"Always room for Hope" By Ben Goode 2017 (c)

(Achlys is a Goddess of Misery and Sadness.)
(In Greek mythology, Elpis is the personification and spirit of hope.)

Achlys had seen many people fall from the bridge she lingered on from day to day. But they had fallen deliberately, having taken their own lives in horrific depression. 
People young and old. For all different reasons. But it was irrelevant to her. And nobody seemed to care anyway.
She seemed to be equally as sad as the people who took their lives, but maybe it was the other way round, she could never remember. 
One day a particularly beautiful young lady had walked onto the bridge, and her face was streaked in tears.
She walked up to the edge of the bridge and looked down to see the murky waters hundreds of meters below.
Achlys moved closer to the young lady crying tears herself. But the young lady didn't seem to see her.
"Poor girl, you are heartbroken. I feel it, so deeply. It is sublime and beautiful, your heart burns within. And the pain is overwhelming. I can help you end it all so simply. It's not worth trying anymore I know. I know. Your misery is mine." Achlys said.
The young lady moved closer and closer to the edge.
"Stop this Achlys. Stop this now. You can't have her. I won't let you!" Another woman said as she walked up to Achlys.
"Elpis? But you can't stop her. She's doomed already. The minute she came here. No amount of HOPE will help her. Even if you are the Goddess who represents it. My power here is absolute. Its where people come to end their miserable lives.I help them better than you ever could!" Achlys snapped.
"Your sadness is like a disease to these mortals. With you being the Goddess of sadness! Maybe they'd think twice if you didn't interfere.
But you can't help it can you? Its all about you, and your misery. Their lives might not matter to you, but they do to me.
They need hope more than anything else in the world. That's why i'm here. That woman doesn't need to die, none of them did." Elpis produced a bunch of flowers and threw them near the young lady's feet. And the young lady looked down to see them and picked them up.reading a card attached to them, with a smile.
"No you can't do that. You can't give her hope like that. We can't influence them with corporeal gifts! You cheated. You can't have her!" Achlys cried.
"They're no gift from me, They are flowers her boyfriend gave her. ONES YOU HID AWAY, so she wouldn't see them. She was devastated. She thought her boyfriend didn't care about her anymore. You blind people deliberately from hope. And I won't allow it anymore. This Earth has enough grief and hardship without you lingering here and making it worse. You can either leave here now or I'll make you the happiest bitch you could ever be. Its up to you how we do this." Elpis smiled. "But I'm willing to fight for these mortals!" 
"Very well I'll leave. For now. But whether I'm here or not these mortals will still come here and take their lives. It will make no difference!" Achlys scoffed.
"Without you it would make a world of difference. Now be on your way. I'm escorting this lady back home, where she belongs!" Elpis 
replied confidently.