Dis kept his head down as he moved through the the empty subway. He tried to prevent his footsteps from echoing but that required tip-toeing and he couldn’t bring himself to slow down. Offering a prayer to She-That-Walks-Sideways, Dustin hopped over a turnstyle dripping with spiderwebs and hurried to the stairs that lead out of the 16th Street Station.

Three flaming eyes opened in the darkness ahead, blocking the way out.

Cursing his luck, Dis shrugged off his backpack and quickly rummaged around in it as the trio of eyes bobbed closer. The Pig Demon, Ji Zhu, had added the station to its domain a few months ago but Dis had heard that the demon would be elsewhere tonight. Still, he had prepared an offering, just in case.

His fingers brushed something squishy and cold. That was it! He pulled the plastic bag out.

Ji Zhu towered over him, stinking of rotting flesh, it’s bristling fur as sharp as barbed wire.

Dis bowed deeply and tried to keep the fear out of his voice. “Most Dread Lord, please hear me out.”