A Paper Bag of Tea

I slipped quietly past the cereal boxes onto the lowest pantry shelf. Behind a stack of saucers, a small brown paper bag was folded down with a tiny wooden peg. I paused, letting my soft side lean into its crinkled paper. A faint, dry scent of chamomile and dried orange peel drifted through the folds. Carefully, using my handle, I nudged the wooden peg just enough to loosen its grip. The paper edge softly parted. A single dried petal tumbled out and settled against my plush base. It felt like a small, quiet secret kept in the dark.