More Than Meets the Eye

Foreword

Tetrachromacy: a rare condition in which the subject has an extra retinal cone, allowing them to see over ten times the amount of color an average person's eyes can process. The mutated gene flows only through women, because of the two X chromosomes that they typically have. In most cases, the daughter of a tetrachromat is color blind.

Yet, here I am, and I can see perfectly. Better than you, most likely. Because I am a tetrachromat, just like my mother.

If I had to choose one word to describe me, it would be unique. Unique means the only one of its kind, and I am certainly that. Not only can I see millions of colors, I'm also the daughter of a woman who can see millions of colors, making me a scientific mystery.

If you have never heard of tetrachromacy before, you are probably confused. Let me enlighten you. Basically, my mother passed this gene to me, creating a fourth retinal cone in my eyes. Retinal cones are responsible for color vision. Seeing as I have more than usual, I have the ability to see more than usual. Are you following?

Now, let me confuse you once more. The impact of having and harnessing the ability to see a hundred million colors is that there are colors absolutely everywhere. The blue of the sky is peppered with dark blue, light blue, turquoise, dark green, light green, purple, even lilac. The green of a blade of grass is not only green, but also yellow, blue, and even pink. Even white is affected. I see almost every pastel color anytime I look at a patch of snow, or a blank piece of paper. Black is my favorite to look at, though, and I am grateful that I was passed my father's pitch black hair instead of my mother's cherry red locks. In black, I can see navy blue, dark grey, olive green, purple, even a bit of magenta. It's absolutely incredible.

You may be wondering if I despise any colors because of the combinations I see, and I do. I previously mentioned that I am glad I don't have my mom's red hair, because that color is so obnoxious. It is terribly vibrant and saturated, similar to the color yellow. No wonder I don't like McDonald's.

I was diagnosed as a tetrachromat when I was nine, but my mother always suspected it. My parents held me out of school, because chances were that I was color blind. They didn't want me to get bullied. We soon began to realize that I could in fact see colors, and loads of them. I was never put into the school system, so I was curious. What was it like? Was it as awful as my books led me to believe? I wanted to find out for myself.

So, on a bright, sunny July day, I brought the matter up with my mother. I had prepared an excellent argument, something along the lines of the fact that I would be a senior, and that school should be a part of everybody's life. I also mentioned that I deserved the right to live like everyone else, because there was nothing wrong with me. That sold my mother, and my father was just as easily swayed.

So, next week, I'm starting my first and last year at Pensacola High School. Unlike other teens - as it always seems to be in my case - I am not dreading it. In fact, I am absolutely ecstatic.

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I have a lot to say about this story. First of all, I was inspired when I was watching a YouTube video about rare genetic mutations. I furthered my research by looking it up, and found an article about it. I find the concept absolutely fascinating, and decided to spread it with my own resource: Wattpad.

So here I am, testing the waters. This story (if I choose to pursue it) will be informative, but tetrachromacy will not always be the main topic. I will also include matters such as bullying, self confidence, and questioning yourself. This will also include romance, but nothing PG 13+. That will always stand true on my profile.

This will be set in first person, narrated by Veronica Grey, the tetrachromat. It will also have a pretty formal tone, because that is part of Veronica's personality.

I'd like to remind you that this story is very hypothetical. If I get enough positive feedback and support, I will most likely continue this, because it seems incredible.

Wow, that was a very long after note. Sorry!

Oh, btw, I don't know if Pensacola High School exists, but this story is set in Pensacola Florida and it's fiction (albeit realistic fiction) so I just made a school up, hahaha!

Cover by qaxela thank you so much!