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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#287: Tea-rrific

During this time of the year, there’s nothing I love more than curling up somewhere cozy with a soothing cup of tea. This everyday beverage can easily be found in supermarkets and cafés, but it also plays an important cultural role around the world, serving as the focal point of traditional tea ceremonies, social gatherings, and more.

This week, let’s create some stories with prompts inspired by tea and how it makes us feel. Pour out those feelings in a brew-tiful tale, or perhaps steep some drama into your narrative. Go back in time, or try centering your events around a present-day moment. No matter which prompt you choose, you’re bound to write a rich, flavorful story that lingers long after the last sip…

🥇 Winner

“Slow Burn” by Miranda Scotti

🏆 Winner of Contest #287

Steam rising from the kettle, sunlight seeping in through the crack of my floral shades, my mint green tea timer resting on the kitchen counter, an empty bottle sitting next to it, the criss-cross pattern on my gray wool socks. Five things I can see. Standing in the kitchen, bleary-eyed and groggy, I brush a pile of curls off my forehead, rest my elbow against the cold Formica counter, rub the soft flannel of my pajama shirt, and finally tap my foot against the terrazo. That’s four things I can touch. Adrian pads his way into the kitchen beh...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“The Next Step” by G.P. Burdon

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #287

Tristan stirred the sickly green tea in his mug, watching the bag bob up and down in murky suspension. He took a sip, cringed, and grunted in disgust. Far from being satisfying, he thought it tasted like wet grass and regret. He sighed and left the break room, entering the office corridor and pressing the elevator button with the same tired resignation he’d applied to his third cup that morning. The mirrored elevator doors reflected a man worn thin - tired eyes, and a mouth set in a permanent downturn. He tried not to loo...

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“The Dilemma” by Kirstie Baker-Slater

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #287

Tea or coffee?Such a simple decision, yet it presses inside Jane, snatching her breath with the crush of its breadth. She watches the early morning sunlight creep weakly to the kitchen window, pale and watery, just enough of it slithered under the blinds to illuminate the vastness of Matthew’s absence.At least he went quickly. She has lost count of the number of people that have said this to her in the last two weeks, well-worn but well-meant words of comfort. A sorrowful smile teases Jane’s mouthcorners for the briefest of moments and then ...

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This week's prompts

Start or end your story with a character making a cup of tea for themself or someone else.

Short Story – 187 stories

Set your story in a café, garden, or restaurant.

Short Story – 71 stories

Center your story around someone who’s boiling over with anger, frustration, or jealousy.

Angst – 56 stories

Write a story with a character pouring out their emotions.

Dramatic – 45 stories

Start or end your story with someone being soothed by a hug or words of comfort.

Short Story – 47 stories

Stories

“Slow Burn” by Miranda Scotti

🏆 Winner of Contest #287

Steam rising from the kettle, sunlight seeping in through the crack of my floral shades, my mint green tea timer resting on the kitchen counter, an empty bottle sitting next to it, the criss-cross pattern on my gray wool socks. Five things I can see. Standing in the kitchen, bleary-eyed and groggy, I brush a pile of curls off my forehead, rest my elbow against the cold Formica counter, rub the soft flannel of my pajama shirt, and finally tap my foot against the terrazo. That’s four things I can touch. Adrian pads his way into the kitchen beh...

121 comments 121

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“Earl Grey Everywhere” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #287

Colin, this is how I know I’m totally besotted with you: No matter which place I’m in, from the dizzying buzz of London’s streets to a sun-bathed tropical plain, I smell earl grey everywhere when I think of you. I just can’t deny it. It seems that anytime my mind fixes itself on your honeyed smile or your warm velvet laugh, every single drop of affection in me boils over until it whistles in my ear. Then, like clockwork, the air infuses itself with the sweet hints of bergamot rind and an aromatic haze of lapsang --- pervasive like the i...

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“The Shining Light of "One Who Knows" - World Voyages of the Destiny's Dreams ” by Kristi Gott

Submitted to Contest #287

"Even the ocean murmurs to the woman named One Who Knows," the ancient villagers said. "She shares our joys and sorrows. She senses the depths in our hearts.""Everything in nature has an essence of the unseen forces. The winds, the trees, the animals, the sun, moon, and stars, and the clouds in the sky all call and whisper to One Who Knows."Thousands of years ago, during the last Ice Age Melting, when the sea rose, the villagers felt their lives were like reeds in a woven basket, woven into the natural world by the Unseen.Someone then might ...

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“Orbits” by Daniel Rogers

Submitted to Contest #287

I microwave water because there's no teapot in my house. It does the job. I currently only have black tea since I already have flavors to add. I'm fuzzy on how we acquired a dozen bottles of flavored syrups, but I figured there was no need to buy flavored tea until I used these bottles first. While stirring my hot tea after adding honey and French vanilla syrup, an idea hit me: I live in an orbit. The rotation of the tea inspired the idea. Everything goes in a circle or orbit. The moon orbits the Earth. The Earth orbits the sun. The sun migh...

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“Right Cup of Tea” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #287

Right Cup of Tea Armed with pamphlets and instructions on caring for recovering stroke patient, Uncle Simon, Claire climbs into the front passenger seat of Lefty's big pick-up for the trip out to his Wimberley, Texas ranch. Try as she might want to admire her new surroundings as the gentle hills start rolling by, her head starts lolling to the side. Soon she is as sound asleep as Patches curled in the cat carrier next to her. The back-pack containing her laptop and all her worldly possessions is at her feet. The rancher driving can't help bu...

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“Threads of Memory” by Higdon Donell Armstrong V

Submitted to Contest #287

In the city of Brightmoor, your soul wasn’t private. It was written on your skin. Life Threads, intricate tattoos that grew and shifted with every emotion, told the story of who you were. Joy painted streaks of gold; love etched soft pinks; anger burned jagged black scars. Your thread was both your truth and your sentence.Nora Gray hated hers. Deep black streaks twisted and coiled across her arms, remnants of years spent drowning in envy and rage. Faint traces of blue and yellow peeked through—a life that once held promise, was now smothered...

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“A Spot of Tea: A Professor Deshpande Mystery” by Martin Ross

Submitted to Contest #287

“A great idea should always be left to steep like loose tea leaves in a teapot for a while to make sure that the tea will be strong enough and the idea truly is a great one.” — Phoebe Stone“As long as my role begins and terminates in the kitchen, I am both honored and delighted,” Anand replied as he checked on the welfare of the gulab jamun. The macroeconomist nodded curtly to the saturated dumplings as he might a freshman who had successfully dissected Keynesian Theory. “Oh, and please confine your literary circle to the common areas.”“It’s...

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“Affectionate Aroma” by Sasan Sedighi

Submitted to Contest #287

As Areum stepped into the café, a cheerful brass bell jingled above the door, catching the attention of the café owner and a few patrons who looked up with curiosity. They were greeted by a stunningly beautiful Asian woman in her early thirties, dressed in casual yet thoughtfully chosen attire. The patrons lingered in their gaze longer than usual, admiring her beauty with quiet appreciation. It is a striking coincidence that her name, 'Areum,' translates to 'beauty' in Korean. As she entered, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with t...

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“Tea for a Falling Empire” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #287

His number one concern was convincing his daughter to quit her job and move back home. His second concern was keeping his dog from passing out, but Scottie was resilient. The terrier insisted on sitting outside even in the winter, but luckily for Mark, there was an unexpected heatwave in the middle of January. It was nearly sixty degrees, and he could comfortably sit at one of the metal tables outside Empire Tea and Coffee in his spring jacket. Scottie was almost sixteen, which meant he was a geriatric canine, and he had a habit of fainting....

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“The Next Step” by G.P. Burdon

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #287

Tristan stirred the sickly green tea in his mug, watching the bag bob up and down in murky suspension. He took a sip, cringed, and grunted in disgust. Far from being satisfying, he thought it tasted like wet grass and regret. He sighed and left the break room, entering the office corridor and pressing the elevator button with the same tired resignation he’d applied to his third cup that morning. The mirrored elevator doors reflected a man worn thin - tired eyes, and a mouth set in a permanent downturn. He tried not to loo...

Read story

“Steam and Stardust” by Jim LaFleur

Submitted to Contest #287

Steam curled from the kettle’s spout, a ghostly ribbon dancing in the dim morning light. Orion Carter traced its path with failing eyes, remembering how he once tracked the trajectories of distant comets with that same careful attention. The familiar ritual of making tea had become a treacherous dance, his fingers seeking the counter’s edge, measuring distances by memory rather than sight. The kettle’s whistle pierced the quiet apartment. He reached for it, muscle memory betraying him as his hand missed the handle and brushed against the sca...

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“Confession is Good for the Soul” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #287

Confession is Good for the SoulTimmy always had trouble coloring between the lines, and he questioned why the 6 on his paint-by-number kit didn’t infringe a bit more on the 7. He was disturbed by the differences between blue, light blue, sky blue, and pale blue. Corn Flakes vs. Post Toasties. Coke vs. Pepsi. Porridge vs. oatmeal. It was all so confusing. Timmy wanted clear demarcations for all elements in his life. The subject matter of his angst had always been of little consequence until his 2nd grade class at St. Mary’s began preparation ...

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“Too Good.” by James Scott

Submitted to Contest #287

With steam billowing in my face, I asked myself, what kind of psychopath orders hot tea on a thirty-five degree summer day? How off your head do you need to be to also request seating in the garden!? Some people just defy all reason. I took a deep breath to try and calm my unsolicited rage, but it continued to brew as steadily as the tea upon my silver tray. I impatiently watched the leaves swirl and spread amber within the glass pot, until it was finally, just the right golden shade to serve.“That one’s for table nine, Luce. Might as well t...

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“The Garden of Edens” by Martha Kowalski

Submitted to Contest #287

“Please come in, Professor Eden,” Dean Taverts gestures for me to sit down in an oversized leather chair across from his imposing mahogany desk. “Shall I make us some tea?”“Eh, sure – thank you,” I adjust my tie and glance at him curiously as he sets to work steeping the tea in an ornate, silver teapot. “I must say, Dean Taverts, I was quite surprised that you invited me here. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve never heard of your university before.” Though his office is certainly one of the most impressive I’ve ever set foo...

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“RINGS” by Elizabeth Hoban

Submitted to Contest #287

RINGS A trill ring. Tara startles. Urgent. Slowly, she rises from the kitchen chair. A few minutes later, Tara struggles to take it all in. Seated at their kitchen table she cradles her hot mug of tea as if it were an injured bird. A knife, a scuffle, a pregnant woman, husband, hero. So sorry, ma’am… Two police officers sit at her kitchen table sounding muffled, monotonic, like adults in a Peanuts cartoon. She does not offer them any coffee because she doesn’t have any. She wants them to leave. Thrice, she’d dismissed herself to vomit in ...

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$250

Prize money

406

Contest entries

171

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 31, 2025 EST

Won by Miranda Scotti 🏆

Title: Slow Burn

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

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