The Short Cannibal

Anastasiya ‘Sanya’ Sanko

Their looks begin to frighten me. They have been keeping a close eye on my food intake to be sure that I eat every single piece of my meals. Initially, I have thought it a strange expression of care, but after two weeks, it started to seem excessively creepy and abnormal.

The situation from two weeks ago was stuck in my head like an earworm eating more and more of my brain by the minute. I was preparing some vegetables for a soup and accidentally cut my finger with a knife. The eight-year-old boy, whose nanny I was, heard my scream, looked up the book he was reading, ran up to me, and stuck my bloody finger in his mouth. It happened so fast that I didn’t have enough time to understand what he did. I just looked at him in shock while he was sucking my finger. I had a feeling that the boy was trying to drink my blood.

‘Hey, what are you doing, darling?’

He pulled my finger out of his mouth. The blood stopped flowing. ‘I always do it when I see blood. My mother told me we couldn’t waste our precious blood.’ He smiled charmingly. ‘Especially yours, nanny!’

Especially mine? What did it mean back then?

‘Is everything okay, nanny?’

Why doesn’t anybody in this house ever use my name? Why do they keep addressing me as a nanny?

‘Everything is good, Madam.’

‘Good. Could you bring some meat from the basement? My husband will come in a few minutes.’

‘Yes, Madam.’ I guessed the Sir was already in the house. They never allowed me to go to the basement before. Maybe the Lady started to trust me more after my two weeks of working here. 

It is darker than I would have imagined. I can’t see beyond my own hand. I have to find a light switch. What was that sound? Did the door slam shut?

‘Madam?’ Would she even hear me screaming? ‘Madam! Could you help me? The door’s slammed shut and I can’t find the light switch. Madam?’

What was the rustle?

‘Anybody is here?’ Maybe it’s just my imagination.

The rustling again, but closer to me.

Something heavy hits me.

Another blow.

Have I fallen asleep?

The bright light blinds me.

Why does my leg hurt?

Why can’t I feel my hand?

There is so much tomato soup. Did the Madam make it? Who’s standing next to me? The boy? He is covered in tomato soup and smiling. ‘Sleep well, nanny. Thank you for bringing the meat to us. It's really nice of you’

Ah… The meat is me.