The man in the lab coat presented me with a folder overflowing with papers.
"Here, Yuri, this is something you should read while we wait for Sonia to wake," he said. I glanced at her, noticing she was either asleep or in a coma, connected to a breathing mask and an IV fluid drip. Her hand and eye were already bandaged, and she appeared stable. However, it troubled me that Sonia had not regained consciousness by now.
"Are you certain she's alright?" I inquired.
"I am confident that she is. Just take it easy. You both have been through hell." he reassured me. He was right. I opened the folder.
Item #: SCP-6534
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-6534 is impossible to move and is contained on-site. All public roads leading to or passing by SCP-6534 have been redirected. No personnel is to enter SCP-6534 unless ordered to by the site's concurring director. The entrance to SCP-6534 is to be monitored at all times. Anything exiting SCP-6534 determined not to be an SCP-6534-1 or SCP-6534-2 entity must be detained and debriefed before classification and containment. Any entity showing hostility and wearing apparel of that of a church or occult are SCP-6534-1 entities and are to be terminated on sight. SCP-6534-2 entities are to be detained, documented, and destroyed.
Description: Scp-6534 is an enclosed suburban zone located within the Mojave desert. Despite the desert, on average, being 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the area surrounding the suburban location is measured with a constant temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Upon entering SCP-6534, individuals experience a drastic change in environmental conditions. The atmosphere becomes enveloped in dense fog, accompanied by an intense auditory distortion consisting of static noise, distant screams, and other unsettling sounds. Visibility is significantly reduced, often limited to a few meters.
The suburban zone consists of the following: a school labeled 'Midwich High School.' Approximately 52 houses are identical in design that resembles an East Asian home. Lastly, a large stone wall measuring approximately 10 meters in height and 3 meters in width. This wall seems to have been built around the Suburban zone's perimeter, only 50 meters away from the outer housing—information gathered from satellite images.
SCP-6534-1 are entities that resemble ordinary people wearing occult and church-like clothing. However, they are incredibly tall and tend to have inhuman strength. They are extremely hostile to any living being, except for SCP-6534-2. SCP-6534-1 entities typically manifest when any personnel gets close to the perimeter wall. They tend to originate from an unseen door in the wall. They will display in a ratio of three entities against one personnel. Personnel that are under assault by SCP-6534-1 are typically beaten until unconsciousness, to which they are then dragged off into the door mentioned previously and are not seen again.
SCP-6534-2 entities are typically mannequin-looking figures wearing either a male or female school uniform, depending on the mannequin's body type. These entities are harmless and do not pose a threat to security personnel. Observation concluded that SCP-6534-2 follows a typical schedule for a high-school student. The reason behind this is unknown. However, it is likely for the possibility of deception.
Attempts to physically exit SCP-6534 have proven futile, as the environment constantly reshapes itself, leading individuals back into the suburbs.
Addendum: Doctor Whitlock must continuously be monitored due to his recklessness in entering SCP-6534. While he came out unscathed, he must be stripped of his director status and assigned as a doctor to remain in Outpost B.
Footnotes:
Director Camilla: Who the hell does he think is running into SCP-6534? He only managed to get two of them out. The other four are dead because he couldn't follow the procedure. He's lucky he's not being demoted to D-class.
End of file.
After a few seconds, the words I read sank into my mind, causing my entire body to freeze momentarily. My heart ceased its beating, and my lungs ceased their work. It felt like my body had momentarily shut down, even for an instant. Was my entire life nothing but a deception? I dismissed the thought with a shake of my head. I vividly recalled leaving my childhood neighborhood and relocating here. There's no possibility this place is situated in the heart of a desert.
I scanned the room for the doctor, but he had vanished. I presumed he must have departed while I was engrossed in the papers. Sonia remained asleep on the bed, and a sense of concern washed over me at her never awakening. Her hair shimmered under the fluorescent light, casting a radiant glow. Her skin remained smooth and pristine as if the flood had never touched us. Tenderly, I placed my hand on hers, seeking any sign of response. Yet, there was no reaction from her. I withdrew my hand and left her be.
I rose from my position and approached the door, which curiously lacked a handle. I knocked on it, hoping for a response, but there was none. Frustration mounting, I pounded on the door, demanding to be released. However, all I received in return was a stern, gruff voice admonishing me to be quiet. An expression of defiance crossed my face as I insisted on seeing the doctor. Yet, my efforts seemed futile, as there were no further responses from whoever stood guard behind that door.
All I could do was sit and wait, hoping for Sonia to awaken or for the doctor to reappear. A perplexing question arose as I pondered further on the contents of the file I had been given. If the doctor had permitted me to peruse the file, why would he now confine me to this room? I struggled to find a plausible explanation. Sighing, I settled back into the chair beside Sonia's bed, resting my arms on its sides as I gazed upon her tranquil form. Her beauty captivated me, and I understood why Elias held such deep affection for her. Imagining her with an eyepatch, I mused how effortlessly she could exude a fierce and independent aura. Lost in thoughts of her, I eventually drifted off to sleep.
"You killed him!"
Startled by the commotion, I roused from my slumber to the sound of a heated argument. Lifting my head, I observed Sonia, wide awake and brimming with anger, facing off against the doctor I had previously conversed with. Despite Sonia's furious accusations, the doctor remained composed and collected.
"Sonia, you're awake!" I exclaimed. While she noticed my words, she disregarded them in favor of her argument with the doctor.
"I had to kill them. They would not hesitate to do the same to you and Sonia."
The doctor's words ignited a fierce surge of anger and wrath in Sonia, contorting her face with intensity. In an instant, she lunged from the bed, aiming to tackle the doctor while unleashing a torrent of profanities. Yet, her attempt was swiftly thwarted as a figure clad in military armor swiftly intervened, effectively apprehending her. Sonia was forcefully brought down to the floor, her hands secured tightly behind her back.
"You fucking assholes!" The guard's grip tightened, eliciting cries of pain from Sonia.
The doctor approached me, closing the distance between us, perhaps aiming to intimidate me. "At least you possess the decency to heed reason," he remarked. "Your friends are no longer among the living, but rest assured, both of you will receive amnestic treatment and be able to lead a normal life."
The room fell into a hushed stillness as those words hung. Seeking reassurance, I echoed his statement in the form of a question.
"So, will we forget everything about this incident? Will we forget each other?" I inquired, hoping for confirmation.
"Yes, you will lose all recollection of this event. You will forget each other. However, that is not my concern," he responded, devoid of sympathy.
He exited the room, and as a result, the guard released his hold on Sonia. Swiftly, the guard withdrew his pistol, directing it towards her as he cautiously retreated from the area. Sonia rose to her feet, remaining motionless until the door was sealed shut. Overwhelmed by frustration, she screamed and charged at the door, venting her anger with forceful punches. Eventually, Sonia relented, resting her head against the unyielding surface. Blood trickled from her knuckles, showing the consequence of fighting the rigid door.
"Are you okay, Sonia?" I inquired with concern. She turned to face me, tears welling up in her eyes. Slowly and dispiritedly, she approached me, her head bowed low. No words escaped her lips, but it didn't matter. I understood. Her gaze shifted to her hands, stained with her blood.
"I do not know," she replied, her eyes filled with melancholy. I longed for a way to assist her and provide solace. However, ultimately, there was nothing I could do. In the end, we would forget everything.
I grasped her hands tightly, my own becoming stained with her blood. I parted my lips, ready to utter words that might solace her troubled mind. Yet, an oppressive silence filled the room, punctuated only by our breathing.
Sonia slipped away from my grasp, sinking back down onto the bed. The same expression of hopelessness remained etched on her face as she fixated on her hands. I settled back into the chair beside the bed, unable to quell the trembling that had taken hold of me. Anxious thoughts consumed my mind, contemplating what fate awaited us. Would I genuinely forget everything—Monika, Sayori, Sonia, and Natsuki? And Elias. Memories flooded back, transporting me to a time when happiness and tranquility were present.
Is this the end? Is this where our story concludes? Sonia remained fixated on her blood-stained hands, seemingly unfazed by her injury. Now, all we could do was wait. Wait for the inevitable.
But we didn't have to wait long. The door to our room swung open, and armored men abruptly seized us. Sonia and I offered little resistance as they forcefully escorted us out. The hallways stretched before us, devoid of vibrant colors, cloaked in a stark white. Rows of doors lined the corridor, their contents and destinations concealed from our view. With our arms restrained behind our backs, we were propelled forward by the firm grip of the guards. The doctor, however, was conspicuously absent. A nagging thought invaded my mind: Why did he allow me to glimpse that revelatory file if we were only destined to forget it?
The hallway abruptly bathed in a jarring combination of white and blood-red lights. A piercing siren shattered the air, causing the two guards to halt.
"What the hell?" one of them exclaimed, their voice laced with urgency. "Contact the doctor immediately and find out what's happening."
"Affirmative," responded the other guard. The grip on my hands tightened while the other was released. The guard frantically said to a radio, "Command, this is Whiskey Unit Two. What is the current situation?"
As we anxiously awaited a response, the lights suddenly flickered off, plunging us into darkness. The only illumination source was the unsettling red glow of the alarm light.
Then, an unexpected sound echoed through the facility—a robotic voice emanating from the PA system. It declared with an eerie tone, "Attention all foundation personnel, an unknown number of hostiles has entered the facility. Substantial threat to safety remains in the facility. Exercise caution."
The guards' distress was evident as they released their grip on us and aimed their pistols down the dimly lit hallway. Whiskey Two, the guard who had made the radio call, broke the uneasy silence between us, her voice filled with concern. "Is this a containment breach?"
Whiskey One, the other guard, responded to her. "There's a possibility, but for now, hold this position. We haven't received the order to evacuate."
A heavy silence settled upon us.
"Not yet, at least."
I glanced at Sonia, observing her gaze fixed on the guards. It seemed she was contemplating an opportunity to strike or escape. Through my expression, I tried to convey to her that it wasn't worth the risk, but she had decided.
The distant sound of gunfire made me tremble. It was relentless. What hope did we have if bullets couldn't stop whatever was causing it?
The PA system crackled to life, delivering another chilling message. "The site is experiencing an extreme Keter containment breach. Full site lockdown initiated." Keter? I wondered. Haven't I heard that term before?
Whiskey Two's face filled with worry. "Keter breach? What should we do?"
Her distress was palpable, but Whiskey One seemed to remain composed. "Just stay calm and let me think for a moment."
The echoes of screams and explosions reached our ears from a distance.
"There are evacuation shelters scattered throughout the facility. We can head to one and keep these two with us until this is over, understood?"
The distressed guard nodded, finding solace in his partner's words. Both guards turned their gaze toward us.
"You're staying with us. Do you want to run? You wouldn't last five minutes out there. So, you'll follow us, clear?" The calm guard's question hung in the air. I nodded in agreement, and Sonia responded with a disgruntled affirmative.
The four of us began trekking towards the end of the hallway with the armed in front and Sonia and me behind. The alarm was still blaring, and the distant sounds of gunfire and screaming could still be heard. Sonia seemed unfazed by this. However, I was terrified. What horrors waited for us just beyond a few doors away?
As we continued walking, a sudden light emanated behind us, prompting me to turn around. To my astonishment, it was the same glowing white door I had encountered during the flood. To my surprise, the door swung open, revealing the front side of my house. Everyone else kept moving, but I couldn't resist the pull of curiosity and slowly returned to the door. Doubts crept into my mind. What if the document I had read was a lie? What if these people were manipulating me all along? Despite my misgivings, the yearning to return home was undeniable at that moment.
I walked through the door with hope and trepidation, glancing back at Sonia and the guards. Strangely, they seemed oblivious to the door's presence and my absence. I called out to Sonia, urging her to run towards me. But as the group turned their heads in my direction, the door slammed shut, isolating me in this potentially fake reality.
The ominous glow of the streetlights cast an eerie aura around the house. Although the idea of finding refuge inside offered some comfort, the mysterious means by which I ended up here left me deeply unsettled.
Why did the ones controlling this strange situation want me back in my house? What purpose did they have in mind for me? Memories of the terrifying encounter I had alongside Sonia flooded my mind. The person who I refuse to believe was Sayori mentioned something about a "third eye," which I couldn't comprehend. I have no such gem or object that matches that description. Even more disturbing was that they had gouged out Sonia's eye desperately trying to find it. They had planned to do the same to me, but I felt no unusual sensations in my eyes.
The whole situation felt like a haunting nightmare, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this twisted puzzle than I could grasp. However, I could only venture inside my house, hoping nothing horrid would come.
Approaching the door, I cautiously placed my hand on the knob and gave it a gentle twist. To my surprise, it turned effortlessly, and an unsettling thought crept into my mind: Was someone deliberately luring me inside? Despite my apprehension, I cautiously pushed the door open slowly and quietly, revealing my house's familiar, unchanged interior. It was dark, as evident from the outside, so I fumbled to find the light switch and illuminated part of the house.
To my bewilderment, everything appeared undisturbed, as if the scuffle and flood had never occurred. How could that be? The force of the flood should have inflicted damage, but here, the house stood seemingly unscathed. I struggled to comprehend the reality before me, but I shook off the confusion and continued my thorough inspection of the home.
I entered my bedroom, relieved to find it still adorned with my preferred design. However, something caught my eye – a book lying on the floor. That struck me odd; I never left books around, significantly since I cherished them dearly. Curiosity piqued, I picked up the book "The Portrait of Markov." Just as I did, a heavy thud sounded outside, as if something had been placed on the pavement.
Peering out of my bedroom window, I saw the same door that had led me to this world. To my astonishment, Sonia emerged from that door, running into this reality. But before she could get far, the door abruptly shut behind her. Concerned for her well-being, I rushed downstairs and out the door to meet her. Sonia was covered in blood from her upper torso up to her face, struggling to stand, yet she pressed on with determination. I cautiously approached her, offering support.
"Sonia, are you alright?" I asked, my voice tinged with worry.
"I am fine," she replied, her voice weak but resolute.
Suddenly, a voice resonated through the air, revealing a familiar presence behind us – someone close.
"Finally, I found you both," the voice announced.
Turning around, we faced a girl standing before us, donned in her school uniform, coral brown hair cascading, and a bright white ribbon fashioned in her hair. Her words were familiar as she greeted us with a knowing smile. "It's good to see you two again."
It was Monika.