Helpless

The car screeched to a stop, skid marks tearing up the pavement. The child’s playground ball rolled on. Wounded, the kid stayed still in the street. Lucky for Kendra, the young boy had pushed away from the car and only gotten a sprained ankle. She apologized and drove on.
Rain pelted the car as she entered the city’s downtown area. The dull gray of the afternoon seemed to accentuate everyone’s bored solemnity. At a stoplight, something caught Kendra’s eye from outside. In an alley, a person was struggling. His briefcase thrashed to the ground, a man in black clothing stripped the stolen wallet with one hand, and held back the man with the other unnerving forearm. She winced, looked away in sympathy, and pressed the gas as the light turned green.
When at work, she silently made herself some coffee. No one said hello to her, and she acknowledged no one. In her cubicle, her countenance was indifferent. When answering the dreaded phone calls, her voice remained almost monotone. As the sky cleared up outside, she barely gave the care to notice. The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully, taking no turns for better or worse. Kendra worked overtime, as no friends or family had called to make plans. Finally, around 10 o’clock, she headed to the roof for a break and some fresh air. Opening the door, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her peaceful expression vanished at the sight of a man on the edge of the roof. The starry night surrounded him, revealing him and his plans.
“Don’t jump,” she said, and hastily paced towards him. The man looked back at her, then up at the heavens, then down at the busy streets. “Take my hand!” she pleaded as she arrived at the sudden edge, putting one had on the ledge and reaching the other out towards him. He gave her a sympathetic glance, then bent down, and leaped out. Engulfed in the night, he was gone. Kendra let out a scream, and continued to do so, cursing herself and the world. Her hair swirled in the wind, like they were attempting to hide the tears carving deep paths along her once unchangeable face. No one has to save lives.