Mutilated. Crypt of the Seven Angels. Natalie Yacobson

dead creatures were attracted of fragrances of meat. Human meat. When in the canal was a drowned person, they stopped singing and rushed to search for food. But in the canals rarely was a drowned person. Therefore, mermaids were forever hungry. Now there were a lot of drowned. Claire was surprised. She saw the deadly pale faces of mermaids and their sharp, like needles, teeth. Their singing stood in her ears, guy and hypnotizing.

      Claire woke up in cold sweat with the same question as in a dream. Why were in the dark waters so many drowned persons. As if the whole army was lowered to the bottom. The same hoarse vaguely familiar voice answered:

      «They were all your enemies.»

      Your enemies! Our enemies! How exactly did he want to say? And did he see between this a difference?

      Spirit of the mirror! Was it his voice? Claire frowned. Apparently, she is already accustomed to him as to the friend. But he himself was also an enemy. Or at least behaved like an enemy. Only enemies can drive you behind the nose and intimidate. The inhabitant of the mirror was conducted with her some strange game. He disappeared, it appeared, and, nevertheless, unfortunately took her consciousness.

      The devil hides in the mirror. What nonsense? The devil would not swing in front of her with a knife, like some Sweeney Todd. He would immediately destroy her. Or did he already do it? Only not immediately, but gradually.

      Claire’s heart painfully sank. Previously, it would be scared from such suspicion, it would be frightened as a bird in a cage, now it just froze, as if it was slaughtered with a knife. Claire excitedly looked around. Is there one of the mirrors or in reflective objects of any sinister reflections?

      Dreams about bloodthirsty mermaids drove it crazy. She even stopped cooking fish for lunch, which she loved very much.