Northeastern Legends: The Hedgehog Baby

“I've delivered babies for thirty years, and this is the first time I've seen a newborn covered in white spikes,” the doctor cried in terror. The stench of blood mingled with incense ash and burned my nostrils. I lifted the red cloth covering the Wu family's guardian spirit. Bloody tears seeped from the clay statue's eyes and dripped onto the offerings. Seven years ago, they had used the White Immortal to continue their family line, only to turn around and tie their benefactor to a pyre. Just then, the window lattice suddenly exploded. Zhang Er thrust his head inside, three rotting ghost faces stacked one atop another. His centipede-bodied mouth stretched to his ears. “You'll be the next one to try it...”