Adventure in a Balinese cemetery

I was staying with my friend in a nice hotel in Ubud (Bali)

People working in the hotel were very friendly and very eager to talk about their culture and religion.
We discussed Hinduism, the offerings, the festivals, .... and I asked if any festivals would happen soon.
She said there are so many minor festivals and for example there is a one after two days called Magic festival.
Magic? hmm, that's interesting. What kind of magic do you practice?
She said no magic, but there is that evil creature the source of envy and hate - a devil? -
who would appear that day and some special (gifted?) people could see it.
We pray that day not to see that creature. I asked if she ever saw it, she said no and she doesn't want to.

Hmmm, so what do I do if I want to see it? they start to laugh and explain that not everyone can see it.
One of them pop out her smartphone and show me a video of a claimed appearance which to me looked like a guy wearing a mask in dark night.
I repeated the question, Assuming I could see it what should I do to see? She said: you have to go a cemetery.
What time? I asked as if I am asking her for a date. She was dead serious when she said after 12 mid night the night before.
Wanna come with me? No, she said "I scare"
The next day (day before the festival) I meet another local man who has a shop with his wife.
I told him about my intentions and he asked me who told you about that? I thought he would deny the whole thing.
Instead he confirmed it. Even though he has been to that cemetery a lot he wasn't shy to say "he scare" when I asked if he wants to come.
Whatever, now I want to go even more.

Clock ticks 10:30pm I start limping to the cemetery - a motorbike fell on my foot few days earlier.
I wasn't worried the demon would out run me, they always do. I was more concerned about the cemetery guards.
I was being told if I run inside the cemetery they wouldn't dare to follow me inside so it was quiet relieving except that I can't run.

I really wanted someone with me. Partially because I also "scare" but also because if the demon didn't come at least I'd have nice company.
There was a dormitory near my hotel. I thought about it many times before.
I can't just approach group of strangers and ask if they would like to join me to a cemetery at midnight so I didn't dare to ask there.
I continued walking past the dorm until I got close enough then I had to ask for directions.

First guy  (Western) told me there is no cemetery in that area and he didn't seem he want to discuss it further.
Two Singaporean guys I asked after were more curious and asked me why I want to go and they said its a very bad luck in their culture to see a ghost (Its a demon for Christ's sake not a ghost).
Well guys, Wish me horrible luck. (I should've said but, I didn't)
Eventually I got near the entrance. The cemetery didn't even have a door, no guards, no nothing.
Only some fire flies making dots of yellow light that soon vanish leaving the area in complete darkness except for quarterly lit moon

As I approached the entrance I was surprised to see two other guys with clear American accent coming out.
I was excited and asked them if they also heard about the magic festival. They said they had no clue. They came to see the fire flies. They didn't even know it was a cemetery.

I explained to them my intentions, they argued that this can't be a cemetery because Hindu burn their dead.
I explained what the hotel lady told me about dead people having to wait for up to 10 months before they can get a proper cremation.
If the family is poor or doesn't want to wait they burn the dead body in a big oven. some people are not burned at all.

They were spiritual (in some sense). One of them seemed to be the leader/teacher/more experienced while the other was more like enthused follower.
So that leader guy - will call him Bob - agreed to join with his friend and we started to explore the cemetery with flashlight.
In the meanwhile they were talking about the sequence of coincidences that led us to me and how they came for something simple like watching butterflies only to find themselves in the right place at the right time to witness this.

They refused to call it coincidences and that there was that magician who told them things that they can not reveal to me and other things that happened to them earlier that they also can not tell.

I was like: hmfff whatever, still their company is better than staying in a cemetery alone.

Lot of insects, lizards and frogs and tree leaves falling all make sounds which is not very comfortable at this point.
We sit on the floor near the enterance talking and waiting for something to happen.
Bob stated to collect rocks and make a circle to "protect" us.
It started to get creepy when they told me about their true intentions at this point.
They were not looking for fireflies, they practice some religion where they worship co..ehm..x (yes, you heard that right, move on)

Suddenly I started to scare. They are not too strong but they are two!
In a cemetery at 12am there isn't much I can do if they decided to worship mine.
I shook off that idea. People have the right to believe what they want or worship what they want .. you know so long as they do it away from me and my thing.

Bob says they kind of worship that demon as well which he says is not as bad as the media depict it (ooh, bloody media they ruin everyone's reputation)
and yet he wasn't very thrilled to meet it either. How come you don't want to meet with the god you worship? He agreed that in some sense I am right.

[I should work as a demon preacher, I guess]

Time passes and aside from the small movements of lizards and insects and light of fire flies, nothing seem to be happening.
Bob suggest that if I want to see it, probably I should get out of the "protection" circle which I eagerly did with a big smile on my face.
Where do I sit? here? (Its more fun when you have people to tease)

Few more minutes and nothing much has changed. Although to be honest I felt safer inside the circle.
Bob starts to make his prayers and ask us - me and the other guy - to be silent for a while and we complied.
We started talking again after getting bored. Eventually Bob said you know? That demon is in the tombstone downstairs.

There was a very big distinctive tombstone that we saw earlier that stand alone in a lower ground (reachable by two stairs at both sides of the cemetery).
I started to scare again! both from the demon and from the two guys who might have an evil plan for me when I come back or at best a silly prank.

I suggested a bet if I go there and I find nothing but he refused to bet. Alright thats relieving that means he isn't very confident about that demon's presence.
I also refuse going down stairs without compromising my dignity since he refused the bet which is exactly what I did.
More time passes and I am bored as hell now. alright whatever, I will go down there. A prank would be more interesting that that boring silence.
I turn my mobile flash on and move toward the end of the cemetery, look from the top at the big tombstone below. hmmm no demons, good.
I go back and tell him that but he insist that I must go downstairs and see for myself.

I am suspicious but I almost won (proving my point that such thing doesn't exist) and I can not turn back now.
I went downstairs, more worried this time than ever since I arrived. While those Bas...rds sitting happily in their protection circle.

With each step I hear many sounds which I assume are lizards and insects running away from me.

I found a lovely colorful warm on a plant. I stopped to take a picture of it, flash turn on and ...

chik, got a nice shot. nobody downstairs except for the dead king under that big tombstone.  I went back and as I feared they vanished. What were they planning to do all that time? I am about to find out.
I get closer to the entrance and .. oh, there they are. Sitting happily in their stupid circle waiting for me.
I took a deep breath and released it with a sight of relief.

Bob eventually gave up and said maybe better they leave so that I can have alone time with the demon. I told him he is probably not coming tonight.
We went back to our hotels. couple of drunk girls passed by on a scooter waving for us.
I said: Hey take us ... oh no, take me those guys don't care.
I saw a sign of disappointment on Bob's face. Sorry dude.
We separated each to his hotel short after.

The END.
This story has happened for real with no exaggeration or any added details.