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 for Two” by Broken Glass Pony

Submitted to Contest #128

Her frail hands lift up the tea kettle the same way she’s done every morning for forty-seven years since they wed. She carefully fills two delicate tea cups painted with birds. She carries both cups of tea and gracefully walks to the veranda lined with blossoming flowers. One is for her, and the other is for her love.“Here you go dear.” she says while placing his tea on a small bistro table as she sits across from him. He’s looking in the distance as if deep in thought. They would always observe the birds and wildlif...

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“Paris Magic” by Stephanie Knaack

Submitted to Contest #128

The day after her mom moved into her house, Spencer got up early to make tea and breakfast: black tea with lemon and scrambled eggs for her mom, citrus spice tea and toast for herself. She slowly made her way upstairs to the guest bedroom—well, it was mom’s room now, she had to keep reminding herself—trying to reach it without spilling anything. As she raised her hand to knock, one slice of toast slid off her tray and fell onto the hardwood, butter-side down. &nbsp...

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“Tea Time” by Jonathan Poole

Submitted to Contest #128

A shrill whistle came from the kitchen; the kettle was ready. “Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Nancy. She looked at Tim, eyes filled with concern, but her face full of understanding. “Yes, I’m sure,” said Tim. “Okay,” Nancy said, “I’ll be right here. She took Tim’s hand in her own and let out a resolved sigh as she settled into her chair. The two were seated at a round table, situated in the living room of a run-down apartment. The front door was to Tim’s back, and across the table from him was an entryway that...

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“Vintage Oak Barrel ” by Pashmina Bys

Submitted to Contest #128

Melissa started the electric tea kettle. Washing the clay from her hands and forearms knowing the pot on her wheel will have to wait. This ceramic potter needed some time. She pulled out the souvenir bag of Vintage Oak Barrel Aged Pu Erh of tea. Oh, what memories she thought. The tenmoku ceramic mug she just finished firing which seemed like the perfect tea cup for a morning like today. There were may ceramic projects and orders waiting but now seemed like a time for tea and thoughts that were spinning through her head.&nbs...

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“Graceland” by VJ Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #128

Darkness was falling as Benjamin Caesar Smith tramped from the Dunfield train station to his mother’s cottage on the village outskirts. Ignoring the pangs of a headache that had traveled with him all day, he scuffed his shoes on the faded welcome mat, careful to remove all visible mud and dead leaf fragments. He rang the doorbell. The door flew open and—“Hellohowareyou!” kiss, kiss, achoo!—Florence scarcely welcomed him before she sprinted away to tend to the shrieking tea-kettle. He left his shoes, heels pushed against the wall, on the mat ...

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“Signing the contract off with a tea” by Dorothy Anibasa

Submitted to Contest #128

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing across the black door. I lost all concentration, until, “Two teaspoons Laura!” My little sister Amanda gently tapped my arm, trying to get my attention. “Huh!” I turned towards her abruptly, causing the jar of sugar to slide off the table and shattered to pieces on the ground. I just nearly flooded my Father’s tea with too much sugar and now broken glass all over the floor? “Goodness!” Amanda backed away immediately but blood was already gushing out from her left toe. “No, no, no, oh my God!” I gasped ru...

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“Edited Perspective” by Allyson Jamison

Submitted to Contest #128

My spoon clanked against the sides of my cup as I stirred it around and around. I watched as the peppermint tea swirled in sync without really seeing anything at all. My mind told me what to do but my heart wasn't in it. I set the spoon on the counter beside my cup and lifted the steaming mug to my lips, taking a long drink from it. The flavor that I usually loved was tasteless on my tongue. I set the cup back down in defeat. My ears were attuned once again to the deafening noise around me. It seemed the entire extended family had c...

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“The number 8 tram” by Caragh O'Donnell

Submitted to Contest #128

For Clementine, it was a morning like any other. She woke up, sauntered to her gramophone, and put on some Ella Fitzgerald to grace her morning. Lost in thought, she looked out of her kitchen window onto the breathtaking view. The whistling of her kettle awoke her from her daydream, and she promptly prepared her jasmine tea. The jazz washed over her as she sipped away, feeling the nectar warm her stomach. Clementine took pleasure in her mornings of jazz and jasmine tea, they prepared her for the day ahead. She anyhow preferred the company of...

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“Memory” by Elena Crudu

Submitted to Contest #128

Ele made herself a cup of tea. It was a freezing cold evening in Chicago, the blizzard created a cover of ice on the roads, the wind was getting through the old windows of her apartment. She could hear the whistling sound the wind created, each more intense than the one before. As she was turning on her gas fireplace, Ele thought that the designers of this fireplace did a good job on making the fake wood logs look real. Mmm, linden tea with honey - her favorite, with each inhale of the teas aroma, memories ...

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“A reticent but resolute carer at work.” by Ibiyinka Olubunmi Elushade

Submitted to Contest #128

Reticent but resolute, he waltzed into the kitchen to make her the tea recently requested. The hum of the freezer fused into a samba with the sound of the kettle at work. Immediately, his mind wandered to what the weekend ahead would be like if the expected helper does not show up. The last few weeks of having to take care of her more than ever before have been really stressful. They were however made more bearable by her brother as well as his deep love for them both. But now that her beloved brother is billed to return to his b...

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“The Postman comes to tea” by Chris Holland

Submitted to Contest #128

Ned used his booted foot to open the screen door leading onto the porch, the door squeaked as he opened it and slammed shut behind him before flies and mosquitoes could sneak into the house, he made a mental note to oil the hinges. He carried the metal tray carefully, trying not to spill anything, placing it onto the weather worn table between two wicker chairs..On the tray a large white chipped enamel tea pot, Ned had scooped four teaspoons of Bushells tea into the pot adding a gum leaf for extra flavour, a tin of condensed milk, a plate of...

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“Tea Leaves” by Rebecca Himmel Glassman

Submitted to Contest #128

Early morning. Sadness envelopes me. I am making a cup of tea. I was never one for coffee. It always upset my stomach. I put the teapot up to boil. Not for me these fancy coffee/tea making machines. I like to do things on my own. It makes me feel like I am accomplishing something. Although, this morning I don't feel like I want to accomplish anything. But maybe the tea will help. The rays of the sun are shining brightly through the open window. There is a slight breeze. I can see the curtain moving gently. It looks like it will be a warm da...

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“Carefree in Jiufen” by Amelia Yang

Submitted to Contest #128

Water poured steaming out of a heavy black kettle into and over a much smaller ceramic teapot cleansing and waking the tea leaves. She then used the same water to wash off the cups, one movement flowing into the next. My husband and I watched our waitress demonstrate how to make a perfect pot of Taiwan’s oolong tea at Jiufen’s Amei Tea House. I translated her final instruction to my husband, smell the fragrance after the first steep before the first sip. Then it was just the two of us, sitting outside with our tea in spit...

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“A Tea for Anne ” by Tyler Maund

Submitted to Contest #128

“I’ll make the tea!” Paul said eagerly, ready to prove his worth at any given opportunity. He opened the cupboard door and analysed its contents, five exceptionally ordinary tea cups sat in unison. He could feel the eyes of Amy’s mother on the back of his head, an intimidating woman, a tea connoisseur; he felt a bead of sweat threaten to leave his forehead. Making a cup of tea shouldn’t be such a spine-tingling experience, it is however when you are doing it for your girlfriend’s mother who bears a reputation that str...

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“Why did you go there?” by Lisa C

Submitted to Contest #128

Trigger warning: sexual harassment We are sitting in David’s kitchen drinking tea. We do this every workday morning between 8.05 and 8.45. I rinse out the dregs and smooth away the tannin stains before I put the tea bag and boiling water in his cup. When I put David’s drink down for him, it knocks against the table top, and a tide of light brown liquid slops over the edge of the cup. I want to go and get a napkin to clear it up, but that will annoy him. “Why did you go there? Why did you agree to have a cup of tea with him?” The tea t...

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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 for Two” by Broken Glass Pony

“Paris Magic” by Stephanie Knaack

“Tea Time” by Jonathan Poole

“Vintage Oak Barrel ” by Pashmina Bys

“Graceland” by VJ Hamilton

“Signing the contract off with a tea” by Dorothy Anibasa

“Edited Perspective” by Allyson Jamison

“The number 8 tram” by Caragh O'Donnell

“Memory” by Elena Crudu

“A reticent but resolute carer at work.” by Ibiyinka Olubunmi Elushade

“The Postman comes to tea” by Chris Holland

“Tea Leaves” by Rebecca Himmel Glassman

“Carefree in Jiufen” by Amelia Yang

“A Tea for Anne ” by Tyler Maund

“Why did you go there?” by Lisa C

🌟 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: