Author's Note: Hello, everyone! This is a new Creepypasta-based series similar to that of the SCP Foundation. I've been working on this for a good while now, so I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know your thoughts on it, I'd love to hear all of your feedback. Any creepypasta characters used here belong to their respective creators. With that out of the way, have a Happy Halloween!
BRRRT! BRRRT! BRRRT!
Sophia shrieked and sat up, breathing heavily as the sounds of the alarm jolted her awake. Once it had stopped, she glanced around her surroundings and sighed.
I'm still in the same cell, she thought solemnly. It's only been two days since she moved to this place. This small, cold prison cell had nothing but a toilet, a sink, and a cramped bed with white sheets.
"The hell did I do to deserve this?" she mumbled to herself as she moved her bare feet to the floor, feeling a frozen sensation from the floor. She kept asking herself the moment her life suddenly went from one tragedy to another.
In need of comfort, she turned to her pillow and reached under it, pulling out a small polaroid photo of a beach. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and gently pressed her fingers against the photo.
Concentrating, the cold, suffocating atmosphere of the cell turned warm as Sophia imagined being on that very beach. She heard the sound of seagulls passing by as she took in the warm, tropical breeze. She no longer felt the freezing floor as she now felt sand coursing underneath her feet. Instead of a meager ceiling light, the sun's rays shown down on Sophia, giving her a sense of warmth and freedom that she had desperately needed…
"WAKE UP!" a voice suddenly bellowed and suddenly, the warm illusion shattered as Sophia spasmed violently, jerking and convulsing for a moment before lying on the floor in pain.
Groaning, she glanced up to see the site's Warden Bernard glaring down on her, taser in hand.
"Stop daydreaming, 709!" he barked at her. "Didn't you hear the speakers? The science geeks want to talk to you, or are you busy getting a tan to pay attention."
He then swiftly kicked Sophia in the gut, making her clutch it in pain, before picking up the polaroid photograph she had dropped. He wasted no time in ripping it in front of her.
Warden Bernard smiled at the heartbroken expression the girl had as she watched the ripped photo float down to the floor.
"Get your ass to the showers and get dressed for your interview," he ordered before kneeling and pointing the taser close to Sophia's face. "Or else that photo won't be the only thing I tear in half…"
Sophia grunted, glaring at her warden before looking down in defeat. Satisfied in breaking her for the day, Warden Bernard left the cell and turned to two armed guards who saw what happened.
"You two take 709 to the showers once it gets up," he ordered them before glancing at the rifles they held. "Don't hesitate to shoot if it does anything suspicious. It might look normal, but you know what anomalies can do…"
The two guards nodded and Warden Bernard took his leave. Still lying on the floor in pain, Sophia took a deep breath before glancing at her wrist, seeing the ID tag and the number they gave her.
709
My name is Sophia Manson, she thought to herself as she held back tears, silently refusing to let that damn number replace her name. My name is Sophia Manson...
. . .
"Watch it, Pine!" a silver-haired doctor shouted angrily at Prof. Mika Pine, who almost bumped into her.
"Sorry!" Mika shouted, not daring to turn back as she rushed excitedly to Interview Room B. Sparks of happiness and anticipation jolted throughout her body as she looked forward to the first anomaly she was tasked to oversee. That's right, oversee. It had taken her more than a year to prove her worth, but the young professor had finally gotten permission to research an anomaly on her own.
She couldn't wait, she just couldn't! She wondered how the anomaly would be like. She had gotten a good idea from her file on who she was. A-709, a young woman with strange photo-based abilities who got arrested for murder.
Was the murder really why she got locked up? What was the extent of her photo-based abilities? Why were her powers photo-based? She desperately craved for answers, to which she knew she'll get-
"Umm...Prof. Pine?" a guard called out to her. "Interview Room B is...right here."
Mika turned and chuckled nervously. "Oh, my bad. Sorry, Steve. I got lost in my thoughts again, but can you blame me though? This is the first time I'll be researching an anomaly on my own! No Lorraine or Fish to hold me back! It'll be just me and A-709."
"Don't forget us," the other guard next to the first one remarked. "We'll be here to make sure she doesn't do anything, ma'am."
"Oh, that won't be necessary," Mika said before getting her notebook and pen ready. "Now, if you please?"
The guards nodded and opened the doors to the Interview Room. Mika smiled confidently as she stepped inside. Checking her surroundings, she saw there was nothing in the interview room but a metal table, two chairs, and two security cameras attached to the edges of the ceiling. Sitting down on one of the chairs, Mika twiddled her thumbs as she waited in anticipation, barely containing her eagerness to meet A-709.
. . .
Meanwhile, Sophia stepped out after a quick shower that only consisted of just soap and water. It lasted only 5 minutes since she knew the two guards assigned to watch over her won't take too kindly to her if she took her time.
After quickly drying herself up with a towel, she went to the locker room and almost jumped when she saw a female guard standing by the door. She stared at the guard, her face flushing red as she was completely naked to the person in front of her.
"Aren't you going to put on your clothes?" the female guard asked, gesturing to the neatly folded prison uniform sitting on a bench.
"I-It's just…" Sophia stuttered, embarrassed. "D-Do you have to stand there every time we do this!?"
The guard shrugged. "Standard procedure. Now hurry up and get dressed, 709."
"My name is Sophia!" Sophia protested but was ignored by the guard.
"No complaints. Just put on the damn clothes, 709," the guard pressed, emphasizing those numbers.
Turning her back so her cleavage wouldn't be seen, she failed to notice the guard raising her brow at the large 3 scars on her back. The guard had been seeing them the last time she watched 709 take a shower or change clothes. She wanted to ask 709 where they came from, but couldn't as that would be against WISP policy. Guards should not get attached to anomalies in any way, after all.
As soon as Sophia put on her uniform, an orange buttoned shirt and pants that resembled a standard prison uniform, she let the female guard cuff her and the two stepped out of the showers. As soon as the other guard joined, he and the female guard escorted Sophia to Interview Room B.
As the way to the room was through the prison area, the three made their way through there, walking past the many technologically advanced cells that imprisoned the other inmates. Vicious growls, insidious hisses, and all forms of unholy sounds echoed throughout the halls, sending chills to Sophia's spine. Glancing at each of the cells, there were some inmates that Sophia couldn't help but gawk at.
One was a strange white, faceless creature holding what appeared to be a broken black hard as it was dangling upside down by a long black spiked wire wrapped around its legs. It also had those same wires wrapped around its right wrist and even its neck, causing large amounts of blood to come out, staining its once purely white fur. It had stitches in its ears and vertically from where its face should have been.
The blood-stained on its face played the role of its "eyes" as it turned to give a glance at Sophia and the guards escorting her. Sophia couldn't help but stare at the creature curiously as it dangled from its cell, seemingly unfazed by the spikes piercing its body.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Sophia nearly jumped as sinister cackling echoed throughout the area, overpowering the sounds of the other monsters. Turning around, Sophia saw a clown that wore monochromatic attire. It had shaggy black hair and a nose so long and sharp it could impale someone. Its arms and legs were outstretched to an abnormal height and its smile was so large that it tore through the skin of its deathly pale cheeks, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. With a sinister laugh, it lunged at the glass cell, making Sophia jump as it cackled demonically.
Looking away from the creature proved to be a big mistake as Sophia ended up staring at what appeared to be a thin, malformed humanoid creature wearing a bloodied hospital gown. It had pale white skin and its red eyes pierced into Sophia's soul as it glared furiously at her and the guards escorting her. It appeared to be the most human-looking thing Sophia had seen inside these cells until she turned and saw the girl.
She looked close to Sophia's age, who wore the same prison uniform she had. She sat on her bed, looking at something Sophia couldn't see. She had a noticeably lean figure that bordered on skeletal, as well as pale peach skin, long, messy brown hair, and a glowing green eye. Glowing eyes aside, she didn't look too freakish…
She looks normal, was what Sophia thought...until she turned to stare at Sophia, showing the pocket watch that had replaced her left eye. Sophia winced at the sight. When the clock-eyed girl stood up and peaked from her cell's glass door to observe Sophia and the two guards, the former saw black stitches which were sewn into the corners of the girl's mouth to resemble an upwards smiling position.
Nervous from the clock-eyed girl's stare, Sophia glanced away and ended up seeing another strange figure. She was a little girl with dirty pale skin and cuts and bruises all over her body, some still leaking blood. She had long, blonde hair and glowing blue eyes, as well as a blue dress covered in dirt and blood. The little girl hovered inside her cell, motionless and still until she saw Sophia and the guards pass by. For a while, she just stared at them lifelessly until shadows began sprouting from where she stood, giggling hysterically in a way that made Sophia shiver from how unsettling they sounded.
There were many other monsters that Sophia couldn't help but not ignore. From smiling dogs to obscene beasts, each of these creatures ranged from bizarre to downright terrifying. Some of them were either glaring down at the three of them or letting out bone-chilling sounds that Sophia wished she could unhear. However, the one that stood out the most was the last creature she saw before finally leaving the prison area.
Observing the three of them from inside its cell was a tall, pale figure standing from 6 to 14 feet tall. It resembled a man wearing a black suit, white shirt, a black tie, black trousers, and shoes. Its most distinguishing feature was its face...or rather lack thereof. It had no eyes, nose, mouth, or any other facial features of any kind. It was just a faceless, tall man in a suit. Compared to the other monsters, it seemed generic, but there was something about it that rubbed Sophia the wrong way.
Its aura and presence were far more ominous and fearsome than the other monster, making it far more than what it seemed. There was also the fact that it seemed to be staring at Sophia intently despite having no eyes. The other monsters were doing the same thing, but it was obvious their glares were more toward the guards. This...thing seemed to be interested only in her. The cell did not even look like it was containing the damn thing, as if it will just get out at any moment and reach for her…
Sophia couldn't help but hyperventilate at the sight of the monster. As it continued to observe her, she urged the guards to quicken their pace.
By the time Sophia managed to reach the exit, she was more than happy to be away from that gallery of monsters, the tall, slender one especially.
. . .
Interview Room B
When the doors of the interview room opened, Mika perked up, grinning in excitement as two guards entered with her anomaly. Observing the anomaly, Mika saw she matched the description she had read on the file.
A young woman of African American descent, she thought to herself. Athletic build, almost in her twenties, long black hair with red streaks...she's exactly the person I've been waiting for!
Sophia, on the other hand, did not look impressed as she glanced at the scientist sitting near the table. She had messy brunette hair tied to a ponytail. A pair of goggles rested on top of her forehead and she wore glasses, as well as a grey shirt and red tie underneath her lab coat. The scientist's childish smile and the upbeat attitude she presented didn't look professional to Sophia, but at the very least, she looked friendlier compared to everyone else in this godforsaken place.
When Sophia sat down, the scientist immediately extended her hand to her in greeting.
"You must be A-709! I'm honored to meet you. My name is Prof. Mika Pine," she said, gesturing for Sophia to shake her hand, to which she did reluctantly. "I'll be the researcher overseeing the capabilities of your anomalous traits. However, we're going to have to go through a standard interview before we can do any tests. Are you alright with that?"
"Y-yeah, I guess that sounds good," she mumbled, feeling she had to bow down and behave for the time being. "So, what exactly are you trying to get out of me? If you don't mind me asking…"
"I'm, well, a scientist, as you can probably see," Mika began. "I work with WISP, the Worldwide Investigation towards the Supernatural and Paranormal. We study abnormal things, like yourself. I... trust that you understand why you're here, right? Something to do with photos? I'd be greatly disappointed if the team we sent to acquire you didn't let you know that."
Sophia sighed. "Yeah, I know. My life's gone to shit because of it."
"How long have you had this power, 709?" Mika asked, taking down notes of what Sophia previously said.
"Realized I had it since the day my family's trip to Hawaii," Sophia answered. "I was a kid at the time. We took some photos of the ocean and when I looked at one of them, I noticed the waves moving. Tapped my finger at it and realized I could touch the water too."
"So... you can manipulate objects in photos as easily as if they were in front of you?"
Sophia nodded.
Mika grinned. "That's... amazing. Hmm..." Mika suppressed a bunch of other questions starting to boil up in her mind, primarily because she'll likely have other opportunities to interview the subject. She must stay focused.
"Did anyone react to your powers?" Mika asked.
"Not really, no," Sophia answered. "When I told my...dad, he thought I had an overactive imagination. The kids at my old school thought I was doing a weird camera trick though."
"Amazing," Mika remarked before moving along to more important questions. "Before anything else, I suppose I should ask: what were the circumstances of your arrest? This isn't me asking you to prove your innocence, per se, just tell me your side of the story. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, okay?"
Sophia paused for a moment before chuckling humorlessly. Mika raised a brow, confused.
"Sorry. The benefit of the doubt..." she repeated, chuckling for a few seconds before glancing away from the scientist. "That's what everyone said before they...testified against me."
"Well, I'm certainly not any of them," Mika said. "I was just trying to be polite, y'know…"
Sophia sighed. "Sorry…" she paused to think for a while. She'd rather not talk about what happened that night, but she didn't exactly have a choice in the matter.
She took a deep breath and began to explain.
. . .
My best friend Jack and I just finished high school. It was a big event for us, finally graduating. One chapter of our lives closed and moving on to the next one. We were planning to head to college in a couple of weeks. I was gonna head to an arts college, while Jack's parents made him go to med school.
"I don't see how that this is important, but please go on," Mika said, earning a raised brow from Sophia.
Anyways, it was the last day before Jack and I would go to college, so we decided to go party out with some friends. We played games, ate some pizza, drank beer, usual teen stuff. You should've seen Jackie's reaction when he drank his first beer! Oh my God, the face he made…!
"I don't know who Jack is and I find it unlikely that I'll ever meet him," Mika pointed out bluntly.
Do you want me to talk or not!?
"My apologies. Please, continue."
Alright...well, we had a good time at that party. We didn't get wasted or anything...actually, Jack did. The dork couldn't last two small drinks of beer. I spent most of the party trying to keep him safe. Still had a good time though.
Somewhere around 11:30 PM, I was about to go home with a passed-out Jack in the backseat. That's when my dad called.
"Ah, yes, your father," Mika chimed in, taking out a file and opening it to Sophia, who winced at the smiling face of her old man. "I've read about him while we gathered information about you. Jonathan Manson, a police captain of the Chicago Police Department. I've read all of the cases he's investigated, as well as his psychiatric files, and I must say that he's highly respectable."
Yeah...he was calling because he wanted to know where Jack and I were. It was almost midnight and Jack's parents were screaming in his ear to find us.
"What did he say?"
Oh, usual dad shit. How I was, that it was late and I should get home. I talked back and said I can handle myself, and...he agreed.
I'm already an adult, he said. I had a new path ahead of me, one where I'm going to make my own decisions. It's going to be rough, people will be there to try and take me down, but h-he...he always knew that I'd persevere...the only thing he wants is that I call him once in a while.
Mika's expression softened to a sympathetic frown as Sophia tried to contain her tears.
I couldn't help but look at a photo of him I kept in my wallet. I touched it, it flickered, and I saw my dad's smiling face as he talked to me through the phone. It was great seeing how happy he was through that photo, how proud I made him...that was when I saw something peeking its head through the window of our house.
Some freak in a hood peaked its head through the window. The thing was bony, almost like a skeleton, and the hood it had was black, dirty, and torn. Its most noticeable feature, though, was this weird blue mask that leaked...ooze? It was a gross-looking tar that kept coming down from the eyes of his mask. I saw its sharp claws as it reached to open the window.
Dad, there's something behind you! I shouted, almost waking Jack up from the back. My dad was confused. He asked me what I was talking about.
I kept trying to tell him. There's something behind you! Turn around!
When he did, he staggered and went for his gun, but that...freak lunged at him so fast...i-it was like a blur! I was in shock when I saw my dad trying to fight for his life, but that...that freak raised its clawed hands before digging its way into my dad's stomach!
I felt sick hearing dad screaming and choking on his blood, hacking and slashing through his insides...it was like a fucked up medical operation, seeing him getting mangled like that.
I-I felt like I was there in the room, but I was in so much shock that I couldn't do anything…! By the time the thing was done, my dad was practically torn in half. His organs sticking out and his blood spilled all around our living room.
I was surprised to see him still alive after that, if only for a few seconds. Y-you know, I saw him bleeding out, all I could think of w-was...was...why couldn't I have moved the photo a little!? Reached out and stopped that thing!? That maybe I could've done something…!
"It wasn't your fault."
Not like that matters. After I snapped out of it, I called the cops and drove as fast as I could. By the time I got there, that freak already left my home...and all I could do was just cry my eyes out, cradling my dad's mangled corpse.
The police took me in by the time they arrived and saw me, but I didn't care at that time. The only thing in my mind was my dad and how that was the last time I'm ever going to hear from him…
. . .
"Damn…" was all Mika could mutter, pausing as she thought over the story Sophia had told her. "I'm... sorry about all this. Though I suppose you don't believe that."
"As I said, that's what everyone told me before they testified against me," Sophia said bitterly before her expression lightened. "Except for Jack. Despite what everyone said, he knew I didn't do it...God, I don't deserve a friend like him."
"Are you referring to the trial, 709?" Mika asked.
"Yeah," Sophia answered. "I was called as a witness in my dad's murder trial. Like I said, when the police came, they saw me crying next to him so they knew I was at the crime scene...but since I was the only one at the scene of the crime and that god damn freak didn't leave any trace of itself there...!"
Sophia gritted her teeth, clenching her fists as she recalled that memory.
"You went from the grieving daughter to the prime suspect?" Mika finished.
"Bingo," Sophia answered bitterly.
"I have no idea what you must be going through right now. I won't even try," Mika said honestly. "So, continue. You mentioned a lot of people testifying against you. Why? The only person that could have possibly known anything about your whereabouts, according to your story, was Jack.
"Where did all these other people come from and what reason did they give for disbelieving you? It just seems...unnecessary. I suppose WISP almost certainly had a hand in it, at least. Sorry about that, nothing personal."
Sophia shrugged. "I would be mad at you, but honestly, you're like, the only person that's been nice to me since I got into this hellhole. And I figured you guys had something to do with my trial. Jack's the only one who testified in my favor but no one believed him. The court even made some bullshit story about me murdering my dad before going to the party if you can believe that."
Sophia chuckled humorlessly, a nasty smirk on her face. "That'd be your work, I take it?"
Mika didn't answer, unsure how to respond to that.
Sophia continued. "It was clear I was losing, so I got desperate and told my lawyer about my powers. He didn't believe me, so I told the court instead."
Sophia's face twisted in rage, her fist clenching tighter as her nails dug into her palms.
"They called me psychologically damaged after that. They used it as an excuse to go through my psychiatric files and tore through every relationship I had to prove I'm somehow capable of killing my fucking father…!" she growled, her voice trembling slightly. "So in the end, it made more sense that I went crazy and killed my dad rather than I had freaky photo powers...even when I offered to show that I had."
Mika sighed and shook her head as solemnly as she can muster. "I admit I'm no psychologist, but I sense you're getting worked up about this whole thing, and I've taken it upon myself to try to avoid aggravating anomalies. Would you like to discuss anything or take a break for a minute or something?"
"Honestly, I'd like to stop for a while if it's okay?" Sophia asked.
Mika smiled. "Of course, 709."
"There's one thing I want to ask, though," Sophia said, leaning a little closer to Mika. "What's your entire deal here? This WISP group, why I'm here, and why everyone here's so insistent to replacing my name with a damn number!"
Mika paused to think of the proper words. "Here at WISP, we deal with supernatural... things. Anything from humans with weird bodily properties, to strange trinkets, to literal gods. And, we have...a lot of these anomalies in our records, and we like keeping them organized to avoid confusion, and in the case of humans, to avoid mix-ups with staff and such. Your designation is A-A is for anomaly-709. I'll try to refer to you as Sophia if you'd prefer, though."
"Please…" Sophia pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes as she could no longer hold her emotions. "Still, just...I just feel like my life just ended up in the fucking gutter, you know? I lost so much, I don't want to lose my name too."
"I understand," Mika said softly, placing her hand on Sophia's shoulder, despite it being against protocol.
Sophia sniffled, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Mika. "Be honest with me, Pine. I...I'm stuck here forever, aren't I?"
Mika opened her mouth but hesitated and drooped her head down, most likely in shame.
"We've let anomalies go in the past, but...I can't say the effort put into those trials to get you under our custody bodes well for you. I'm sorry, Sophia. We'll try to make you feel at home as much as possible, but I can't guarantee you'll see Jack or anyone else you still care about, anytime in the future. Much less get to live back in the normal world."
Mika placed a hand on her forehead, upset that she can't give Sophia any sort of better news, but she figured it was best not to lie or make any bold, unlikely claims.
It did not comfort Sophia, however. Upon realizing just how much in deep trouble she was, the poor girl began to break down into tears. Mika wasn't having any of it.
"Oh, cheer up!" the scientist said. "We're going to do a bunch of fun tests and stuff. You'll learn a bit about yourself, at least. Isn't that at least a little comforting?"
Sophia just stared at the scientist incredulously, still crying.
"...yeah, probably not the best thing to say," Mika admitted, chuckling nervously as she scratched the back of her head. "But I mean, I'll enjoy them, at least."
"Oh, lucky you," Sophia remarked sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at the researcher.
"Science is exciting!" Mika stressed. This was a debate she'd lost before and had no intention of losing again.
"I can't believe they're going to make me wait a few hours to begin tests on you, but, like, take that time to put in any requests you have for accommodations," Mika instructed Sophia. "This probably goes without saying, but unfortunately, we don't allow access to anything that connects to the internet to the anomalies. Everything else will be decided on a case-by-case basis."
Mika then gathered all of her belongings and held them in one hand.
"I think I'll be off now. Gotta go do some more boring paperwork before we can start rocking." Mika sighed, thinking about the stack of papers she'll be facing down in a few minutes. "I'll stay in touch with you, Sophia. I know it's been rough for you, given everything that you experienced; but I promise that we will make it better."
Mika then left, leaving Sophia alone with her thoughts as two guards began to escort her back to her cell. Returning to the prison area, the sounds of monstrous growls and unholy cries echoed throughout, filling the poor girl's soul with dread and despair.
After being tossed back into her cell, she solemnly sat down on her bed. Seeing the beach photo Warden Bernard had torn apart earlier, she picked up the pieces and placed them on her bed. Like a puzzle, she put them back together to form the image of the tropical paradise she was in need of right now.
Desperately, she placed her fingertips on the ripped-up photo and concentrated. Nothing happened, so she focused harder in a vain attempt to slip back into the fantasy of warmth and happiness, to at least have a few minutes of escape from the cold, monstrous hell that her reality had become.
. . .
Inside one of the many research labs in the WISP facility, a silver-haired doctor wearing a black buttoned vest and skirt and a lab coat was seen observing her computer screen, taking down notes as she read the reports and files coming her way.
"You're back early," she said, not turning as Mika approached her. "What? Did you already mess up your first solo research on 709? That's probably a new record in your screw-ups."
Mika huffed. "For your record, the interview went well, thank you very much. We just had to end early due to the emotional distress So-709 had."
"You almost called it by its old name," the doctor remarked, deadpanned. "You've got to stop forgetting that we have a policy regarding anomalies."
"Yeah, yeah, they aren't human, we need to treat them with absolute caution, yadda, yadda, yadda," Mika remarked, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "Still, it doesn't hurt to be a little empathetic. What that poor girl went through was traumatizing. Imagine seeing your father getting hacked to pieces by some bony, long-clawed, masked monster."
"Hmm...funny you should mention that," the doctor said. "The anomaly that's currently causing a ruckus matches some of your descriptions."
Mika blinked, tilting her head. "What?"
"There's been a recent string of disappearances in a forest in Idaho," the doctor began. "Some civilians reported seeing a strange creature stalking the forests at night, some claiming it to be responsible for the recent 'animal' attacks taking place there. We've managed to get a visual of this new anomaly, which has parts of what you just described strangely enough."
"Just what do you-?" Mika's eyes widened in surprise when she peeked into the doctor's computer and saw the image plastered on the screen. "Oh…"
TO BE CONTINUED