Interesting question that is complicated to answer.
First of all, I'm not so much interested in actual Roman crucifixions: I tend to set my fantasies and stories in a somewhat fabulous, dream-like scenario, which contains elements of both contemporaneity (like, a modern state and institutions, cities, cars, etc etc) and the ancient past (e.g. cruel and unusual punishments).
So,
if you really are interested just in Roman crucifixion, please skip this message altogether (you may still be interested in my Yara and Shared Cross stories though, which are set in Roman times in fact).
In the realm of fantasy, I like to experience sensations that I would not experience in the real world, to imagine extreme scenarios that would probably if they actually came true induce horror or
disapproval.
That being said, generally in my fantasy the crucified women are either completely innocent or "guilty" of very minor infractions, like having parked their car in a no-parking zone or something like that.
For instance:
I started this just for fun, eventually it is becoming something like... my own personal crucifixion manifesto. Sorta. A statement of what I find exciting in the snuff fiction, in the executees, in the executioners, in their intimate relationship, in power differences, in the execution itself...
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I like the crucifixion to be something absolutely exaggerated compared to their guilt, to maximize a vaguely
surreal and subtly
sarcastic atmosphere that I like.
I like that everyone is in a good mood (except the crucified women, of course), nice people going to enjoy a show.
At the same time, this discrepancy between the very minor "guilt" and the punishment will also maximize the fear of the unfortunate girls, who obviously have not committed anything that could reasonably lead them to deserve such an end, and thus they will be not only frightened but also
surprised at the outcome of their lives, an end they could not have foreseen...
Or, as an alternative, it's also okay not to specify the reason that lead some pretty lady on her untimely demise on the cross.
So as to let the fantasy (and the reader!) focus only on the moment, on the torturous performance of death on the wooden cross: no past and no future, only the present.
For instance:
As Valérie lay there on the cross, her body trembling with a mix of fear and an inexplicable arousal, the execution team gathered around her. The air was thick with anticipation, the crowd silent, waiting for the spectacle to begin. "You must be Valérie," said Emma, her tone light but with an...
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Wanda, a journalist with a flair for capturing the most intimate and harrowing human experiences, approached Michelle's crucifixion site with a mixture of professional curiosity and a tinge of excitement. The air was filled with a bizarre blend of somberness and spectacle, as the crowd gathered...
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Regarding instead whether you find a single or group crucifixion more exciting... well, I can't say.
It depends on the cases, the stories that are tacked on it.
In general, it is easier to imagine spicy unidirectional stories and dialogues, either between a crucified woman and her executioners or between a crucified woman and the spectators.
However, exciting stories can also be imagined with multiple crucified people, for example by having two crucified girls dialogue with each other.
Or by emphasizing a lot that the crucified girl feels part of something bigger ( = a mass crucifixion), and this can awaken either some sense of belonging or community or make her feel like just a number among the many.
There are many options for creating tantalizing scenarios.
In my stories I think I have tried to explore several of these, with mixed success I think.
For instances of group crucifixions:
Chapter 1: The Shared Fate of Lucia and Valentina In the heart of ancient Rome, the city buzzed with the latest scandal. Lucius Pedanius Secundus, a prominent senator, had met his untimely end at the hands of one of his own slaves. The law was clear and unforgiving: when a master was killed by...
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Sweat glistened on their bodies as the sun beat down mercilessly. The two girls, each nailed to a cross, looked at each other with a mix of fear and resolve. "Never thought I'd end up like this, huh?" one girl said, trying to crack a wry smile despite the searing pain in her wrists. The other...
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I'm kicking around an idea for a short story challenge for myself: Write a short story where every single bit of dialog -- all of it -- is between two women on crosses next to each other, naked, for their execution. (There might be some guards or onlookers to watch the executions. But in my...
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Chapter 1: The Condemnation The day Lucius Pedanius Secundus was found dead, the heart of Rome was flooded with shock. But as details emerged that his own slave was responsible for the act, the city's upper echelons were abuzz with talk of reprisal. Yara, one of the many slaves in Lucius's...
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I'm kicking around an idea for a short story challenge for myself: Write a short story where every single bit of dialog -- all of it -- is between two women on crosses next to each other, naked, for their execution. (There might be some guards or onlookers to watch the executions. But in my...
www.cruxforums.com
