Start your story with a character finding an old heart-shaped box in their house.

Posted in Valentine's Day on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 78 stories

“Grandpa Gideon's Heart Shaped Box ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #133

I was at work when I got the call that my Grandpa Gideon Grachalmeyer had passed away. The news came as no surprise since he was in his eighties and had a bad bout of pneumonia that he never really got over. What came as a surprise is that he named me as executor of his estate in his will. Suddenly the life of this little man from Belarus, a country in Eastern Europe bordering Russia, became an open door to me as I began to go through his things while the rest of the family sat shiva. I was in the attic discovering secrets about...

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“Plastic and Cardboard” by Donna Kennedy

Submitted to Contest #133

Plastic and Cardboard Spending the day trying once again to clean out many years’ worth of accumulation, starting with the closet. It’s like a large Pandora’s Box, packed with the past, some good, some bad. Dozens of containers, shoeboxes, and envelopes crowd the shelves. Yes, this is probably going to be a weekend event instead of one snowy afternoon. Removing several boxes at once seems to be a good approach. I have several large cardboard boxes at the ready to help with sorting. One is marked trash (the largest box and probably the leas...

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“Te Amo, Mi Vida” by Katelin Grudzinski

Submitted to Contest #133

The world seems to be a little bit darker nowadays. Even with the aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends that filled my childhood home, nothing could fix the void that had overtaken my heart. Everything was chaotic and quiet at the same time. Whispered condolences were shared throughout the afternoon. Distant relatives and friendly strangers patted my arms and gave me bony hugs. “I’m sorry for your loss.” “Let me know what I can do for you.” “They were both wonderful people.” The kitchen constantly poured out the beverages of a rush...

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“Dare to be happy” by Liv Valen

Submitted to Contest #133

!This story contains some swear words!*****Everything's so hard. One more sleepless night and I go crazy. All I can think of now is why did I do that? Even though I'm always the one who ends my romantic relationships, I was clearly out of my head. I wish I could figure out yet why I'm afraid of commitment or what's wrong with me in my brain when this fear makes me split up with people over and over. People, who are utterly perfect by the way. Perfect in an unconventional and unique way that cannot be copied. Perfect like this ...

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“You Have to Open the Damn Box” by Sway Dodson

Submitted to Contest #133

“Okay, babe, yes, that sounds good,” I pass the phone into my other hand, glancing at my reflection in the mirror still hanging on the wall. I listen to Rob talk about dinner plans and what we would do tonight when we arrived at the new apartment. I mumble my agreement as I take the mirror down. I try to not look at my eyes, missing circles of age, or my forehead, smooth and youthful, or my hair, which should’ve been greying years ago. I tell my fiancé I love him, and to drive home safely from work. I walk into the living room,...

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“SIGNS OF THE PAST” by Irena Buha

Submitted to Contest #133

The long, eerie staircase that wound up to the attic seemed steep and gloomy. I had a distinct impression that someone was standing at the top . I reached the top stair and found a tiny heart-shaped box on the floor. I squinched at it for a moment and left it there without any compulsion to satisfy my curiosity. This misapprehension left a slicing chill in the air. Probably just my crafty imagination getting the better of me. The faint howling of the wind made me shiver as I reached for the doorknob to open the attic." Come on Lanie, get you...

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“The Heart Of The King” by LaKeisha Hart

Submitted to Contest #133

Meren, Princess of Sand and Sea, admired the box between her small, pale hands, nearly drunk with self-satisfaction. She had always known the legends were true and there she stood with the proof itself. The box was golden, heavier than expected, and heart-shaped. It was shaped like an actual heart with black diamonds and rubies inlaid as the intricacies of the veins and valves. Princess Meren was as fascinated with the craftsmanship of the box as she was in awe with what was inside it. It was a handsome box, a royal box. A box fit for the He...

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“Nostalgia Stiches for Broken Hearts” by Tasha Tolson

Submitted to Contest #133

Just as my favorite Valentine’s Day mug reaches my mouth, I hear a thunderous collision of falling boxes; followed by a yelp from my sister. Ugh, I moan inwardly to myself. I haven’t even experienced this exquisite coffee yet. I slowly meander to the attic. My sister is seated on the floor with an array of spilled boxes around her. She smiles up at me attempting to appear innocent. She sheepishly admits to getting a little carried away. She gazes across her mess of memorabilia and realizes she had way too many boxes on her trek across the at...

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“Love Bites” by Ian Gonzales

Submitted to Contest #133

“Hey, Babe, look at this.” I glance up, sweaty and flushed, to see my wife holding up a heart-shaped box, colored a sparkly red with some kind of fancy writing on it. It’s the sort of thing you find lining shelves during the build-up to Valentine’s Day. To me, it’s another distraction, and just what we don’t need. “Could you maybe just toss it in the trash can?” I say, gesturing at the mess around us. “We’re kinda busy here.” We’ve been at this for hours now, rummaging around in Grandpa’s attic, trying to sort out the junk from the stuff wo...

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“An old heart-shaped box of chocolates” by Bill Soest

Submitted to Contest #133

“There you are Grandpa, did you enjoy my college going away party?” his eldest granddaughter asked. “Yes, Miss Payton, I have. Although, I have to admit to not understanding most of what you and your friends were discussing. Before you go, I need a few minutes of your time. Can you please join me in my study in ten minutes? I have something for you.” “Of course Grandpa, let me say goodbye to Ashley, then I’ll be right in.” Her grandfather made his way through the old family home to his study. As he passed the pictures lining the old hallway ...

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“A Perfect Swarm” by Karen McDermott

Submitted to Contest #133

ENVELOPE NO. 1“Hi, my name is Jared Blass. I am nine years old. My mother is called Belinda and my father’s name is Anton.”I popped the pencil in my mouth, reviewing what I had so far. Do we need such backstory? I tried remembering if Curt’s keepsakes had any sorta private information like that. Like, did he write an introduction anywhere, or did he, like my father would say (knowing it pees my mother – a veggie – off), “get right to the meat of the matter.” Things got wavy when I tried to think back.But then I didn’t want to think of the co...

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“Lost and Rediscovered” by Delaney Howard

Submitted to Contest #133

He unearthed the heart-shaped box from under a pile of sweaters that had been in a grimy cardboard box in his spare bedroom. It was fourteen years ago, he’d given this particular red silk box to his wife, Sarah. Their seventh married Valentine’s Day. Shaped like a heart, it had been filled with Godiva truffles. His impeccable memory recalled that Strawberry Crème Tarte Truffle and decadent Black Forest Cake Truffles were a couple of flavors. How she savored those chocolates! Only allowing herself one or two a night while she read to make the...

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“The Old Wooden Valentine ” by Sheila Sarrett

Submitted to Contest #133

My story begins with an old wooden heart shaped valentine box that was a sign of love to an entire family. It started when my dad explained the story of Valentine’s Day which happened many years ago when Saint Valentine signed a letter with the words Be My Valentine. He told my mom and me that Valentine Day comes every February 14th. It is a day to celebrate love. Cards, flowers or gifts show their love to another person. He was giving us a surprise gift. I was a cute four year old girl when my dad came home from work holding two packages....

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“The Tattered Attic” by Aurelia Moon

Submitted to Contest #133

TW: Mention of Suicide/Mental Health and SwearingJune 28th, 2004.Mason burst into my room without knocking, "Mom called me. We have to clean out the attic. Apparently the Taylor's never cleaned it out." We had recently moved in a couple of months ago to this house. Apparently a family used to live here many years ago, in 1987, but they moved when their nineteen year old daughter, Willow Taylor, was shipped off to a mental hospital since she was suicidal. The daughter died five years after that. Ever since then, it's been on sale and abandone...

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“Reassembly ” by Sidharth Shankar

Submitted to Contest #133

Mahan swept the broom along the dim and dusty attic, pushing the same clump of dust around that he had been for several minutes. The late evening sunlight poured in through the thick windows, painting the attic with dark and light tiger like stripes. Mahan turned his shoulder to the sunlight and pushed the clump of dust into the darkness. He then joined it there, brooding. After a while, his mother noticed what he was doing. “Hey,” she said, pausing in her own sweeping. “I see you there. You’ve been pushing that same dust ball ...

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Start your story with a character finding an old heart-shaped box in their house.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 78 stories

“Grandpa Gideon's Heart Shaped Box ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“Plastic and Cardboard” by Donna Kennedy

“Te Amo, Mi Vida” by Katelin Grudzinski

“Dare to be happy” by Liv Valen

“You Have to Open the Damn Box” by Sway Dodson

“SIGNS OF THE PAST” by Irena Buha

“The Heart Of The King” by LaKeisha Hart

“Nostalgia Stiches for Broken Hearts” by Tasha Tolson

“Love Bites” by Ian Gonzales

“An old heart-shaped box of chocolates” by Bill Soest

“A Perfect Swarm” by Karen McDermott

“Lost and Rediscovered” by Delaney Howard

“The Old Wooden Valentine ” by Sheila Sarrett

“The Tattered Attic” by Aurelia Moon

“Reassembly ” by Sidharth Shankar

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone going on a search for a specific type (or brand) of chocolate.

Set your story in a confectionery shop.

Write a story about someone making a gift (chocolate or otherwise) for a loved one.

Write about a character who finds Valentine’s Day sickly sweet.

Contest #133

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

204

Contest entries

121

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: