Tessa's Mistake

• Ella John, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2017

Tessa’s Mistake

When Tessa was ten her father married a deceiving and wicked women called Margaret. Whenever Tessa’s father left home for work Margaret was horrible, and treated Tessa as a slave.

Many years went by and Margaret’s attitude didn’t change toward Tessa at all. Still, Margaret would force Tessa to do everything for her from rubbing Margaret’s feet, to polishing every doorknob in the house. While Tessa was doing all these chores, all Margaret would do was sit on the couch and read or listen to the radio.

Tessa truly hated Margaret for dong all this, so one day when her father said he was working late that night, she came up with a plan.

Later that night after scrubbing down the bathroom and filling up the bath for Margaret, Tessa carried the saucepan of soup to the table, and out a small bottle of poison she has found under the sink. Quietly Tessa opened the bottle and added three drops of poison, without thinking, to the whole soup. Tessa then served up a large bowl of soup for Margaret and called the dinner was ready.

Nowadays as Tessa thought back to it, if Margaret hadn’t have spend so long reciting the jobs Tessa had left to do that evening, everything would have gone to plan, but that’s not really how it works is it? Not everything can always go to plan.

Tess watched avidly from the kitchen as Margaret finally sat down to eat her soup. Just as Margaret was about to start eating, there was a loud bang and the door swung open. Tessa’s father walked hurriedly through the house, beaming, saying he got off early and served himself a bowl of soup. Tessa couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move. Her Father slowly raised a spoon to his mouth and gulped.

In an instant the kind, happy expression that had once filled his face changed into one of fear. Within seconds he had fallen to the floor, shaking, he was trying to say something but no sound came out. Margaret screamed, terrified. Then, suddenly he went still. Margaret slowly turned her head to Tessa with pure fury in her eyes.

Tessa, overcome with emotion at what she had done, not thinking about Margaret, or how sorry she felt for herself for once, instead she just ran, she ran and never looked back.