Look Out- Writing Prompt for week 11/6/2011

Look Out
Maria Ruiz

“Look out” Someone shouted. Sara Jensen turned her head to see who was shouting and missed her step. Her heel crumpled on the curb and she fell into oncoming traffic.
People standing at the corner with her, screamed as a taxi hit her. Her body was thrown several feet into the air, before coming to land in the next lane, where a bus ran it over.
No one noticed the light turn green. All movement at the corner stopped while cars slipped and ended up blocking traffic in all directions.
Several people rushed over to the body to see if something could be done for the woman. Others dialed 911 on their cell phones. Sirens could be heard on three streets, indicating help was arriving.
Someone noticed Sara’s purse, lying next to the curb with the broken heel. A hand reached down and picked it up.
“Hey.That belongs to the lady.” One person said.
“I’m just looking to see what her name is.” Came the reply.
“Well, I don’t think you should do that. The cops’ll be here and it’s their job.” The woman in a black hat said. “Give it here.”
The man holding the purse held it out to her.
The police arrived, Uniforms swiftly moved cars back and an ambulance stopped. The driver of the taxi was crying, his passenger was hysterical. Passengers from the bus were milling about while the driver puked at the curb.
It took about twenty minutes for the body to be loaded into the ambulance. Policemen snapped pictures, others wrote down names and addresses. One of the paramedics was walking the scene, and finally shouted “Has anyone seen this woman’s purse?”
One man shouted “Yes, it was here. I picked it up and gave it to that woman.” He turned to point her out but couldn’t see her. “The woman in the black hat.”
People turned, each searching for the black hat.. Not finding her, the paramedic shook his head, entered the ambulance and it started up..
Inside, the driver asked the paramedic “Find it?”
“Nope. Like always, the vultures beat us. If we weren’t so fast getting here, her shoes, coat and clothes would be gone. What a world.”