Chapter 1

"I knew it!" The words came out of my mouth albeit a bit loud perhaps but it couldn't be helped. "I knew they would get together in the end." Those words a whisper as I retraced my fingers over the book page in front of me, my fingers gliding over the familiar bumps of braille that helped me –despite not having functional eyes– to read.

"Please tell me you're not still reading that god awful book." My best friend Harmony's voice travelled to me from the other side of the lunch table where she sat, no doubt scrolling through her IPhone searching through various networking sites as usual. Not that I could blame her. I didn't expect her to sit through the entire hour long lunch break watching me read.

"This book is a classic Harmony, Emma is my favourite Jane Austin book so far, I can't believe I put of reading it in high school. I have just sense and sensibility to read now." I closed the book, rubbing my hand over the familiar cover.

"I've never been much of reader, and if I was I certainly wouldn't be interested I reading that old fashioned lovey dovey hogwash." The distaste was clear in her voice making me smile.

"Ever the cynic Harmony, you know one day you'll fall in love, and maybe I'll write about it." I tapped my chin with my fingers, pondering what possible title I could label such a book. Harmony was far from romantic, her parents had long split up leaving a fragile young girl aged seven caught in the crossfire of custody battles and hate filled arguments. When anger turned to violence subsequently leaving Harmony in the custody of child services, the sweet little girl I once knew changed, a hard angry impenetrable wall shielded her from ever being hurt again.

The answering snort sent my way followed by, "Sweetie, I'm sure you'll be an amazing writer one day and adored by thousands, but you'll keep my personal life out of it." Melted my heart a little, despite the hard front she put up towards others, she'd never changed towards me. She was still my overbearing protective best friend who'd rip off her own arm if it would help me. Or rip someone else's off to protect me, she's often use that threat in high school whenever someone thought it would be hilarious to throw things at the 'blind girl'. Thankfully high school was well behind us now and we were in our final last months of college. In a few months I would have my degree in English Literature–in your faces those who snickered when I told them about my dream to become a writer–and I'd be off putting 'pen to paper'. Well fingers to keyboard as it were, thankfully I had one of those fancy computers for the visually impaired or blind, with Braille keyboards and an annoying woman who spoke every time I clicked or typed.

There were times when I envied what the world classed as a normal people, with all five senses intact, but it's hard to miss something you've never had. I used my fingers to feel, tracing them over objects or people, trying to imagine what they would look like. I'd imagine Harmony to be quite beautiful, if men didn't drop at her feet the way they did, confirming my suspicions, her small slightly upturned nose, full lips, long silky soft hair she told me was blonde and her slender figure I felt pressed against me when we embraced in a hug all let me know she was typically beautiful. Me on the other hand, Harmony had told me on many occasions I had the girl next door look going on. My hair hung halfway down my back in natural waves, a deep rich brown I'd been told. A small button nose sat in the middle of my heart shaped face. My lips were perhaps a bit too thin and my eyes, well they weren't much to look at I'd been told. In books I'd read the woman were described to have intoxicating eyes men couldn't help but stare, the eyes were the window to the soul some said but mine were clouded, virtually all white. I was born with cataracts that effectively rendered me blind.

"Besides, you are the romantic one, when you find yourself a man you can write about that."

A sad smile touched my lips. Reading about love was the closest I was probably going to get to the real thing. How could I expect someone to love me, acting more like a carer than a partner? I'd die alone.

"Hey, you can wipe that self-pitying look from your face, I'm not going anywhere, if worse comes to worse and we end up old spinsters then so be it, but we'll be old spinsters together, tearing the roof from whatever care home they stick us in."

The sound of end of lunch bell cut off my snorted reply, back to class it was. Standing from my chair, collecting my book and back pack from the table in front of my I waited until Harmony took my arm to lead me to class.

"We need to get you a guide dog." She muttered beside me when we entered the busy corridor.

"I've told you before I know the way to class; I've been going here for three years now." It was true I did know my way around and I probably would make to class by myself, but I'd silently admit to a great sense of comfort at having her with me. Lord knows if I got lost in the heard of bodies after the lunch times rush, aside from screaming and causing a ruckus I'd find little help from my peers. Thankfully enough she did walk to me to class and to seat which is where I sat for the rest of the school day. After school Harmony would drive us to our two bedroomed apartment which we shared, paying the rent half each. My parents, wealthy investors set me up with a trust fund ready to be accessed when I turned eighteen. The amount of money in my trust fund would set me up for life; they'd made sure I'd want for nothing. Except I didn't want money, I couldn't splash it on a luxurious car or other impulse buys, I craved touch more than anything, a child I'd wrap my arms around my mother's neck and just stay there, breathing in her scent, feeling totally content in the moment, safe. Until she's prize my arms away and settle me down, promising to come back after shed taken care of some business. She never did, most of the time I'd find myself sat on the couch or in bed until one of the maids found me. If truth be told I had more of a relationship with the staff than I did my own parents.

Sitting in the passenger seat of Harmony's convertible I nuzzled into the seat and revelled in the breeze that washed over my face, and ran through my hair threatening to untie the loose up do I'd swept my hair into earlier in the day. Feeling more comfortable outside of College grounds and less uptight I pulled the band from my hair, letting it fall, only to be swept behind me by the wind.

Closing my eyes I breathed in deep through my nose, taking in the scents of summer, the fresh smell of cut grass never failed to put a smile of my face. Birds tweeted in the trees and children screamed in gleeful joy as we passed the playground situated a few miles from the college. The fresh pin scent let me know we'd turned off the maid highway and were headed through the back roads-the long way-which Harmony called it, but she knew how much I loved it. If only I could see it.

"What the hell?" That had me turning towards Harmony my eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "There's someone in the road."

"Don't hit them!" My voice pitched. "Stop the car."

"I can't!" Her voice rose, the sound of her foot stomping, presumably on the brake pedal, to no avail since I'm pretty sure we'd sped up instead of slowing.

"Harmony, stop the car."

"I can't!" She shrieked, panic laced her voice and I couldn't practically smell the fear seeping from her pours, or was that mine since I was pretty much freaking out? "The breaks won't work and the steering wheel is stuck. Oh. My. God." The last words whispered. "Hold on." Was the last thing she yelled before with a vicious jolt and the ear splitting sound of metal crushing the earth started to spin. Harmony's screaming beside me as I was being thrown around making grunts and yells of my own was welcomed. If she was quiet, that could mean something terrible had happened to her, as long as she was making noise she would be okay, I hoped. The car I presumed was rolling finally came to a halt and by the way my hair was hanging and the way my seatbelt was digging into me I guessed we'd halted upside down.

"Danni?" Harmony croaked my name, her voice hoarse from screaming.

"I'm okay I think. Are you?"

"I'm fine. We need to get out of the car." The sound of her pushing on her belt buckle and then a sigh said they weren't working.

"Help will come, whoever was on the road–"

"Whoever was on the road did this." She stated her breath heavy as she moved around, seemingly trying to find a way out. "He was just standing there, a smile on his face with his hand outstretched towards us. If he did this to the car so easily I do not want to be here if he comes down here. Aha." A load thump and humph had me shouting her name.

"What happened, Harmony?" Hands grabbed my out stretched ones.

"I'm out, hold still."

"What is that sound?" Something was rubbing my seatbelt making it vibrate against my chest.

"I'm cutting your seat belt."

With what, I was scared to ask but the question must have shown on my face because she answered.

"I carry a knife in my purse." At my strangled moan she scoffed. "Danni, most American's carry guns in their purses, I carry it merely for situations like this, or for scaring the crap out of people when they get a little handsy."

"You be feeling a lot of hands all over you when you're in prison for carrying around and threating people with a dangerous weapon."

"Fine, then you can stay hanging here, ungrateful."

"No, get me down, I'm sorry." Her muffled laugh reached my ears. All the blood was rushing to my head. The belt around me loosened and I moved with it but Harmony steadied me. My hands were planted on the ground, elbows locked so I wouldn't land flat on my face when the belt snapped, which it did. A second later my body bent over and my feet touched the ground so I was in a crouch.

"Crawl out of the window, there is a gap right in front of you." She gently pushed me. I felt the edges of the window frame as I climbed through and then I was free. My energy level had plummeted from the adrenaline rush of the crash and my muscles were weak from shock so once I'd cleared the window and crawled to the side I leaned my back against the car and sat, waiting for Harmony to climb through.

"Come on, we should trek through the woods a little before we head up the road to flag down a car. I doubt I'll have any service out–" She cut off and a gasp left her mouth. Before I could ask what was wrong another voice sounded.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." The voice was male and deep, a wave of fearful shivers travelled up my spine making my hairs stand on end, if the car ride and tumble hadn't already down so. Whoever he was, he was standing in front of me and by the sounds of it, way to close for my liking.

"Who are you?" I was proud my voice sounded steady even though I was probably visibly shaking.

"Danni," Harmony squeezed my arms then lifted me from my sitting position. I helped her by getting my legs under me until I was standing. "Run." She whispered before her hands left my arms and the sound of fighting reached my ears. My heart rate spiked as another wave of adrenaline kicked into my system. "RUN!" She screamed the word at me again, so I did.