...and they meet

"HEY!" she shouted. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He had one leg hanging over the edge of the bridge and was about to swing the other foot over the railing when he heard her yell. He looked over his shoulder and saw her running towards him in the dark.

"What do you care?" he yelled back at her. He looked over the edge at the swirling black water below him. His head spun and he gripped the railing to keep him steady.

"Come on man," she cried, grabbing him by the back of his jacket and pulling him backwards from the railing. He fell to the sidewalk and banged his head against the cement.

"What the fuck lady...." he said, pulling himself up off the ground.

"What are you trying to do?!" she cried, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Well, what the hell does it LOOK LIKE!" he yelled.

"AHHHH!!!!!!!!" she cried out. She bent down into a crouch and sobbed loudly, her whole body shaking. She looked up at him.

"WHY?!" she screamed loudly.

"What the HELL is your problem?" he said bending down to look her in the eye. "Do I know you?"

"No," she sniffled, rubbing her nose. "You don't know me, but I can't let you do this"

He snorted and stood up.

"No offense lady, it looks like you've been having a pretty rough day yourself, but I have the right to do whatever the fuck I want."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, sitting cross legged on the sidewalk.

"Doing what?" he asked.

"Why do you want to....um....well, die?" she asked.

"That is none of your damn business."

"Well, you know, sometimes people just need to talk about wh....."

"Why are you here?" he snapped.

"Well, I was on my way home and...." she started.

"No, why are you still here? Bothering me? Can't you just leave me alone?" he turned his back towards her and leaned over the railing.

"OK," she said standing up. She stared at the back of his head for a moment before turning and walking away.

She took five steps in the opposite direction before turning around again.

"You know," she started. He looked up for the rail over his shoulder in her direction.

"I was just at the hospital."

"Yeah," he said impatiently.

"My ex boyfriend, the love of my life, swallowed a bottle of tranquilizers tonight," she sobbed quietly in the darkness. "He's dead now."

"God, I'm sorry," he said empathetically.

"I wanted to stop you from hurting the people you love. Thats all." They stood in the darkness, staring at each other for a few moments before she turned around and started the walk home, tears streaking her face.