Watanuki Kimihiro felt the spirit behind him long before he saw it. It was hot, damp summer day, and he was walking Yuko-san's shop from school. Alone, this time, because Himawari-chan had a class rep meeting, and Domeki had archery practice. Not that he wanted that creep Domeki walking with him anyway.

The temperature of the air around Watanuki cooled, raising gooseflesh on his arms. He felt a strong presence at his lower back, like an icy had was holding him there. He could see small tendrils of spiritual energy swirling around his feet as he walked, dark purple in the bright sunlight.

"Almost there," he whispered to himself. Watanuki could see the crescent moons that stood upon Yuko-san's fence two blocks ahead. Safety. As soon as he touched that gate, the spirit would have no power over him.

Yuko-san had told him that if he was ever to encounter a strong spirit without Domeki around, he should simply walk calmly and pretend that nothing was there. But as Watanuki neared the store, a growing urge told him too turn around. He tried to ignore it, he was only seconds away now from salvation, but his body began to move of it's own accord, turning him to face the specter.

Watanuki's eyes fell upon what had been following him, and a icy flood of fear filled his stomach like liquid lead. The spirit was floating above the ground on a swirling nimbus of purple energy, a deeply negative feel emanating from it. The specter was composed of an enlarged human ribcage, with a sinuous spinal cord trailing below it like a rudimentary tail. It had no face; the spine held aloft nothing but air. Long, impossibly long arms trailed along the sides of the spirit, each ending with a long-fingered skeletal hand. Nestled inside the ribcage, pulsing slowly, were six human hearts.

An involuntary moan of terror slipped past Watanuki's lips. He felt pinned to the spot, like a hare who sees the eyes of the falcon seconds before it is devoured. The spirit raised an arm, extending its long fingers towards Watanuki, the sunlight glinting upon their razor-sharp tips. The six hearts inside of their cage began to pulse quickly, as if anticipating a new friend to join them. The long fingers trailed down Watanuki's front to his right chest, almost lazily. Watanuki tried to flee, he was literally seconds away from the gate, but he could move only to turn his head slightly and grit his teeth.

A thin, pale arm looped itself around his waist just as the spirit's razorfingers pressed against his chest. Watanuki felt himself being pulled inside of the gate just as the material of his shirt was sliced. He felt a sharp pain, but the spirit dissipated before his eyes.

Watanuki looked up to see Yuko-san staring over him, out into the street, a grave look upon her usually jovial face. "Yuko-san, you-" Watanuki felt all his breath drain away, and he slumped to the cobblestoned path.

"Where is Domeki-kun?"

Watanuki looked upwards at Yuko-san's serious face and felt something inside of him crumble. "At archery practice- why does..." Watanuki lowered his face to his knees. "Why me? I-I've never been so af-fraid-" His words cut off into a sharp sob. Watanuki clenched his fists, frustrated and embarrassed. His blood, his goddamn blood...

He felt Yuko-san kneel beside him and place her hand on the back of his neck, "Watanuki-kun, when you are ready, please come inside. I have something to show you." She stood, the silk of her kimono brushing against the side of his face, and began to stride towards the house. He heard her sandals clicking against the stones of the path, echoing in the near empty yard. She paused, and Watanuki heard her say something he thought he never would.

"It's time to grant your wish."