In Native American folklore, the Acheri is the ghost of a girl who died a horrible, sick death due to disease. It is thought she returns from the spirit world to live in the hills and mountains. At night, the Acheri travels through valleys to spread a shadow of illness over sleeping children. This demonic spirit takes on a disguise of a sickly, fragile little girl. During the day, Acheri takes on a physical form allowing her to be accepted by children. She differs in appearance to what people think a demon should look like. Anyone who viewed her would have sympathy, thinking that she is merely a sick child. She uses this sympathy to create a friendship with those do feel sorry for her. Folklore also states that she takes on a second form, but this is kept well hidden whilst she makes her acquaintance. The second form is a hideous monster with a skeletal frame, demon red eyes, long clawing fingers, out to make other children suffer just as she did. She is said to sing and drum through villages which is a forewarning of impending illness or worse, death. The Acheri is known to spread untreatable illness, specifically to children. Her shadow is similar to inhaling a disease from a highly infected person. The Acheri wants her victims to suffer as she is said to have suffered. With each life she takes, she becomes stronger. The Acheri thrives on human misery, so the more sadness around the child's illness, the more powerful this demon becomes. It is thought that items of red protect against the Acheri - amulets, clothing, and ribbons of red are thought to war against a visit from the demon. Parents would thread charms of red with a red ribbon for their children to wear for protection. Salt was another method for protection. Salt was lined around property boundaries or kept in leather pouches carried by children.
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