Lucretia (Painting)

A portrait of a pale human woman with long black hair reaching to her upper back, pushed back from hear ears save for two strands that dangle as a fringe. Her eyes eyes are dark, wide, and have a transfixing quality. A smile plays about her mouth, cruel and hungry, her mouth a little open to reveal pointed fangs.

She is garbed in a long black coat, buckled up at the torso but open lower. She wears charcoal trousers and high, black boots that reach to mid calf, with multiple buckles. The sleeves of her coat are wide, and reach only to the elbow, below which pail arms – covered in swirling black tattoos are shown. She has black gloves on, and in one hand she holds a wicked looking black dagger.

About her shoulders is a black fur mantle, making her shoulders look wider, and upon her hip is a long sword, part estoc, part longsword, sheathed in a black scabbard.

The background of the picture is a swirling fire, red and dangerous and – above that, rising like smoke, the image of shadowy masks, thousands of them. A few of the masks are more clear, such as one which is split in twain. One human face lingers in the morass though – a little vague but there- it looks almost but not quite like the visage of the Vampire, but more peaceful- as if in death. The woman’s true face, drawn and caught briefly upon her death.