Acheri

An Acheri is a special, demonic spirit that originated in both the eastern and western hemispheres. Native American Chippewa has the Acheri Legend. Many believe that an Acheri is the result of a girl that died a horrible, untimely death. After her death, she comes from the spirit world back to the physical world to torment and make others, mainly children, suffer as she did, resulting in their deaths. Japan has a similar legend called Ju-on. It is the basis behind the well-known movie, The Grudge.

Unlike most demons that can only take on a hideous guise, the Acheri has the ability of disguising itself as a thin, frail little girl with a gray complexion, allowing it to be accepted by human children and gain their confidence through a superficial friendship. She will either walk with children or play with them, seeming to be nothing more than an ordinary child herself.

An Acheri also takes on a second form in which it keeps hidden due to having features that any typical human would call monstrous.

The Acheri travels in regions of hills and mountains and at night will leave her dwelling in the hills and visit families in lowlands. She is known to sing and dance in human settlements, sometimes drumming an auxiliary. It is said that hearing her song or voice is a sign of impending illness or death.

Acheri have the knowledge of non-treatable sicknesses. The creature will single out children as victims and poison them by casting its shadow over them. The very contact of the Acheri shadow is like the breath of a person carrying a highly communicable respiratory disease; infection occurs instantly. If a human child goes to depart her, they carry a terrible disease with them. The disease can take many forms and generally manifests as a mysterious wasting sickness that is ultimately fatal.

Despite their frail childlike appearance, these demonic spirits thrive on human misery—the more people that suffer from their blight, the stronger and happier the Acheri demons become. The Acheri feeds off of the sadness, pain, heartbreak, and death the disease creates.

The Acheri, like many evil spirits, can be foiled by sacred charms. The main defense against an Acheri was thought to be a red ribbon or woven red thread tied around one's neck. Charms of red, scarlet, or crimson are also used.