A moment later, she felt a hand upon her shoulder. Nicole turned to see Sivanah standing there. The exotic beauty seemed more than a little unsettled.
“Trying to take my fiance back from me, are you?”
“F… fiance? You’re not married yet?”
“In three weeks. I’ll send you an invitation.” But the exotic beauty’s tone indicated said invitation would not be forthcoming.
Sivanah gave her a stern don’t-you-dare-say-a-word look before grabbing her man. “C’mon, Micah. There’s a room I want to show you. I think it’d be great for a bachelorette party. Maybe I can snuff one of the girls in there.” And with that, she started to pull him away.
He turned long enough to attempt to say goodbye, even as he was being forcefully pulled away. “Uh… good to see you, Nicole! One day we’ve got to catch up!”
“Maybe later, Micah. She’s a busy girl.” The words had come from Sivanah. She did not sound the least bit happy they’d seen each other.
Nicole watched them go. Then she went back to pick up the tray of empty glasses off the table. That’s when she thought she caught sight of Chadrone heading off toward the gambling section of the Club by himself. Strangely, he was acting as though he didn’t want to be seen.
PART 2
Nicole hauled the tray of glasses off to the kitchen. Then, out of curiosity, she went looking for Chadrone. She found him deep inside the casino portion of the facility playing one of the slot machines.
She walked up to him and smiled. “Did you enjoy your time with me in the sex room?”
“Oh hi, Nicole,” he replied as though noticing her standing there for the first time. “We had a great time. I really enjoyed myself.” Then he paused before sympathetically adding, “No hard feelings?”
Nicole decided to play nice and set his mind at ease. “It was my night to be available to our clients. I hope my presence was enjoyable for you both.”
“Oh, we had a hell of a good time. I really enjoyed having you in our room.”
He absentmindedly put a coin in the slot and pulled the arm without really paying any attention to the outcome. Then he turned toward her. “You know… if you’re still available, I’m kind of horny. I don’t know what they put in those drinks you guys serve.”
“Thank you,” she told him evenly, “but I’m no longer available.”
“Oh, I see. That’s too bad. I really enjoyed fucking you.”
“I’m glad I pleased you.” Then she looked around before adding, “So where’s Sivanah?”
“She’s, uh… well… to be honest, she’s meeting somebody else.”
“Meeting somebody else? You mean she doesn’t want you around?”
He looked uncomfortable as he told her, “Uh… something like that.”
Nicole paused. Then she decided to voice what she was wondering about. “Sivanah certainly seemed surprised at seeing me here at the Club.”
“Oh, don’t mind her, Nicole. You know her. She’s just being Sivanah.”
He paused for a moment. Then he leaned closer as he conspiratorially added, “You know? I think she really did want to snuff you in that room. But you would have been expensive as hell. Besides, I was paying for it. She can be quite the expensive bitch, you know. Fun… but quite the expensive bitch. You two have quite a history.”
Nicole thought about saying something further, but she didn’t. Besides, she was suddenly thinking about Micah. So she conspiratorially told him, “It’s probably a good thing you’re hiding out here among the slot machines, Chadrone. I’d be mighty careful poking my nose out in the main area if I were you. Certain… people… might see you. I’d hate for there to be a scene.”
He hesitantly asked, “You’re not going to tell anyone about me and, uh…” She just shook her head.
He let out what sounded like a sigh of relief. “You’re a good egg, Nicole.”
“He made his decision, Chadrone. Besides, what goes on in the private lives of our customers is none of my affair. I could be fired if I got too involved.”
He suddenly reached into his wallet. Then he pulled out a couple of hundred dollar bills and handed them to her.
“What’s this for?” she wanted to know. “I already told you I’m not going to say a word.”
“You deserve it,” he said evenly. “Sivanah didn’t want me to leave you a tip. I didn’t give you one off my pager. But I’m giving you one now. Here; take it.”
He left it in her hand. Then he walked off to another machine. Nicole called out, “Thank you, Chadrone!” He just waved a dismissive hand in her direction.
She had just started to turn away when he called out to her one last time. He lowered his head from some sort of embarrassment as he told her, “She really did want to snuff you in that room, you know. She didn’t want you telling anyone about me being here.” Then he turned and put another coin in a slot machine as though intently studying the impending results.
Nicole nodded with understanding. She was not at all surprised. Besides, she figured she should just be thankful she was still alive.
—
She took her tip and immediately headed off to see Mistress Chastity to report it. It was not registered with the pagers. So she wanted to make sure the Club co-owner knew all about it. After all, she wanted everything to be above-board. She liked working here.
When she eventually told her about it, Mistress told her to keep it all. After all, she deserved every penny. And besides, she’d earned it. She was just glad Chadrone had paid her what she was worth.
—
Nicole was in the back putting things away and getting ready to go home when she was paged. It was Priscilla. She told her she was needed in snuff-sex room three.
Nicole’s eyes opened wide. Wasn’t that the room Sivanah and Chadrone had used to fuck, electrocute, and then hang her? What was this all about? Priscilla wasn’t in any kind of trouble, was she?
She went back to the room, still dressed in her attendant’s outfit. When she opened the door, she was met with a red glow, indicating the presence of a popped sensor. But Priscilla didn’t seem to be the one acting all anxious about it.
She saw Sivanah sitting on the end of the bed. She was crying, her head in her hands. Micah was standing there staring down at her, a look of hurt and betrayal in his eyes.
“Is there a problem?” Nicole asked helpfully.
Sivanah looked up and saw her standing there. “Of COURSE there’s a problem!” she wailed. Then she flipped up her shirt, revealing a popped sensor. “A mistake; it’s got to be a mistake! You’ve got to explain it to Micah for me!”
Micah was not being sympathetic. He clearly suspected the worst. “How the fuck did your pregnancy sensor pop, Sivanah? We haven’t fucked in three days!”
“We haven’t had time, what with planning the wedding and all! Besides, it’s a mistake I tell you! The damned thing is faulty! Tell him, Nicole!” Her eyes were pleading.
Nicole instantly understood the situation. But she did not want to be held responsible for exposing the truth if she could help it. So she turned toward Priscilla and asked, “Can we confirm whether or not there’s been a mistake?”
The attendant looked at her for a long moment. Then understanding flashed in her eyes. “I’ll check,” Priscilla replied, her expression giving nothing away.
She walked over to the monitor. Then she began reviewing video information. “What are you looking for??” Sivanah cried out, on the verge of hysterics.
Priscilla finally pulled up a scene of Sivanah and Chadrone alone in a sex room. They were going at it all hot and heavy. The exotic beauty went pale as Micah’s face clouded over with anger.
“I can explain, Micah! It’s not what you think!”
Priscilla pulled up another scene, this time of the three of them in the snuff-sex room they were now in. Nicole was locked into the electric chair as Sivanah and Chadrone fucked each other. They were clearly enjoying themselves while jolting her.
“It’s not what you think, Micah! That video’s been faked!” That’s when the conversation in the room was played back…
Ok – ok!” Sivanah muttered unhappily. “I suppose we need to give her a break. Sure was fun watching her cum and suffer though; wasn’t it?”
“It certainly made me cum,” Chadrone agreed.
“Yeah,” the exotic beauty told him. “I know, because I felt you cum inside me.”
Sivanah blanched as Micah looked shocked. Then she wailed, “It’s not real! He didn’t cum inside me, Micah; he didn’t! Tell him, Nicole!”
For a moment, Micah wasn’t looking at his fiance. He was looking at the attendant who’d somehow managed to survive the encounter. “They did that to you??” he asked Nicole in utter disbelief.
Before she could respond, Priscilla pulled up the scene of them hanging Nicole while fucking each other and cumming together…
“Gawd; just look at her!” Sivanah panted as she enthusiastically rode Chadrone’s cock. “Kick for us bitch! Yes – yes!” Then Sivanah climaxed as Chadrone roared his release up inside her pussy.
The scene also included Sivanah talking about wanting to hang her while Chadrone explained how expensive it would be.
Priscilla stopped the playback. Micah was in disbelief. Sivanah was positively ashen at the discovery of her unfaithfulness, along with her attempts to silence the one who might have spilled the beans.
“I’m sorry,” Priscilla quietly told Nicole after having played back that particular scene. “I didn’t mean to intrude on the time you spent with your clients. But you did say you were looking for confirmation of any mistake on the part of the Club. Apparently no mistake has been made. Based on the evidence of having sex three different times, it would appear the sensor is functioning properly.”
“No apologies necessary,” Nicole replied. Then she turned to Micah and added, “Yes, I was here in this very room when all that happened. That’s me in the video.”
Priscilla turned toward Sivanah and Micah before helpfully adding, “There’s further video evidence after your attendant left the room if you need to see more.”
Sivanah put up her hands as though trying to ward off vampires or something. Then she turned toward her betrothed. “No… no… it’s not true! Micah, they made it all up! It’s trick photography, I tell you! I’m not… I mean, I can’t be preg–”
“You were cheating on me??” Micah thundered at his fiance in disbelief. “And you tried to hang Nicole in here to hide it from me??”
“Please!” Sivanah wailed. “I’ll make it up to you; I swear! I’ll do anything! I’m so sorry! I love you!”
Micah looked at Sivanah as though seeing her for the very first time. “Your ex-boyfriend,” he finally muttered in disgust as he shook his head. “You were in here with your ex-boyfriend this whole time.” Then he looked over at Nicole who was doing her best to appear to be a simple attendant helping to clarify a certain situation to one of her clients.
“I’ve been such a damn fool,” he finally sighed. “I can’t believe it. I’m such an idiot. All this time, and she never even loved me.”
Sivanah jumped up from the bed and grabbed him, desperate to rescue the situation. “Micah?? I swear I’ll make it up to you! I’ll do anything! You’ve got to get me out of this!”
Micah looked at her in disbelief. “Get you out of this??” Then he looked at Nicole before asking, “Is that even possible?”
The attendant shook her head. “From a popped sensor? No. That evidence would appear to be overwhelming. As for her disposal? Apparently she came in with that other gentleman. She’s on his pager. I suppose it’s up to him to decide as to how she’s to be executed.” It was difficult for her to keep from smiling at her former friend’s dilemma. But somehow, she managed.
Sivanah was horrified. “Executed? Nicole?? You BITCH! How can you say that?! We’re friends! You have GOT to get me out of this!” Then she turned toward Micah before blurting out, “Honey? Baby? You’ve got to help me! I love you!”
Her fiance stepped forward and grabbed her hand. At first, Sivanah must have thought he was trying to comfort her. A moment later, she was horrified when he all but ripped the engagement ring off her finger.
“MICAH???”
“It’s off! Our engagement is off! I’m not getting married to a corpse!”
She let out a wail of distress as he walked over to Nicole. His expression softened to one of deep regret. “I’m sorry, Nicole. I’m… I’m truly sorry…… for everything.”
She simply nodded without speaking. She was hurt, but he’d made his decision long ago. The thing is, she’d never anticipated receiving any kind of closure to their former relationship, much less one so utterly insane as this was turning out to be.
Sivanah still appeared to be in shock as she turned to them while sniffling, “But… but what about me??”
“You wanted to hang Nicole,” Micah told her. “As far as I’m concerned, that should be your fate.” Then he stormed out of the room.
“MICAH???”
She screamed his name at the closed door. But he never returned. Then she lowered her head into her hands and started sobbing again.
“What about her?” Priscilla quietly asked, pointing at a despondent Sivanah.
“Go check on Chadrone,” Nicole told her. “After all, she’s on his pager. He’s over in the casino part of the facility. See what he thinks.”
“I’ll be right back.” Then Priscilla went out the door and was gone.
Nicole turned toward Sivanah who was sniffling quietly. Then the exotic beauty looked up at her and wailed, “Nicole, you’ve got to DO something!”
“It’s out of my hands,” the attendant replied, holding her hands up to demonstrate her own helplessness at the current situation. “You fucked him, and your sensor popped. That would appear to be the end of the matter.”
Sivanah went from despair to anger in an instant. She pointed at Nicole as she yelled, “This is all your fault! You did this to me! I should have hanged you when I had the chance!”
“It’s not my pregnancy sensor that popped. Apparently, you two fucked before I even found you in the lounge. As much as you two have been going at it tonight, I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later.”
“Damn you! This is all your doing! That damned Micah! I don’t know what I ever saw in him!”
Nicole allowed a hint of bitterness in her voice as she replied, “Maybe it was the fact he wanted to marry me?”
Sivanah was unrepentant. “Well, it certainly looks like he’s all yours now, bitch!”
Nicole shook her head. “That ship sailed long ago,” she said evenly. The exotic beauty just glared at her.
Priscilla came back a few minutes later. “Where’s Chadrone?” Sivanah blurted out anxiously, no doubt hoping for a miracle. “Why didn’t he come back with you?”
The attendant didn’t answer. Instead, she went up to Nicole and whispered something into her ear. Nicole nodded at the news.
“What?” an angry Sivanah barked at them. “You bitches don’t have to hide anything from me. What’d he say?”
Nicole told her, “Apparently he doesn’t want the responsibility of making the choice. But he did tell Priscilla it would be fitting if the Club decided to hang you up on the Entertainment Stage for wanting to hang me. And since you’re on his pager, his word will have to do.”
Nicole walked over to the monitor and punched in a code. It activated the system indicating an execution was about to take place up on the Entertainment stage. Then she turned toward Sivanah and smiled pleasantly before telling her, “Please remove all your clothes.”
Sivanah glared at her. “Naked? You’re going to hang me naked up on that damned stage?”
“That’s the way you hanged me in here. I don’t think Chadrone is going to mind, especially the way he indicated you should hang the same way you hanged me.”
“Bitch! Do you have to take everything so damned literal?”
“Do you want our help getting undressed?” Priscilla asked as she ominously stepped forward to stand beside Nicole, letting the doomed girl know in no uncertain terms she would be lending her assistance if necessary.
Sivanah smiled evilly at the two of them. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you. Well, I’m not going to give you the satisfaction. You want all my clothes off? Fine!” Then she started to undress in a huff.
Priscilla went and retrieved a small length of rope before handing it over to the senior attendant. Meanwhile, Sivanah was out of her outfit in short order. Nicole glanced at her nudity before smiling inwardly, the rope now in her hands. Tonight’s spectators were in for a real treat.
She stepped forward, causing Sivanah to instinctively back away. “Is the Club going to get any trouble out of you?” Nicole asked professionally.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you. Actually, I’ll bet you’d just love that. But you’re never going to get that kind of satisfaction out of me.”
She spun around and defiantly brought her wrists up behind her back. “Go ahead, copper. Cuff my wrists… that is, if you’ve got the guts.”
“No handcuffs,” Nicole explained as she started in. “The metal leaves a mark. We’ve learned to tie wrists together using rope. And don’t worry, Sivanah. I’ve got the guts. I’ve done this before.”
“Bitch! I’ll just bet you have-Ow! Not so tight!”
“My apologies.”
“Damn you! You’re not the least bit sorry!”
Nicole finished securing Sivanah’s wrists behind her back. She motioned for Priscilla to take one arm as she took the other. Then they escorted her to the door.
“Taking me for a naked stroll, are we?” Sivanah was still being defiant as she added, “The least you two could have done was to get undressed to walk with me.”
“We’re not the ones being executed,” Nicole told her matter-of-factly as they took her out the door.
To begin with, they paraded her through a part of the casino. There was a soft, red glow that emanated from the ceiling. Thus, there were only a small number of dedicated gamblers remaining. The rest had already made their way toward the Entertainment stage, curious as to what was going to happen next.
A few caught sight of Sivanah’s natural beauty. They were promptly motivated to stop what they were doing to follow along. By the time the trio passed through the casino part of the club, most of the gamblers had been lured away from their machines and tables to follow along.
“I’ll bet you’re just loving this, aren’t you,” Sivanah snorted in disgust as they headed for the stage.
“I would, but I have to be professional about this,” Nicole explained to her.
“Maybe so. But you’re still gonna love seeing me up onstage; am I right?”
“I’ll certainly make it a point to have a good view of your hanging, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Bitch! We should have fried you! No, we should have hanged you! I’m never going to make that mistake again.”
“You sure won’t,” Nicole agreed.
Sivanah just glared at her… “Ha-ha; very funny!”
The hallway opened up to a view of the Entertainment stage. A large crowd had gathered. Many of the spectators turned to watch them as they drew nearer.
Sivanah stiffened when she caught sight of the gallows. She instinctively hesitated, causing Nicole and Priscilla to muscle her forward. “Fuck!” she breathed with growing anxiety. “I never knew there were this many bitches and bastards in the club, much less those eager to watch me swing.”
“Hangings are very popular around here,” Nicole told her.
“Yeah; I’ll just BET they are.”
They walked her right up to an official-looking woman in full attendant’s garb. Monique smiled at them as she looked at Sivanah’s popped sensor. Then she gave her a good going over with her eyes.
“My, but you’re a beauty,” she observed admiringly.
“I’m the best thing this Club has ever seen,” the exotic beauty haughtily replied. “Hanging me is a waste.”
“Let’s see if she freaks out now,” Priscilla said under her breath toward Nicole. But it was loud enough for Sivanah to hear.
“Bitch,” she murmured back. “I’ll bet you’d just love that, wouldn’t you. Well I’m not going to give you that kind of satisfaction.” Then she looked right at Monique as she defiantly declared, “Is this where I get to hang in front of a live audience?”
“It is,” Monique told her proudly. Then she addressed the two attendants as she told them, “Thank you so much, Ladies. I’ll take it from here.”
“Nice seeing you again, Sivanah,” Nicole told her pleasantly.
The exotic beauty glared daggers at her. Then Nicole stepped back with Priscilla. They took up a position not too far from the edge of the platform while making sure the spectators standing around them had an unobstructed view.
The two attendants watched as Monique led Sivanah over to the gallows. There were some steps behind it which the executrix used to walk the condemned up toward the dangling noose over the trap. Sivanah let out a gasp, her defiance faltering as the coil framed her face. But she said nothing.
Nicole put two and two together. Then she quietly murmured to Priscilla, “Was it you who sent that message to Chadrone’s pager about it being so expensive to snuff me?”
“I didn’t do wrong, did I?” her companion murmured back.
“No,” Nicole replied. “But I do owe you my thanks, along with a very expensive dinner.”
“It was my pleasure,” her companion told her. “I couldn’t let that bitch snuff you… not like that.”
“Well, don’t be surprised if Mistress Chastity also thanks you personally. I suspect she feels she owes you a debt of gratitude as well.” Priscilla blushed in reply.
Monique made a show of noosing the exotic beauty as the spectators instinctively moved closer to the platform. The executrix touched the condemned as though holding her steady. It was clear she was admiring the form of the woman she was about to hang.
Sivanah inhaled sharply as the situation began to set in. She started trembling as she looked out into the crowd. That’s when she reacted upon seeing someone.
“Chadrone?” she gasped, loud enough for those close to the platform to hear her. “He’s… he’s not even coming to help me!”
“There’s nothing he can do for you now,” Monique explained. “Try to remain calm. It’ll all be over soon.”
“I… I can’t believe he let this happen to me!” It sounded like panic was starting to rise within her.
Monique began caressing her all over. Perhaps she was trying to calm her. Or maybe she was simply enjoying feeling up such an exotic beauty.
“She’s certainly enjoying groping and pawing her,” Priscilla quietly observed to her companion.
“It’s not everyday she gets someone so lovely to string up,” Nicole replied. “I’ll give Sivanah that much. She was always much too pretty for her own good.”
“Micah??” Sivanah called out as she looked out into the crowd. “Micah, you’ve got to come up here and save me!”
Her words caused some spectators to crane their necks, looking for whom she was addressing. Nicole did not bother to look around. Her focus remained fixed upon what was happening up on the gallows.
Monique caressed the exotic beauty’s naked body all over. She even rubbed her breasts. Then she rubbed between her crotch, noting how wet she’d become.
Sivanah anxiously cried out, “Chadrone?? Micah??”
“Oh, honey,” Monique purred at her. “Is this all too much for you? Shall I get you a hood?”
Sivanah blinked in surprise as though being slapped in the face. “A… a hood?”
“So you don’t have to see everyone watching you. I’ve got one over by my station.”
Sivanah blinked again. She caught sight of Nicole and Priscilla watching. Both attendants were almost smirking at her.
Her features hardened as her defiance returned. She took a deep breath. Then she boldly told the executrix, “I don’t need a damn hood. They want to watch me swing? Then let’s get this damn thing over with.”
“Confident arrogance,” Monique observed with a smile. “I like that in the condemned.”
“Well, you’ll get plenty of that out of of me,” Sivanah retorted, her defiance growing stronger.
“Yes, and a lot more, no doubt,” the executrix told her as she fingered her dripping slit.
Sivanah winced and stiffened. Then she looked at Monique and stammered, “D-damn you!”
“Enjoy the ride, honey,” the executrix told her as she went over to the left upright brace.
“Ladies and gentlemen?” she loudly called out. “I give you… the hanging of Sivanah.” And with that she touched some sort of release along the brace.
The trap promptly folded downward, as Monique had decided not to delay or prolong things. Sivanah abruptly dropped. But she hit the end of the rope before she’d fallen much more than a foot or so.
The coil immediately tightened around her throat, severely restricting her breath. Then she actively began fighting the noose. She clearly did not appreciate the rope cutting off her airway.
At that moment, all defiance bled away. Sivanah was terrified she couldn’t get much air down her windpipe. And her neck hurt like hell!
All those faces… everyone was watching her! They were all looking at her! But she did not detect a sympathetic expression among any of them.
Her legs pedaled as she scanned the crowd. Then she found Chadrone. He was smiling… SMILING at her! Why wasn’t he getting her down???
Over there… there was Micah. Apparently he’d stuck around to witness her hanging. Her mind cried out for him to get her down and that she loved him, even though she clearly didn’t. If he was heartbroken, he was trying hard not to show it. In fact, there was very little sympathy in his features.
Sivanah felt it in her crotch from when that bitch had fingered her. Then it swelled until she started humping the air. Gawd; she was cumming! They were all watching her as she was cumming!
There stood Nicole and that other attendant. Neither one showed her any sympathy. In fact, they both seemed to be caught up in the lewdness of her dance.
Damn them! Damn that Nicole! She should have hanged her to death! Now the bitch was getting off watching her suffer! Oh, how it hurt!
Panicked, her body instinctively kicked without any control from her brain. Then she saw Chadrone, causing her mind to cry out, “Damn you; you’ve got to get me down from here!” But the look on his face indicated he was sadistically enjoying the spectacle.
No… NO! It hurt too much! She would do anything… beg, grovel, plead… whatever it took! She couldn’t breathe; her lungs were screaming in her chest!
All those faces… they were all gawking at her! Some were swooning, some were clearly aroused. A couple of females were touching themselves, while a few males appeared to be sporting bulges.
MICAH, GET ME DOWN FROM HERE! I LOVE YOU! CHADRONE, GET ME DOWN AND I’LL FUCK YOU ANYWHERE! NICOLE, I’LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT! I’LL EVEN RIDE THAT DAMNED CHAIR FOR YOU! JUST GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!
She humped and shimmied until she climaxed again, this time squirting her pleasured agony out of her slit. Then she hung limp, her head tilted to one side from the knot. That’s when the executrix walked up to her.
“Such a lovely dance,” Monique cooed at her. Then she started touching and caressing her all over. Sivanah mentally begged her to get her down, especially since she was losing feeling in her legs.
She felt a hand in her crotch. Then she felt fingers wriggling inside her. Her body reacted as she humped a little.
She saw Nicole and Priscilla, both attendants watching in breathless excitement. Chadrone looked sexually aroused. Micah watched impassively, although she thought she saw a flicker of some sort of satisfaction in his expression.
Sivanah was dimly aware of hands groping her, of fingers wriggling inside her. “For you, honey,” Monique affectionately told her in a low voice. “Such a lovely dance.”
She clenched and shuddered. Pleasure… she wanted all the pleasure she could obtain. But it was replaced with never-ending pain as her vision spiraled inwardly around the edges. Then she was cumming all over Monique’s hand without realizing it… cumming into oblivion and beyond… her body cumming as her heart slowed and then stopped.
Sivanah never felt Monique pull her fingers out of her slit; never saw the executrix lovingly suck the fluids off. She never heard her proudly declare, “Ladies and gentlemen… the hanging of Sivanah!”
She never heard the roar of the crowd, nor did she acknowledge their cheers and applause. She would never know the thrill and excitement experienced by everyone watching. And she never saw Micah turn and abruptly leave the club.
She never got to see Nicole and Chadrone cross paths a few moments later. She never heard the attendant ask if he was horny and whether or not he was still interested and that she was now off the clock. She would never learn they would go off to a sex room and fuck for a couple of hours, the image of her dancing nude so fresh in their minds that they wanted to keep going at it until they exhausted themselves.
3/8/25