Abby started her patrol at 5:00.  The stores were already decorated for Christmas.  She passed shop after shop that was piping Christmas Musak into the air. The streets were mostly deserted.  Anyone with anything to do downtown took their car and did not daudle and look at the window dressings that screamed for attention.

The monster on her most wanted list was the vampire that attacked the Fredericton "ghost".  Most of the vampires she had hunted were indistinguishable from normal humans until they attacked.  Laura had done some "hacking" I think she called it and got the police reports for the incidents.  The eyewitness reports said that the attacker was pale, skinny, dirty, and covered in sores. "It looked like a maggot" was the most popular description. The bite was not a clean set of puncture wounds.  The attacker had ravaged the victim's neck.

The fact that this vampire did not fit the standard did not scare Abby.  She had defeated so many monsters by now that some lone vampire was not going to hurt her.

Her saber was a cardon fiber blade edged in silver.  It had been blessed by Ku'uaki and thereby was effective against supernatural beings.  It had power runes etched into the handle that Abby could call on for extra power.

She also carried a silver crucifix, a bow, some wolfsbane, and a bagful of strange herbs said to ward off evil.

The evening wore on.  Young people were arriving to go to the clubs.  It was a different atmosphere than a few days ago.  The club goers clung to each other. They looked like trick or treaters out for the first time without rheir parents.  They were scared and anxious but nothing would keep them from the clubs.

Abby passed the complex that was Sweatwaters and Rockin' Rodeo.  There was a fenced off patio area that was used in warmer weather.  Now it was used as parking and storage.  Except tonight it held a crown of people.

Abby forced her way through using her greater height and greater strength.  In the eye of the crowd were two young girls.  Their bright skirts and tank tops were covered in large bird droppings.  They stared up in horror.  Abby followed their gaze and came accross the Harpies.

Harpies are a half woman half vulture mix.  Then are the fowlest creatures imaginable.  Because they did not have hands, they were unable to comb or wash their hair.  Because they did not have a beak, they were unable to preen their feathers.  As a result, neither portion was very becoming.

These two were excellent examples of harpiedom.  One had dark brown hair that fell in dreadlocks around the face.  The other had what could have been blond hair hanging off her scalp like wet spagetti.  Both had black feathers that were trying to save themselves by dropping of at a constant rate.  The smell was horrid.  Unmucked stables smelt worse.  They were quite the spectacle.

But that wasn't exactly why a crowd had gathered.

One of the skills harpies reguarded was an ability at verbal fencing.  Or in cruder terms, cursing.

"You green-sickness carrion! You baggage! You tallow face! Your complexion is perfect gallows." The blond harpie was bouncing up and down in rage,  Black greasy feathers were flying.

One of the girls showed signs of life and opened her mouth to try and say something.  But all that came out was a small whimpering noise.

"Leave thy vain bibble babble. You have a brassy bosom and rough heart of flints, never train'd to offices of tender courtesy," the brunette screeched.  She then swooped down, caught the girl's tank top in her talons and flew away -- ripping the shirt.  The girl was too scared to even cover herself.  The crowd was also immobalized and no gentlemen offered the girl a coat.

"Well it is nice to know that the local wildlife is well versed in Shakespeare." Abby had lept onto the roof of one of the parked cars."I would ask you lovely ladies to leave the fledglings alone.  Why don't you try someone who acutally has talons?"

Abby lept accross the patio an in one fluid movement drew her saber and slashed at the harpies.  She harpies were taken by surprise and collided with each other trying to fly out of reach.  Abby was lucky and managed to catch the wing of the brunette before she got out of range.

The blond circled overhead, muttering curses and splaterring droppings.  Abby ignored the curses and avoided the droppings.  This was a new outft after all.  She sped over to the fallen harpie and held the tip of her saber to the harpie's throat.

"I have you wing sister here.  Why don't you come over and we'll talk?"

"All the infections that the sun sucks up from bogs, fens, flats on you fall, and make you by inch meal a disease!"

The fallen harpie tried to take advantage of this volley as a distraction.  She reached out with a talon and grabbed Abby's leg lust above the ankle.  The tough leather of Abby's boots proteched her from the putressence of those dirty claws.  The harpie pulled herself up using her grip on Abby's leg.  She flapped her wings and lashed out with her other talon forcing Abby to drop her saber.  The blond harpie swooped in and grabbed Abby by the hair.

Black feathers filled the air.  Abby tried her best to dislodge the two harpies, but their talons were as hard as steel. He finally managed to get a hold of the wings of the brunette and tore them apart like she was making a wish.

Thick dark blood splattered the crowd.  This startled them into action.  Most ran screeming, but a few checked on the girls who had been attacked.  They covered them with coats and hurried them into the building.

"One down, one to go."

The blond tried to disengage but her talons were entangled in Abby's tight curls.Abby staggered around like some society lady on a bender. Her crazy new harpie feathered hat woobled in all directions. She regained her saber and skewered the foul fowl.

Her new outfit was besmeared with dark viscous blood.  The boots had been scuffed.  The shirt had been torn. And now she had a dead, bloody harpie hanging from her hair.  She spent the next 10 minutes untangling the harpie from her head.

All she wanted now was a bath.  A long bath. With really hot water.

She headed west on King Street unaware that she was being watched.