Set your story in a tea house.

Posted in Spring on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 36 stories

“Frabjous Life” by Tara Mann

Submitted to Contest #128

The doctors gave Mia a year. She decided then and there that she wanted to spend it traveling the world, collecting tourist teacups from every country. The doctors warned her that frequent travel would worsen her condition, but she insisted. They asked me to try to change her mind, but who am I to deny her last wish? Who am I to confine her to a hospital bed for the rest of her short time left? Two months in and we’ve visited thirty. The chest full of carefully wrapped teacups grows heavier with each country. She only lets me carry it on t...

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“Tea Corner Harmony ” by Jenny K

Submitted to Contest #128

The sound of hot water poured from a tea kettle had a certain tranquility about it. It was softer than the sound of running water from a fountain but sturdy enough to know its purpose.It roused me at the window seat while nearly dozing off as my mind wandered into some distant, unknown land. The smell of steeping green tea rose with the steam, wafting in my direction, confirming the idea that someone else was nearby. Of course, it shouldn't have been a surprise, considering I was sitting in a teahouse. Still, I was briefly wounded by the fac...

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“Broken Trust ” by Hannah B

Submitted to Contest #128

The union jack billowed in the breeze, heavy with humidity refusing to give way to rain. No matter how charming and quintessentially "English" the English Tea Room appeared, nothing could hide the glaringly obvious fact that they were situated in Covington, Louisiana. The 70-degree winter was enough to disabuse one of any delusions that they might be on a quiet little island country on the colder side of the Atlantic. Anastasia bemoaned the heat, wondering how she was meant to drink hot tea in such weather, wondering if this was all a huge m...

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“Steeped” by Ashley York-Aronovich

Submitted to Contest #128

"Good Morning" said the young and delicate hostess standing behind an elegant wood carved podium. Jody and I had decided to meet up at The Hour, a prestigious tea room in Boltonville. Speaking of an hour, I had been waiting for Jody to show about a half of one already. It had been a long time since we had seen one another, six years to be exact. We had recently reconnected through a mutual friend of ours named Sonny. Sonny owned the local Playhouse Theatre in Canterbury, that is where we all met so many years ago. I had been on one of m...

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“Heaven'S Little Tea House” by Gretchen Stevens

Submitted to Contest #128

In a little tea house called HeavenlyAroma setting on top of White Top Mountain in Va. A sad wondering lady stopped by to smell of the heavenly aroma of the different kinds of teas that was drewing to try to lift her lonely and heavy heart. Her name was Elizabeth she had been having a hard time trying to deal the death of her husband Curtis passing away from about six years now.The owner of the tea house walks over to Elizabeth and say's my name is Sky how may I help you today? Would you like to try the special tea of today? Which is organic...

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“Warm Winds” by S.C. May

Submitted to Contest #128

“My doorbell rang, one stuffy day of sticky popsicle sticks and blistering heat. I opened my door to no one, simply sun charred air and the smell of youth. There was no one but, there were eight mismatched cactuses and a pair of sneakers lying - hoping to not be forgotten - on my doorstep.” The woman fiddled with the laces of the sneakers on the table. The synthetic fibers left black smudges on her wrinkled fingers. “Those shoes.” She paused and caressed the side of one. “These shoes. I knew these shoes. They were the ones I had bought all ...

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“Her Cup of Tea” by Genevieve Willingham

Submitted to Contest #128

Her Cup of Tea She sipped the cup of tea he put before her. Mmm. Just right. Not too much honey, not too much milk. Just her cup of tea. This was the first time she’d been to the new tea house, and she’d suggested that they meet here so she could check it out while she checked him out. She suspected that maybe he, too, would be just her cup of tea. It was the first time they’d seen each other outside of th...

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“Bringer of Light” by Rebecca Cole

Submitted to Contest #128

“Tell me the story again Mama.” The woman smiles with a face who has seen the world burn and rise out of the ashes. “Again child?” Her voice soft, full of love and honey. “Please?” A small boy whispers. “As you wish.” She puts her cup of tea down onto a table, and snuggles next to the young boy. They sit in a nest of blankets and love. Holding each other like they are all that is left in the world. “Close your eyes. Imagine a world in which the streets are full, bustling with people, alive with conversations. As you walk down t...

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“Don't Let Her Know You're Awake” by Frances Ducommun

Submitted to Contest #128

Well within the woods, dappled in deep forest shadow the teahouse crouched, waiting for her. A sense of wary superstition was undercut by the inner skeptic’s eye roll, “Of course they’d use location and atmosphere. When relying on placebo, location and atmosphere are all you’ve got.” Claudia politely knocked on the door and was surprised by the girl who opened it. She’d expected someone dressed in kimono, someone aged. This girl looked barely out of her teen years, blue eyes shining with enthusiasm. She wore a pink woolen jumper, which was t...

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“Pumpkin vine” by Virginia Smith

Submitted to Contest #128

It had just started to rain, so softly you could barely feel it on your skin. But the path was darkened and I could see the droplets on the pond. I stepped slowly forward, absorbing each moment deliberately, the elegant trimmed plants, the perfect pebbles. I closed my eyes for the smell of pine in the damp morning. For many years I hoped and saved and planned to journey to Japan. I like the word journey much better than travel, and completely better than holiday (or worse still, trip). It infers a level of knowledge of the place to be expe...

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“Tea Time” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #128

Shiawasena jikan tea house. I take the last puff off my cigarette, flick it; snarling and stretching my neck from side to side. It's showtime. These two bastards wait for me at the front door — wide, like refrigerators with legs — they size me up before letting me walk in. Nice little place for such nasty business; pinewood walls, and tiny oak wood tables. And across the room, a wood bar rail with a tapestry hanging over the edge. The man behind the bar cleans — tiny guy, almost cute — in his apron. Place is empty except for the prick ...

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“A HANDS-ON APPROACH” by Christine Hand

Submitted to Contest #128

A HANDS-0N APPROACH The waiter placed the tray of cakes on the table and went back to fetch the tea. Patti’s was one of the very popular tea shops in Colombo. It was where the three girls enjoyed meeting regularly. ‘Utterly unbelievable! the traffic on the Galle Road is an absolute nightmare. It’s taken me twice as long to get here today,’ moaned Rita as she wiped the sweat off her brow with the flourish of a silk hanky. ‘And all because of some sort of religious convention taking place in front of The Wellawatte market.’ She showed her...

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“Brewing War ” by Freya Inkwell

Submitted to Contest #128

Mag Well. The city of the gods and goddesses; our paradise. Even in her mental thoughts, that last word felt bitter, and Airmed sighs heavily as she stares out the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the ancient city. Bitter or not, she knows her choice, if she so chooses to continue with her plan, would destroy what peace this place has brought her kind, and there are many here she cares deeply for. Does she really want to be the cause of their pain when it is in her nature to heal? The unmuffled pitter patter of rain and...

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“Long lost brother” by Wayne Steele

Submitted to Contest #128

Writer's note: I accidentally submitted the story to the wrong category it should be. Write a story about a character reluctant to go to a tea party “I’ve always been a failure in the family, “I say to myself solemnly as I lay in bed. Everyone one always says David is nothing more than a loser and will always be a failure.” A letter was written as if it was from the queen herself, saying: “Dear David, I know it’s been a while since we talked last, but I was wondering if you could come to my tea party. It won’t be big, just a few people ...

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“Leo And The Tea House” by A. Nic

Submitted to Contest #128

Warning: Some expletives Saturday morning is Leo’s favorite one of the week. Not only is he able to sleep in until nine thirty in the morning--because elementary school is rough on him, making him wake up at seven--but he’s also able to amble around his father’s tea house. It’s a quaint little shack. Leo never knows how he manages to get there. He just walks out of the house, plops into the backseat of his dad’s Ford f150, and feels the vibrations of the engine as they pass through a forest of spiny trees. Today, however, was going to p...

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Title: my fellow passerine

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Set your story in a tea house.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 36 stories

“Frabjous Life” by Tara Mann

“Tea Corner Harmony ” by Jenny K

“Broken Trust ” by Hannah B

“Steeped” by Ashley York-Aronovich

“Heaven'S Little Tea House” by Gretchen Stevens

“Warm Winds” by S.C. May

“Her Cup of Tea” by Genevieve Willingham

“Bringer of Light” by Rebecca Cole

“Don't Let Her Know You're Awake” by Frances Ducommun

“Pumpkin vine” by Virginia Smith

“Tea Time” by Michael Danyluk

“A HANDS-ON APPROACH” by Christine Hand

“Brewing War ” by Freya Inkwell

“Long lost brother” by Wayne Steele

“Leo And The Tea House” by A. Nic

🌟 Similar prompts

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

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: