Sightless:

Chapter One:

Blinder than the Blind

Max's POV

Do you know what sucks? Not being able to see. So, pretty much my whole life sucks. Hi. My name is Maximum Ari Martinez. I'm blind, and fatherless. Now I'm motherless too.

My mom died around two days ago. I haven't shed a tear. She wasn't ever really a mother. When I went blind because my father insisted on doing science experiments on me, he left. That drove my mother into a depression.

I can still remember my childhood years. I was always a happy, bubbly child, despite my unseeing eyes. When I was a child I didn't ever realize what I was missing when I couldn't see. Then, as my teen years went on, I realized what I was missing. That drove me into a depression.

My two siblings, James and Ella-Mae, tried everything to snap me out of it. Of course, nothing worked. Now, 18, attending my mother's funeral they said they forgave me. I think they did resent me just a little though. I often wish that I could have done something, but when I remember how much I felt back then, I decided it wasn't worth wallowing about the past.

I wish I could describe their looks to you, but I can't. My sister, Ella-Mae, is a very kind girl though. Her voice is sweet, like tinkling bells. She goes by Ella, she has always despised her name, much like me. That is one of the few things we have in common. You see, Ella is all about clothes and make up. If I could see, I probably would be like too. But, since I can't, those things have never really held my interest.

James, is funny. He has often been my only light when I am going through dark times. He knows how to lift my spirits in the craziest ways. That's one of the reasons I love him so much. James goes by Iggy, because he is such a pyromaniac. In other words, he loves to light things on fire and blow them up.

Ella and Iggy are some of the only things I do have now. Valencia may not have been a great mother after my father's disappearance but she was still there. She still went through the motions, even if there was no feeling behind them.

Sometimes, a lot lately, I'll think about all of things that I'll never be able to do. Like remember what the color light blue looks like with red. I can see it in my head, but having never actually seen some things together it's hard to visualize. I'll never know what I look like. What color my skin tone is. What my eyes look like when I'm angry.

I could always ask these things, but somehow it doesn't feel right. I want to know for myself. Is that really so much to ask?

Apparently it is because I still haven't got my number one wish yet. To see. That's all I've ever wanted. But I'll never get it.

I used to think those things a lot, I still do, though not quite as often. Then, I'll remember a corny joke Iggy made, or something pointless Ella rambled on about, and I'll smile.

Being blind certainly isn't a walk in the park, but it's not so bad sometimes. I get to bring my dog, Total, everywhere I want. And I get cool new Gucci sunglasses all the time.

I'm blinder than blind, but I don't mind.

Today I woke up to quite a nice surprise, NOT! Turns out my father, Jeb, came back. Even though I'm a legal adult and so is Iggy, Ella is only fifteen, which means she needs to have a legal guardian.

Jeb has it in his mind that I'm going to listen to him all the time and be perfect. But, newsflash!, he is the reason that I am sightless. I thought about spraying his eyes with some spray paint but I would need to see to get good enough aim.

Anyway, I'm sure you want to know how my amazing morning went, so here you go:

I wake up, feeling fresh after the long shower I took last night. I don't think I've slept that well in months. I stretch my back out until it pops, and sigh at the feeling. I open my eyes, not that it makes much of a difference. Everything is still starch black.

I go over to my piano and feel around until I find my song book. It's like a regular notebook but the lines are raised up so I can tell where they are. I still remember how to write, and according to Ella I do it fairly well. I run my fingers over the raised letters, silently 'reading' my words.

I was feeling pretty low last night so I wrote a lot of angsty songs. That seems to be my specialty, angsty emotions. I can somewhat play the piano. It always takes me a few tries to get all of the notes right. Last night I was on a roll though and I wrote five songs.

I walk out of my bedroom door and keep my hand on the wall, trying to find my bathroom. Even after years of living in this house sightless I still had to do that. Walking without something terrified me to death.

I'm halfway there, I can tell by the fact that I just past the laundry room door, when I hear a voice behind me.

"Hello Maximum. Long time, no see."

Jeb. The fact that I still remember his voice almost drives me insane, but I manage to hang on to my last shred of sanity. I feel his gaze follow me as I slowly turn back around, not daring to let any emotion show on my face.

"Why don't you listen for a few seconds? Then you can shower Maximum."

I nod meekly, not trusting my voice to stay strong. This is the man who abandoned me for his mistake. How dare he waltz back into my life like it was nothing! That asshole!

"I'm moving back in with you guys. Ella-Mae needs a legal guardian. You would be free to leave but you're blind so that would be a problem. James can't go with you either. My wife, Anne, and our three kids are moving in with us, I expect you to be courteous and welcome them into your home."

Right then I could've said a lot of mean things. I could've rambled on about how he didn't own me because he left, or that Mom is his wife, but what I said cut straight to his heart. I didn't even feel guilty after I said it.

"You are not my father. You do not own me. I will do what I please."

So, that is how my morning went. I didn't shower until Ella made me. The way he talked made sick. And he still called us by our full names! That proves how much he knows about us.

So now I'm standing in the living room, listening to Jeb introduce Ella and Iggy to his three kids. Fang, a boy my age, Angel, an eight year old girl, and Gazzy, Angel's twin.

"This is my other son," all three of us growl at that word, "James, who goes by Iggy. He's eighteen, a month younger than Max. This is Ella-Mae, who goes by Ella, she's sixteen. And this is Miss Maximum Martinez, she's-"

"It's Ride."

"What?"

"My last name is Ride. Not Batchelder. Not Martinez. Ride. I got it legally changed."

"Well, anyway, this is Maximum Ride, she's eighteen and blind. You'll have to excuse her attitude, she's had a tough life."

"Yeah! Thanks to you!"

WIth that I ran out the house on to the side walk. I kept running, tripping over things every once in a while. Luckily I know this sidewalk pretty well. But when it ended I knew I was in some deep shit.