Hello, this is yet another idea that occurred to me. Please let me know what you think!
The song that I listened to on constant repeat while writing this is Without Condition by Ginny Owens. The lyrics don't exactly match this, but I think the tune does, plus it's just an awesome song, so I'd recommend listening to that while reading.
This whole story (as of my plans right now) will be in Bella's point of view.
Stephenie Meyers owns Twilight (lucky woman!)
Yet another day at school had passed. It was the end of September and I was getting more used to the schedule. Junior year… woo hoo. So far, that simply meant loads of homework and not much else. I guess when I had always thought of being a Junior, I had assumed that I would have a boyfriend. A secret of mine was that I would have liked a boyfriend, someone who would love and care for me and someone who I could love in return.
Unfortunately, it didn't seem as if the right guy existed. I kicked all thoughts of guys outside of my head as I got started on my homework.
I worked late into the night, it was almost midnight by the time I had finished. I settled down, hoping I wouldn't be too tired in the morning. I fell asleep instantly.
I was running, running towards him, the one for me. I could see him, and yet, I couldn't. I didn't know what his face looked like, and yet I knew it was handsome. I knew we were perfect for each other. I raced towards him, I was so close. He whispered my name "Bella," And suddenly I was falling…
"Ow!" I felt my head bang against my bedside cabinet. I stumbled back into bed without opening my eyes and promptly fell back asleep, hoping to drift back into that dream…
"Beep, beep, beep."
'Ugh,' I thought to myself… mornings. The beeping was growing louder, so I promptly hit my hand over the off button. I knew where everything was so well that I did not even need to open my eyes. I flicked the switch for the lamp, clamping my eyes shut so that the light wouldn't blind me…
Was my lamp broken? No light filtered through my eyelids. I opened my eyes slowly…
And saw nothing. I looked to where my clock should have been shining, and still saw nothing. I felt my way to the window, it was still early enough in the year that the sun would be rising now, there would be some sort of light.
Again, I saw nothing.
My breathing quickened, "Dad! Help me, hurry!"
I heard his footsteps racing into the room, "What Bells? What's wrong?"
"Dad," I sobbed, "I can't see, I can't see anything."
"Seriously? Okay, take a deep breath Bells, okay, sit on the bed right here," he helped me down, "now don't move, I'll call 911."
Normally, I would have found it entertaining that Charlie was calling 911 when he was the police chief, but I was too scared to find anything funny.
I heard him talking to the emergency personnel in the room next door. I had to rely solely on my sense of sound, rather than sight.
Charlie came back in the room.
"An ambulance is on its way. Can you tell me anything that might have brought this on?"
I told him about falling out of bed the night before, but couldn't think of anything else that might have caused it.
"Dad," I whispered, "I'm scared."
"Me too Bells, but don't worry, we'll get through this."
At that point, I heard the sirens coming down our street. Charlie went down the stairs to open the door for the EMT's. I listened as they stomped up the stairs. They entered the room and introduced themselves. They began asking me all types of questions while feeling for my pulse and blood pressure. Finally, they put me in a stretcher and loaded me into the ambulance.
At the hospital, they performed multiple tests. I wasn't positive, but I had the feeling no one really knew what was happening to me.
After some hours, a doctor came in to see me.
"Well Isabella, I have to tell you, this is a very curious occasion. I am pretty sure that you lost your sight when you hit your head during the night. Most likely, something in your brain that controls your sight got pinched or cut into. At the moment, there is nothing we can do, we don't' have the technology at the present moment. I hope that this will be temporary, but there are no guarantees. You go to Forks High School, correct?"
"Yes," my voice was shaking, this could be permanent.
"Well, thankfully, they have a program for the blind there. You will stay in one classroom, but they will teach you how to read Braille and keep you up on your studies verbally. That way, if this is permanent, you will learn to live fully even without your sight. If it is temporary, as we are all hoping it will be, then you will be able to jump right back into your studies at the end of this.
I felt weak, how could this all be happening? Charlie drove us home and he helped me to my room. I lay in the bed, listening to him making arrangements with the school for me.
So much for having a fun last two years of high school. If this was permanent…
I thought of all the things I would most likely miss out on. Once again, boyfriends popped into my head. Everyone always talks about the dangers of getting too involved with someone who has too much baggage. I was pretty sure blindness might count under the baggage, or too much effort category.
School was bound to be horrid. Everyone was probably already curious as to why I missed school already. When I showed up blind, it was bound to cause a ruckus. Ugh! Why did this happen to me? I closed my eyes, feeling the tears leaking out of them, hoping for a miracle, wishing for my sight back.
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I woke up the next morning to Charlie shaking me. I opened my eyes to see why he was in my room… and remembered. I still couldn't see.
That morning was probably the most awkward in my life. Charlie had to help me dress while also trying to not actually watch me. I hoped the outfit he had picked out was not too ugly. I felt them and was fairly sure that it was a decent enough outfit.
Charlie drove me to school early while trying to talk as if everything was normal, as if his daughter had not suddenly gone blind.
"I called your mother last night, she's going to come up here to live with us for a while."
"Mom's coming?" I felt excited for the first time since I had woken up yesterday morning. At least now, Charlie wouldn't have to dress me.
I felt the car stop and heard the engine turn off. Charlie's door opened and I heard his muffled footsteps coming closer. I felt the cool breeze from outside hitting me. Charlie's hands grabbed my arms and helped me up. With his help, I was able to walk into the front office. Charlie and the office lady spoke for a while.
"Bye Bella," Charlie's voice startled me, "I'll be back to pick you up after school."
"Okay," I suddenly felt nervous.
The nurse led me to a classroom where I met Ms. Zelansky, she would help me adjust to living without my sight. For the morning, she helped me learn how to use a cane. I was still rather clumsy with it, but I got better.
I heard the bell ring for lunch and Ms. Zelansky told me we would go to the cafeteria so I could see my friends and practice walking with my cane.
Walking in, I heard many choruses of "Bella" "Oh my gosh" "What happened?" Ms. Zelansky helped me to the table, told me she was going to leave and let me explain everything to them and that I would eat when I got back in the classroom.
I heard everyone's gasps of shock as I explained what happened yesterday and what the doctors had said.
Everyone kept telling me they were so sorry and to tell them if they could do anything. I hoped to steer them from the subject, it was just making me depressed, and they wouldn't understand anyway.
"So, anything new happening?"
Jessica was the one to pipe up, "Some new people moved in and are going to the school." I could tell she wanted to say more and probably give me her own perspective on every aspect of the life she was sure they led, but just then the bell rang. Ms. Zelansky still had not returned. I sat at the table, not trusting myself enough with the cane yet to attempt returning to my class.
I could tell by the sound of the scraping chairs and benches that everyone else was leaving. No one thought to offer me any help. I sat patiently, hoping Ms. Zelansky would return soon. The cafeteria was growing quieter. I began to feel tears in my eyes. I felt so helpless and alone. I was stuck in my own darkness, a bleak, black view.
Suddenly, a voice broke through, "Do you need some help?"
Not only was I relieved that someone was with me, but this voice was so comforting and wonderful. It sounded like velvet. I sighed, just hearing it put me in my own personal heaven.
"Yes, I 'm supposed to be going back to my class, but Ms. Zelansky isn't here and I don't trust myself to get back safely with this cane by myself."
"I'll help you, I just hope I don't get us lost, I'm new here."
"Oh, well, welcome to Forks, I'm Bella Swan.
"Nice to meet you Bella, I'm Edward Cullen."
"Nice to meet you."
We chatted as he slowly and carefully guided me back to the room.
"Thanks so much Edward."
"It was my pleasure."
I found myself instantly attracted to him. He had been gentlemanly and courteous, but not just because I was blind. He didn't treat me as a disabled person. I felt that he saw the true me. I had no idea what he looked like, but I could see his heart, and it was the purest gold.
There's the first chapter. I apologize about how unrealistic the whole blind class in school is, but it was the only way this would work. Just so you know, Edward is human in this.
Hopefully this was still exciting, but everything will get much better in the next chapters, this basically just set everything up.
Please review and let me know what you think!!!
