Start your story with someone making a cup of tea — either for themself or for someone else.

Posted in Fluff on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 171 stories

“Tea - Masaala Chai” by Amrita Sharma

Submitted to Contest #128

Close friends Raj, Shana and Josh looked forward to Joshna’s tea, her famous masaala chai. Chai latte; brewed Indian style with a dash of fresh grated ginger, turmeric, cardmoms, cloves, fennel, black pepper, milk and honey. The other guests at this friends get together, happy to polish off their alcoholic beverages; help themselves to water, juice or fancy coffee from the new automatic expresso coffee machine. They’d been an awesome foursome once, not too long ago that Josh and Joshna had been a super duper duo, a couple; those sure were ...

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“A Cup of Tea” by Richard Ault

Submitted to Contest #128

1925 words A Cup of Tea By Richard Ervin Ault Jocelyn Urabana (Joss) was concerned when she went to the sun porch and detected tears in her wife’s eyes. Lana Hartman was in her usual well-worn wicker easy chair, looking out over the Huron River in Ann Arbor. She slowly looked up. All Joss could think to say was “I’ll make us some tea.” Lana tried to swallow her tears and put on a fragile smile. “Thank you,” she said in a feeble voice. By the time Joss returned with the pot and two mugs, Lana had straightened ...

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“A Fine Cup of Tea” by Sandra Fischer

Submitted to Contest #128

Charles prepared afternoon tea for the Dunston Historical Society ladies as he did every Wednesday. As he put the pot on to boil, he thought about how this Wednesday seemed a little off. In all his fifteen years as Lady Dunston’s personal servant something seemed amiss. He set the biscuits out on the tray and put the Heavenly Gyokuro leaves in the strainer over the pot. He recalled how Lady Dunston had gushed over the purchase of the tea that morning. Everything had seemed the same mundane routine when they made their weekly trip to Ryan’...

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“Tea for Two” by Brandi Y

Submitted to Contest #128

It was Tuesday evening when I made that last pot of tea. I paused as I reached in the cupboard for the bright yellow teapot. It seemed almost too festive for evening tea, but it was my favorite. One for you, one for me, one for the pot, and that makes three-I sang the diddy in my head like my Granny used to as I added each scoop of tea leaves to the basket. I wondered if Granny ever made tea for more than two people, and if she did, was there a different song? The kettle's whistling broke my revelry, and I poured the steaming water into...

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“The Boardwalk” by Caitlin Vogel

Submitted to Contest #128

“Sugar?” “Yes, please.” “Milk?” “Do you have any oat milk?” “No, sorry.” “I’ll pass on the milk then.” Margot handed the steaming cup of English breakfast to a pair of frail and wrinkled hands. The hands happily accepted the mug, bringing it close to their face and inhaling deeply. “I’ve always found tea to be more aesthetically pleasing than anything else,” the hands remarked. “Hmm, I’ve always thought it tasted like childhood,” answered Margot. “My mom used to make me a cup of tea whenever I needed warming up. Two spoons of...

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“Fog” by EJ Lagerberg

Submitted to Contest #128

“Tea.” She stared out the window at the fog rolling in, washing over the hillock, down the ravine and across her garden. She could smell the damp air, almost thick enough to break into a drizzle. She scanned the yard, remembering the chores she had meant to complete. “Tea,” she nodded, turning around to face the kitchen and her friend who was busy looking through cupboards. She pulled her shawl tight around her shoulders. “Please.” Damp and eerie mornings such as this were best met by a warm cup of tea. Coffee was too sharp, too ene...

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“Tea and Memories” by Melissa Woods

Submitted to Contest #128

“You look like you have a lot on your mind. Here, dear. This will ease it.” Delicate, wrinkled hands passed a porcelain cup and saucer to calloused, young ones. The old hands were much more steady with the fragile, floral and gold-trimmed dishes. “Um, thanks,” Pete nodded. He hesitated, watching the older woman as she poured another cup. A pungency of boiling herbs, dried flowers, and a million spices hovered in the air. As Jaycee had guided him to the tea bar and gift shop a short time earlier, the scent had greeted them long before ...

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“Stop That Wedding!” by Tanya Smith

Submitted to Contest #128

Jessica Baker was sitting at her kitchen counter drinking a cup of Chamomile tea, when a mutual friend, Charles Huntington, of her and her ex, called her and said that her ex was getting married. Charles told her that if she still loved him, that she needed to tell him before it really was too late. That he knows that she and Devin still love each other and belonged together. It was time for her to stop sitting by, because Devin wasn’t going to come after her, since she was the one that walked away. ...

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“Wagt Ash-shay” by Hamid Sirhan

Submitted to Contest #128

‘More sugar?’ my uncle asked. A heaped spoon hovered threateningly. ‘No, no, no, thanks amo.’’ my hand preemptively splayed over the top of my full-to-the-brim glass tumbler, steaming my palm. A thick layer of sugar sand had settled at the bottom, resting expectantly under the crystal amber sea of gunpowder mint tea. Shay. Chay. Cha. Thee. Tea. My father’s brother considered bartering with me, for just a moment, but there were other guests in peril of empty glasses. So he issued a disappointed ‘Akh, habibi’, with the sl...

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“Bystander” by N.R. Pierce

Submitted to Contest #128

Nina watched absentmindedly as the hot, amber-colored liquid poured from the urn into the pot in her hand. She realized that it was almost time to open the doors for the evening dinner service, so she tipped the urn, hurrying the last few dregs from the fixture. Moving quickly, she placed the last pot of tea onto the cart and wheeled it from table to table, gingerly placing each pot into the center, taking care not to spill a drop before moving down the row. She made sure to re-stock the sugar and milk as well, knowing that the residents oft...

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“On The Matter of Names” by Aiste G.

Submitted to Contest #128

Quinn felt stupid.Okay, well, that wasn’t the best word. Ridiculous, maybe? No, out of his depth. That sounded more fitting.Not that anyone would be able to tell.From an outsider’s perspective, all he was doing was staring at slowly heating water. What could be daunting about that?The pot, for one, was daunting.Lately, he’d been using it more. When he’d been by himself, he hadn’t thought much about what he ate. He’d set some traps, catch himself a few hares, a fish here and there, and roast them over the campfire. Sure, the meat was hard and...

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“The Staying Game” by Erin Olig

Submitted to Contest #128

I've often said that all poetry is political. This is because real poems deal with a human response to reality and politics is part of reality, history in the making. Even if a poet writes about sitting in a glass house drinking tea, it reflects politics.-Yehuda AmichaiThe tea kettle doesn’t whistle, it screams. Vibrations of built up steam trying to escape through a narrow opening. Once my habit was to poise beside the stovetop, listening for the stirring of water, anticipating the alarm before it could occur. “It is like a g...

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“Teatime with Nana” by Alice Stannard

Submitted to Contest #128

Bev reached into the cupboard with one gnarled hand, misshapen by arthritis and spotted with new bruises. In spite of the fact that her auburn hair had faded to a lackluster, white-streaked brown, and that her face was now shrouded by a patchwork of intersecting creases, Bev still maintained her youthful countenance. Old age had snuck up on her like a winter blizzard arriving too early in the season. She was not prepared. Many times, she was silenced when her body let her down. Because inside, she never changed. She never grew old. While she...

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“One Cup of Tea” by Lucia Yu

Submitted to Contest #128

I pour the water into the pot. It splashes, its halos of crystals soaring and breaking in the same moment. I grab a mug from the cabinet, feel my hands around the cold ceramic.The doorbell rings.I get up, peer through the curtains.A man rubs his hands together nervously, his dark, slick hair glistening in the sun. His skin is the color of coffee. He looks familiar.The doorbell rings again.I wrench open the door, and his face instantly transforms to sympathetic and somber. If I hadn't seen him moments before, I would have never doubted the si...

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“Unexpected News” by Gillian Kingsley

Submitted to Contest #128

Unexpected News “Tea’s ready, Mum!” April called from the kitchen as she finished arranging the big teapot, complete with tea cozy, milk jug, and two china mugs on the old wooden tray. April was in her mother’s kitchen which was so familiar to her. She grew up in this house and her best childhood family memories always included this old teapot with its padded red tea cozy. The kettle was always on in this house and the tea was always flowing. April headed for the ‘morning room’, as her mum grandly called it, at the back of the house with...

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Start your story with someone making a cup of tea — either for themself or for someone else.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 171 stories

“Tea - Masaala Chai” by Amrita Sharma

“A Cup of Tea” by Richard Ault

“A Fine Cup of Tea” by Sandra Fischer

“Tea for Two” by Brandi Y

“The Boardwalk” by Caitlin Vogel

“Fog” by EJ Lagerberg

“Tea and Memories” by Melissa Woods

“Stop That Wedding!” by Tanya Smith

“Wagt Ash-shay” by Hamid Sirhan

“Bystander” by N.R. Pierce

“On The Matter of Names” by Aiste G.

“The Staying Game” by Erin Olig

“Teatime with Nana” by Alice Stannard

“One Cup of Tea” by Lucia Yu

“Unexpected News” by Gillian Kingsley

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story in a tea house.

Write a story about a tea party that your character is reluctant to go to.

Write about a character who’s dying to “spill the tea” (gossip) about something.

Write a story about a conflict that breaks out over something ordinary (like tea, perhaps).

Contest #128

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

298

Contest entries

160

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: