NOTICE
Due to the ongoing TEMPERANCE-PRINCIPALITY Event's impact on the Foundation's standard practices and priorities, the containment procedures for this SCP have been altered in order to allocate Foundation personnel and resources where they are most necessary. Contact your Site Director for more information regarding the ongoing TEMPERANCE-PRINCIPALITY Event.
This SCP has been designated a TP Level 0 (extremely low priority) anomaly.
Galveston prior to the TEMPERANCE-PRINCIPALITY Event.
Item #: SCP-8819
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: As the only individuals currently residing in Galveston are Foundation personnel stationed at Site-515, there is minimal risk of civilian exposure to SCP-8819. Known manifestations of SCP-8819, including any abnormal actions or behaviors, are to be logged accordingly by Site-515 staff.
Description: SCP-8819 is an incorporeal entity which periodically manifests on the eastern beaches of Galveston, Texas. The anomaly appears as a white, brown-haired, male-presenting individual, with its age, clothing, and behavior differing with each manifestation. SCP-8819 does not respond to any stimuli or attempts to communicate, and will usually disappear after 1-2 hours.
SCP-8819's behavior is incredibly varied, but it most often lies on the beach in a fetal position, floats on its back in the shallow water, or stares into the horizon. The anomaly often appears to be in distress, and has been observed to periodically suffer from panic attacks. Despite this, SCP-8819 is completely silent See Addendum 2.
The first appearance of SCP-8819 occurred on February 2nd, 2068, and the anomaly has manifested roughly once every three days since. Appearances of SCP-8819 during storms are especially common.
Addendum - Intervention of PoI-7172: On August 11th, 2072, a civilian (PoI-7172) was found attempting to access the island of Galveston via motorboat. When confronted by personnel stationed at Site-515, the individual demanded access to SCP-8819. They were detained without issue and later interviewed to ascertain their motivations and connection to SCP-8819.
- Hide interview.
Interviewer: Site Director Shirley Kore
Interviewee: PoI-7172 (Peri Hatton)
Subject: SCP-8819
BEGIN INTERVIEW
Kore: Alright, microphone's on. Anything I can get you before we get started? Water, tea-
PoI-7172: I'm good.
Kore: Okay. Ms. Hatton, how did you find about SCP-8819?
PoI-7172: Leaked Foundation memos, if it wasn't obvious. Just… one of many restricted PDF files floating around online these days. I'd say you guys should really get to shutting that shit down, but with the Princes and all, y'know. I don't blame you.
Kore: Right, right. And what brought you to come here and seek it out?
PoI-7172 stays silent for a moment, looking away from Site Director Kore.
PoI-7172: That's me.
Kore: I'm sorry?
PoI-7172: That thing is me. Or part of me, I guess.
Kore: …Are you responsible for the anomaly's creation?
PoI-7172: Yeah. I performed a Roswell-Yokoyama ritual a few years back. Do I need to explain what that is, or-
Kore: That won't be necessary. Thaumaturgic rituals aren't my forte, but I'm familiar with Roswell-Yokoyama. Sorry, keep going.
PoI-7172 pauses, closing her eyes for a moment and slumping back in her chair.
PoI-7172: I may take you up on that water offer, actually.
Kore: Of course. Give me just a minute.
Site Director Kore leaves to retrieve a cup of water, returning a short while later.
PoI-7172: This is gonna suck to get through.
Kore: That's alright, please take as long as you need. I've got nothing but time.
PoI-7172 takes a deep breath and shakily lets it out.
PoI-7172: So after all the time and sweat I put into the ritual, after burning a bunch of personal belongings and drawing the required sigils all over my basement, after going on this whole… I don't want to call it an acid trip, but that's basically what it was. You're supposed to black out at some point during the final act, and when I woke up he was there. Not SCP-8819, but…
PoI-7172 pauses, wiping her eyes.
PoI-7172: When I wake up, this thing is in the room with me. Every single mole on my body that I hate, my stupid voice, those giant, disgusting hands… all of it mushed together into this little kid in front of me. I can barely stand up but it's already running around my basement, panicking and crying like a little baby. These horrible, guttural cries that I haven't heard in decades. I swear, I can still see the snot running down its face as it tries to undo the lock on the basement door. I don't know if it was afraid of something in particular, or if that's just the way it was.
PoI-7172 takes a sip of water.
PoI-7172: It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. I don't think I can convey just how bad it was being near it - this wailing, sniveling little thing. Just awful.
Kore: We can pick this up later if you need to.
PoI-7172: Thanks, but I'm fine. So I finally stand up, the thing turns around to look at me, and the crying stops. There's this… little sparkle in its eyes. Like it can't believe what it's looking at.
PoI-7172 takes another deep breath, wiping her eyes again.
PoI-7172: That's the part I can't get out of my head. This look of wonder, and… fuck, even joy in this kid's eyes. Because I knew exactly what he must have been feeling.
Kore: And that would be…?
PoI-7172: I'll… I'll get to that. In that moment, I couldn't care less. Because all I felt then and there was… hate, in every inch of my body. Every horrible thing that's ever happened to me, every zit I've ever had on my face, every dream I've ever given up on, all squished together into a perfect little scapegoat.
PoI-7172 looks away, pausing for a moment as she continues to hold back tears.
PoI-7172: Before it has a chance to speak, before I can hear its ugly little voice, before I know it my hands are wrapped around this shovel that was mounted on the wall and I just-
PoI-7172 mimes a two-handed swing.
PoI-7172: Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Over and over again. Even after this thing's down on the concrete, blood everywhere, I just keep smashing its head in. After a few whacks, the crying turns into this… gurgling noise, which was somehow even worse. Even so - bang, bang, bang, bang, metal on bone. Metal on concrete. I must have been in there for an hour. Every time I bring the shovel down on what's left of the thing's head, its whole body twitches like a dead bug. Even after the shovel's head breaks off I'm still standing there, screaming as I beat what's left of its brains into paste.
PoI-7172 takes another sip of water.
Kore: …I see. That sounds really harrowing.
PoI-7172: Harrowing? Come on, I killed someone. I don't deserve any sympathy for it, even if most people who do the ritual end up getting rid of their double.
Kore: Still, it's a lot for anyone to go through.
PoI-7172: I guess. So I drive out in the middle of nowhere to bury the body, not like anyone's left to arrest people these days. I spend a few hours cleaning the brains out of the basement, and that's that. All it took was one look in the mirror to feel any bit of guilt vanish.
PoI-7172: Because I was finally, finally free.
PoI-7172 takes a long pause.
Kore: And is… SCP-8819 some remnant of that?
PoI-7172: Yeah. I think so. Though nobody online ever said anything about their double coming back as a ghost.
Kore: I've never heard of anything like that associated with Roswell-Yokoyama either. How can you be sure it's related to SCP-8819, then?
PoI-7172 looks out the window facing the beach.
PoI-7172: Back before the Princes, before everything went to shit, long before I started questioning and trying to bury my thoughts of oh, maybe I don't want to be a guy anymore, I went on this vacation to Galveston with my folks for a family reunion. I must have been, like, seven. On the last day, this huge storm hits the island and we're trapped in our dingy hotel room. Lights flickering with every lightning strike, streets flooding left and right, I was terrified.
PoI-7172: I end up falling asleep somehow, and I have this dream where I'm sitting on the beach, ankle-deep in the water, looking at the overcast skies on the horizon. There's this woman standing there with me - wearing some cover-up and a big, droopy black hat. I can't bring myself to look at her face for some reason. She asks if I want to go out into the water with her, and I say yes. She takes my hand and leads me out until it's up to my waist and we just… stand there, staring out into the distance.
PoI-7172: When I was growing up, I'd think about that dream whenever I was too depressed to fall asleep. How nice it felt to hold her hand, the gentle waves washing against me, how it felt to be alone together on the beaches where my mother grew up. And as I started to get my shit together and figure myself out, I realized that that woman was me - that's who I wanted to be.
PoI-7172 pauses.
PoI-7172: He's waiting for me. He's been on that beach waiting for me for years. Fuck, he finally gets to meet the version of himself he idolized for so long and I bash his head in. I'm sorry, I just…
PoI-7172 takes a moment to collect herself.
PoI-7172: I need to see him. I need to make things right. Can I? Please?
Kore: I get where you're coming from, Ms. Hatton. I really do. But the Foundation doesn't allow civilians to interact with anomalies, plus there's no telling what you'll-
PoI-7172: No, no, please, please, please. I'm not going to hurt him, I promise. What harm can he even do? He's only a boy, a boy that doesn't do anything but wait. He's the least threatening anomaly in the entire world, what's the harm in making his dream finally come true? I'm begging you, I'll do whatever it takes, I just want to talk to him.
Kore: I understand, but-
PoI-7172 stands, raising its voice.
PoI-7172: No, you don't understand! That's all I want! What the fuck are you even doing here? What's left that needs containing?! Your Foundation has failed, the world's done for, and here you are keeping me away from the last thing that makes me want to keep going. For what? What gives you the right?!
Site Director Kore looks away and does not respond. PoI-7172 sighs and sits back down.
PoI-7172: Would anyone even care? Is there even anyone left that would?
Kore: …Of course. I can't just shirk centuries of standard procedure like that, as much as…
Site Director Kore trails off.
PoI-7172: …As much as what?
Kore: As much as I wish I could.
Site Director Kore adjusts her glasses and looks back toward PoI-7172.
Kore: …Would you mind if I told a little story of my own?
PoI-7172 shakes her head.
Kore: I've had my eye on SCP-8819 for four years now - ever since it first showed up. Even in an oddball Site like this, where they stuff as many low-priority Safes as they can, that boy was always a complete mystery. And it always made me sad that I'd never get to hear his story, no matter how many times I asked.
Kore: Even after this Site's numbers dwindled, even after they made me Site Director out of nowhere, even after I lost two boys of my own to the TEMPERANCE-PRINCIPALITY Event, he was still there. No matter what happens to the Foundation personnel and skips that are… practically family to me, as much as they shouldn't be, that boy on the beach is always there.
Kore: I'd tell myself on my worst days, even if the entire world is falling apart, I'd stick around on the off chance I could see him smile just once. But the thought that I could be the one to make it happen is… well, it can never be more than that. A thought.
PoI-7172: What's stopping you?
Both remain silent for a moment.
Kore: I can't, Ms. Hatton. I just can't.
PoI-7172: Look, we both want the same thing here. You admitted as much. You're the damn Site Director, who's gonna stop you?
Kore: Like my position means anything. This interview is over, I can't-
Site Director Kore reaches for the microphone, but PoI-7172 grabs her hand.
PoI-7172: You said the skips here in this site were your family. Does that include 8819?
Site Director Kore remains silent, stopping as PoI-7172 holds her hand.
PoI-7172: …Well, does it? You talk about him like-
Kore: SCP-8819… you… you had the same curls as Thomas did. My younger one.
PoI-7172: …So that's it.
PoI-7172 lets go, and both slump back in their respective chairs.
Kore: I'm sorry, Ms. Hatton. I know that's not my boy out there, but…
PoI-7172: Don't apologize, you're fine. What was he like? Thomas, I mean.
Site Director Kore turns away once more.
Kore: He… grew up during the height of the TEMPERANCE-PRINCIPALITY Event, but still ended up being one of the kindest people I ever knew. He joined the Foundation not to follow in my footsteps or avenge his brother, but because he was convinced that's how he could make the world a better place. Until the day he passed, he always said he had forgiven the world he grew up in - all he wanted was to leave this life better than how he found it.
Both remain silent for a moment.
PoI-7172: I'm… so sorry, Mrs. Kore.
Kore: It's alright. Thank you.
Site Director Kore dries her eyes on her sleeve.
Kore: I keep asking myself what he would do, but it's pretty clear he'd be out there with you waiting for SCP-8819 to show up before you even finished your story, Foundation be damned.
PoI-7172: Do you… think he'd want you to do the same?
Site Director Kore smiles as she looks out toward the beach.
Kore: Yeah. I think he would.
END INTERVIEW
Addendum 2 - Encounter between SCP-8819 and PoI-7172: Following the interview, Site Director Kore approved allowing PoI-7172 access to SCP-8819. The following is a log of their encounter.
- Hide log.
BEGIN LOG
PoI-7172: -camera rolling?
Kore: Yes, it's rolling. Give me a second to set it up right.
SCP-8819 is seen knee deep in the water, facing the ocean. It appears as a ten year old boy wearing a swimsuit.
PoI-7172: C'mon, seriously?
Kore: I know I gave you the OK, but there's still a process I'd like to-
PoI-7172 huffs and dashes out onto the beach towards SCP-8819.
Kore: Alright, fine, we can do that too.
PoI-7172: ████! Hey, ████!
SCP-8819 does not respond. PoI-7172 runs up and attempts to hug it from behind, but fails due to its incorporeal nature. PoI-7172 backs up and pauses for a moment.
PoI-7172: No…?
PoI-7172 tries to grab SCP-8819's shoulder, waving her hand through it to ensure that the entity is still incorporeal.
PoI-7172: Not even for me? Isn't… isn't that what you wanted?
PoI-7172 sighs and stands next to SCP-8819, looking out into the horizon. The sun is setting behind them.
PoI-7172: You sure you don't want to hold my hand? Like we used to?
PoI-7172 extends its hand towards SCP-8819. The anomaly begins to cry.
PoI-7172: Hey, what's… what's wrong? Please don't cry.
The anomaly slowly turns towards her, tears in its eyes.
SCP-8819: Are you happier now, Peri?
PoI-7172 takes a moment to respond.
PoI-7172: …I don't know, buddy.
SCP-8819 turns back towards the horizon.
SCP-8819: Oh.
PoI-7172: I'm sorry.
Both remain silent for the remainder of the recording.
END LOG
PoI-7172 remained with SCP-8819 until its demanifestation an hour later. SCP-8819 has continued to manifest as usual, and has not spoken or acknowledged any personnel since - including PoI-7172.
Action against Site Director Kore and PoI-7172 has been deemed unnecessary.