Write a story with the line “You never know a good thing until it’s gone.”

Posted in Dramatic on Jan 17, 2025

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✍️ 43 stories

“UNSEEN THREADS” by Charles Cravey

Submitted to Contest #286

Unseen Threadsby Charles E. CraveyIn the small town of Everwood, in the picturesque countryside of Harper’s valley, Harry’s presence was a beacon of compassion and goodwill. Surrounded by lush greenery, the town boasted a close-knit community that cherished its natural beauty and its inhabitants.Harry, a man of humble origins, had made a lasting impression on the town’s residents through his unwavering acts of kindness and his genuine desire to make a difference. Whether it was assisting elderly neighbors with their errands or organizing fun...

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“Railroad Tracks” by Carter Calhoun

Submitted to Contest #286

(This story contains abuse, violence, and references to suicide)I walk into the living room of my mother's house; I have just finished my daily walk around the block. I have an empty cup that once held lemonade in my hand. While I was walking, I came upon a stand. My friend Turner was manning it, he gave me a cup for free. And I am a firm believer that littering, under any circumstances is bad. You can't complain about beautiful places being covered in trash if you throw stuff out of your car window.The living room of her house is before the...

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“Frederik's Room” by Pres T

Submitted to Contest #286

It has been two weeks since the funeral. Now all that was left was a skeleton of a home. The ghastly white sky perfectly mirrors the experience of the inside. Moving boxes for one and dishes that need to be washed for the other. Both preparing for a life without him. Patrick shifted his boxes from his room to the downstairs foyer. These were the last remaining semblances of the life he had with them. His soon-to-be ex-wife Loretta washed her mug in the kitchen. Doing her best to avoid contact with the man who was once the love of...

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“A Letter for Judie” by Daniel Ramirez

Submitted to Contest #286

Dear Judie,I’m writing to reintroduce myself. Maybe you got the wrong impression of me. I want to tell you everything I never got the chance to let you know. Because our lines never really crossed the way they were meant to. I hoped you’d always be a part of me, but you weren’t, and that disappoints me more than you can know. I’m sorry.I was born on a farm in rural Missouri. There aren’t a lot of people over there. My closest neighbor lived two miles away. I was homeschooled too, so I never interacted with many kids my age. I wouldn’t have h...

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“you never know a good thing until its gone” by Gary Gallant

Submitted to Contest #286

“You never know a good thing until it’s gone.” “One day, all the love you know will be gone”. Marcus Delorean read the passage out loud, alone, here with the gravestones. Once a year, he came to this graveyard to visit the graves of his wife and child. He said a prayer of remembrance. Then, he sat, inhaling the scent of fresh-cut grass next to the tombstones. Large oaks as wide around as a barrel and a hundred feet high gave him welcome shade this summer afternoon. Birdsong wafted soothingly from the limbs of the trees.He knew that no ghosts...

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“Roses on the Rails” by Alex Marmalade

Submitted to Contest #286

He stepped onto the morning train, adjusting the strap of a worn leather bag. Compartments murmured with half-awake conversation; overhead lights buzzed softly. A single rose on his lapel suggested a solemn occasion, though he stood as one well acquainted with life’s burdens.Tall yet stooped, he leaned on a wooden cane carved into a swallow. His hair—wispy silver, parted carefully—caught the fluorescent glare. Outside, London’s streets receded; he was heading north to meet his new great-granddaughter, born two days ago. It was a thought both...

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“4th Period Pen Pals” by Hanna Chun

Submitted to Contest #286

The bell rings, and my heart jumps. I typically enjoy 4th period Orchestra and the break from academics and sitting at a desk that it brings. I appreciate how the vibrations of the music hide the vibrations of my stomach growling in anticipation of lunch period, and how I know most everyone in the class, as the roster only slightly changes semester to semester. Today, however, my nerves subdue any other visceral response in my body, and all I can feel is dread. I start to pack my backpack and make the walk to the orchestra hall, taking my ti...

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“Adon Habafren and the Cuadros” by S.J. Song

Submitted to Contest #286

My name is Adon Habafren. And whoever created the idea of birds singing in the tranquil morning has clearly never met the Cuadro quadruplets. By 9:01 in the morning, my classroom resembled a monkey exhibit– but the monkeys were on sugar and caffeine. And I was the underpaid zookeeper. “Mr. Stoneface! What’s the equation for Newton’s Second Law? I forgot it again.” As Cuadro One, the loudest Cuadro with a missing front tooth, scratched his head as monkeys do, I sighed. Mornings like these remind me why I hate my life. Once upon a time, ...

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“Gym Thirteen” by Giovanni Soave

Submitted to Contest #286

There was a dreadful atmosphere in the air. As on every Thursday morning, George had stepped out of his car and started walking toward his destination."Gym Thirteen," read the neon sign. George immediately realised the gym was packed from the noise coming through the white plaster walls: the grotesque music mixed with the creaking of outdated equipment. Nothing suggested a welcoming environment inside. On the contrary, everything screamed frustration and discontent from its inhabitants.George had had a rough week. He pulled the glass-and-bra...

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“Sounds of the house ” by Jane Sparrow

Submitted to Contest #286

It haunts me. It hurts — when I think about it. And somehow I always find a way to think about it. You always know when it’s raining from beneath a tin roof. That’s what I grew up under. A tin roof perched on top of weatherboards that my dad would repaint every 5 years or so. Not a single raindrop could go undetected in our house; a cue to snatch clothes from the line and cover the barbecue. We listened to gentle patters turn into frantic downpours hitting the roof like bullets falling overhead. I could close my eyes and know when a storm wa...

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“The Bathtub and a Field of Daisies.” by Preston Weed

Submitted to Contest #286

This story contains sensitive content such as suicide, mental health, substance abuse, gore, and physical violence. Do not be afraid; our fateCannot be taken from us; it is a gift. Dante Aligiri, Inferno *** There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter. Ernest Hemingway, From Whom the Bell Tolls The boy got out of bed and ran to his mother’s room. Today was Letter Day. Today was the day his father would write to him and his mothe...

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“The Kidnapping of Icon” by Bruce Ross

Submitted to Contest #286

It was forecasted to be a dark and stormy afternoon and night, but there was no sign of it on this beautiful morning. The perfect morning to take your 13-year-old golden retriever to his favorite swimming spot – Cheat Lake in Morgantown, West Virginia. As a commercial pilot, I flew out of this location for a couple of years to places like Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Icon always traveled with me as I moved from base to base, but this was our favorite place, unarguably. It had a gorgeous lake for all water enthusiasts, especially Icon,...

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“You Never Know a Good Thing Until it's Gone” by Sarah Adewolu

Submitted to Contest #286

I thought I’d feel a little relieved that Kari-Ann was finally gone, but for some reason, it didn’t make me feel any better. My mind was filled with these thoughts that maybe I was a little hard on her, and I did an extreme thing by firing her and kicking her out. I wanted to shrug off these thoughts because I knew I did the right thing. She had been lying to me for the longest time, and it wasn’t just me… It was the kids, too. That wasn’t fair to Johnny and Brenna because they really looked up to her as a mother figure, and she just took ad...

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Write a story with the line “You never know a good thing until it’s gone.”

Submissions are closed

✍️ 43 stories

“UNSEEN THREADS” by Charles Cravey

“Railroad Tracks” by Carter Calhoun

“Frederik's Room” by Pres T

“A Letter for Judie” by Daniel Ramirez

“you never know a good thing until its gone” by Gary Gallant

“Roses on the Rails” by Alex Marmalade

“4th Period Pen Pals” by Hanna Chun

“Adon Habafren and the Cuadros” by S.J. Song

“Gym Thirteen” by Giovanni Soave

“Sounds of the house ” by Jane Sparrow

“The Bathtub and a Field of Daisies.” by Preston Weed

“The Kidnapping of Icon” by Bruce Ross

“You Never Know a Good Thing Until it's Gone” by Sarah Adewolu

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who must fit their entire life in a single suitcase.

Center your story around a character who’s struggling to let go.

Write a story about a cherished heirloom that has journeyed through multiple generations.

Center your story around a character who’s afraid of being forgotten.

Contest #286

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

368

Contest entries

146

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: