The Death's-headed Sphinx

The Death's–headed Sphinx has occasioned much terror among the vulgar, at times, by the melancholy kind of cry which it utters, and the insignia of death which it wears upon its corslet.

Aside from the Convocation, there's a very similar Fear known as the Intrusion. The Intrusion is all but identical to the Convocation, with the primary distinction being that the Intrusion is comprised of bugs rather than birds.

As it turns out, some of the Intrusion's bodies are big.

Really, really big.

This one was longer than I am tall. Reminded me of this thing I've heard of, the sea scorpion. I think I've heard of the Intrusion using extinct bodies, actually. (Where does it get its bodies, anyways? Does it just... pick them up as it goes?)

I'm honestly shocked. I seemed to be the only one to see it. I think I've heard of the perception filter... you know, this thing where people who don't know about the Fears can't see them, or see them differently. Pretty convenient for the Fears, if you ask me.

I fled, of course. Fortunately, it was fairly slow, and I was in a large, open city. Evasion was fairly simple.

I managed to find somewhere to sleep: the home of a generous, and apparently very trusting, old lady.

I awoke to insects. They were crawling all over me. My host's home had seemed very well-kept, for someone who let random hobos sleep there, so this... probably wasn't normal.

I tried to get them off me as cleanly as possible. Then I climbed out the window. I wasn't giving this thing any more time than it needed with me.

- Poe