Tea With My Demon

"Just a tick my friend
I'll pour you a cup"

My hands make quick work of getting the clean white bone china cup and saucer out
Filling it gently with steaming tea from the pot
And holding it out gingerly to my demon
Who regarded me with guarded suspicion from across the small table

His all too stereotypical dark red hands
With even darker red long nails
Grasped the cup and saucer firmly
The nails clinking on the china with distinct individual clicks

He stared at me through the steam rising from his cup
I stared back at him
Falling into his beautiful red eyes

A sound distracted me from my almost-trance
Glancing at his cup
The tea was boiling furiously
Evaporating before my eyes

And then it was gone
Leaving only a brown residue in the bottom of the cup

I looked back up towards my demon's face
But that was gone as well

I was left with only the sound of the empty cup and saucer smashing to edge of the table
Then onto the floor in many pieces
And the unanswered question in my head
Of whether or not my demon had ever really been here before me
Or if he simply resided within me as he always has

I sipped my tea and thought about it a bit
And decided that I hoped he was just inside of me
For he never would be lonely
What with all my other demons cavorting about freely

Awaiting their turn to be dealt with on some other dreary tea filled day