In a Thousand Different Ways

by Cecelia Ahern

His colour puts out fires everywhere.

She has moments of kindness, but she is not kind. She has moments where she cares, but she is not caring. One good moment with her doesn’t make her a good mother, which is why I will never call her that.

And I feel them, when they get close to me, it rubs off on me and whatever they’re feeling, I feel. Do you get it? I explained it in quite full detail already.’

I judge people so quickly by their colours, by their true hidden selves; I make a decision instantly whether to move forward with them or not. I never try to learn anything more about them, get to know the outer part, try to help them or even understand the reason for their inner part. Even with more insight than most,

The fun part, perhaps. Only when they get in there and discover what’s inside do they decide whether they like it or not. Takes them a year or two, maybe a decade or two. But I know straight away.

There are lovely parts to people too, always such lovely parts that can draw you in. They can radiate happiness and contentment, strength and solidity from their core. People who’d be good for you.

‘Your superpower is seeing people’s colours, reading energies and moods. You know if someone is lying or being truthful, if someone is,’ Blink, blink, twitch, throws his head back and grunts, ‘Sick, messed up in the head, pregnant or whatever – you know it. You might know it before even they do. You know people’s secrets. Everyone is completely transparent under your gaze.’

You have empathy, you understand people, you feel what people feel, even when you don’t want to.