Shocking
Sarah felt something move in the bag when she picked it up. There was nothing in it a moment ago and she couldn’t understand what was going on.
It looked empty but there was something strange going on. She inspected it again, looking inside the lining as well, which is where she found something unexpected.
Hidden Inside
She was intrigued by the idea that there was something hidden away in the bag and inspected every inch of the lining looking for it.
She decided to use her pocket knife to make a hole in the fabric, but was surprised to find that there was already a hole there. What could it possibly be?
Familiar Shape
It felt rectangular and vaguely familiar to her but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. When she started realizing what she was feeling, the thought made her both fearful and excited.
Whatever it was, she knew that it was very important, but she couldn’t have known that it had the potential to change her whole life.
Strange Object
Finally Sarah got hold of the mysterious object. She was right about what it was. A stranger’s camera, about to reveal the secrets of someone else’s life.
To her surprise, it came on when she pressed the power button. The screen flashed to life and suddenly, she was looking at important images from another life.
A Stranger's Life
She wondered whether the camera was hidden there intentionally or just forgotten about. She hoped that it was hidden on purpose, because if it was just lost she might be prying into someone else’s life against their will.
She couldn’t help herself, though, and her curiosity got the better of her. She kept scrolling until she got to something that filled her with dread.
A Sad Sight
She was looking at pictures of a woman and her baby. Her heart broke as she scrolled through one image after another, wondering where they were and what had happened to them.
Before she got to the last picture she knew that she would have to do something, but she had no idea what or how.
The Right Thing
Sarah was a moral person and believed in returning belongings where possible. Because of this, she knew that she had to do something.
She fervently hoped that nothing bad had happened to the woman and her baby. Looking at the pictures, she became more and more convinced that she needed to find out what had happened to them.
Unpleasant Possibilities
Sarah tried not to allow her thoughts to go down a dark part, but there was something about how she found the camera that made Sarah fear that something bad had happened.
For some unknown reason, she felt a connection to the young woman in the pictures. She was convinced the woman needed help but she had no idea whether she would be able to help her.
Sad Situation
Sarah was also a mother and she knew how important these pictures were. She would be devastated if she had lost precious photos of her children .
She knew that the camera contained irreplaceable images of a child’s important moments, and that losing something like this is heartbreaking for a parent. She had to find the woman to return her precious memories.
Social Media
Sarah had many Facebook friends and it occurred to her that this may be a way to find the camera’s owner. She would share the pictures and hope they find their way to the right person.
She had no idea if the owner was still in the area and how long the camera had been missing for, so the Facebook plan was a long shot at best. She knew how heartbroken she would have been in that position, however, and had to try.
Bargain Hunter
Sarah Thomas, an Oregon resident, loved nothing more than a good bargain. Whenever she passed a Goodwill store or charity shop, she just couldn’t help herself. She trawled the dusty shelves and boxes for anything that looked unusual or interesting, and she usually found it.
In fact, Sarah had such a keen eye for vintage treasure that she started her own clothing resale business online. She thought she had seen it all in all her years of bargain hunting, but she was wrong.
More Than A Hobby
Her Facebook business page — Sarah’s Southern Oregon 2nd Hand Deals — proved to be so successful that it started generating a steady stream of supplemental income.
She worked hard, traveling to the local Goodwill stores several times a week to find that special item. Some days were good, and she’d snag designer dresses, shoes, and handbags for just a few dollars. But other days weren’t as easy.
More Than Meets The Eye
Sometimes, upon further inspection, Sarah’s Goodwill finds would be worn or damaged, making them unfit for resale.
And occasionally, there would be more to an object than met the eye at first glance. Such was the case when Sarah spotted a designer diaper bag for just $3 — and she knew she had to have it.
Lucky Purchase
The diaper bag was not only a designer label, but it was also vintage. Even better, it looked practically new — a rare find indeed. Sarah knew that this diaper bag would have retailed at around $200 new… what a bargain!
She immediately snatched it up and bought it without a moment’s hesitation. But as she spoke to the cashier, her day took a dark turn.
Water Damage
The cashier was a friendly old woman, and as soon as she saw the bag in Sarah’s hand, her face lit up. “Oh, finally! I thought no one would buy that bag with all of the water damage!” The old woman chuckled.
Sarah frowned and looked down at the bag. She thought it was just dirty, but as she stared down at it, she noticed the damage. But she was about to learn the horrific truth of the bag.
A Sinister Reality
“Oh, I didn’t even notice it was water-damaged,” She smiled, not thinking anything of it. She assumed it could still be cleaned and look brand-new again.
The old woman had a smile on her face as she leaned over the counter and spoke to Sarah, “They found it beside a river, no one knows what happened to the woman it belonged to,” She whispered.
Taken Aback
Sarah was taken aback by those words. She had a frown on her face as she stared down at the bag. Something about this information didn’t sit right with her.
“Apparently, a woman and her child went missing in the area a few years back. I’ve always wondered if the bag belonged to that woman,” The cashier said casually, scanning the item on her machine.
Shake The Feeling
“That’s terrible,” Sarah said, surprised by the horrific story. She just hoped that the old woman was wrong about her assumption.
Once she had paid for the item, she left the store and made her way home. She managed to shake the eerie feeling and by the time she got home, she’s just about forgotten about it. But she was about to make a discovery she would never forget.
Excitement
By the time she had parked in her driveway, her stomach was filled with excitement. She couldn’t wait to clean the bag up and have it looking fresh and new again.
As she sat in her car, she inspected the outside of the bag closely. The damage was pretty bad. Some parts of the bag had mold and rot on them, but it was still salvageable. She had forgotten about the horrific story until she stepped back into her house.
A Soak
As soon as she stepped through the front door, she made her way to the kitchen. She poured warm water and soap into a bucket. First, she wanted to give the bag a nice, long soak.
But before she could do that, she had to check what was inside of it. Initially, she found a few small hairclips and a rock or two. She assumed that the rocks had entered the bag while it was in the river. But then she felt it.
She Found Something
She could feel something rather large at the bottom of the bag, but as she tried to reach for it, she realized that it was under the inside lining of the bag.
She was curious as her fingers traced the mysterious object through the material. She had no idea what it could’ve been.
What Could It Be?
“I was cleaning it and just noticed something heavy shaking around in there,” Sarah explained. But when she rummaged through all the bag’s compartments, she still couldn’t locate the mysterious object. Unwelcome thoughts started to race through her mind.
Who knows what the bag’s previous owner had hidden there… and why had they gotten rid of it? Could there be something nasty inside?
Curiosity
Sarah’s concerns were growing by the second. Maybe she should just return the bag and leave it at that. After all, it was a second-hand diaper bag. But, in the end, her gnawing curiosity was just too much to bear.
That’s when she noticed the small hole in the lining. Little did she know, she was about to solve a 7-year-old mystery.
A Flash Of Silver
She peeked into the opening and saw a flash of silver, and her heart started to race. She began to widen the hole, stretching it so that it could accommodate her hand. Had she found trash or treasure? There was only one way to find out.
Slowly, carefully, she worked at it until it was big enough to reach inside. “Here goes…” she whispered, preparing herself.
The Mysterious Object
Sarah winced as her hand brushed something cold and hard, but she was relieved to realize that it wasn’t wet. It was smooth, and it felt like metal.
She pulled it out slowly and was astonished to find a brand-new Sony digital camera in her hand. Now that she had found out what it was, she was left with more questions. Who did it belong to? And why was it hidden here?
The Photographs
Sarah located the ‘ON’ switch and held her breath. After a few seconds, the camera beeped to life. She was so surprised that she jumped. She thought that the water from the river would have destroyed it, but she was wrong.
Sarah took a deep breath as she opened the images that would change her life forever. As soon as she saw them, she let out a gasp.
The Photos
She waited patiently, then, the images began to display on the camera’s screen. Her jaw dropped when she saw the people on the tiny screen.
Although Sarah was reluctant to scroll through someone’s personal and secret memories, she continued to look at the photos one by one, unable to tear her eyes away.
A Sinking Feeling
The photos depicted a baby boy and a young woman. Sarah assumed it was his mother. With each new picture, Sarah’s heart sank more and more.
Photograph after photograph flashed before her eyes, but long before she had reached the end, she knew that something had to be done. But what? And more importantly, how?
Getting Answers
She thought back to what the woman had said. She mentioned that a woman and her young child had gone missing right where they found the bag. What if it was true?
What if this was the woman’s bag? Sarah was terrified as she stared at the last photo. Was it possible that the owner was still out there? She didn’t know. But soon, she would have the answers she needed.
Taking Action
When asked if she had any hesitation before acting, Sarah said: “I live by the golden rule. I want to reunite the mother with her lost possession.”
Sarah’s mind was made up. Looking through the photographs was enough to make her take action, and she knew in her heart that she had made the right decision.
Trying To Help
Sarah couldn’t help but have dark thoughts about the mother and child. The nature of the camera made her feel like something bad might have happened to them. With no way of knowing, she tried to think positively.
She felt a personal connection to the mother in the photo. She wanted to try and help her. She just hoped that she would be in a position to.
Irreplaceable
As a mother herself, Sarah knew that she would have been heartbroken if she had lost her camera with its irreplaceable memories inside.
She imagined having lost all those precious moments: the day she took her baby home from the hospital, her child’s first steps. She had consigned these moments to memory, but the pictures spoke a thousand words. She had to do something to try to find the camera’s owner.
Calling The Cops
Sarah called the cops, but it didn’t seem likely that they’d be able to track down the owner any better than she could. She needed to think of something else.
Then, Sarah had an idea. She already had a considerable following on Facebook. Perhaps if she shared the pictures online, someone would recognize them. It was a long shot — but worth a try!
An Eerie Feeling
Sarah thought about it day and night. She couldn’t look at the bag without an eerie feeling creeping into the cavity of her chest.
“I would hate to lose pictures,” Sarah recalled. “It might not be much, but it is to somebody.” But would the owner still be in the area? She knew that there was a chance that the bag’s original owner might have lost it months, or even years, ago.
Taking To Social Media
Sara’s post on Facebook read: “I’m not sure if this is ok to post here, but I purchased a diaper bag at the Goodwill and found a blue Sony Cybershot camera inside with photos. Does anyone know who this family or people in these pictures are? I want to make sure they get their camera and most definitely their SD card.”
As soon as she posted the message to her Facebook, she let out a sigh of relief. All she had to do now was wait.
That Night
That night, as Sarah lay in bed, she couldn’t stop thinking about the entire ordeal. She wondered if the woman and her child were still out there. Based on what she knew, the chances were slim.
When she awoke the following morning, she quickly grabbed her phone and checked on the post, but there was nothing. No one had claimed the camera.
Hopeless
Sarah felt hopeless. She had no way of tracking the woman down, and she feared that she never would. Had something terrible happened to the woman and her son?
But luckily, the camera’s owner happened to be nearby. And the power of social media was all that was needed to bring her and Sarah together.
Identity Revealed
Within just two days of Sarah’s Facebook post, one of her followers identified the camera’s owner. Her name was Katie Connor.
When Sarah first received word that the woman was alive and well, she couldn’t believe it. She was certain that something terrible had happened. A wave of relief washed over her. But she still had so many questions.
Getting In Contact
Sarah got in contact with the woman who had commented on her post, stating that she knew Katie. But when Katie got the news, she was confused at first.
Sarah reached out to the woman with a Facebook message, informing her that she had her camera and SD card full of photographs, but Katie had no idea what she was talking about. That’s when Sarah decided to send her some of the photos in hopes of jogging her memory.
Long Gone
When Katie saw the old photos of her baby boy, she almost burst into tears. She had thought that the camera and all its memories were gone forever!
Sarah arranged to meet Katie at the local Target parking lot, but she could never have suspected just what an emotional reunion this was going to be.
Ecstatic
“Thank you!” Katie exclaims as she strides up to Sarah with an exalted but incredulous look on her face. Sarah hands her the precious camera, and Katie says with a wide smile: “I think we thought it was long gone!”
Then, she tells Sarah just how long the camera had been missing. Sarah is floored.
Years Ago
Sarah had no idea how old it was when she stumbled on the camera inside her lucky Goodwill find, but the camera had actually gone missing seven years before. Katie’s baby had been just a year old when she had taken the photos, but now he was 7.
And, of course, Katie couldn’t wait to look through the old photos with her son as soon as she got home!
Questions
But Sarah couldn’t pretend that everything was fine. She still had so many questions. She couldn’t help but ask the woman about the bag and its location, but as soon as she did, tears burned behind the woman’s eyes.
The truth was that seven years ago, a massive flood swept through the area Katie lived in, and she lost many of her most precious belongings, the camera being one of them.
The Story
Although it was a sad story, Sarah was relieved. All along, she thought something terrible had happened to Katie and her son, but it was one big misunderstanding.
When Sarah shared her thoughts with Katie, she laughed. “Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed, “I am so sorry you thought that. Luckily, we are alive and well,” Katie smiled, grateful for the woman standing before her.
Humble
Katie had never expected her camera to be found, let alone returned to her. And now, thanks to Sarah, she has all those precious memories back.
But Sarah doesn’t think that what she did is worthy of being called a “Good Samaritan” in the local papers. “I didn’t think of it as a big deal. I would think that anyone else would do it, but I guess maybe nowadays that isn’t the case,” she said in an interview. Sometimes, being a good samaritan just comes naturally.