Cress's POV

The family in which I was born into was fortunately to be a family of wealth. Most of the time, there was no worry about finances. We had all that we needed, yes. Food, shelter, a bed in which to sleep in at night. Things that not all people had. I was very fortunate, as most would say.

As a young child every one of us once were, I thought that everything around me was perfect—Well, that's how it was presented to me. I always thought that what my parents, my family members, my brothers, were doing was always right. There was nobody else out there as perfect as they were. They were the ideal image of the perfect member of society. They said and did things that everyone liked to hear and see.

And that is how they wanted me to see it as. Nothing more.

Turning a blind eye was what I was always accustomed to doing in this family. When we were out in the city, I was told to look away from the homeless man on the street, the man hitting his wife, the fights breaking out in the street. With that, I was known to not easily take notice to things going wrong. I was more ignorant than most children my age. In fact, I was more ignorant that a newborn baby at times.

And, surprisingly enough, it was the same people that told me to look away that were the people I shouldn't see.

Maybe I did not fully grasp their wants of me at the time. I feel as though the hairstyle I chose from many that all had an ocular disadvantage was their hint to me. The hint to let me know that I should half see and have become blind. My ignorance taught me to not think about what my mind and thoughts said, but what others told me. I never did anything that nobody else told me to.

Becoming half blind was difficult, like a long, hard training session. I had to act like what I saw didn't bother me, but who I was becoming did.

I was turning into a fool.

I pretended as if I didn't see Cilan getting picked on beaten up by other kids. I pretended as if I didn't see our father yell and scream at my brothers. I pretended as if our mother was still here with us rather than elsewhere in the universe. I even pretended as if all hurtful and painful things in the world didn't exist.

I didn't want to become half blind. It was forced upon me. I was supposed to be of normality, but I didn't feel this so-called normal. They took away so much of my sight, that I couldn't even see what they said was right. It is as if they shut off the connection between my eyes and brain, ceasing any reaction I may have from what my eyes see.

My gaze was deep. My gaze was empty. My gaze had nothing to say. I was always giving people blank stares.

It was affecting my other features. I began to monotonously speak. I began to speak only when told. I began to not do anything without permission. I was only someone's puppet. I was being pulled by strings 24/7.

My heart never spoke. My heart never screamed. It was a nightmare I would never open my eyes from.

I couldn't. It was as if someone was trying to drown me in a pool of their greed.

Because I could never do enough.

I was never enough.

Not being me wasn't good enough for them to leave me alone.

… And I was born unable to see.