Like sheep or goats’ horns, they will keep growing for the rest of my life. Most species only have horns on the male. I tip my head this way and that. Such a waste – when a female wears them so well!

All down our hallway are stags’ heads.

He is hunting with a frenzy.

They are mounted with glass eyes.

Long antlers.

I put my bonnet on.

It deeply bothers me each time I do it now. I am less myself than I was a second ago. I won’t meet my own eyes in the mirror when I have it on. There is a huge long picture frame opposite the stag heads. It is filled with butterflies.

Gossamer wings.

Some are so fine they are see-through!

All staked through their body.

Pinned to black velvet.

They have been collected all over the world. I have learnt to read the names neatly printed below each one. Tortoiseshell. Swallowtail. Red Admiral. Blue Morpho. The Mourning Cloak. Admiral. Peacock. Dogface. Queen Alexandra Birdwing! Montezuma’s Cattleheart. Trans-Andean. Dead Leaf Butterfly. Glasswing. Viceroy. There is a Giant Owl butterfly right in the middle. My brother used to catch beetles. Put them in a glass jar. Freeze them in the stone store then pin them to the outside of our croft.

– What are you warning the winds against, little brother?

– You.

– I’m not the one we need to worry about!

– I’m not worried what you will do, Jessie, I am worried what he is going to do to you. Da is scared of you, you know that, so they…

He had pointed at our croft with beetles pinned all over it.

– urr the eyes of the dead. They’ll see what’s coming before we do and they’ll tell me first.

– What will you do?

My brother had looked at me so levelly.

– I’ll kill him.

Bang, bang, bang!

The front door is being hammered so loud the ornaments rattle.

I don’t want them to wake Elise or Hope!

I yank it open wide.

– Hello.

– Alright Jessie, we urr here tae see Elise.

There are five of them, red-haired, they stand shoulder to shoulder, short to tall, the complete spit of their sister.

– She’s asleep.

– Is he in?

– Aye.

– Can we see him?

– No.

– How long are you going to watch ower fir them, Jessie?

– I’ll leave when Elise bids me to do so.

The little one steps forward and looks up at me – whilst the eldest lights a fag.

Every one has identical amethyst eyes.

They are not the kind of girls you’d want to fight. Elise was not wrong when she told me there is not a posh bone in her – truly, in the best possible way.

The girls crane their heads to try and see down the hallway.

– Where is Hope?

– Elise is letting her sleep in the big bed with her. I’ve an errand to run, youz’ll huv tae go.