"The Hungry Man"

**"The Hungry Man"** is the fifth tale in the twenty-first episode of the fifteenth season of the Nolseep Podcast. In it, a mother and daughter fend off a strange man. Written by Lindsay Moore, it has a runtime of 51:50 and was performed by Danielle McRae, Wafiyyah White, Mick Wingert, and Erin Lillis. It is the 1967th tale overall on the podcast.

## Summary

One night when she is ten, Tonia is allowed to stay up past her bedtime and have tea with her mother. After they talk for a few minutes, the mother tells her about the Hungry Man, a strange figure who will appear shortly. Soon after, a knock at the door comes and the two go over. A man covered in flour with vacant eyes stands on the porch, asking if he can borrow some sugar, as he's making a cake. The mother locks the door and sternly tells him he can't have anything and to go away. The man leaves.

Tonia is scared of the Hungry Man at first, but her mother tells her it's a common occurrence, as he comes every night. She warns her to never let him inside or give him anything. This becomes a nightly ritual, with the two sitting down for tea and telling the Hungry Man to go away when he comes to their door asking for sugar, flour, or eggs. Tonia becomes annoyed and asks why they can't call the police, threaten him, or give him something so he'll go away. The mother says none of these solutions will work, citing various reasons.

Months later, Tonia's grandmother gets sick and her mother has to go away for the night to take care of her. Tonia is terrified of having to tell the Hungry Man to go away alone, but her mother says she is strong enough to do it and leaves her in the care of Mrs. Wilkins, their neighbor. When she leaves that afternoon, she tells Mrs. Wilkins about the Hungry Man, but it's clear she doesn't believe her.

Tonia waits, terrified, as the sun goes down. She tries to tell Mrs. Wilkins about the Hungry Man and her mother's ritual, but she becomes angry and sends her to bed for making up stories. Minutes later, it is dark and the Hungry Man comes down the walk.

Tonia runs downstairs and locks the door, beginning to tell him to go away. Mrs. Wilkins scolds her for turning away a neighbor in need of help and lets the man inside. Tonia runs upstairs, terrified, and shoves her dresser in front of the door before hiding under the bed. She hears Mrs. Wilkins and the Hungry Man talking and laughing for a few minutes before all sounds stop except for baking noises.

In the morning, Tonia goes downstairs and finds a gigantic cake in the kitchen, as big as a tabletop. It is intricately decorated to resemble her mother's rose garden. She runs a finger along the icing vines and realizes they are studded with real thorns. The cake smells like rotten flesh. She goes outside and waits on the front porch until her mother comes home.

The mother tells Tonia to wait in the car as she "cleans up" the house. Although she tries to hide it, Tonia can tell her mother is distressed, She carries several large garbage bags to the backyard and digs a hole. Tonia is let back in the house and is terrified of ever entering the kitchen again. There is a large mound of dirt in the corner of the garden and the whole house smells like disinfectant

Two nights later, the two sit down for tea again. A knock comes at the door at the scheduled time, only now Mrs. Wilkins stands outside, covered in flour, asking to borrow eggs to make a cake.

## Cast

Danielle McRae as Tonia

Wafiyyah White as Tonia's mother

Mick Wingert as the Hungry Man

Erin Lillis as Mrs. Wilkins