My heart dropped straight into the pit of my stomach disappearing as quickly as it came, leaving emptiness in its wake; all the air flowed out of my body in that instant. Shock, disbelief, instantly weak, is how I felt when I pressed against the small compartment of my handbag expecting the hard response of my phone, the only thing I felt was the flat surface of the bag. I came to a halt mid-stride to check the pocket properly, the world around me slowed, as I took in the scene; the pocket empty, zipper half open, my phone gone.

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Helpless.”