The moon was smiling down at me. The stars were sparkling. No other night could have been more beautiful. I walked out of work and toward my car, not knowing there was a stranger behind me. He appeared out of nowhere. I glanced over my shoulder and kept walking. The faster I walked, the faster he walked. I became suspicious and frightened. In a matter of seconds, the stranger was right behind me. I started to walk faster, but he was still right there. I was convinced that he must have a gun. I finally got to my car and went to open the door.

“Don’t touch the car,” said the stranger.

“Who are you?” I replied, out of breath.

The stranger answered, “Give me your keys and walk away from the car slowly.”

I did what the man said. He grabbed my arm and took my keys. Then he took my purse and told me to take off my necklace. I did everything he asked, but when he turned his head for a split second, I put my hand in my coat pocket and pulled out my phone. As I opened it, the stranger noticed.

“Don’t you dare use that,” he said, angrily.

I closed it and put it back into my pocket. I stood there and watched as the stranger went through my purse and took what he wanted. I had a watch on, which he snatched. I was upset because it was my favorite watch, a gift from my parents (they always wanted me to be on time). Luckily, I wasn’t wearing the bracelet that my boyfriend had given me for Christmas.

The stranger threw my empty purse on the ground and then ran into the dark. I called the police, who got there within seconds and started to question me. I pulled out my phone and showed them a photo I had taken of the stranger. When he thought I was calling the police, I had actually taken his picture.

The police tracked him down and put him in prison and I got everything back. Now I’m really careful when I walk to my car at night and make sure no one is around who looks suspicious. I always leave work with someone, too. Everything is back to normal now, but I will never forget the night that the moon smiled at me.