SWALLOW
A downloadable story
Swallow is a horror short story following Val, a coroner who uses an unusual ability to learn more about the deaths of the victims she works with. By consuming the insects found on corpses she is able to relive their final moments, and she is pulled inexorably into their lives.
Swallow contains: body horror, insects, body horror with insects, sexual assault, homophobia, murder
Swallow includes some information about the field of forensic entomology. While I myself am a layperson, the information on it is accurate to the best of my ability. I researched using a variety of sources, but the one I relied on most heavily is "Insect Faunal Succession and Development of Forensically Important Flies on Deer Carcasses in Southwest Virginia" found here: https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/49568/Wilson_JM_T_2012.pdf?...
That being said, eating a bug is unlikely to give you anything other than bragging rights.
Thank you to: Christopher Luis-Jorge, Quinn Milton, Gretchen Felker-Martin for edits and encouragement ♡
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Normally, I'm too scared of insects to go anywhere near even fiction featuring them, but someone I follow on Twitter recommended this and I was too intrigued by the premise to ignore it. This was really, truly, incredible, one of the most disturbing and horrifying things I've ever read (in the best possible way!). It's amazingly well-written and every emotion is captured so perfectly. I'm simply amazed by how good and haunting this story is, and I hope more and more people read your work!
thank you so much ♡♡♡