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Tuesday, April 23, 2019

T - Tea #AtoZChallenge

My A to Z Challenge: Micro fiction, using 300 words or less, inspired by selected words along with a photo for inspiration. The words were chosen in reverse order from this lesson plan page.
(For example, for the letter A it was the 26th word on the list, for Z it was the 1st word on the list)



I watched her gnarled hands as she lifted the old tea kettle into the sink and filled it from the hand pump before placing it on the ancient wood stove. Pulling a rusty tin down from a high shelf, she held it towards me. "Choose."

I peered inside and saw several hand-wrapped packets of what I assumed were tea leaves. I pulled out several, sniffed each, and put two back.

She dropped the contents into a teacup, filled it with boiling water, and sat down. I wondered when she would give me the tea. As though she knew what I was thinking, she said, "Three minutes."

I sat and tried to be patient.

"Here." She thrust the tea cup into my hands. "Don't drink all. Leave a little." She sat back and smiled, well, I thought it was a smile. I did as I was told, setting it down on the table between us when there was a little left.

"Hold in left hand. Swirl three times. To the right."

I swirled the contents, mesmerized by the agitated leaves. Some drifted to the bottom, some stuck to the sides. I held the cup towards her but she shook her head. "Upside down on saucer. Slowly."

I followed her instructions, wondering if all the leaves would drop into the saucer but wouldn't that mean it would be a saucer reading?

Again, as though she read my thoughts. "No, leaves stay." This was getting a bit eerie but I was in for the full measure.

Eventually she lifted the cup and peered inside. She looked up at me, eyes wide open. "GO!"

"What?"

"Now!"

I tried to argue but she pushed me outside the door. What had she seen that so terrified-

My thoughts were cut short by the bullet that killed me.



12 comments:

  1. Something to be said for not knowing the future!

    Nice twist.

    https://thequietwriter.com/2019/04/22/topiary-the-art-of-the-tree-barber/

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    Replies
    1. Yes there is....and it was obvious the fortuneteller agreed! Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. Replies
    1. Glad it surprised you! Thanks for taking time to read and comment.

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  3. Replies
    1. LOL! I think she knew she couldn't change the future, just foretell it.

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  4. It was all going so well until... A brilliant twist Donna.

    My A-Z of Children's Stories

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Keith. Sometimes the twist comes easily. Sometimes not so much.

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  5. Wow. As I sit here drinking my lotus tea, in a world where tea rituals are excruciatingly specific, I did not expect that!

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