Relentless Man Eater

Payment

Grigorij was in the middle of cooking when a knock came from his door. He normally didn’t get company, and the sun was just coming over the horizon.

He opened the door to see a fair-skinned, brunette woman whose eyes immediately widened.

“Y-yes?”

“My name is Katya—I’m from the little village nearby,” she stammered. “I was wondering if you had a moment to spare me.”

Her high cheekbones and thick eyebrows were enough to entice him. He’d be stupid to turn away such a beautiful woman.

“Okay,” he said, moving aside to let her enter. “You can sit.”

She sat down on his couch and fidgeted with her raggedy dress.

“I’m sorry to bother you. I was hoping you could help me out with something. I-it probably isn’t fair of me to ask you—but no one else will help me.”

He took a seat next to her. “What is it?”

Her skin looked smooth and young like that of a baby’s. He labored to refrain his need to touch.

“M-my sister is very ill—I’m afraid she’ll die if I don’t get her to a hospital. B-but Mama and I—we don’t have the money to pay for any treatment.”

“I’m sorry—”

“It’s just us three. Mama is lame. And we just don’t have much between us. We have nothing of value to sell. I-I-I—”

“You want some money?”

She looked to her lap.

“Wait here,” Grigorij said.

He got up and went to his bedroom and returned with a small wad of cash.

“You can have it.”

If her sister was really as sick as she said, it was barely enough to help, but Katya’s face lit up with joy.

“Really?”

She reached for it but he quickly pulled it away.

“U-um. You have to, um, you have to give me a kiss first—”

“Oh.” She fidgeted her thin fingers and examined his ugly, scarred face. “Alright.”

He smiled like a doofus and leaned down to give her a passionate kiss.

She pulled away when he wrapped his studded tongue around hers.

“No more—”

He straightened up and wiped his mouth.

“Here,” he said, finally giving her the money.

“Thank you,” she stammered before hurrying out of his home.

---

“Your sister,” the doctor said, “I’m afraid she’s developed leukemia—”

Katya’s face paled.

“Leukemia? What’s that?”

“A type of cancer that develops in bones. We may be able to treat it, but it’s going to be costly—”

She closed her eyes and sighed. She didn’t have any more money—at least not enough. How could she possibly pay for her sister’s treatment?

---

“Mama, I can’t go back,” she said. “He’s a monster. He won’t give me money unless I kiss him! I don’t want to kiss him again—”

“Katya, your sister will die,” her mother exclaimed. “We can’t let her die, not if she can be fixed. You can kiss him one more time, can’t you?”