Write about someone finding a treasure in an unexpected place.

Posted in Adventure on Mar 31, 2023

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✍️ 51 stories

“The Red and Black Boa” by Viga Boland

Submitted to Contest #192

The red and black boa startled me. I gasped in surprise. I never thought I'd find this! It was exactly what I needed for that feathery costume I wanted to make for my 6-year-old grand-daughter. But who had put the boa in this old basement trunk? My mother? When would she have worn it? And why? Though mom had often dreamed of being on stage, I knew she’d had never stepped foot on one. Yet, this red and black boa was just the kind of thing a dancer or performer would wear. For a second, I closed my eyes envisioning mom dancing around bene...

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“A Diamond in the Trough.” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #192

“Sink me!” The loud exclamation echoed through the air. “I reckon’ if you be serious about hiding your treasure, then this be the place where not many would dare to look.” Captain Horatio Cutlass and a handful of his crew peered into the deep cesspit of the island village’s main latrine. Following the procurement of a pillaged treasure map’s directions - sloppily left open on a tavern table by a drunk sailor, Cutlass quickly rallied his crew - leading them on a hunt for what was believed to be the lost treasure of The Ortega – a Spanish Gall...

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“Heirlooms” by RJ Holmquist

Submitted to Contest #192

The TimepieceJim Coyfield clutched his battered pocket watch as his worn out body wracked itself, his diaphragm heaving, his trachea spasming, his lips forced open in a ragged “O.” Three hundred years the watch had passed from Coyfield to Coyfield. And now, there was no one left, no one he could give it to, no one he could tell the secrets.Old man Coyfield coughed again and bloody phlegm splattered the moldy carpet of his desolated trailer.He was the last and the worst of the proud Coyfields. Last because his progeny had been too ...

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“Treasure of the Wraithwood Grove” by Russell Mickler

Submitted to Contest #192

The Guardian. Manifestations. Mercy. Treasures. Raked across his chest, Bartram Humblefoot was thrown to the boundary of the grove to land amongst the twisted roots of rotting, dead trees clawing their way out of the soil. The siabrae issued a triumphant shriek from its fleshless, deer-skulled head. Its seven-foot-tall solid oak form lumbered on its hind limbs, and its branch-like arms bore grasping hands of wicked wooden talons. A tattered gray cloak, layered over a ruined tunic and green tartan, was all that remained of its former self. In...

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“The Copper-Haired Girl” by Laura Pamenter

Submitted to Contest #192

My sea-green eyes marvel at the azure sky, as the sun bronzes my freckled skin. Hot and translucent blue; it is like I am standing at the core of a flame. Seagulls waft and squawk above, jousting for the product of last night’s rain; wiggling pink worms—I must remember to collect some on my way back for bait. “Do you smell that?” Burgess is leaning on the weathered signpost at the top of the steps. He tilts up his bulbous nose and takes two audible sniffs. “Fish, brine, and despair—the copper-haired girl must be here...” His scrawny-limbed ...

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“Sorbet for the Feelings” by MaryJo Powrozek Rosso

Submitted to Contest #192

Bane stood sniffing at the bottom corner of the door searching for the last bit of the Davis’ scent. The family left for school and work and he wouldn’t see them again until the afternoon. As he heard the car start up and drive off, he knew they were gone.He wandered over to the sofa and was confronted by Luna, somehow occupying the entire space with her 9 pound body. “Don’t you even think about it, Bane. This sofa is mine and you know I’ll go to blows for it,” Luna snapped, her hackles up. Luna was completely oblivious to the fact that Bane...

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“The Hidden Treasure” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #192

The family gathered to hear the reading of George’s Last Will and Testament. You could feel the tension in the air amongst those who were present. The family had disbanded many years prior, and this was the first time they had all been in the same room with one another in nearly a decade. The eldest sibling was Reginald Forester, the CEO of his father’s thriving company, GeoTech, a communications empire that had...

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“Shelby Girl” by Rita Kimak

Submitted to Contest #192

She was left on the steps of the Humane Society in a garbage bag amongst her other siblings. I can only imagine how unloved and alone she felt; questioning why God had brought her into this world. I was neither left in a garbage bag nor on the steps of a homeless shelter but rather in a family of six, before God, questioning too why He had brought me into this world. You see, I have obsessive-compulsive disorder and it is called the “pure O” type. My thoughts control me. They are, as I have confessed many times, of the impure nature. I was n...

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“Camp Play All Day ” by Chelsey B

Submitted to Contest #192

The gates of Camp Play All Day swung open. Mom nudged Mae, and she took a cautious step forward. “Welcome! I’m Natalie. Are you ready to play?” a woman chirped in Mae’s direction. Mae looked around the yard and saw a mountain of cardboard boxes piled high next to the back fence. To the left, there were tables loaded with paint, tape, glue, paper, and what seemed to be every craft supply in existence. To the right, a boy was hanging from a dome climber by his knees. A haven of hammocks was partially hidden by a shed just beyond the craft ...

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“Really?” by Kimberly Walker

Submitted to Contest #192

Really? I love this house, but the children are now grown, and two have children. My children should have somewhere to call home and return when they need to regroup, recharge or restart. The idea of a blended family of generations was just a dream of mine. My mother held on to the family home for years that she and all twelve of her siblings grew up in until everyone had built a house of their own or until someone reminded her that there were too many bad memories inside those walls for them to make it their forever home. I don’t want to go...

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“The Bedouin Necklace” by Elijah Rose

Submitted to Contest #192

They were not supposed to be anywhere near there. The war was many years ago, but the men who fought it were still around and just as paranoid as ever. They told the Masri customs officer they were archeologists looking for ancient copper trade just west of the canal zone. This was true, but they were only making a short stop there and proceeding far beyond there into what was once a warzone and was still a region where no journalists or foreigners were allowed. Likewise, no one was allowed to even ask why the area was taboo. Juan and his ...

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“Unexpected Treasure” by Jody S

Submitted to Contest #192

COVID took away so many things CeCe treasured. Besides losing people she cared about, she lost her sense of smell, taste, energy, desire to leave the house, her creativity, and her connection with the other side.“You once said your ability to communicate with dead people was a curse,” Emily said, disappearing off the screen of the Zoom. CeCe heard dishes clattering and Emily saying something she couldn’t quite hear, and then the microwave dinging.“Em, screen time…focus…have you talked to dad lately? Is he even out there?”Emily popped back in...

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“The Cookie Tree” by John Kennedy

Submitted to Contest #192

The Cookie TreeTelling Mom you were bored was a mistake. “Oh, that’s terrible!” she’d say, meaning it was a terrible thing for me to say. “Look at all these toys and to think you’re bored with all these toys and there are so many kids that don’t have toys. Shame. Go draw me a nice picture - you like to draw. Go clean up your room - when’s the last time you cleaned your room?” Yeah – it was a mistake.It was one of those sweltering August afternoons that southern Ohio was famous for. It was so hot and sticky that even the thought of doing...

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“Uncle Ed's Toupee” by James Flanigan

Submitted to Contest #192

“Ted, are you just about ready to go? We need to get to the family picnic on time, so I can set-up the games for your younger cousins.” Marge Dalrymple lived for the annual family picnic. She was on the planning committee along with her two sisters, ran the games for the younger nephews and nieces, and supplied an inordinate number of salads, tossed and gelatin-based. Marge even made reservations at area hotels and motels for the out-of-town relatives who were a bit too problematic to stay at another relative’s house, like her older broth...

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“The Treasure Hunt” by Amy Rosenthal

Submitted to Contest #192

Dust motes glittered in the shaft of sunlight that streamed through the window into the attic. The little boy clambered up the rickety ladder into the treasure trove of the topmost corner of his grandparents’ house; a regular cave of wonders for a boy of 10. From up here, he could faintly hear his parents' voices drift through the floorboards from downstairs. He had been up here many times, exploring the nooks and crannies during these family visits. While finding old hats, derelict bicycles, and long forgotten toys, he would make-believe th...

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Write about someone finding a treasure in an unexpected place.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 51 stories

“The Red and Black Boa” by Viga Boland

“A Diamond in the Trough.” by Chris Campbell

“Heirlooms” by RJ Holmquist

“Treasure of the Wraithwood Grove” by Russell Mickler

“The Copper-Haired Girl” by Laura Pamenter

“Sorbet for the Feelings” by MaryJo Powrozek Rosso

“The Hidden Treasure” by Greg Gillis

“Shelby Girl” by Rita Kimak

“Camp Play All Day ” by Chelsey B

“Really?” by Kimberly Walker

“The Bedouin Necklace” by Elijah Rose

“Unexpected Treasure” by Jody S

“The Cookie Tree” by John Kennedy

“Uncle Ed's Toupee” by James Flanigan

“The Treasure Hunt” by Amy Rosenthal

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story at an antique roadshow.

Write a story about someone trying to reinvent themselves after spending a long time in a rut.

Write about someone stuck in an endless cycle who finally manages to break free.

Write about someone rediscovering something old they thought they’d lost.

Contest #192

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

249

Contest entries

144

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: