The Handsome Man

The handsome man shook Joe's hand, his grin never wavering. He was wearing a red suit, with a red top hat. He resembled a rich Victorian man, the kind that are willing to do whatever it takes to sleep with every woman in the town. He took a bow, removing his top hat. 

"I'm surprised I even found a hotel around these parts. Especially in this kind of weather. Oh, but how I adore it."

Joe nodded, biting back a laugh. This was one of those weirdo types, for sure. If he had met someone like him in college, he wouldn't doubt that he would have bullied him. Joe had gone to college with a full scholarship ride, and he allowed his ego to get the better of him. 

He was your typical rich kid who believed everyone else was below him. He screwed it all up with his behavior at some point, and his parents ended up hearing about the crazy shit he was getting up to, and he was let go from the inheritance. Then he was kicked out of college. 

Now look at him. Running a motel in the middle of nowhere, that he was struggling to manage. And he was in his 40s, without a woman and fatherless. What a life. What a shitty life. 

This man in front of him, despite his crappy attire, probably had it all. 

"Hey Joe. Could I ask you something?"

"Um, sure."

"Do you have any regrets in your life?"

Joe was taken aback by the question. "Um…kind of."

"I do too. I think everyone in the world does."

The man appeared lost in thought. "I haven't seen my family in ages. Centuries if you can believe it."

Joe almost laughed again. This guy was quite the oddball, alright.

"I guess what really hurts the most…is that my pride was the one thing that was destroyed in the end."

Joe looked away from the man, feeling uneasy. It was almost like this handsome stranger could read his mind. "Yeah. I get what you mean."

The man waved a nonchalant hand. "Well, I think I should get going now. I didn't mean for things to get personal. Oh, and if you can, could you bring extra blankets? It's kind of cold out there, and no offense, I doubt I'm going to feel warm in this motel. It's general for motels to be so shitty. Again, no offense, but they are all like that."

Now there was that rich asshole that Joe had a feeling was lurking somewhere. Joe used to be the same himself. He felt sad all of a sudden, missing the old version that he used to be. He was a total douchebag, but it was worth it, all for the money alone. If only he had been more careful, perhaps he never would have been caught, and had his inheritance taken away. He passed the stranger his key to the motel. 

"I'll be sure to have your extra blankets for you."

The man tipped his top hat to Joe. "Thank you. And good day."

He walked out of the lobby into the pouring rain. Joe retrieved the blankets for him, still thinking of his past. How he missed those days of having a lot of women coming onto him. He wondered if the handsome stranger got women, but in that outfit, he thinks it would be a bit farfetched. 

He was lost in thought until he reached the motel room that the stranger was staying in. He threw the blankets into a plastic bag, to avoid them getting too wet. He was completely soaked by the time he arrived, but hopefully the blankets will be alright. But after the way that the stranger treated him a little, he did give a shit. He knocked on the door. There was no answer, but the door was slightly ajar. 

He pushed his way inside, and saw something out of a nightmare. 

Instead of the handsome stranger, he saw a monster. 

This thing had four arms, and the other two were sticking out of his back. There were four eyes on his face, one set for where eyes are supposed to be, and one on each cheek. There were long antlers sticking out of his head, similar to that of a large deer. 

This thing was also wearing a red suit, but the red top hat was on the bed. 

"Hello, Joe," the stranger said. He winked with the two eyes on the left side of his face. It was the most unnatural thing he had ever seen in his life, despite the fucked-up thing he was already looking at. 

Joe turned around, about to get the hell out of there, but he felt all four hands grab him. He was pulled to the antler thing, and before Joe could scream, one of the hands covered his mouth. 

The stranger smiled, and even then, he was still handsome. 

"Pride…it's a wonderful thing, isn't it? And thank you for never forgetting about your pride. It's what I need to feed. And survive. I gotta do what I can to see my family again, you know?"

Joe's scream was muffled as the handsome stranger opened his mouth wide, stretching all the way until the mouth could fit right over Joe's head. He was instantly killed when the mouth bit down, taking his head. 

The creature took his time. 

It was one of the best meals of his life. 

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Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn