Title: Perception

Warning: Angst, angst and... You know what I'm about to say.

Author's Note: This was supposed to be an English assignment, to write a narrative on the topic "Vision". Hope you like it! Criticism (and praise, alike) is welcomed.

"Mom? Mommy, where are you? Why can't I see you…? Mother?"

If you have never seen Freddie Page, you'd probably never know how much he had to go through. On the whole, he seemed like the average, ordinary sixteen year-old. With his dynamic personality, witty remarks and infectious laughter, you probably might think he was perfect, maybe even too perfect.

However, everybody who knew Freddie would understand he wasn't the average teenager.

It was six o'clock in the morning. The sun wasn't up yet, but Freddie was already trudging his way to school. His bag, which slung across his shoulder, felt heavier with every step he took. Stifling a yawn, his eyes started to tear as he sleepily rubbed them. He blinked, trying to clear his blurred vision. It was evident from the prominent dark circles around his eyes that he had very little sleep the day before.

He stopped at the pedestrian crossing. Assuming that the coast was clear, Freddie dragged his tired self across the road.

However, that day, unlike any other, Freddie never made it to the other side of the street.

"Mom…" He groaned. An indescribable sensation surged through his body, his jaw tightening at the pain. His hand clutched onto what felt like a piece of cloth as he bit his lip, a bid to stop the tears from filling up his eyes.

His eyes.

He tried blinking them, but all he saw was a sea of darkness. He could hear his heart beating so hard and so fast, it was almost threatening to pound through his ribcage.

"Mommy," He whispered, still lacking the strength to summon his usual, deep voice, "Mommy, where are you?"

Feeling the tears streaming down his face, he tried to wipe them away. His hands slowly ran down his cheeks, trying to make sense of everything. He forcefully rubbed his eyes, hoping that his vision would clear the moment he stopped.

But it didn't.

"Mother!" He felt sick with fright. The sound of people murmuring, of footsteps walking in and out, only made him more terrified. He couldn't see a thing, but he imagined his hands trembling, like how it always did when he was afraid.

"Shh, it's OK…it's OK…" A familiar voice reassured Freddie as a hand gently wiped away his tears. A small smile of relief curled up on his lips, although panic continued to strike his heart time and again.

"Am I…" His voice trailing off, as his lingering fear haunted the deepest corners of his mind. A telling silence echoed throughout the room.

"Tell me!" Freddie yelled, tears beginning to fall once again. As he wailed uncontrollably, his mother parted her lips – but no words came out. She could only cry together with him, her heart aching with sorrow and hopelessness. The other patients in the ward could only watch on, as they say a silent prayer, thankful for the pair of eyes which allowed them to see.

That was the day when Freddie lost his sight. It was a sad day, but the funny thing about him was that, he would always recount the incident with a smile. He would tell us that he never once looked back at this memory and cried, because 'without it, I could never be the person I am today,'

At first, I never understood how he could put on such a brave front. How he would never drown in his misery, or how he never held a grudge against the driver who beat the light and ran him down.

After a while, I realised even though Freddie lost his sight, he never lost his will to live. He made me stronger, in a way, because every time I seem to have a huge problem, I would think about Freddie and tell myself it's not so bad after all.

So, thank you, Freddie.

Without you, I could never be the person I am today.

THE END

P.S. I actually have an idea for a potential multi-chapter story with Freddie as the main character, so tell me what you think about it! Thanks for taking the time to read this (: