Inspired from a picture posted on Weasyl by Maskedhusky at:

https://www.weasyl.com/~maskedhusky/submissions/1439338/forsaken-priestess-maya

When the Whateley warehouse overlooking the long extinct fish monger's square was being renovated, a peculiar antechamber on the top fourth floor, not shown in the original plans, was discovered behind sheet rock. Empty, except for a battered wooden file cabinet. Yet, the center of the antechamber floor had a distinct arrangement of threaded foundation bolts jutting out from the planking. Each bolt as thick as one's thumb.

What they anchored was a mystery, deepened further by a dusty, color transparency found within that file cabinet. The color transparency is authentic. Dating to the 1920's, an Autochrome color process that predated modern color photography. It shows an impressionistic like portrait in color of a sinewy coyote lady and presumably taken in that antechamber.

The steel framed brick warehouse, as I discovered when I purchased it for conversion into Lofts had an interesting history. It had been built in 1902 by Samuel Whateley, a minor member of the town's historic founders. Their heyday was the late 19th century's Gilded Age of rapacious and blatant robber barons flying the Mercantile flag. Samuel went to sea as a ship's captain who brought back both profitable trade and odd cult objects discovered in remote places of the world.

According to a news article still stored on film mimeograph in the Miskatonic Library archives, a now late middle aged Samuel Whateley embraced the fast paced world of the Roaring Twenties. That period of time between 1919 and 1929. Populated with the Nouveau Riche in their Gatsby era splendor. Samuel became a patron of the Arts and converted a floor of that warehouse to host high society events.

Alas, the majority of the warehouse's original interior had been stripped more than sixty years ago. Following World War 2. Leaving no traces to surmise it's past.

But oh, what a time it was. Brief bylines in scratchy photo negatives of society news from the mid 1920's describe the fourth floor as as both a private dance hall and gallery holding modern style artwork. A style we now call Art Deco. Along with imported cult objects that Samuel was enamored with. He certainly had a thing for young ladies as well. A grainy archival photo in monochrome shows a gray muzzled wolf in a tuxedo, arm in arm with a wiry coyote lady dressed in the latest Flapper fashion of (shocking in those times) revealing clothing.

I'm quite convinced the archival news article shows the same lady posing in the Autochrome portrait.

And what a most unusual portrait.

Placing the Autochrome before a diffuse, bright light source reveals a disturbingly beautiful canid in surreal, shifted color; lying upon a curving protuberance like it was a rounded hammock. Her face is obscured by a filigreed silver mask covering the top half of her muzzle and head with metal ears as well. A short blue cloak draped behind a short leather vest exposing midriff, very revealing for those times, along with a very short draped skirt pulled back, exposing upper left thigh and nearly showing her groin. A leg necklace of teeth from an unknown creature wraps around the same thigh.

She grips the shaft of a strange, serrated scythe in her left hand. That hand attired in a leather glove styled most peculiarly and exposing her fingers. While her right hand braces her body against a limb and wearing a matching glove.

Despite the mask, there's no mistaking that disturbing look of flashing teeth and yellow eyes that declare, Beware.

What the coyote lady is sprawled upon appears to be an entwining sculpture of vines, thick as tree trunks. But the eerie color and texture suggest an object not of the floral kingdom but something lascivious and feral. Was this the sculpture that was once anchored in that antechamber? It's like H.P. Lovecraft come to life!

One thing is certain, I shall rename my building, "Azathoth Gateway." The fourth floor will be perfect for a club room called "The Starry Wisdom." Sales brochures will be laid out in a Lovecraftian style. The perfect hook for attracting that sub-population of young and wealthy seeking out Lofts with a unique flair. And who are now rediscovering the tales and horror genres inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.

Never mind that the work crew have handed in their resignations citing uneasy sensations of being watched, encountering strange noises and lights while working on the fourth floor during late evenings. Newly hired contract labor will have this building ready for tenants.

Fortune's destiny will come to my doorstep.