Editor's Note: Though some rough deduction, we think we've figured out who wrote each of these notes. We've taken the liberty of assigning names to the transcription below.
Something foul grew within our city, it poisoned the water in the well. Out of the festering growth, a homegrown militia with stockpiled weapons emerged. The Federal government rushed in to contain the tendrils of insurrection, but they failed. The rot went deeper than they realized. A botched raid turned into an all out civil war. As explosions and fighting rocked the city, the National Guard was summoned to facilitate an evacuation. Endless fighting engulfed the streets, and you and I were caught in the crossfire.
Then, one night, "The Flash." Stars cascaded out of the sky, leaving behind streaks that burned bright and brighter. Until the entire city was subsumed in light. As quickly as it came, the light vanished, leaving behind only uncertainty. Chaos followed. No one knew if this was some new horrible weapon, or an unseen phenomenon. That night was one of the longest of our lives.
In the morning, we woke up, expecting evacuation, only to find that the city was cordoned, quarantined, cut off. Communities were ripped apart as the border wall fell between them. You ventured out, with the noble pursuit to protect our neighbors. I asked you to stay. I don't know if you heard me. And then the power went out. I tried to find some comfort in the silence. The momentary ceasefire.
But in the darkness, I only found your empty shape. I ventured out into the night to return you to me- But I left too late. I searched. And I searched. But you were always out of reach. And I was so scared, and so tired. I returned home, and hoped that soon you would too.
You didn't.
Instead, I heard the echo of your voice, over an impossible distance. The voice you're about to hear belongs to a dead man.
Pacific is the absolute driving force behind this project! You might know him from every single horror podcast ever. So you know it's gonna be well-written and beautifully produced!
This voicemail was recovered on an abandoned phone found in the suburbs in Palmyra. It's dated April 12, 10:48pm, and was received just hours before the citywide communication blackout.
Transcript Begins
Hey Vern,
I'm not doing too hot, eh? I think I-
[Sighs]
I think I inhaled something nasty in that store. I'm giving you a call because all that stuff we got? You gotta dump it. It's no good. I know you're gonna be tempted to eat it, I mean we picked up some good shit. But I'm serious, dump it.
Do you remember when we was little? Used to go down to the docks and get ice cream at... Oh what's that shop called? The one with the creepy mascot?
Y'know, the one we always made all the funny voices for.
[In deep cartoonish baritone]
I'm Mr. Squeezy or whatever, and the flavor of the day is grasshopper!
[Chuckles]
I was thinking about how we's use to flick icecream at the cutout on the window, and it had those real nasty stains, just layers and layers of melted icecream.
[Chuckles]
I remember once, you were probably too young to remember- I dared this kid, Antonio, dared him to lick up those ice cream splatter. Think I even said I'd give him a fiver if he did. He did it, fuckin' funny guy. But he came down with a nasty flu- Which I always thought was kinda weird because it was the middle of the summer. And I thought, "Damn, that's a real shame. Nothing worse than being sick in the summer." Well, let you me tell you this, Vern. I'm sick.
And it's hot. It's real hot in my shitbox apartment. And the AC sure as fuck ain't working. But it's one of those hots where I don't think it's so much outside, as it is me. But it's making everything miserable.
[Pause]
It was an accident. I didn't mean to do it, y'know? But when we were in the back, loading up those boxes full of cans and shit, I was getting really tired from picking them up, and putting them down, then picking them back up again. And my glove kept slipping, I couldn't get a good grip with it. So I took it off, and I was carrying a box around the corner- And I brushed one of those cobweb things. At first, I thought it was just a hair, or some dust. I try and wipe it off, but then my knuckles start burning. Like they'd been stung by something.
And a second later, the fingers on my other hand started to burn too, like I'd spread the fire by touching it. It fuckin' hurts, but I'm a big boy. So I put my glove back on, making sure I didn't touch my face or nothin' else, and I pick my box up again- After dropping the fucking thing like five fucking times. And I'm heading back to the truck, when I turn the corner, and I see one of them. I know you told me about them, Vern. Said you saw one on a run a couple weeks back. But fuck. I was picturing something like a block of tofu, but this- This was...
[Haggared breathing, pause.]
It was just floating there, kinda bobbing in the air. I took a step back, and it jerks towards me. It didn't have eyes- I mean it's a fucking chunk of meat, but I could tell- It was looking at me. So, I take another step back, a little slower this time. Thinking, surely, it musta heard me or something. But I'm still holding this box, and my glove is slipping, and my fingers are really fucking burning. And now, to make matters worse, I'm getting sweaty! Even though it's cold! I can't fucking take it anymore, so I throw the box of cans towards the fucking thing.
Well, I guess I still got my good throwing arm, 'cos the box hits the square mother fucker right in it's center, and the thing goes flying, and it hits the wall. It sticks there for a second, then just fucking falls to the floor, with this sick wet thud. I'm standing there thinking, "Maybe I killed the thing, right?"
Nope. Just my fucking luck. It's laying "face down" on the ground, but it's... Moving. Just a little. Kinda like it's breathing, or maybe trembling? The thing about these meat cubes, right? They're not smooth like your tofus. They got... I dunno, folds? Just like layers and layers of skin all pressed in and pushed together.
Like you put a person through a trash compactor, right? Well, it's doing this shuddering thing, and I take a step closer to get a better look. I notice this awful fucking arm thing hanging off it, like an unformed limb, and it's kinda wiggling at me? Well, the things fucking nasty, so I give it a kick. And it just slides across the floor, like it's an empty box! No weight to it. But right as I kick it, it fuckin' sprays me, like a skunk. This thick, nasty-smelling cloud.
Vern, it was so thick, I could fucking see it. Well, I opened my mouth like an idiot. And yeah. I think it gave me the sick. I'm hoping this isn't anything bad. I'm trying to work up the courage to go to Rosie's, but I really don't know if I can make it anymore. I'm tired. And that stinging feeling on my knuckles? It's up my armpit now. It comes and goes- but I can always feel it, just below the skin. That tofu mother fucker stung me with it's web, and then sprayed me.
[Sighs]
I'm an idiot. I wasn't being careful. But hey, you were always a lot smarter than me. Don't go back to that supermarket. It's bunk, a bust, no good.
[Coughs]
You stay safe out there, Vern. Imma try to get some help. Hopefully I see you soon... Call me back.
I'm happy to announce that, together with a roster of great artists, writers, and actors, I've been secretly working on a huge multimedia podcast project. And it's called:
The city of Palmyra has been cordoned off, deemed contaminated. Supposedly, everyone's been evacuated. But we know it's not true. Inside the Exclusion Zone, the Feds, shady companies and hateful militias vie for control of the city, and strange horrors straight out of nightmares lurk around every corner. Meanwhile, those who got left behind are just trying to survive and stick together in this hellscape.
This project will smuggle information out of Palmyra. Apart from the many stories found in our podcast, you'll find recovered footage and documents belonging to different factions and survivors within the city. You can now listen to episode 1 of the podcast!
You may also presave the Kickstarter so you'll be notified when it goes live in a month! We'll be using it to fund our first season and make zines! In the meantime there will be plenty of extra content and cool art coming for you! Follow us at @american-abyss for our first batch of stories! I'm so excited to show more over the coming months! Please dig in and stay tuned.
Here's a sneak peek at some of the horrors I've worked on so far:
In 1952, an abandoned shrine was found in the Wakayama prefecture of rural Japan. This temple, known as Rabu Shrine (羅父神宮), appeared in old Edo period maps, but was incorrectly believed to have burned down a century prior. The government undertook a survey, identifying signs of occupation dating as late as the 1920s. The following documents, including a set of postcards and manuscripts written by the young priest Sōkū (桑空), were recovered at the site:
ル祀ミ育神蟲テニ宮神父羅 (At Rabu Shrine, the insect God is raised and worshipped.)
“O Spirits, why must you test our faith so? The Child Shinchū has absorbed one more of us today, yet she will not transform into a God. The elder priest Tōji says we must keep waiting. That the Child still hungers. That the more she takes in, the more divine she will become. And yet, nineteen people has she taken into itself and her shell will not harden. She only grows larger, hungrier.”
ム慰ヲ神キナケワイニ弦管ガモド侶僧ノ宮神父羅 (The Priests at Rabu Shrine soothe the young God with music.) Priest Sōkū pictured left.
“The older faithful of the shrine still remember the elder siblings of Shinchū, and how simple it was to help them grow. A single soul would often suffice, and the union would transform them into beautiful Gods in the shape of scarabs, butterflies, and bees. Yet the Child refuses her ascension, and our numbers dwindle. Her Father does not guide us, blind as he is in his old age. I fear that life is fading beneath his shell, and his spirit readies to depart.”
神ルケ生ノメタガラ我テニ宮神父羅 (Rabu Shrine's Sacred Father, a God living amongst us.)
“Many of the faithful have left the shrine. They feel fear in their hearts that they will be chosen next, absorbed into the Child fruitlessly; they feel anger towards the young God who will not grow, all the while taking their loved ones. They say the disappearances will cause suspicion, that someone will discover the secret of our shrine and, filled with envy, will kill Shinchū’s young siblings, who are yet unready to ascend.”
リ侍チ育ニカヤ健デ池産ノ宮神父羅ハ子ノ神 (The God Children grow healthy in the Rabu Shrine purification pond.)
“There are only three of us left. Those who lost their faith have reneged their vows and left the temple. The rest of us, who remain devout in our worship, have continued uniting with the Child to no avail. Today, it was Tōji’s turn to read his fortune in the Omikuji, and he was awarded the Great Blessing of becoming one with the Child. But he would not accept it. He attempted to flee, leaving his Omikuji tied in the temple lest fate follow him. It took the three of us to bring him back and force him within Shinchū’s soft shell. We pray he may be the last. The faithful need hope to come back.”
羅父神社の羅父神はきみを御子と共に神になるやう選ばれき 共に生ける神となり御子のうちいづるほどわたりはきみを崇拝せむ
(GREAT BLESSING: The Sacred Father of Rabu Shrine has chosen you to become a God with His Child. Together, you will become a Living God and live an eternal blissful life, and the people of Rabu Shrine will worship your new name.)
“I am the last one here. Day after day, the Omikuji spares me of the Great Blessing. I feel weary, and my faith is fading. Is the Shinchū really the God they promised? Or is she a demon, using our faith to trick us into feeding her? The Father has stopped moving, and her younger siblings grow weak without our care. I have found myself alone with her. Watching after her does not comfort me as it once did. I have decided to read only one more Omikuji. Let my fate be decided.”
At the time of its discovery, most of the shrine had fallen into ruin as the wooden beams rotted in the humid climate. A single structure was still standing, containing some of the temple’s statues and treasures. Today, only these documents and several photos from the 1952 survey remain.
Read the full Megalomorpha Series
Omikuji drawings, Japanese text and writing help by Nao70Shark
Once every hundred years a kite will lay a red egg from which hatches a black and white bird. When that bird dies, a green worm-like creature emerges from its body and will grow into the fearsome Rooster of Death. Anyone who hears the call of this Rooster will die the following day unless they can find a mysterious blue herb that grows in the wilds of Asturias.
I’m sure you get tons of comments like this but I wanted to say that before finding your megalomorpha art I was legit terrified of bugs. In retrospect it’s kind of funny that a series of found footage short stories (that sometimes border on horror) was the catalyst that sparked a deep love and appreciation for insects and arthropods in general. You have an incredible talent when it comes to storytelling, the world you built gets richer and more interesting with every addition. Not to mention the Photoshop quality, it’s genuinely amazing how realistic your work is. I hope making art continues to bring you joy for as long as you have that inspiration and have a wonderful afternoon
This genuinely means so much to me! Working on Megalomorpha was also the catalyst for my love of insects so this is really touching. I'm so glad my art has inspired someone to look at the world with different eyes!
As a little anecdote, I'll share why Megalomorpha ended up being about insects at all! Back in 2020 I decided to make a horror story for the first time. I wanted to use a picture of archaeologists digging up something scary, but had no idea what that scary thing should be. Then I saw someone on my timeline looking very freaked out because they found this in their garden:
Not the exact photo I saw, but it was a Cecropia moth pupa just like this one. At first glance it looked like a weird stone artefact or some kind of alien egg. So I decided that's just what I should add to the archaeology dig!
You can read the whole story here! (Do note that the 3rd and 4th images and accompanying text are from a later addition to the story from last year)
It was only after this story that I decided to continue it as a series, and this meant I had to research the insect world a lot more! I eventually landed on holometabolic insects (the ones that do full metamorphosis) as the main source of inspiration for this series, and made the stories all about metamorphosis! So this series grew organically as did my love of insects, and I'm glad it's had the same effect on others!
Your last megalomorpha post was my favorite so far! I was wondering if shinchu is based on any particular insect? maybe the brood parasite phengaris rebeli?
Shinchū is a bit of a mix! Her body is a scarab beetle larva, her horns are a butterfly caterpillar. Megalomorpha's larvae often look the same (standard beetle body type) but their adults can vary widely, so I wanted to be loose with the design and give it something distinctive from the other larvae.
The pupa at the end is a stag beetle, too! I wanted something that looked a bit hard to decipher at first, but still a bit reminiscent of the beetle grub!
And Shinchū's father was also important to think about, though it can only be seen as a silhouette and has no direct influence on the story! It was based on a Hercules beetle, which to me reads as old and imposing.
