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the accosting gentlemen.
    “We have an unfamiliar face here lads. And who might you be?”
    Before I can answer, an auburn haired woman of troll proportions shoves me aside and goes squealing down the stairs, yelling behind her, “Dougie's here!”
    The oaf on my left shouts, “We need another tinnie, Paul!”
    In answer a can of beer flies past my nose to be caught in the giant's hand, slapping cold droplets at me. It was obviously kept in an ice cooler that's beginning to melt.
    Turning, observing the overweight damsel latching onto Doug with enthusiasm at his arrival, I stick to the guy on my left, waiting it out.
    He smiles down at me, “So who're you?”
    “I'm Ellindt.”
    “Nice tae meet ye. They call me Woody.”
    “Woody, what's a numpty?”
    “An eejit. Why? Did someone call ye an eejit?”
    Nodding, I look back outside, “Roddie.”
    “Och, ignore him. He's a cretin.” He's got a shaved head and a barrel chest. In fact he's built like a keg of jet fuel. “He thinks he's invincible, but he isnae.”
    I like Woody. He's friendly and helpful without being a condescending womble.
    Unfortunately for me the doorway is filled with Roddie, blocking my view beyond.
    Ignoring me, he says to Woody, “Where's Fiona?”
    “Out back, havin' a spliff.”
    He nods, glancing my way with bottomless black eyes as he strides past me down the passage which looks like it leads right through to the back of the house.
    “So who're ye here with?” asks Woody.
    “Doug,” I mumble, looking at the ginger haired slut still pawing at him.
    “Dinnae worry about Andrea, she's like that with all the good looking yins.”
    “Her name's Andrea?” I ask, looking back up at him. These boys are mostly imposing in stature. It must be the water or something. They probably spike it with growth hormone.
    “Aye.”
    Well I'm not going to stand here watching Doug being drooled over. Sighing, I turn around to look the other way.
    “The lads are jammin' in the lounge if ye wannae find a drink and make yerself at home.”
    “Thanks, I think I'll do that,” I smile at Woody.
    What a nice guy.
    *
    Douglas:
     
    Roddie grabs me from Andrea and shunts me up against the wall, hissing in my ear, “Who is she? Where'd ye find her?”
    “What the hell, Roddie. What the heck is wrong wi' ye?”
    Why does he care where she comes from?
    This is a catastrophe of epic proportions. Now Ellindt probably thinks I'm dating Andrea and to top it off I've completely lost sight of her.
    I try to move but Rod has me fast. “Where'd ye meet?”
    “I was fishin' and I turned around, and there she was standin' watching me.”
    “Where?”
    “Way yonder Claymore, up the mountain. I went high up cos I just wanted tae be alone fer a wee bit. What's it tae ye anyhow?”
    Releasing my jacket from his fist, he stops squashing me to the wall with his shoulder, “She's strange. I cannae put ma finger on it, but I ha'e a feelin' she's no' what she seems.”
    I know what he means.
    “Yer hidin' somethin' Doug. Spit it out,” he grunts low, keeping it private.
    I dinnae want tae tell him, but he knows me too well. We've been friends since we were wee bairns and he knows when I'm hidin' somethin'.
    Whispering so no one will hear, I tell him, “It's probably nowt, but she says she lives up where I was fishin'. There's nae houses there Roddie. She said her auntie was callin fer her and we said our goodbyes, but I didnae hear anyone callin'. I went efter her tae tell her tae wear somethin' casual tonight, but when I went - she was gone. Like she'd vanished in the woods.”
    “She's noctiluca,” he whispers back, giving me a meaningful stare.
    “What the heck is that?” I ask him. Loads of folk think he's a meatheid, but he isnae. He's been studying with me down in Glasgow and he's acing his marks with seemingly no effort.
    “She shines at night,” he whispers. Looking around to make sure no one is listening, he says, “It's latin. She's sidhe. Ye think it tae,