Story: Ghost Story

This is an old one, written in 1994, with some reworking today. It's kind of unusual in that it relies on the possibility of ghosts, which I haven't seen much in other noose stories.

It was Dakota Territory, something like 1885. I had been leading a posse through the Badlands for about two weeks. A friend of mine had been killed back in Sioux Falls. I didn't do it, but when I heard they were looking for me I took off. That made me guilty in their eyes, and I knew what they were going to do if they caught me.

But two weeks of running had exhausted me and my horse. The posse finally caught me while we rested by a river, the only place for miles where there was any trees for shade. There was five of 'em, all big and mean with guns, and I couldn't fight back when they fell on me. They quickly had me down on the ground with my hands tied behind my back. While I was down they beat me up pretty bad, one of them getting in a few kicks to my stomach before they pulled me to my feet.

I got a short rest in the dirt while they discussed whether to take me back to Sioux Falls to stand trial and be hanged from the gallows there. But they decided to just get things over with here and now.

Story Index

I thought an index to the stories I've written and posted here might be useful. It's already helped me realize that I have more stories I haven't posted yet. It's also reminding me I have new stories I haven't finished writing yet. No promises; I mean, look at my track record with posting so infrequently. But at least there's potential material.

Stories are listed in alpha order. I tried adding descriptor tags here. Of course they're all "m/m" but I used that term here to indicate when it wasn't a solo thing. If it doesn't say "nonlethal," then not all the characters get out of the story alive. And, they're all "hanging"s so far, but I might someday write one where a noose is not involved.

The Biker (posted 19 Apr 2009) (biker, hanging, lynching, m/group)
(Published in Nooseletter, 1995, issue 5)

Buying Rope (Part 1) (posted 23 Oct. 2008) (play, solo, nonlethal)

Curiosity (posted 22 Apr 2009) (hanging, necro, murder, m/m/m)
(Published in Nooseletter, vol. 1, no. 3, 1996)

Deadman's Gulch (posted 1 Oct 2008) (hint of paranormal, biker, execution, hanging, m/m)

Followup to "Motorcycle Suicide" (posted 8 Oct. 2008) (play with offscreen suicide hanging [nonlethal otherwise], strangling, m/m/m)

Ghost Story (posted 26 Nov. 2011) (Paranormal, lynching, solo play, hanging)

Gone as Far as You Could Go (posted 15 January 2023) (solo play w/encouragement, hanging, m(m))

Hippie (posted 4 August 2012) (m/m, hanging, lethal, murder)

Hung Bear (posted 1 Aug 2009) (hanging, m/m)

Indians and Cowboys (posted 11 June 2017) (hanging, lethal, necro)

Intoxication (posted 27 May 2018) (hanging, lethal, western, m/m)

Just Lookin' (posted 3 June 2017) (hanging, m/m, lethal)

Mark and I (posted 9 Nov 2008) (paranormal, suicide, necro, hanging, m/m)

Naked Volunteer (posted 20 Oct 2018) (western, hanging, m/m)

Needin' Hangin' (posted 7 April 2020) (westerns, hanging, m/m, suicide)

New story: Part 1 (posted 24 July 2010) (play, strangling, nonlethal, m/m)

Not Practice This Time (posted 28 October 2013) (hanging, snuff, m/m)

Number 5 (posted 24 August 2014) (hanging, sex, m/m, nonlethal)

Return to the Old Barn (posted 1 April 2017) (solo hanging)

Shutterbug (posted 8 Dec 2008) (hanging, play, murder, m/m)

Time Out (posted 18 March 2017) (hanging, solo, kinda-necro, m/m)

Too Easy (posted 15 January 2018) (strangling, murder, bondage, m/m)

Voyeur (posted May 16, 2015) hanging, suicide, m/m

If it matters, "Mark and I" is my favorite story, though "Deadman's Gulch" is one I foolishly think has some small amount of literary potential. "Curiosity" might be the nastiest one I've posted so far.