I rode a school bus to my cousins house right across from the college. It wasn't my school bus, I honestly have no idea how I got on there in the first place. We took a back road to drop other children off first. One house in particular stood out to me. This house was carved into the trunk of a tree. It was a beautiful cottage with branches stretching toward the sky. I couldn't find a single leaf on this tree, despite it being the middle of summer.
A little boy with a yellow shirt and white baseball cap hopped off of the bus and headed toward the door. He proceeded to unlock it from the outside, a downside to having a literal tree house I guess.
He stepped in, hesitated, and produced a blood curtailing scream for help. I ran off the bus and through the wooden door to see an repulsive man passed out on the couch. He was bulging out of his too-tight tank top and his legs were stained red.
I was about to call the police when the child's father woke back up. He had a strange little teacup in his hand. I began to look around the house to see more antique china placed though out the one room home. It looked as if an 80 year old woman should be living there, not a grungy old man and his son.
I asked the man what was wrong with him and he grunted "Well, that's what happens when you're addicted to tea."
Did he really just say tea?
Before I could ask, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a tea bag. He broke open the bag and put the tea leaves in his lip like it was dip. Tea couldn't do anything... Right? I started to scold him. What kind of tea junkie puts his own selfish needs above his young child's? How could he let himself get to the point where he could no longer function? Little did I know, this "tea" he placed in his mouth was worse than any heroin a person could imagine.
The tea had kicked in and a creature like no other emerged from within him. He began throwing chairs at me, followed by a table. Every antique china piece was being smashed inches from my head as I fled around the small room trying to find an escape. He grabbed me and pinned me in the corner with my feet dangling. He turned his attention to his screaming child and began to play the punishment game. Before I could find out what the game consisted of, the door burst open.
A frail looking man entered the house. He tried to help me get out of the father's grip, but it was useless. He decided to distract him instead. Sacrificing himself for me. As soon as I was free, I grabbed the child and ran for the black car waiting outside of the house. I shoved the boy in the back seat and began to make my way in when something grabbed my leg. The father had followed us after he had bloodied the frail man.
There was a new look in the father's eyes. It was no longer angry, it was hungry. He repeatedly tried biting me. I thrashed and screamed, trying to close the car door so we could escape.
And then I woke up.
