Write a story that involves a character donating a box of clothes which have been outgrown.

Posted in Middle School on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 49 stories

“Just a chapter” by Kara Beth Baker

Submitted to Contest #139

I sit here looking at my son, who has just moved back in. Wearing many of my clothes-my college sweatshirts. Going to work where I started working and asking the same questions I asked at his age. “What’s the point? Why am I here and what am I supposed to be doing” he says quizzically. And more importantly, “How can I do it and do I without the government owning my life and ‘selling’ out?” Well kid, I have been looking for those answers for over 30 years, I t...

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“She Said Goodbye Years Ago” by Hail Ryder

Submitted to Contest #139

One step, two-step, three-step, twirl out, pull in. She led the dance with the first step, and he took back control with the second. He would have control till it came time from the twirl. She would twirl far longer with her ballgown flying around her; she would be the one to pull him in. Her bosom pressed against his chest as their faces neared, and they breathed each other's air. They would be so close. Just a little closer, and they would kiss. But she would smile the smile that lit up the whole ballroom. That made eve...

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“Handing down Joy” by Wendy LaRocque

Submitted to Contest #139

In elementary school, one of my neighbors was a few years older than me and her clothes seemed just a little cooler than the clothes I had. Or maybe just different. She had items that my mom or I would not necessarily pick out. But I was in luck because she often gave her hand-me-downs to me. Laura would come over holding a box stuffed with fabulous items: a white top showcasing a tiger with glittering purple stripes, neon green stirrup leggings, a “I’m Bart Simpson who the hell are you?” t-shirt (that I was allowed to keep after som...

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“Perfect Bound” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #139

Jessica had 2 weeks to plan how she would explain her manager's misconduct to the board. Being on leave had given her ample time to run through eight years of memories over and over and recollect every detail.Her humble compact car whined as she turned it into Tristate Graphics’ entrance and headed up the driveway toward the executive offices, resisting the instinct to pull into the production plant parking lot. “Build Me Up Buttercup”, a motown classic, was playing at full volume in the car. Bobbing her head and singing along to the mu...

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“Palmer's Box” by Cathleen A.

Submitted to Contest #139

Watching the world around him, Palmer seemed to feel himself isolated from an unforgiving world. Emotions are overwhelming between a family who gave him love and the same family who gave him grief. Like the waters that don’t mend in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, there lived his mind and heart. Torn between a psychological war; big or small, right or wrong, clothing too short, too much or not enough, this box was all a reference to his name and how he found his identity all in itself… Palmer. Why did he matter if all he did was neglect the...

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“Drop-Off” by Marybeth McDonough

Submitted to Contest #139

Jenn immediately regretted her decision. The contractor’s garbage bag was wedged three quarters of the way into the clothing drop-off bin, and there it rested awkwardly. With cartoonish effort, she crouched beneath the dangling portion and pushed feebly upward, hoping it would somehow slide forward ending the whole ordeal. Nothing. She realized that she had actually been holding her breath and it came out in a defeated puff as she shrunk down to the blacktop. The hazard lights of the Kia blinked and the signal ding ding dinge...

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“What's Mine is Mine” by John Vincent Bahrenburg

Submitted to Contest #139

Although I don’t recognize my hands, I certainly recognize the things they were putting on the counter at the thrift store. I watch as chipped nails, originally a clean sky blue, slowly lay out my past in front of me.The first was the holey band t-shirt. It was clearly once black, but faded with washes, sunlight, and age. My father had given it to me when his beer belly could no longer be contained by its cotton midsection. There were holes in the shoulders and faded stains under the armpits and when I wear it and work up a sweat, dad’s smel...

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“Red Sweater” by Megan Lockie

Submitted to Contest #139

The cardboard box had been sitting at the bottom of the closet for nearly two years by the time I opened it again. A heavy layer of dust masked the words written on top, but I clearly remembered what they said: Dear Kate. I know you loved it, so here it is; for gorgeous Gabriel. Love from Jen, Ray and Maxie. ——— Jennifer and I had been best friends since we were toddlers. We grew up in the same neighbourhood, went to the same schools and had joint birthday parties every year as children. It seems silly looking back on it now, but we used...

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“The Last Box” by Marcia H.

Submitted to Contest #139

The box was sitting in the corner of the loft. It was by itself now. The rest of the loft was empty. This was the last box. It looked lonely just sitting there. The lid had not been taped closed as on previous boxes. The handwriting on the outside was mine. In huge black, bold letters were the words, “ J’s Old Clothes.” The clothes inside were not really old. They were just too small. Jackson was born too small. They said at the hospital he was going to be small because he was going to be born early. It took me a long time to get used to the...

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“Perfume of the Fabric” by Remy K

Submitted to Contest #139

I breath in deep as the breeze brushes past my face catching the faint scent of campfire, musk, and fryer oil – plaid. I’m brought back immediately to that beautiful spring day as a child, when all the worries of the real world hadn’t caught up to me and life seemed so simple. When the worst thing I could imagine was not being able to go to Grandpa’s because of the extra shift my mother had to pick up to “Pay bills, because that’s not something you have to worry about yet Meg”, she would say. It was always an adventure at Grandpa’s, blanke...

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“The Real Deal Friend” by Lil' Sarah Starr

Submitted to Contest #139

There was a beautiful girl my age that lived over on the Historical part of Jefferson Street in a small city of Muskegon, Michigan USA, in the early 1980's. Me and my sister use to go over her house all the time and we would have so much fun, she was such a blast to be around! It was a relief to go over there because I was going through a lot at home, and also being bullied at school. Kids picked on me at my catholic school because I didn't dress cool or in fashion. I guess my parents didn't have the money and they sure didn't make an attemp...

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“Like/Not Me” by Sean Mobley

Submitted to Contest #139

Content Warning: Transphobia The sterile, lemony scent of Lysol lingered in the lobby, melding with the comforting glow of the afternoon sun streaming through the sweeping exterior windows as Elias carried the box of his old dresses to the reception desk. To the left of the desk, seated at white tables surrounded by colorful chairs, a few teens scribbled in notebooks or tapped away on laptops, perhaps working on homework, though he suspected the trio crowded around one computer in the corner silently clapping each other on the back were ga...

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“Hidden Treasures” by Carolyn Carter

Submitted to Contest #139

Hidden Treasures There was a frozen stillness in the air one December morning as I hurried down the crowded sidewalk. Panic began to set in the more I realized how if I miss this bus, I will have to wait another hour to catch the next one and the thought of it sent shivers down my spine. Darting between people and practically leaping over the slow ones, I managed to squeeze onto the bus and found a window seat. Every morning my commute to work began with a multitude of ‘excuse me,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ and an occasional ‘get the hell outta my way...

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“The Packer Upper” by VJ Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #139

Today I dropped off three boxes of outgrown clothes: toddlers’ tops and pants; girls’ size-six summer stuff boys’ size-twelve shorts and tee-shirts. Not a tear shed, not a single sigh. My secret, you ask? Arm’s length. All were donations on behalf of my clients to the local Goodwill. I’m a professional packer-upper. My number is posted in the drop-off zones of every school and daycare in the city. Feeling overwhelmed? Your children are in college and you still can’t bear to part with the first communion dress? You need some clothing donati...

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“SUPERHERO” by Richard Werner

Submitted to Contest #139

George pushed open the door of the orphanage and stepped into the corridor, slightly off-balance. As the door swung closed behind him, it shut out the icy wind howling outside. He shifted the box he was carrying onto his left arm and rearranged his glasses. He thought to himself that this wind meant that a freezing weekend lay ahead of him, and he had better get some wood for the fireplace. He pushed the thought aside and surveyed the corridor he was in. It was polished to a high gloss and there was a table with some flowers arranged haphaza...

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Write a story that involves a character donating a box of clothes which have been outgrown.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 49 stories

“Just a chapter” by Kara Beth Baker

“She Said Goodbye Years Ago” by Hail Ryder

“Handing down Joy” by Wendy LaRocque

“Perfect Bound” by Scott Christenson

“Palmer's Box” by Cathleen A.

“Drop-Off” by Marybeth McDonough

“What's Mine is Mine” by John Vincent Bahrenburg

“Red Sweater” by Megan Lockie

“The Last Box” by Marcia H.

“Perfume of the Fabric” by Remy K

“The Real Deal Friend” by Lil' Sarah Starr

“Like/Not Me” by Sean Mobley

“Hidden Treasures” by Carolyn Carter

“The Packer Upper” by VJ Hamilton

“SUPERHERO” by Richard Werner

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with someone having their height marked on a door frame.

Format your story in the style of diary entries.

Start your story with the words: “Grow up.”

Write about a character sowing seeds for the future (literally or figuratively).

Contest #139

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

239

Contest entries

135

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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