Chapter 3: Beasties on Patrol
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Hurricane, an hour later
Miles away from the High Uintas Wilderness, is the small but cosy town of Hurricane, population, around 20,000 people, with a good number of them walking around a heavily decorated Town Square doing their own thing, in groups of friends or on their own.
Halloween was close at their door, only 8 days away, and it looked to be a big deal in this town with how many decorations there are and the Halloween theme treats various restaurants and cafes were selling.
Inside one of them named ''Sugar, Spice & Everything Caffein'', the disguised Maleficent, who's enhanced Fey hearing heard someone mentioning faeries inside, walked in to investigate. She went to the counter, ordered a ''Caramel Apple Steamer'', from the menu board and while she waits for her drink, she scans the room with her eyes and ears to spot the humans that were talking about faeries earlier.
Maleficent: *Finally spots her target, and sighs in relief* 'Oh it's only them, probably just surfing the web for entertaining information on Faeries. My fault for telling them all those stories'.
Male Barista: *Walks to Maleficent with a glass mug, smiling* Your Steamer Ms Moors.
Maleficent: *Turns to the young man, returning his smile* Thank you young man *Takes the mug from him and walks away, heading to a table where 2 familiar girls were talking over a laptop*
Will: Come on Cordy, the Dullahan is the perfect Solitary Faery for the season, no other screams Halloween like it does.
Cordelia: *Scoff* I refuse to talk about some Headless creepy ghost in front of are class. We will talk about Pixies instead, they're way cuter.
Will: *Slaps her face in Exasperation* Cordy, Pixies are not Soli-
Maleficent: - Why Hello there girls.
Will & Cordelia: *Both look up and smile* Oh hi Miss Moors, *Cordelia* What brings you here Miss?
Maleficent: Oh, just doing my usual stroll around town and had a sudden craving for a Caramel Apple Steamer, so i entered the nearest cafe and here i am, Do you mind if i set here with you?
Will: No problem at all Miss Moors. In fact your timing couldn't have been better, we could use your help on an important choice we have to make.
Maleficent: Really *Sits Down* and what's so important that you need little old me's help to choose?
Will: Well, *Shifts her seat to face her better* Are literature teacher is having us do a project for Halloween, in groups of 2 we are to research and write a report about a Solitary Faerie of are choosing to be read in front of the class on Halloween. One of us must even dress like the faerie we choose to add realism to the report and in the spirit of the season, awesome right?
Cordelia: *Huffs* You say that because you're not the one that has to dress up as the faerie with your partner insisting you hide your head and ride a wooden horse while swinging a fake sword around like a lunatic.
Will: *Turns to glare at her friend* You know Cordy, if dressing like a Dullahan is such a problem for you, i can handle the costume part and you can write the report.
Cordelia: *Scoffs* And let YOU handle the fun part while I do all the grunt work? Absolutely not, i'm handling the costume AND i'm dressing as a Pixie, so start researching pixies.
Maleficent: *Looks as Cordelia confused* But Cordelia dear, pixies are not Solitary faeries.
Will: *Clutches her head for a second, then drops her arms in exasperation* That's what i've been trying to tell her for over an hour now, but she won't listen. *Puts her hands together* Please talk some sense into her Miss Moors.
Maleficent: *Nods to Will as if saying 'I'll Try' then turns to Cordelia* I know its not what you want to hear Cordelia, but Will is right, Pixies are not Solitary Faeries, if you base your report on them your teacher will likely fail you both for not respecting the conditions of your school project.
Those words caused the smug expression on Cordelia's face to fall and Will's to brighten up, almost like saying 'I told you so' to her friend, until Maleficent turned her intensions to her that is.
Maleficent: And i'm so sorry for saying this Will dear, but Cordelia is also correct, the Dullahan, tho a prime choice for the Halloween season, has to many disturbing and inappropriate stories and details about it to be acceptable as a school report, especially for junior high students, your teacher might not approve and ultimately bad grade your report.
Now its Will's face turn to fall while Cordelia's brighten up again, tho not as smugly as before sense they won't be doing the report on pixies like she wanted to.
Will: *Looks at Maleficent with a depressed look* Then what the heck are we suppose to base are report on?
Maleficent: *Takes a sip from her mug* Leprechauns are a good example of Solitary Faeries. Their lust for gold and unwillingness to share it makes it so they prefer to be on their own, so no one can get their hands on it.
Will: *Perks up* That could work *Taps the word 'Leprechaun' on the laptop's research bar. Seconds later a picture of Leprechaun appeared on the screen.*
Cordelia: *Scowls at the image* I am not dressing up like a short little man with a beard and a ridiculous green suit, find something else * Crosses her arms and raises her nose with a huff, causing Will to scowl with a tick on her forehead and Maleficent to look more amuse.*
Maleficent: Well then, why not try the Puca then, they're Solitary Faeries that look very much like rabbits, i'm sure you'll love it Cordelia.
Will: We'll see *Once again taps the word ''Puca'' in the research bar and seconds later, the picture of a mildly cut black rabbit creature pop out*
Cordelia: *Looks at it and nods* Yes, i can work with this one, far better then with the 2 others. What do you think Will?
Will: Honestly, this fella would look better for a Easter than a Halloween report, i just don't know. Do you have another suggestion Miss Moors *Gives the fae a small, pleading look*.
Maleficent: *Thinks about it for a second* The only other solitary faerie i can think of would be the Banshee.
Cordelia: *Looks at her skeptically* Banshee!? Aren't those old women dressed in rags that can scream loud enough to shatter glass?
Maleficent: Some look like that, but there are young looking banshees to dressed in nice looking, long white, light blue or red dresses to. Banshees are Ireland's ''Angels of Death'' that only scream when someone nearby is dead or will die soon and guides their spirits to their final resting place, making them Halloween worthy while being family friendly, perfect for a school report *Shifts her gaze to Cordelia* and for young girls who hate grossness and ridicule.
Then Will pushed the laptop closer to Cordelia to show her pictures of Banshees she just pulled out the internet. Not just 1, but several with some showing Banshees as the beauties Maleficent describe them to be.
Cordelia: *Looks at the pictures and smiled* Now that, i can work with, i have an old white summer dress back home that i'll do the trick once i've made some modifications here and there. It's decided, the Banshee it is.
Will: FINALLY, now let's do proper research and tap that report while my fingers are still willing to work *Gets ready to start the work, but was stopped by Cordelia's hand on the keyboard*.
Cordelia: Not now, the others will be arriving soon to go to the movies, remember?
Will: *Snaps her fingers in realization* You're right *Closes her Laptop* Let's go wait for them outside *Picks their stuff and walk away* have a nice evening Miss Moors.
Maleficent: *Raise her mug to them* You to girls, and give Irma, Taranee and Hay Lin my regards *Takes another sip from her mug while watching stepping out*.
The next 10 minutes after was all about Maleficent finishing her drink while watching Will and Cordelia from the Cafe window as they wait for the 3 other girls to arrive like they planned, and they did just on time before they all walked away to the movies. She did wondered what kind of movie they were going to watch as she prepared to leave? Surely not that new gory movie that's out right now, it might be the season for such movies but Mother Earth's mercy they are horrid, and not appropriate for 13 year olds.
When she finally stepped out of the cafe, she was sourly tempted to head left, where the girls were heading to get to the Theater and make sure, but she was running out of time, she had to finish her patrol and head back home quick for the party or poor Diaval is going to get worried and try to track her down, leaving the New Moors unprotected.
Maleficent: *While walking in the opposite direction* 'They're all big girls and responsible enough to make mature choices, they don't need you to look over their shoulders and forbidding them to go see that movie, Cordelia can do it for you.' *Smiles at the thought*
55 minutes later, South Side of town
Patrolling that side of town bore the Dark Fae no greater fruit then the rest of the town today. There were talks of monsters and faery-like creatures like trolls from some of the local youths, but those were them talking about the horror movies they liked to watch or the Halloween costumes they plan to wear for trick-or-treating or to go to a halloween party next week. She hasn't heard anyone talking about faeries in general, let alone talking about seeing any anywhere in the High Uintas Wilderness, and that fell Maleficent with relief.
It would seem that the younger faeries who like to sneak out of her protection barrier to play in the forest and get spotted so many times by humans, finally decided to wise up and stay in the New Moors where they were safe. Hopefully they'll stay there forever, but Maleficent isn't to strong on hope, soooo she'll continue doing her weekly strolls, just in case.
After checking out the ''Dough Re Mi'' Bakery for talk of faeries, and buying a dozen French Baguettes to bring back to the party to eat with the soups, Maleficent, arms full of Baguettes, quickly but carefully walked to a nearby alley where she could cast another teleportation spell without being seen. With her patrol now over, it was time to head home.
Maleficent: *Sets the baguettes down with a moan, then stretches her back* 'How do humans carry such heavy loads without magic is beyond me.' *Briefly imagines the look on the other Faeries face upon seeing the bread and smiles* 'But for the happiness these delicious baguettes will bring, it should all be worth it'.
Suddenly, a loud clutter of metal was heard in the alley, startling Maleficent into turning around with her hands glowing with green magic in case a mugger was trying to sneak attack her for her money and bread. But it was only a grey stray cat, coming from behind some trash canes who fallen over and caused the clutter, probably it who knocked them over.
Maleficent: *Brings her hands down with a sigh* Word of advice furry little beastie, If you want to survive in this place, try to be a little more quiet when you move.
Alley Cat: *Looks at the woman confused, then gives her a meow before moving along as if nothing happened*
Maleficent: *Huffs* Your nine lives kitty. *Prepares to cast her teleportation spell... When she heard another loud sound and stopped herself* Heuh? *Looks around for the source of the sound, but saw nothing this time and shrugs* 'Must be that cat causing more trouble further away'.
It wasn't the cat. As Maleficent was going to cast her spell again, a noise was once again heard. Only this time it was louder, clearer, it was a young girl's voice screaming at some ''Reep'' to ''Tay the - way''. She sounded afraid, and very, VERY familiar to the Dark Fae.
Maleficent: 'Cordelia'?
The moment the blond girl's name passed the Fae's lips, another girl screamed ''Don ouch her'', it was Will's voice, that Maleficent was sure of it. Then the soud of something heavy hitting something hard was heard, followed by a bang much louder then the fallen trash cans, causing not only Cordelia to scream, but she also heard the screams of girls just as familiar as the first 2.
Maleficent: *Panicked* 'Irma, Taranee, Hay Lin?!' *Runs down the alley to where the screams and bangs were coming, abandoning the baguettes she spent so much money on buying.''
To be Continue...