Tea Time
![Hands with Tea Cup](https://coffeehousewriters.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Tea-Time-600x400.png)
My parents had told me that I should befriend an old lady living in our building, and, like the good kid I was, I complied. Unfortunately, my blue sweater did nothing to protect me from the wet winter weather. The wool had become stuck to my arms. I couldn’t even call my brother to let me into the apartment because I had left my phone in my locker at school.
“You look cold,” the old woman smiled at me. Her grin was chipped and yellowed.
I sat down on the big pink sofa.
The lady came out holding a tray in her shaking hands.
She set the tray down on the coffee table. I took the cup carefully in my cupped hands. And sipped the drink. It tasted like bitter almonds. I winced.
The hot liquid slid down my throat. It felt good, and I got goosebumps.
Before I knew what was happening, I was lying on the sofa. I had been covered in a fluffy teal blanket. Then, I screamed. The blanket was covered in vomit. Little bits of tea, cookie, and colorful sprinkles were still recognizable.
I could feel the worst pain that I have ever felt. Image a cold hand with long knife-like claws trying to rip out my insides. I was terrified. The lining of my stomach felt like I had swallowed acid.
I leaned over the side of the couch, and I vomited up more tea and cookies. Before I knew what was happening. I felt a hand push me down. Then, I landed face-first in a pile of sickness.
I brushed my fingers against my head. Then, to my horror, I saw my blue-green nail polish was stained with blood.
“Oh, fuck, I’m bleeding!” I muttered. I could hear the words leaving my mouth in slow motion. The room was twirling. My legs were tingling. I tried putting my hands under me and using them to get up.
Maybe I could crawl to the door. I thought. My arms fell asleep.
My vision was fading. The woman was watching me from the sofa. She was smiling at me with her yellowing teeth. The face of the old woman swirled, her hair became a nest of hissing snakes. The world faded to black.