The evening shadows flicker and dance in the candlelight surrounding Taran as she bends over the desk I found for her, putting the final touches on her mask. She looks both hauntingly beautiful and macabre. She used a combination of charcoal and white and red paints to create a skeletal look. A thick layer of black surrounds her eyes, followed by white to represent the skull and red for her lips. She painted a small heart on her cheek.

"Beautiful," I say, walking further into ...