Mutilated. Crypt of the Seven Angels. Natalie Yacobson

ring in the mouth. Beautiful and a little frightening. She spent trembling fingers over the connecting wings and the horns of a fabulous head. The chill of copper turned out to be pleasant.

      «Beautiful, yes?»

      Claire reluctantly nodded, not even turning to the voice, which sounded right behind her back.

      «This is a water dragon – Vivern.»

      «What?» She was frightened by hearing almost the scientific name of fantastic creature. How can a fairy tale study like science.

      There was no one behind her. Only creatures similar to black cats ran away from a neighboring building. Such quick that they were impossible to consider in detail.

      Claire entered the museum and was surprised by how it was empty. Curators and controllers were so fixed, which seemed part of the exhibits. Although she entered without a ticket, no one stopped her. Probably today is a free passage.

      Claire rose through the front staircase, covered with a red carpet. She looked around marble walls with niches, crystal chandeliers, burning even in the afternoon, and bizarre tiles. In the span of the stairs rose a statue, not a typical muse or an antique goddess, and the most dragon-like maritime deity, as before the entrance. Only here it was portrayed in full growth and in exquisite clothes, with a mask on a monstrous face and watery tails, discovering from under the cloak. The sea dragon was similar to Venetian. Capturing spectacle!

      Claire did not regret that came here. The museum was very different from all those she visited before in London. If only it was a museum. Of course, closed frames, velvet barriers and illuminated showcases with inscriptions exactly copied the atmosphere of the museum, but there was also something that made it forced her to feel like in the palace, full rare, and not at the exhibition.

      Art galleries, uprisites, shows of historical modes – everything that she saw before, did not make any comparison with the exhibits collected here. Claire expected to see a couple of Egyptian halls with mummies and other relics of ancient civilizations, but here everything was sustained in the spirit of Venice: masks, decorations, paintings, parts of the Gondola, Domino and Baututes, are suitable for mannequins. All items here were clearly old, and at the same time something inexorably attached to the museum atmosphere of Lafcraft stories. Next to the verses and beads, the figurines of some incredible marine deities were minted. Beautiful and exquisite half masks alternated with fabulous masks and suits that look like heads, cut from the torsoism of mythical and terrible creatures. The masks pushed on Clairer with fish and dragonfle eyes, released the mermanese of the membrane, abounded by the tentacles of octopus. Next to the masks of owls, heat-birds and peacocks, terrible faces of Krakens, Mavel and the Scaly Sea Devils were sheltered. Claire did not imagine that corrigans and mermaids could be so frightening. Even the mask of the tragedy would not impress the way they are.

      It was better to concentrate attention on something harmless. The museum had full luxurious and elegant items. Pipe tubes, musical instruments, capes and hats, decorated with feathers of a wide variety of birds. In one of the halls, even the golden gondola was equally placed. Velvet’s shrink was raised, and two discarded devil masks could be seen on the seat. They were very luxurious, framed purple feathers. But even they were not frightened as the masks of marine creatures. Instead of the gondoller on the nose stood the stuffed of the same sea deity in a dark cape and with an oars in the form of a water snake. Vivern – so called someone at the entrance. Claire carefully looked at it and seemed to see something vaguely familiar in it.

      Sheets were lying on the stern with the words of ancient barcarol, and some parchments, similar to spells or a contract with the devil.

      If it would not be an abundance of old exhibits, Clair would call the luxurious building as the horror gallery. It reminded a palace. Gilded door flaps were all open, and she could wander here for hours. But it was worth a look at some subject, for example, exquisite scheduling in the shape of a siren on the wall, and some sinister detail immediately rushed into the eyes, like seafood skulls in wells for candles. Hourglass was supported by sea skates with angrily sparkling eyes, Venice’s views on the walls were overshadowed by predatory mermaids, embittered in the bottom of the gondola, sailing over its head. Some mermaids have joined the ship, pulling out entire boards from them, others watched people from the channels. Nobody imagined such Venice. Even Claire. With all her rich imagination, she could not diversify the usual Morina with such terrible details, combine the embittered world of mythical creatures and a city with channels renovated by people. The spirits of the elements, were angry at it. Or at all who lived in it?

      Claire shook her head, scattering gold curls on shoulders. Well well! What will not come up in the world. Although they say that any fiction as a necessary foundation must have a little truth. Where is the truth here? Claire stared at one of the paintings and did not immediately notice how the velvet gum fell out of her hair, rushed to the parquet.

      Claire leaned up to raise it and only now noticed some kind of lowest creature, which has long watched her. A dwarf or a child? Such dark, as if the bunch of gloom. All the same Claire tried to smile to him, but the little spy slipped so quickly for the showcase, as if he was not here. Strange creature! Strange wet traces were on the floor! Claire only perplexed shook her head. Almost weightless earrings, which she usually wore in the ears, began to bring such a strong pain that Claire even thought to remove them.

      The only problem was that she could not guess where the lady’s room was here. There were no pointers on the walls. Ask someone from silent curators, where the toilet is here, she was afraid. But she needed a mirror to remove earrings and a little water to wash the mischievous punctures in the ears. The mirror in the ordinance of one of the halls was found. It is located in a niche, similar to the throne, with steps erainy in the shape of a shell. The gilded frame was also made in the form of a convex shell. Claire wanted to touch it to check whether it was not the right gold, but it was scary that even with a light touch can work alarm. Crumbling sirens, jellyfish and sea skates woven in the fancy frame pattern, along with oysters, snails and Leviathan. Overweight! Claire looked into the mirror depth, and it seemed to her that she was immersed in the water. No, do not look, screamed the reason, but the Claire could no longer resist. It seemed to her that she was sinking in the mirror, and it was for some reason even nice.

      Only suddenly the peaceful feeling was gone. In the depths of the mirror for a moment was someone who she saw and before. Someone is so terrible that Clair has shudder and almost fell, exciting from the mirror. Monster, not a man. But he was dressed as human. Only the shadow of black tri-fingers partially hid the ground face. Claire did not even immediately understand what exactly it seemed to her so repulsive. Only later she realized. Scars! Many deep, fusing cuts. His face was a solid ballus of scars, on which no longer left of the skin. One solid cut! Claire frowned from the rejection of something like that.

      When she left the museum, she was accompanied by an annoying coat of police siren. What could happen at such an hour in the city center?

      Claire sighed wearily. She was not now to the report of the news about recent incidents. After the coolness of the museum the heat immediately tired. She wanted to buy ice cream or cold juice. Ice Coca-Cola would quite suit her, but nearby there were no trays with drinks or automatic machines. Claire saw something strange in a dark corner right on the asphalt. Something red flowed out of it right on the sidewalk.

      Involuntarily, Clair became interested and approached it. It was a man. What happened to this man? Claire suddenly understand that the juice, rush to the passing part of the road, is blood. But how serious is it? And why no one caused ambulance? No one was in a hurry to help at all, but somewhere still heard the wrinkles of sirens.

      The victim suddenly raised his head, and Clare recognized his face. The very dark type that pushed her at the fountain an hour ago. Now he was no longer so self-confident. The arrogant face distorted toement and fear. Claire also was afraid when she noticed that his hands were cut off. With the above, the elbows dissected exactly the right hand. The one he pushed Claire with such hate today.

      Nightmares

      Before