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

Posted in Fiction on Mar 31, 2023

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✍️ 67 stories

“Something Found Along the Way” by Herbert Borek

Submitted to Contest #192

Water dripped from somewhere up high. The water was hitting the floor with a rhythmic tapping. Drip, drop, drip. Aside from the completely inadequate plumbing, the house seemed unrecognizable. The ceiling was mostly collapsed and the walls looked like a tornado hit them. Of course, that was the case, and Monica was surprised at how much was preserved. She would have been happier if the entire house was gone, but such was life. Monica held out a hand and let water drip onto her palm. The water was the color of dark chocolate. She w...

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“The Old Box” by Mike Paulhus

Submitted to Contest #192

The old wooden box had been gathering dust in the attic for years. It was a treasure chest of sorts, filled with trinkets and souvenirs from a bygone era. Jenna had forgotten all about it until one day while cleaning out the attic, she stumbled upon it. It was a simple box made of dark wood and adorned with intricate carvings. She lifted the lid and peered inside, her eyes widening in surprise. The old trunk was filled with memories of her childhood – old photographs, letters, and small keepsakes she had collected over the years. As she ...

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“The Bell and the Bottle” by Anne Dobbs

Submitted to Contest #192

The Bell and the Bottle She always looked forward to hearing the bell tingle when she walked into the musty store. Full of the usual things, like croquet blankets forgotten by children who curled up in them. Chipped plates of small and large sizes used to serve hungry families who lived in perfect cookie-cutter houses encircled by white picket fences and freshly mowed grass. All the sad and lost things packed up in boxes and adopted out. She was, however, the adopter, searching for the most loneliness of all. The store had become he...

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“Welcome Home!” by Shawn Wier

Submitted to Contest #192

Yesterday, I found my girlfriend kneeling on our bedroom floor staring into a moving box. She was the kind of still that only comes from being incredibly stoned or experiencing great emotional activity. With Eliza, it could very easily be either. "Whatcha got there?" She was slow to respond, but eventually reached into the box and pulled out a stuffed doll. It was a candy-green nylon witch, complete with a warted, comically-protruding nose and bright red mouth, adorned with a black dress and matching pointed hat. Her voice, usually clear ...

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“Lost in Midnights” by Naalaa Ishan Saeed

Submitted to Contest #192

A gaudy sneer contaminated his already callous face. His lips were peeling like paint, dried blood dotting the skin. His hands limp and numb; his legs rocking to the beat of the deafening grandfather clock that was nowhere to be seen. His breathing was shallow and laboured. The glare in his eyes blinked with possibility and life, despite his shattered appearance. Suddenly, his lunatic grin vanished, replaced with a fear-filled hanging jaw, brimmed with dread. Except for his eyes, all the colour in the old man faded, with the colour of the da...

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“GARDEN OF EDEN” by Kajsa Ohman

Submitted to Contest #192

I will tell you what it’s like to dream of a long-dead child—though of course there are as many ways to dream as there are people to do it, and far more than that. You have come back to a house where you once lived. You sold this house years ago, and other people have been living in it, but now you have returned. Returned to see the evidence of their neglect, which is everywhere. Your dreaming eyes take in travesty after travesty: A pile of rotting leaves in the sink your husband worked so hard to install. Turds, human and canine, on the mo...

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“Company” by Natalie M

Submitted to Contest #192

Beautiful Samantha was a very lonely 60-year-old. She had never married and was without any children. Being so alone like this made her very depressed. She wanted to have some more company in her life rather than the little dust bunnies underneath her bed and placed upon her lampshade. The little clumps of dust made her lamp light dimmer. Samantha still did not count these cute, little balls of fluffy dust as company. That little spot of comfort that company provided was missing. That was part of the sadness in her heart. Something was kee...

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“THE NECKLACE THAT COMES FROM THE PAST” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #192

THE NECKLACE THAT COMES FROM THE PAST Pamela didn’t believe her eyes. Rummaging in the old trunk in the attic looking for buttons she found that old necklace in her hands, which she believed had been lost for some time. It wasn’t a precious necklace. It was made of metal, perhaps an alloy of iron and zinc. But it was ancient, probably dating back to the early 1900s or even the 1800s. It was made of rectangular metal pieces with holes and had a medal of the Madonna hanging on it. It must have belonged to her great-grandmother, whom she hadn...

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“Love Lost and Found ” by Bailey Hansen

Submitted to Contest #192

It was a sunny morning. The winter thaw had finally ended, and spring and summer were pushing their way into the city. As I flung open the heavy door of the entrance to my apartment complex, I immediately shielded my eyes from the bright light of the sun. I stepped out onto the busy sidewalk and rummaged through my purse, attempting to find some sunglasses. “Shoot!” I said aloud. I had left one of only two pairs of sunglasses I owned in my apartment on the kitchen counter. Knowing I had a 10-minute walk to work ahead of me and how brig...

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“My Black Beauty Coloring Book” by David B Fraser

Submitted to Contest #192

When I unlocked the door to my mother’s house it smelled of cigarette smoke and a backed up septic tank. Only the septic tank was not backed up. I walked in and went straight through to the back door. I left both front and back doors wide open, then opened all the windows in the ranch house to start airing it out. I opened the basement door to find the downstairs covered over heavily with cob webs. I closed that door for another day. A cross breeze was picking up in the house now but the stinky smells were stil...

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“Lost Promises” by Ashley Elizabeth

Submitted to Contest #192

Helen stared at the ring on her bedside table in shock. It was a large gold ring with an emerald in the center. On one side of the emerald, there was an emblem of the head of a ram, on the other side the year 1964 was embossed in onyx. Though it had clearly been battered since the last time she saw it, she recognized it right away. It was her boyfriend’s class ring, her most prized possession. She had not seen it in months. She smiled as she remembered the night Bryce gave it to her. He had invited her over to meet his parents for the first...

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“Nanny” by Amy Durrence

Submitted to Contest #192

“She’s going.” Amy stared blearily at the text from her brother, but no comprehension came. She blinked automatically, as if her batting lids could bring some meaning to the words. She is Going He was talking about Nanny. Going where? She wrapped herself in the absurd question, using it as a temporary shield against the oncoming reality. Her phone was buzzing. It was her brother again, but this time he was calling. “She’s gone.” His voice was matter-of-fact. There was no absurdity that could stav...

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“Recovered Memories” by Shelby Gremel

Submitted to Contest #192

I stared up at my childhood home, taking in the once-pristine architecture that had fallen into disrepair. The front steps that led up to the wraparound porch creaked and wobbled as I made my way up to the faded yellow door. The dull brown paint peeled away from the warped wooden slats covering the house, and a film of grime coated both sides of the bay windows on either side of the door, obscuring the view into the rooms beyond.Letting out a sigh, I steeled myself before shoving open the door. The old frame resisted and creaked and the anci...

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“Refreshing Places, Violence, and Coffee” by Paige Ladd

Submitted to Contest #192

There might not always be the perfect tool for the job, but I’m the one who gets things done. Lots of times the mess sat for days before anybody ever knew about it. It can be weeks before they’re certain it’s ok to start clean up. My boss keeps giving me raises, desperate I will leave. Finish the degree. Remember just why life is worth living. Take even one deep breath. Ok. That’s not fair. How would my boss monitor my breathing 24/7. Why would he want to? Breathing is up to me. It’s just that being a black man seems so confining ...

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“The Old Tin Box” by Joy Velykorodnyy

Submitted to Contest #192

“Here you go, Dad. I think that’s the last of it.” The last of my stuff, or the last of me? Closing the door on my old home; my life now confined to a bed. But what’s that, on top? I never thought I’d see that again. Lying on top of the pile of rubbish. Looking all innocent. Holding secrets I’d gambled would never see the light of day. Hopefully Eric hasn’t noticed it. When he leaves, one of the nurses can throw it away, and that will be the end of it. “Look, Dad! Do you see this old tin box?” Darn it. He noticed. “Can you believe it? I have...

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 67 stories

“Something Found Along the Way” by Herbert Borek

“The Old Box” by Mike Paulhus

“The Bell and the Bottle” by Anne Dobbs

“Welcome Home!” by Shawn Wier

“Lost in Midnights” by Naalaa Ishan Saeed

“GARDEN OF EDEN” by Kajsa Ohman

“Company” by Natalie M

“THE NECKLACE THAT COMES FROM THE PAST” by Mara Masolini

“Love Lost and Found ” by Bailey Hansen

“My Black Beauty Coloring Book” by David B Fraser

“Lost Promises” by Ashley Elizabeth

“Nanny” by Amy Durrence

“Recovered Memories” by Shelby Gremel

“Refreshing Places, Violence, and Coffee” by Paige Ladd

“The Old Tin Box” by Joy Velykorodnyy

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone finding a treasure in an unexpected place.

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.

Contest #192

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

248

Contest entries

144

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: