Bad things frequently happen to good people, but the best people are the ones who can keep going despite these challenges. You never know when something will happen that might derail everything going on in your life, but it could happen sooner than you'd expect.
Mary was just minding her own business when she witnessed something that would change her life forever. When she saw the robbery take place, she knew she couldn't just stand by and witness the event. So she did something that made the entire situation change...
She Kept Going
Life threw plenty of setbacks in Mary's way, but she was able to become the first person in her family to graduate college and she even found a great job a few months later. But that didn't mean that life would be easy for her. Mary eventually became the victim of a robbery, but she was able to use her smarts to turn the situation around.
Looking For Work
Finding a job was nearly impossible. She had gotten her degree in communications and social work and wanted to find a job where she could help people. Unfortunately, there were no positions open. She thought about moving towns but really wanted to stay. So she did what she hoped she wouldn’t have to do...
Working 9 to 5
She got a job working at a corporation. She did nothing but answer the phones, file away the papers, and keep records. It was far from the glamorous job she had envisioned of helping people and changing the world. She fell into a bit of a depression, but that was about to change...
Love Story
Mary met a boy. At first, they just talked. Then they began to date. And soon enough they were living together. They were beyond happy together and things were starting to look up for Mary. She had a stable job and a nice boyfriend. But once again things were going to change.
Her Life Got Boring
A year of happiness went by and things were going great. Her job was still boring and her relationship had settled into a familiar run. Too familiar. Being bored, she grew more depressed and not even her boyfriend could make her happy. That made him mad and things just got worse...
Stuck in a Rut
Somewhere over the last year, perhaps from the beginning, Mary hadn’t gotten along with her coworkers. They were nice enough, but they had just never clicked. This meant that Mary spent most days alone and grew more depressed because of her loneliness. Plus work was starting to pile up. Would things ever change? Turns out they would!
Surprise!
Heading home after a particularly stressful day, Mary was surprised by her boyfriend. She had completely forgotten about her birthday. He met her with balloons and a cake and lots of kisses. He even bought her a few pretty gifts. She was beyond delighted, but the surprises weren’t over yet...
A Night Out
They were going to go to her favorite restaurant. She quickly got changed into some better clothes and together they went to get food. She was excited. Maybe today was going to be a good day after all. They were seated quickly and served just as fast. The food was good, the date was going well, but things were about to get scary...
Say Cheese
Mary’s boyfriend suggested that they take a picture to remember the day. She was seated with her dessert, complimentary cake and she was happy, for the moment. But then from the back of the restaurant came a loud shout. A man was screaming. The whole dining room was shocked at what happened next.
Hidden Identity
Two waiters along with the manager of the restaurant were lugging a man out through the restaurant. He was kicking and screaming, threatening to burn the place down. The scariest part was that he was wearing a mask. Everyone was immediately put on edge as they threw him out of the restaurant.
He Ran Off
The staff tried to hold onto him outside and wait for the police, but the masked man broke free and ran off into the night. With nothing else more to do, but give the police a report, everyone went back to their jobs. The staff were very apologetic, but Mary just wanted to leave. She didn't feel as safe as before.
Someone in Their Photos
So, they went home and spent the night trying to unwind from the end of their stressful dinner. Mary didn’t talk much on the ride home. In truth, she didn’t know what to say and neither did her boyfriend. They’d been given quite the fright at the restaurant. To try and salvage the evening, Mary began looking on her laptop through the pictures they had taken that night. But she didn't like what she saw...
There He Is Again
In the background of her birthday photo was the masked man. Mary thought about deleting the picture, but decided against it for now. Maybe it could be of some use to the restaurant or the police. Instead, she went to bed and tried to sleep and forget about her horrific birthday.
On the Look Out
The next morning wasn’t much better. On the news, Mary and her boyfriend saw that the restaurant they had been to had been robbed late last night. They were looking for the robber, but he had worn a mask. Seeing the masked man on the screen sent chills down Mary’s spine.
It Was Him
It was the same mask that the man had worn last night at the restaurant, the man who had been thrown out. It was the same man in her picture. She didn’t know how it could help yet, but little did she know that that picture would be the key to solving the whole case...
Cameras In Place
The news continued to say that the police were asking for help from the public to identify the robber. They didn’t have many leads and the security camera footage from inside the restaurant was spotty at best. It had sorely needed updating, but no one ever really thought the restaurant would get robbed so they never had it updated. This would be a major mistake...
Could She Even Help?
Mary went about her day as usual, but couldn’t stop thinking about the robbery and her picture. Should she show her picture to the police? How could it possibly help? She was just so unsure of herself and didn’t know what to do. She eventually came to a decision that would change everything...
To The Restaurant
Mary ended her day at the office and instead of going home, went to the restaurant. She found that they were closed, but was lucky enough to find the manager inside. He was trying to do some work in the office and clean up the restaurant. The robber had made quite the mess. Mary approached him nervously and gathered her courage so she could do what she had come there to do.
Find the Manager
She went up to the manager and briefly told him about her visit to the restaurant last night. She explained about her birthday and the picture that her boyfriend had taken. It was then that she pulled out her phone and they looked at the picture together. What the manager saw surprised them all.
Police Department
After looking closely at the picture, the manager of the store called the police. Soon enough they were in the station reviewing the picture and Mary couldn’t believe the change she had made to the case. They were so much closer to bringing the guy. And to think it all came down to one small detail.
His Shoes
That detail was the pattern on the guy’s shoes. They were very distinct, even in a blurry photo. The manager recognized the pattern on the shoes and said that a man had come in almost every day that week wearing those shoes. He had always seemed off to the manager, so he had made a note of him. The police were able to look him up, even on the poor security footage. And that’s when they got him!
A Clear Shot
There were a few clear frames on the footage that showed the man’s face. Running it through the system at the police station, the detectives were able to identify the man as a known minor criminal. The police tracked him down and by the end of the day, the man was in custody all thanks to Mary’s picture!
His Reason
The police talked to the man they brought in and got his story. It turns out that he had originally thought to rob the restaurant with the people inside, so that he could get as much money as possible. However, entering through the back of the restaurant he met something unexpected...
The Story Went On
The man found resistance. The workers immediately recognized what was going on and didn’t hesitate to overpower him. The fight continued out into the dining room where they got ahold of him and dragged him outside. That’s when he broke free and made a run for it, vowing to return...
Getting Revenge
Wanting to get even and still wanting to rob the place, he waited until the restaurant closed and then he went back. He smashed in the windows, grabbed anything that looked valuable and ran, thinking that he’d gotten away. If only he had changed his shoes before returning to commit the crime.
A Hero
Mary was hailed as a hero along with the staff who worked at the restaurant. With everyone’s help they were able to catch a thief and save the day. They even got some of the stolen items and money back. In the end it all worked out and Mary became okay with living life a little bit more boring. After all, she never wanted to find herself in the middle of a robbery again.
The events of this story are entirely fictional and are products of the author’s imagination. Images included are meant for illustration purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.