The man in the odd little shop placed the mug in front of my wife.
For all the transcendent properties these unnamed herbs were claimed to have, the tepid tea offered no extraordinary fragrance or appearance. If anything, it was a bit earthy and dark on the nose.
“Are you prepared?” he said to both of us.
He had warned that the tea must be drunk in the shop and that the consequences would be powerful. We didn’t have to say it out loud, but we both thought is was nonsense. Best case, if it sparked some kind of true energy in her, we would hurry back to the hotel and enjoy the effects there.
She lifted the simple stoneware and began to drink.
Another woman slipped out of the room behind the counter. She stood and watched.
She wore silk robes, something reminiscent of India. It wasn’t clear what she wanted or intended.
“Oh fuck,” my wife said.
My attention snapped back to her.
Her skin was flushed. She looked confused. Anxious.
“OH FUCK!” she said again, scrambling off the chair to her feet.