[center][i]There is a common myth that parents tell their young children...if children behave by listening to their parents and teachers, looking both ways before crossing the street, saying please and thank you, eating all their vegetables, doing their chores and by being nice to others, good things will happen to them. They might find treats or treasures left by spirits. But if children misbehave by not looking when crossing the street, talking back to adults, throwing a fit or staying out at night then bad things will happen to them. They'll be more clumsy and might even get sick. But the worst offenders who are caught outside after dark will find themselves in very deep trouble. A dangerous and frightening demon will hunt naughty kids down and feast upon their souls. This demon is nearly six stories high, carrying a large spiked wooden bat, and is covered in red leathery skin, wearing nothing but a small towel. His horns gleam in the moonlight and his fangs show signs of having chewed upon the many bones of naughty children. If you come face to face with this nightmare, just run and avoid him and his minions. And pray that you are not caught.[/i][/center]

[center][b]Chapter One - Demonic Demands

Friday April 15'th 2016

7:32 PM

Mount Wildwood[/b][/center]

The blissful blanket of orange and magenta which had settled over Mount Wildwood had now faded away as everyone was beginning to pack up, back at camp. Tamago had spotted a wooden box by the river as everyone was finishing up at the river. Upon closer inspection, the box didn't contain any dismembered body parts or some cash or even drugs. The box had several dusty but somehow modern looking watches instead. Tamago had been the first to try one on and found that there were creatures all around them that could only be viewed through the watch's special scope. Natazume had then suggested they venture over to Timers & More and see if the owner could make heads or tails of their discovery. "Maybe this find will be worth some cash." Tamago eagerly hypothesized as they came back the camp just as night had settled in.

Of course he would rather they eat first and then go over to Blossom Heights but he was sure the stores would be closing up soon and that if they were going to find anything out, they had to hurry. Tamago looked around at his friend, pretty happy that they were all able to spend some time before their last long semester of school. Everyone was about to graduate and he knew it would be even harder to find free time for them all to hang out. He knew most of them would still stick around Springdale but he also worried that once college was over, some of them would end up leaving their humble city and never look back. Tugging on his grey long sleeve shirt, he crouched down and began to roll up his sleeping bag. As much as he liked bugs, he didn't want to snuggle up with them at night.

Natazume glanced around and brushed her long dark brown hair out of her face. To her, the watches were some kind of child's toy. Even though she had tested it on the way back to camp, she wasn't yet convinced of their purpose or practicality. She let out a sigh as everyone began to pack up even though their trip into the south part of Springdale would only take twenty or thirty minutes. Still, she wasn't going to sway the group to forget about the watches since she was curious too, as to what they were and why they were found in such a random location. As everyone was either packing up or collecting their things to set aside in a safe hidden area, the temperature began to drop. The once humid mountain began to grow very cold at an alarming rate. 

"Could there be a storm coming in...?" Natazume wondered as she stood up and leaned her neck back to look at the sky. It was dark and there were no clouds in sight. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach as she walked over to Kazumi and Saki. "Do either of you feel...uneasy all of a sudden?" She asked them quietly. The seven of them had all grown up together ever since they attended Lil Buds. Since then their class has stayed together. This has allowed for a firm since of loyalty but it also ensured that secrets and bad habits were tricky to form. Natazume was pretty close to everyone in the group but it was easier to say she considered Kazumi and Saki to be her best friends. She let out a sigh and noticed she could now see her breathe. 

Slowly a red and white mist began to creep into the campsite and Tamago grabbed his green hooded sweatshirt and began to zip it up. "So we're gonna meet at Timers & More?" He double checked, wanting everyone to be on the same page. Some of them drove together, others rode via bike or cab and he wanted to be sure no one got left behind. As everyone confirms the plan, there's a sudden [i]THUD THUD THUD THUD[/i] and the trees begin to tremble. The watches on everyone's wrists begin to blink red and the dial spins round and round, not able to pin point where the danger is coming from. "Holy shit...please tell me that's not real." He breathed and took a few steps back as he looked at a large red demon who was now standing between them and their only exit. 

The woman who thrived on knowledge couldn't believe it either. Her heart stopped briefly. "If this is a...a demon like from those stories our parents told us...I think we better run. Now." She said as she grabbed her backpack and threw it over her right shoulder. The demon raised its spiky wooden club and slammed it down in the middle of their campsite with a fearsome growl. It left a shallow crater that was only a foot in diameter but it was enough to prove its point. This was real and very deadly. Natazume ran around it as it stood up ready to strike down once again. The woman sprinted along the only road leading to the Shrine which would then lead them down the mountain. Her heart was racing as the cold mist continued to follow the group.

"Just keep running!" Tamago yelled as the demon continued to pursue them as they finally made it to the first checkpoint: the shrine. "I hope those guys have insurance!" He commented as he kept on running, keeping near the back part of the group as they began to run down the series of stone steps which would eventually take them back to the nearby parking lot. He tried to wonder what sort of horrible thing he had done to provoke the demon's wrath but nothing was coming to mind. He let out a groan as his chest was beginning to ache. He needed a break. He loved running but not when there was something chasing them. He saw the others not far ahead but he didn't dare look over his shoulder. "How long...is he gonna...chase us?" He panted.

After five minutes of sprinting to the mountain, the parking lot was coming into sight. Behind Natazume, she heard a loud crash which sounded like trees being hit and she hoped her friends were alright. Luckily they had two cars and once everyone was inside, they bolted for the freeway which could take them over to Blossom Heights. They crossed over and drove all the way down to where Times & More was. They found parking by the Everymart close by and once they got out, they realized the chill in the air, the mist, and most importantly, the oni were gone. Natazume braced herself against the car and tried to calm down. "What...just happened?" She panted heavily and put a hand to her chest. 

Tamago ran a hand through his short choppy hair and gave a shrug and a bit of a nervous laugh. "Beat's the hell out of me." He commented.

"Is anyone hurt?" Natazume asked the group, figuring that was a more pressing question.

It seemed everyone was alright, some of the group had bits of wood and debris but nothing damaging. Natazume had to consider them pretty lucky at the moment since from what she could tell, the creature had been pretty hellbent on actually striking them down. She finally collected herself and shoved her hands into her jean pockets. "Looks like we better hurry and see if Timers & More is still open." She said. She didn't want their sprint to have been for nothing. Tamago looked at everyone and gave a nod, locking his hands together behind his head as they walked over to where Timers & More was located. Much to everyone's relief, the store wasn't closed yet. 

"Sorry to bother you but we wondered if you know anything about these?" Tamago spoke up as everyone held up the watch attached to their respective wrists. "And do you know anything about some red demon in need of pants and anger management..."

The old man introduced himself as Mortimer Goodsight. He had bushy grey hair and looked to be only four feet tall. He had on thick glasses and seemed rather harmless. "Oh ho! You lot of found my old stash of Spirit Watches. And it seems you ran into Gargaros too? You lot have had one eventful evening, I must say!" Mortimer chuckled. 

"Sorry...Spirit Watches?" Natazume inquired, not pleased with the lack of explanation. 

"Yes, those detect spirits or demons, you can call them whichever you like." He replied. "Anyway, those can let you see spirits all around you and you can even befriend them."

"Why would we wanna do that?" Tamago asked.

"Why?!" Mortimer blurted out, clearly baffled as to why the group of college students would be so uninformed and without a sense of adventure. "Because they can help you! And let's just say some spirits will pester you [i]until[/i] you befriend them. They must get lonely being invisible..." He said thoughtfully and gave a sigh. "Not all spirits are good of course, some are outright evil and love to create chaos. If you befriend the right spirits, you can use them to fight against ones who are giving you trouble." He said with a smirk. "They're much better than any old dog or cat, let me tell you..."

Natazume looked to the others, pretty sure the old man had lost his mind. Tamago on the other hand, seemed pretty interested to know more about the watch and any stories Mr. Goodsight had to offer. "So you used to befriend these demons?" He asked the old man behind the counter.

"Oh yes, in my youth I had befriended nearly all 200...but now I only retain a few." He sighed and fished out a tin box and opened it. He pulled out a metal coin and grabbed Tamago's wrist and inserted the coin into the watch, it fitting on the face of the colorful dial. "Come on out Whisper and introduce yourself." He said. The watch began to spin and out came a white creature who looked semi-transparent. It had a large goofy looking face and floated around and looked at the new gang of young adults. "Whisper, I've found you some new friends for you to show the ropes to." Mr. Goodsight explained. "Everyone, this is Whisper, he's a spirit who is pretty ordinary but he makes up for it in his knowledge of information and you will all greatly benefit from his assistance." 

The white wisp of a demon let out a hearty airy laugh. "Consider me your demon butler, able to direct and guide you along your journey." Whisper said and held out its hand to reveal seven matching coins with his face and name on it. "Whenever you need me, you can summon me using these. And any other demon you befriend will give you their own coins." He explained.

Taking a coin, the long haired woman found herself feeling rather dizzy. Now she couldn't deny it any longer and went to go sit on one of the blue couches off to the side. "This is a lot to take in." She muttered and looked around the shop. It was mostly made of wood. A lot of fancy watches were on display in the counter and there were other older clocks hanging on the walls. The workshop was off in the back but it was separated by a sliding paper door. There was a small single use toilet for the public and Natazume wondered if she'd need it go throw up at any moment. "I know there are spirits but I never...I never paid the stories much thought..."

Tamago grabbed his coin and looked at Whisper, very intrigued. He stuck his arm out and waved it through the spirit who remained untouched. "Very cool." He smiled. "My name is Tamago." He introduced himself to Whisper. "And that's Natazume..."

"She looks paled than me!" Whisper laughed. "But you're all welcome to ask us any questions you'd like."

"Make it quick, I'm closing up soon and gotta make it home in time for my shows." Mortimer said.

"But you live right upstairs." Whisper pointed out.