“Jim!” I stepped forward, wincing as the whistling became so intense it was painful.
“What’s happening? Why is the door unlocked?” Mr Lunan joined us outside, bleary-eyed with lack of sleep. “What’s that young fool doing? Jim! Get back inside the house!”
The whistling was needle-sharp, stabbing at my brain, so I cringed, closing my eyes. “Stop!” I said. “Go away!”
“Jim! You b****y i***t!” Mr Lunan strode forward. “Get back here, for God’s sake!”
At Mr Lunan’s words, the bubble burst; the scales fell from my eyes, and I saw Brenda for what she was, not for what she wished us to see. Her height dropped, her hair colour darkened, and her body shape altered, so she was stocky rather than statuesque. Even her face changed shape, sharpening, and the slightly pointed ears became the best indi
