Time that ticks to a different beat

X used to brag
“My brothers have been taking apart alarm clocks since the 80’s”
A slight exaggeration, it was probably the early 90’s
She never really thought about her clocks until recently
Or the clock uncle (the) Don had given her that used to tick like the telltale heart and kept her up at night because she would compulsively breath in time.
She felt sure that Uncle had taught her brothers how to do it. He taught them many things, albeit often indirectly.

It’d shaken her to her cogs.

“I’ve been telling myself that I was just bad with time for so long that I dissociated from it.

Turns out they were wasting my time.
It has marked my whole life.

It’s exciting though, to learn that it was not my clock that was broken, but the clocks they gave me.

Look at this old dog, relearning old tricks – my timing is actually quite good when I’m not tricked and traumatised.”