's. The woman lived only four blocks away, for Christ's sake. Leanne, however, needed time to think and collect her thoughts.

***

At 9:00pm, Leanne knocked on the Naylor family's front door. She still wasn't sure what she was looking for from Carol, but she just needed to talk to someone. Of all the people Leanne knew, Carol was the only one who would truly understand.

"Come on in," Carol said as she opened the door.

As Leanne entered the house, Carol handed her a tall glass of wine. Leanne looked at it for a few moments before turning her attention to her host.

"You know," Leanne said, "don't you?"

Carol nodded.

"Let's go out onto the patio. We can enjoy our drinks and talk freely."

"Where's Danii?"

"Sleeping. One of the reasons I want to go to the patio is I can see the stairs from the patio. If she comes downstairs, we'll know it immediately."

Leanne nodded.

They went onto the patio.

"Drink," Carol said. "You look like you need it."

"How'd you find out?"

"Bernadette's an old college friend of mine. She inadvertently let it slip that this movie is a bit more extreme."

"Extreme," Leanne said with a humorless chuckle. "I guess you could say it's extreme. Damnit, Carol. What am I going to do?"

"It seems you already know that. Tyra's going to be in the film, right? When does production start?"

"On Monday. Jim said it would take about two weeks."

"And when do they plan on notifying the stars of the film's conclusion?"

"Tuesday of week two. They want to keep the girls there. That way they can make sure the girls don't run."

"I can understand that," Carol said.

"Oh, Carol, how can I face Tyra? In five days, she begins a film shoot that culminates with her losing her head. My little girl will be dead in three weeks."

"How are the other mothers handling it?"

"Poorly. They thought their little darlings were going to be starting a film career. Instead, the girls' first film will also be their last."

"You and I," Carol said, "understand this industry. Looking around, how many child bondage actresses do you know who are still alive?"

"What do you mean?"

"The business grows on you. I don't know about Tyra, but Danii's already showing signs of turning into a painslut. How long before the 'tame' bondage is not enough? Eventually, she'll go too far and that'll be the end of Danii Naylor, child actress."

Leanne looked at Carol. The other woman had tears in her eyes.

"How can you accept that so easily," Leanne asked.

"Easily? No. I did this to her. It started with that first film, but she did so well that there was another, and another. I got her involved in this shit and now, she is hooked. I wasn't going to take her to this audition, but I caught her playing with a kitchen knife."

"She was making small cuts on her chest. She wanted to feel the pain. These films are terrible but at least, the ones causing the pain know what they are doing. Danii, in her ignorance, could kill herself."

"Yeah," Leanne said sadly. "Tyra's acting the same way. I told the other mothers the same thing. Maybe it's better this way. This way, at least, they'll end their suffering."

Carol nodded thoughtfully.

"That was my thought. I could almost wish Danii had been selected. I am, however, a selfish mother. I can't let her go like that."

"Is there anything I can do for Tyra," the doomed child's mother asked.

"Well, there's no school right now. Take Tyra away for a few days. Create some loving memories that you can hold on to."

"Yes," Leanne said. "We can go somewhere. She has always wanted to see the redwoods or the boardwalk in Santa Cruz. I went to both places when I was a kid and loved it."

"Well, you have five days. You have to pass the redwoods on the way to Santa Cruz. Why not go to both places?"

"Why not," Leanne asked agreeably. "Thank you, Carol. I really needed to talk to someone."

"I am always here for you, Leanne. Like you said, we understand each other."

"Thanks, Carol. That really means a lot to me. I should get home now. I have to pack."

Leanne put down her untouched glass of wine and left.

"Poor woman," Carol said as she pick up the glass of wine and went into the house.

Filming ~ Day 1

Leanne pulled into the studio's parking lot at 8:45am Monday morning. She and Tyra had had a great time in Santa Cruz and Tyra loved the Redwood National State Park. There was something awe-inspiring about looking up at a tree that had been there for over 2000 years.

Tyra had loved looking at the old trees. They were absolutely huge. Leanne, on the other hand couldn't help but look at Tyra and the trees and realize how fleeting life is. The trees had been there for thousands of years. Tyra, on the other hand, wouldn't see her 11th birthday.

Getting out of the car, Leanne saw Monique and Lauraine smoking at a picnic table about 50 feet away from the studio's front door.

"Go on inside, sweetie," Leanne told Tyra. "I'm going to talk to the other girls' mommies."

"Okay," Tyra said with a giggle. She was really looking forward to this shoot.

Leanne watched Tyra run to the building's entrance before heading over to the other mothers.

***

"I just couldn't believe it," Lauraine was saying to Monique as Leanne arrived.

"I know," Monique replied. She looked up as Leanne sat at the table, lit a cigarette, and took a puff.

"You were right, Leanne," the black woman said. "I couldn't believe it when Renee told me, but, she's been experimenting with BDSM and torture for years."

Leanne nodded sadly. These poor women were just now discovering the horror of child bondage. In adult bondage, the participants are usually mature enough to balance their self-destructive behavior with self-preservation. They could enjoy the bondage without letting it destroy them.

Children, on the other hand, had no such experience. The feelings were new and exciting. It wouldn't take long for these 'innocents' to discover extreme bondage. That, Leanne knew, could easily end in the death of the participant. Tyra was already heading down that pass. This movie, horrible as it was, could be a blessing in disguise.

"Kelly has, too," Lauraine added. "She and her friend have been hanging each other. Kelly likes it. I asked her if she was afraid to die and she shocked me. She said that she could die getting hit by a car or she could get killed doing something she likes to do. She said she didn't mind dying while doing something she enjoyed."

"I don't know how Renee feels about dying herself," Monique said, "but she's watched a snuff competition on the Internet before and she said that it looked cool."

"A snuff competition," Lauraine asked. "Did it involve mothers killing their daughters?"

"Yes," Monique answered. "The one Renee saw involved this mother fucking her 18-year-old daughter with a gigantic dildo. Apparently, the daughter had development issues and despite being 18 years old, she looked like a 13-year-old. The dildo was way too big for the daughter to handle safely and the mother fucked her daughter to death."

"Kelly saw something from that competition," Lauraine said. "She watched this mother skin her daughter alive. She cut off her daughter's breasts and pussy before skinning the girl. Then she boiled the girl until the girl died. Lastly, she cut off her daughter's head."

Leanne continued nodding sadly. She and Carol had discussed these things. This was where their daughters were heading. Whatever Jim and Arnie had planned for this movie, it would be terrible but it would be over in two weeks. Tyra, Renee, and Kelly would be dead and their suffering would end.

The three ladies were so engrossed in their discussion, they never saw Jim approach. When Leanne saw him, she frowned. She'd known him long enough to know the look on his face. He had something to talk to them about and he was uncomfortable with it. He was going to kill three preteen girls in less than two weeks. What could be worse than that?

***

"Good morning, ladies," Jim said with a smile that never touched his eyes.

Leanne sighed.

"Morning, Jim," she replied. "What's up?"

The man looked at Leanne and the other two mothers uncomfortably. Swallowing audibly, he gathered his courage.

"There've been some developments in the script for the movie," Jim said. "Developments in which you may have interest."

The three ladies looked at each other. What now?

"The client would like to have you three involved in the film."

"Us," Lauraine asked uncertainly. "What would we do in the film?"

"You would, if you agree, be the ones to kill the girls," Jim said. "Now before you answer, hear me out. The client has seen pictures of you and your daughters. She's very pleased with all of you."

"Wait a minute," Monique said. "She? The client - the person paying for the death of our daughters - is a woman?"

"Yes," Jim said. "I can't tell you who she is, but she's very wealthy. She's offered to increase your compensation from $100,000 to $300,000 and 5% of the gross profits."

"Whoa," Lauraine said. "Let me see if I understand this. This rich woman not only wants to see my daughter beheaded; she also wants me to be the one to cut off my daughter's head. For this, I'll be paid $300,000?"

"And 5% of the gross profits," Jim said with a nod. "There is more, though."

Leanne had assumed so. The kind of money this woman was throwing around was not insignificant. This woman would want something special for her investment.

"She knows," Jim said, "that this is a terrible thing to ask of you. Some people couldn't live with the knowledge that she'd killed her own daughter. If any of you accept the offer and have problems with it, you may volunteer to be killed on-screen as well. In return, she'll increase your compensation to $400,000 and send the money to your designated beneficiary."

"I should tell you," he continued, "that this'll not be as easy for you as it is for your daughters. You'd be tortured before being allowed to die. The pain would be extreme. I don't need an answer now, but by the time we take possession of your daughters next week, we'll need to know your intentions. If you agree to everything, you'll be held just as we'll hold your daughters."

The three women just looked at each other. That was a good point. Could they live with the knowledge that they had allowed their daughters to be killed? Could they be their daughters' executioners? They all knew someone they could name as a beneficiary.

In Leanne's case, it would be Carol Naylor. She had visited with Carol every night she'd been home since accepting the role for Tyra. Carol had become more important to Leanne than she would've ever imagined.

On the other hand, he'd said that they would be tortured. Leanne knew her pain tolerance was very high, but she had no illusions. If Jim said the pain would be extreme, they'd likely be begging for death before the end.

"Jim," Leanne said, "I don't know about Lauraine or Monique, but I'll need time to consider both issues. When do you need the answers?"

"Well, for the question of you joining your daughters as victims, you'd need to let us know by the time we take possession of your girls next week. As to the question of you performing as the executioner, wed like to know by Friday so we can make the necessary arrangements."

"What sort of arrangements," Monique asked. "I thought we...you would be cutting their heads off."

"That is most certainly true," Jim said. "The girls will lose their heads. The arrangements concern the manner in which they lose their heads. The client, if you choose to participate, may have special requests. Those are the arrangements of which I speak."

"That's for next week, though," Lauraine said. "Well, we have to give you our answers by Friday. What are you doing with the girls today?"

"This week is almost entirely physical beatings and strappings," Jim said. "We'll use floggers on them. We'll use paddles on them. We'll smack them around and maybe punch them. On Friday, we'll hang them. We won't kill them, but we will scare them."

"Wow," Lauraine muttered. "You don't hold back, do you?"

"This is holding back," Jim said. "Next week, we'll introduce electricity, fire, and knifeplay into the action."

"What should we be doing," Monique asked.

"For now," he said, "not much. Think about the offer on the table. Make your decision and let me know on Friday."

He turned to head back into the studio.

"Oh, yes," he said as he turned back to the three mothers. "You'll want to pick up some analgesic cream. Leanne can let you know what works best."