Item#: 8304
Level2
Containment Class:
safe
Secondary Class:
none
Disruption Class:
dark
Risk Class:
caution
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-8304 and copies thereof are to be stored in a standard low-risk containment locker. Recordings or copies made for testing purposes are to be transferred to USB and placed in storage after use. Any copies of SCP-8304 discovered outside containment are to be reported immediately. Attempts to locate Kevin Fox are ongoing.
Description: SCP-8304 is a DVD containing an amateur drama film titled "The Butterfly's Egg", created by Kevin Fox. The film follows Joshua Christophers as he falls in love with and attempts to redeem a criminal named Audrey. A full copy of the film's known transcript is available upon request. The film's anomalous properties manifest approximately 25 minutes into its runtime, when Joshua takes Audrey on a date by a river. The remains of a subadult Lutra lutra (Eurasian otter), designated SCP-8304-1, can be seen in the background of this shot before falling into the river. Subjects viewing the scene become convinced that SCP-8304-1 holds symbolic importance, and will focus on this perceived symbolism at the expense of the rest of the film. This effect persists over copies and recordings and has prevented accurate documentation of the remainder of the film. Testing has revealed interpretations of SCP-8304-1 are heavily influenced by personal experience, with every known subject interpreting it differently. Despite this, certain themes are prevalent across different subjects' interpretations:
- Audrey and/or Christophers will not experience true happiness.
- Audrey and Christophers' relationship will be strained if not outright end.
- Existential subjects such as death, despite the film apparently never discussing such topics.
- A bleak future, whether for specific characters or in general.
Testing Log
Subject
Background
Interpretation
D-112156
Subject had been convicted of multiple first-degree murders and has a history of attempting to start fights with guards and other D-class. He has claimed his actions are "no different than hunting".
SCP-8304-1 represents the worthlessness of human life.
D-275823
Subject had recently begun exhibiting symptoms of PTSD after witnessing the violent deaths of several personnel during a containment breach.
SCP-8304-1 is the spirit of someone Christophers failed to save in the past.
D-923521
Subject had a background in animal rescue, prior to being convicted of murder. The victim had been acquitted of animal cruelty charges, which D-923521 believed him to be guilty of.
The characters' apathy towards SCP-8304-1 represents their inability to recognize the important things in life.
Junior Researcher Parsons
Parsons had recently broken up with her partner after discovering his infidelity.
SCP-8304-1 foreshadows that Christophers and Audrey's relationship was doomed from the start.
D-589125
Subject had recently been involved in a verbal altercation with another D-class who died shortly afterwards, and has repeatedly expressed regret that their last interaction ended on bad terms. Subject has been blind since birth and was not informed of SCP-8304-1 prior to testing.
Subject claimed to hear a "splash" symbolizing how some actions have ripples that cannot be reversed, foreshadowing that Christophers' actions will have unintended consequences.
D-242258
Subject had recently suffered a nervous breakdown and begun questioning the nature of reality.
The characters ignore SCP-8304-1 because they are in a simulation and can only perceive what the simulator's owners allow them to.
D-512890
Subject is extremely distrustful. He initially accused staff of trying to make him repeat an infohazard when asked for his interpretation and claimed the Foundation regularly uses this as a means of killing staff who know too much.
SCP-8304-1 hints at Christophers having ulterior motives for getting close to Audrey.
SCP-8304 reviews
Excerpts of several reviews of SCP-8304 were found stored in its case, compiled below, along with a note apparently written by Fox.
"-and while he's not as obnoxious as in the original script, Joshua is still unrelatable and simply too perfect to be a believable character. He has no meaningful flaws and the entire story (as much as such a simple boy-meets-girl plot can really be called a "story") suffers for it. If I'm being completely honest, Joshua looks and acts suspiciously like a self-insert of you-"
"Most of the symbolism seems to have been thrown in for the sake of having symbolism. While the otter was a clever way of showing the hopelessness of Audrey's situation, I don't understand the meaning behind the rest of it, if there was ever one in the first place. I assume the (poorly edited in) butterflies are supposed to show how special and innocent our protagonist is, as imagined by someone who doesn't understand 'show, don't tell'. Also, remember I am doing this as a favour to you. I would appreciate if you would stop insulting me for not understanding everything you meant to get across. While some elements might still be salvageable, the plot in its current form is simply inane-"
"-and the ending must have been forgettable considering I cannot remember it. Or anything after the date and the otter. If your intention was to make people think about how we will all fall in the river of death one day, you succeeded but at the expense of the rest of the film-"
Note: The following review appears to be of an earlier draft of the film without anomalous properties and is the only known source of information about the film's ending. It is unknown how much the final version of SCP-8304 differs from this draft.
"-so it is rather unrealistic such a gang would just let her leave like that. I also find it kind of insulting that the audience keeps being told Joshua is better than these people, when his actions should be enough to prove this. Maybe that's because he leaves half the gang to die, which isn't exactly the mark of a hero. Audrey by the end is completely different than how she started and not in a good way. She becomes blindly submissive to Joshua and we are supposed to see this as a good-"
"Idiots wouldn't know good cinema if it hit them in the face. Or the ass. Not that there's much of a difference with some people. I swear, once I find out who started this stupid otter joke…"
Addendum 28/9/2019:
On September 28 2019, a raid was authorized on a known Are We Cool Yet? compound to attempt recapture of SCP-████, which had last been seen in the compound's vicinity. This otherwise-unrelated raid led to the capture of PoI-39105 (Steven Wright), a known anartist suspected of involvement in SCP-████'s escape and credited as "extra-special effects head" of SCP-8304.
Purpose of interview: Determine extent of PoI-39105's ties to SCP-████ and SCP-8304.
Interviewed: PoI-39105 (Steven Wright)
Interrogator: I know why you're here, you know why you're here, so let's just cut to the chase. Why did you break SCP-████ out of containment?
Wright: Care to explain to the audience what those numbers mean?
Interrogator: You might know it better as Stanley ██████████.
Wright: Oh, that guy. Never liked him much. Definitely not enough to risk my freedom breaking him out. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't get caught sooner considering how arrogant that man is.
Interrogator: So you deny any involvement with its escape?
Wright: I had nothing to do with his escape. Can I go now?
Interrogator: Not yet. We still have one more thing to talk about.
[The interrogator slides a picture of SCP-8304's cover across the table.]
Interrogator: Does this look familiar?
Wright: Rings a bell…
Interrogator: Joshua Christophers, Audrey, Kevin Fox?
Wright: Ah, that's what it was. Can't believe I ever liked Kev. I guess I was young and mistook stubbornness for confidence.
Interrogator: Oh?
Wright: Kev never took criticism well. Don't think his parents ever told him "no" in his life. Just got worse after he started taking film classes. Thought he'd be the next Hitchcock, was convinced everyone loved him. In reality, pretty much everyone thought he was insufferable, eventually including me.
Interrogator: And this attitude influenced this film?
Wright: Well, considering he started work on it after Andrea rejected him in front of half the class…
Interrogator: I see. And what about the otter?
Wright: What otter?
Interrogator: Don't play dumb. The reason you're listed as "extra-special effects head"?
Wright: …of course that's what he called it. Is he saying the effects are extra-special or is he trying to suck up to me? Oh wait, that would require him to see value in the people around him beyond what they can do for him. Would that make him a sociopath or a psychopath?
Interrogator: I don't know and I don't see how that distinction is relevant. Keep talking.
Wright: Guy never really understood what makes a film good. Thought just adding a load of ultimately meaningless symbolism would address the issues people kept finding.
Interrogator: So is this where the otter came in?
Wright: Sort of. See, he kind of had his head up his own ass and couldn't accept he might have made a fundamentally shitty film. So of course he thought the reviewers were simply too uncultured to understand the symbolism he kept shoving in. He was vaguely aware of cognitohazards, anart and all that, and knew I knew how to make some. So he pestered me for weeks to "force them to appreciate the symbolism". Eventually I agreed just to shut him up. Well, he never said I had to make them appreciate intentional symbolism…
Interrogator: So the otter wasn't even supposed to mean anything?
Wright: Nope. Just happened to be there while they were filming and he never noticed during editing. By the time he realized why everyone kept talking about otters, I'd already graduated and could just ignore him.
Interrogator: Thank you for your cooperation. I just have one more question: where is Fox now?
Wright: What makes you think I know?
Interrogator: Besides the fact that your calendar has "Egg Kevin McBitchcock's house" written on it for… [checks notes] the 30th of September?
Wright: First off, doing it on Halloween is too mainstream for my tastes. Second, I mightn't like the guy, but I'm sure as hell not selling him out to you.
Interrogator: That's where our opinions seem to differ. You appear to be under the impression you have a choice in the matter. Guards, would you bring in the-
[The interrogator and security staff lose voluntary muscle control in a manner consistent with SCP-████'s anomalous properties and collapse. SCP-████ and several escaped Are We Cool Yet? members enter the room.]
Wright: [sighs] Had to wait for the most dramatic moment, didn't you, Stanley?
SCP-████: Please just call me Stan! We're friends, aren't we?
Wright: Do you really want me to answer that?
SCP-████: [In a poor imitation of Wright] "Why thank you for your amazing rescue, Stan!"
Wright: Let's just get out of here.
[Wright turns to address the interrogator.]
Wright: Oh, and if you do find Kevin, tell him I said to go fuck himself.
[The group leave, Wright making an obscene gesture to the camera as he exits. A note falls out of his pocket.]
Afterword: SCP-████ was soon recaptured while taunting a fallen guard, who had regained enough muscle control to tase it. Wright and several other Persons of Interest escaped before reinforcements could arrive and remain at large.
Note from PoI-39105:
Some people wouldn't recognise bad cinema if it hit them in the face. Or the ass. Not that there's much of a difference with some people. This is your yearly reminder that you were upstaged by a dead otter.
- Steve
PS: I know some good window cleaners if you need them!