She knew-.. Robin was sure of it.
Despite her warmth, heâd always been slightly unnerved by aunt Almaâs presence; there was something odd about her that he couldnât quite put his finger on. Some people were harder to read than others, like Alex, but it was still possible.
Almaâs mind was like an impenetrable vault in comparison. Any attempts to feel or hear anything she did were met with a metaphorical brick wall, leaving him reeling as though heâd collided with it head first-.. but not tonight. Tonight, Alma was like an open book, and Robin was convinced she was doing it on purpose.
Sheâd told him all about her struggles as a child; how she didnât fit in, how people teased her for being too sensitive, how hard it was to figure out who she was amongst the clamour of everyone elseâs inner most image of themselves-.. all the while allowing him unlimited access to those very memories, like a handpicked blooper reel, just for him. Of course, that wasnât the case though.. was it?
Alma had stopped talking now, but Robin still wasnât sure how to react. He sat in silence instead, staring at nothing in particular for far longer than what could be considered normal.
âCan you hear me?â he thought, deciding to try a little experiment.
Nothing. Okay, so she couldnât read his mind-.. then what the heck was she getting at? How had she so succinctly summed up his entire existence in less than fifteen minutes?
âI wouldâve liked somewhere as quiet as this when I was young, itâs a shame we didnât have an atticâŠâ Alma offered, clearly trying to relate to Robinâs situation in any way she could. He still wasnât entirely sure why, but she clearly wanted to help, and Robin didnât know anyone else who understood him as well as she did, so perhaps he ought to let her try. He finally abandoned his switch and cautiously joined her atop his favourite, motheaten couch.
âWhatâre you getting at?â he said bluntly, curiosity getting the better of his manners. Alma chuckled softly, âYouâre just like your father.â âItâs genetics, apparentlyâŠâ Robin let loose a brief grin, glad to be compared to Oscar.
âI donât know how exactly, but youâre different, Robin-.. and I thought it high time you knew you werenât alone, and that we canât let these things get the best of us.â Alma smiled softly as she spoke, but Robin was still too wary to be completely transparent. âWe?â he asked, dubiously. âWeâre few and far between, but youâre certainly not the only one whoâs a little.. special, shall we say? Thatâs better than different, maybe?â Alma suggested.
Robin hummed thoughtfully, shaking his head, âSpecial is just another word for different, or weird.â Alma scoffed playfully, âAnd whatâs wrong with being weird? Iâm weird-.. weâre all a bit weird!â
âHowâre you weird?â Robin asked, squinting at Alma accusingly. âWell, I can sense things I certainly shouldnât be able to.â Alma started, excited to be getting somewhere. âEmotions radiate from people like a space heater-.. theyâre not always pleasant, of course, but I can soak them up if I want to.â
Robin blinked, âOnly if you want to..?â âUh-huh.â Alma nodded. âYou can block it out?!â Robin spluttered, suddenly and completely forgetting to maintain his ignorance before swiftly correcting himself. âI mean-.. it sounds like you can pick and choose, right?â
Alma nodded once more, âIt wasnât easy, but I spent a lot of years practicing.â âYears?â Robin sounded crestfallen. âI didnât have a mentorâŠâ Alma winked.
Robin allowed himself to smirk, figuring he might as well drop at least part of the act at this point. He was still a little nervous about being approached about such things so brazenly, but at least he knew why Alma perturbed him so much now, she was blocking him out on purpose-.. and she couldnât read his mind either, which was always a plus.
The last thing he wanted was for anyone to know that he possessed that particular ability. Whoâd want to hang out with someone who could access their inner most thoughts, the oneâs theyâd never dream of saying out loud? He shuddered involuntarily, hoping heâd never meet anyone that could read his.
Clementine finally nudged Robin, dragging him back to the present with her ghostly touch. âShe looked right at me just then-.. she smiled! Did you see?â Robin spun around, realising that Alma had almost begun her descent. He mustâve missed her goodbye. âWait!â
Alma paused expectantly, causing Robin to second guess himself and retreat into silence. âI wonât be far, sweetheart-.. whenever youâre ready.â Robin shivered as Clementine poked him again, âShe can definitely see meâŠâ âCan you, uh-âŠâ
âSee the ghost poking you?â Alma giggled, sounding far younger than she was. The vault doors had snapped shut again by now, but Robin got the impression that aunt Alma was just as excited as he was to find someone else who was weird. âCan you hear her?â
âMaybe-.. though Iâm quite sure she hasnât said anything yet.â Alma peered at Clementine expectantly. âHey!â Clementine exclaimed as Robin tried to shove her into action, his hand ending up halfway through her waist instead.
âWhat? Itâs not like you can feel it.â Robin snorted. Alma laughed heartily, thoroughly amused. âWell, I heard that-.. you two are good friends, huh?â
Robin nodded slightly, releasing a breath he hadnât realised he was holding. âI thought I was the only one who could see her-.. that maybe I was going insaneâŠâ âFar from it, honey! You hit me up whenever you feel like it, okay?â
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