A/N: The idea for this came to me while reading another story, and I just had to write it down. I hope you enjoy it. :)

Update: You'll notice—if you have this story set to your 'alerts'—that the chapter has changed. Someone mentioned in a review that the original first chapter went too fast, so I've broken it up into two parts. I'll probably be done with, and post, the second chapter after I've finished with this one. Thank you to those that reviewed, and thank you to those just reading. Both mean a lot to me! :) You're all awesome! ;)

Blind

Chapter 1: Blind

The sound of running shoes slapping the pavement echoed down a quiet suburban street. A woman with jet-black hair jogged down the road. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and made a slight 'swish-swish'ing sound as it swayed left and right across the back of her shoulders. Out of its ponytail, her hair reached easily to her hips. She had dazzling green eyes that were full of life and fire. They watched the asphalt before her, and her feet matched the music playing through her headphones. The beat was steady, and the music loud enough to drown out any surrounding noise.

As she turned a corner, the volume suddenly lowered, and her iphone chirped the time at her. Jogging in place so as to keep her heart rate up, she pulled it from her pocket. Six forty-five, read her alarm. She had to be at work by eight. If she wanted to be ready in time, she'd have to turn back now. Looking up at the sky, the woman sighed. She had wanted to see the sunrise; but would have to miss it now. Heading back the way she came, her phone chirped again. She answered it, holding the phone up in front of her but leaving the earbuds in.

"Sarah?" A female voice spoke, and after Sarah responded, the voice continued. "Hey this is Camille-" Sarah's eyebrows rose as some background noise where Camille was became quite loud, and then abruptly died down again, Camille's voice rising. "Look, I just got in, and it looks like a pipe burst and has soaked everything. I've got a plumber here, but we probably won't be open for the rest of the week—" Sarah paused to take her headphones out and held her phone up to her ear, and Camille continued in dismay. "—or two. I'm sorry, but it looks like you're getting an impromptu vacation!"

Sarah was certainly surprised and concerned, but she also felt a bit relieved. She'd been saving up some vacation time and money for a visit to her family, but had been too busy to really sit down and figure out when to go. "Ok, well do you need any help down there? It sounds pretty bad..." Sarah questioned. Camille replied a moment later, "No, I think we'll be fine. You've got a big chunk of vacation time, don't you? Why don't you go ahead and use it to see your family?" Before Sarah could reply, Camille spoke again, "Look, I gotta go. You have fun, ok? I'll see you next week!" And she hung up.

Sarah stared at the phone for a moment, and a wide grin spread across her face. A whole week off! Granted—at the expense of her office building's piping mishap-but a week off! Her grin set up camp there as she put her headphones in and switched the music back on. Stretching briefly, Sarah turned around and continued her jog with a much lighter step. Now she would get to see that sunrise! Breathing the fresh air in deeply, the dark haired jogger looked up as she rounded a corner and gasped in delight.

The sun had risen, and its rays were casting a red haze through the sky. Here and there, small cotton ball clouds floated dreamily across the sky. 'Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.' She thought to herself. It was something her grandfather used to say whenever there was a red sunrise. He'd say it meant a storm was coming. But whether a prelude to a storm or not—it was very beautiful. She smiled in contentment and stepped down onto the street to cross it and head toward the nearby park.

Sarah was so distracted by the sunrise, that she missed the large truck coming quickly up the street. It honked its horn rapidly, but her music blocked it out. The brakes squealed with a high-pitched shriek. Too late, Sarah saw it, and screamed in terror. There was pain—and then there was darkness.

Sarah woke up a day later with a pounding headache and the whole right side of her body in excruciating pain. The nurse had rushed in when Sarah's father called for her. They reassured Sarah she was safe, and stopped her from pulling the bandages off of her head and from around her eyes in a panic. Karen—Sarah's step mother—had stayed home with Toby that day, but was on her way up now that Sarah was awake. The nurse adjusted Sarah's pain killers in the IV drip, and the injured woman slowly relaxed. The nurse then left to get the doctor, and both came back shortly after. Sarah's arm and leg weren't broken, and her ribs were just bruised, the doctor was saying. He spoke further, "You were very lucky, Ms. Williams, that the truck driver put on the brakes when he did."

Sarah didn't feel particularly lucky at that moment. The doctor hesitated, and Sarah's stomach sank. Something else was wrong. Something bad. And then he said those words; condemning her.

"I'm very sorry to tell you this, Miss Williams." He paused, and she heard his shoes squeak on the linoleum floor as he shifted from one foot to the other in discomfort. Her stomach sank lower in dread, and she felt a large measure of fear when he hesitated. "It appears your eyes were badly damaged in the accident. I'm very sorry, but you've lost your eyesight entirely-and it's unlikely that you will ever regain it."

It seemed to Sarah that an anchor had been dropped into her stomach, and her body went cold. She heard the heart monitor working itself up into a violently crowded mountain range. 'Blind?' She thought. Her bed jiggled slightly when her father stood from the hospital seat beside her in anger, arguing with the doctor even as he softly squeezed Sarah's hand, trying to comfort and calm her.

But she couldn't hear them; she was far and away and thinking of the future. There were things she'd never get to see; would never completely enjoy. She'd had plans—plans to visit places like England, France, Japan, and Italy... All of which were now impossibilities for her to fully experience, now. So many places she had been saving up money to visit—now wasted. Her dreams were shattered.

And there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

A/N: Stay tuned! Next chapter to follow shortly. (Or in the next day or so.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Labyrinth is copyright The Jim Henson Co.!