It was a cosmic prison, across space and time, and for the moments we could see the sky, it was our fatal wound, bleeding ceaselessly until nothing was left.
Billith
It's important to remember where we came from. If you liked this article, you'll probably like:
Containment Class:
euclid
One instance of SCP-2853's interior
SPECIAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES: Due to the nature of SCP-2853, containment is only partially feasible. A perimeter is to be established in a 250-meter radius of the anomaly and monitored for activity. All civilian access points should be closed down under the guise of military operations.
Since the events of Incident 2853-1-1A, SCP-2853's containment measures have been updated to adapt to ongoing emergent phenomena (See Addendum 2853-1-B).
DESCRIPTION: SCP-2853 is a dilapidated two-story house located approximately 4 km outside of ███████ █████, Oregon. No known records of the construction or ownership of SCP-2853 exist at this time. Despite the degrading architecture, the house is completely sealed, and all attempts to break or peer through the windows have failed.
For 1-20 minute intervals, typically once per 24-hour period, the front and back doors of SCP-2853 unlock and open via an unknown means. The doors will close and reseal themselves after this interval has passed.
If a human enters SCP-2853 during this period, the doors will immediately seal themselves until the next day. The effect does not apply to nonhuman animals, although fauna explicitly avoid the location and trained testing animals have been uncooperative with Foundation handlers on the grounds of SCP-2853. This is presumed to be due in part by infrasonic frequencies recorded throughout the surrounding area, which cause an expected physiological response in D-Class personnel during exploratory efforts.
Multiple attempts have been made to survey the inside layout of SCP-2853 and have yielded additional data about the anomalous effects of the house, as described below.
ADDENDUM 2853-A: Exploration Logs
Exploration 2853-A
Subject: D-3248
Abstract: On ██-██-████ at ██:██:██, SCP-2853's doors were observed opening. One D-Class personnel equipped with audiovisual monitoring systems and one day's worth of rations was sent to observe the inside of the house.
After successful ingress via the rear entrance, the doors of SCP-2853 swung shut with a loud slam heard only through the audio feed of D-3248's recording equipment.
D-3248: [startled] -Yowch! The hell- [exhaling] Whew. I know y'all said the door would shut on me, but the thing damn near took my foot off! I guess it couldn't wait to have company.
Control: Noted. Please activate your camera and headlamp to begin observations.
Camera flicks on, revealing the interior to match the age and wear of the outside structure. Heavy amounts of dust coat all surfaces and cloud the windows. Despite the current time of day, the headlamp is deemed unnecessary, as the house is illuminated by a dull daytime light coming in through the shrouded windows. D-3248 is seen attempting to clear one to see outside, but the layers of sediment do not seem to give way at all.
D-3248 starts to move around the current room, panning the camera for Control. Several doors are present, as well as a set of stairs leading to the second floor. The interior is mostly unremarkable, containing a worn couch bearing a faded floral pattern aside a small table. Several chairs are skewed about haphazardly. Cobwebs and dust layer everything, including the walls and some various gardening tools kept by the rear door.
D-3248: Pretty drab house. The air in here is fucking stale.
Control: Please observe the rest of the house, 3248.
D-3248: Yeah, yeah.
D-3248 is seen choosing the first door to the left of the entrance. Upon entering, the door opens to a small kitchen and dining area that would comfortably fit a family of four. Dust once again coats all surfaces. D-3248's movements are seen kicking up particles from the floor. Subject takes a minute to brush off his clothes and coughs several times.
D-3248: Now, I'm not one for house cleaning, but this dust seems a bit excessive. Agh, my eye. Hold up.
D-3248 takes the water bottle out of his rations kit and flushes his eye with a small amount off camera.
D-3248: Better, continuing on.
Subject is seen moving around the kitchen, checking cupboards, and inspecting the room. Sets of plates and tarnished silverware are found among the items, but nothing of interest aside from the heavy accumulation of dust, about one centimeter on most surfaces, even in the interior of the cabinets. D-3248 stops several times to cough and flush his eyes.
D-3248: God- This place is the worst. How long until the door opens again?
Control: Another twenty-two hours, probably.
D-3248: Jesus Christ. I gotta save some of this water for drinking, my throat is dry as hell. This sink doesn't work.
Control: Noted, again. Please continue.
D-3248: [laughs] You guys don't give a shit about me, do you? Dumb question, sorry.
D-3248 continues around the perimeter of the kitchen. Camera shows uneaten food on the dining table. Despite the heavy coating of dust, no mold is observed on the food itself. Mild camera and audio interference is seen at control, though GPS location still reads in accordance to D-3248's position.
D-3248: You guys hear that? Or- feel it?
Control: Please be more descriptive of your surroundings-
D-3248: Okay, fuck you too buddy. It was like, uh, like the entire house shook, and my tinnitus suddenly got really bad. Let's finish clearing these rooms, I want to know I'm alone in here.
Control: Thermal readings indicate you are the only person in the house.
D-3248: Do ghosts show up on those things?
Control: Er- No. I guess they don't.
D-3248: [sighs]
After finishing with the kitchen, D-3248 moves back into the main room and takes the next door on his left. A small bathroom fills the camera's view. Subject is seen checking the sink for water but the tap yields nothing. D-3248 moves to the shower and toilet respectively, both having the same result.
D-3248: [coughs] There's so much dust. So much.
Control: Try to avoid breathing it in, conserve your remaining water. You'll be fine.
D-3248 does not respond and leaves the room. Another door exists to its left, but has been nailed shut with boards. After a moment of hesitation, subject opts to take the stairs to the second floor and proceeds upwards with haste.
The second floor landing comes into view and extends in both directions. Four other doors are present, and the accumulation of dust on this floor is at least three centimeters high. Large amounts are kicked up from D-3248's movement as his breathing becomes ragged.
A low groaning sound in the 15-20 Hz range is picked up in the background of D-3248's recording equipment. The camera jerks, cutting momentarily, most likely from D-3248 reacting to the noise. Quality of the audio degrades further but remains functional.
D-3248: [distorted] -is again, that fucking sound- [distorted] -it's so hot, dry too. Worse than- [coughs] -below, like seriously can't stand this air- [distorted] -the last of my water too, fucking fuck. What-
Video contact is reestablished, but the camera is pointed straight down. A considerable amount of dust is seen on the floor, ebbing and flowing like water. View jostles as subject begins to shudder and fall, gasping for air. Camera becomes inoperable again due to worsening static distortion. Audio recording still works to a degree, although D-3248's voice is hoarse and labored.
D-3248: [distorted] -gotta get me outta here, it- [distorted] -in my fucking lungs! I can feel it!- [wracking cough] -fuck, help me- [gasping] -I can't breathe! Too much- [gagging] -dust. Wh-What? Wind? Where's the fucking wind coming from?
A loud drone is heard before the audio is overcome by static and cuts abruptly. Subject's GPS tracking fails and D-3248 is not recovered. SCP-2853's doors open ahead of schedule.
Exploration 2853-B
Subject: D-8113
Abstract: On ██-██-████ at ██:██:██, SCP-2853's doors open once more, and one D-Class personnel is prepared for entry. Given the air quality and nature of the house observed in the previous log, it was deemed appropriate to equip the subject with an air filtration suit and several extra bottles of water.
Upon entry via the front door, the house once again seals with a loud slam heard only through the microphone on D-8113's person. Subject activates camera without instruction and begins observation. Light level confirmed as the same as before, despite the high sun.
D-8113: Yeah… This place is full of laughs, isn't it? Gonna be a grand ol' time in dusty-musty McMansion. You know, this kind of reminds me of my aunt Cheryl's-
Control: D-8113, please commence your search of the house.
D-8113: Sorry, Doc. I babble when I'm nervous. I've had the willies since we pulled into the driveway.
Control: It's fine.
Subject takes a quick loop of the entry room, which is identical to the previous test, aside from the gardening tools, which appear to have been recently used. Dust is only beginning to form on the dirt-covered trowels. Control notes this but does not tell the subject.
Upon entering the kitchen, more changes are noted, mostly in the form of moved kitchenware and the absence of food on the table. Dust still heavily coats all surfaces.
D-8113: I take back what I said about my aunt, even she couldn't let the dust build this much. This stuff must have been here for, what, two hundred years? This counter has about an inch of dust on it.
Camera feed confirms the increase. Dust has doubled since last exploration attempt, and particulates in the air are heavier. D-8113's filtration system is checked and confirmed as still functioning.
Subject finishes in the kitchen and moves to the next door as well. The bathroom is still present and in its state of disrepair. Dust coats the floor in a thick layer, approximately seven centimeters high. D-8113's steps cause a large cloud of dust to bloom into the air. Subject backs out of the room and closes the door, wiping off her suit.
D-8113: Throat's getting dry, gonna remove the helmet and take a drink.
Control: Keep your eyes closed and breathe as little as possible outside of the air filter.
D-8113: Roger Dodger.
Subject removes helmet, noting the layer of dust forming on the top, and quickly takes a drink before putting the helmet back on.
D-8113: Good enough. I could feel the dust in my eyebrows.
Control is unsure whether this is a joke or not. The infrasonic groan heard in the previous log is picked up through the recording equipment, although D-8113 does not seem to notice this. Subject notes the door to her left, which is still boarded shut. Returning to the entry room, the camera quality begins to degrade. The room contains at least seven centimeters more of accumulation than when last observed.
D-8113: Uh, this is certainly something. And the air is so dry and hot…
Subject takes several drinks of water and dons her helmet again, stifling a small cough. She focuses on the stairs, which have been hidden under a deluge of dust. Video interference dies down a bit as D-8113 ascends the stairs. No sign of the last D-Class is found. The landing has been hidden under almost 20 cm of dust, and every movement stirs up clouds of gray particles.
D-8113: [coughing] -This stuff is harsh. The suit helps though. I'm going to take this room here.
A small bedroom presents itself to D-8113. It appears to have been once owned by a small child. Dust has been swept against the bed and dresser like dunes, almost 60 cm high. D-8113 fords through the accumulation toward the dresser. Setting the camera down, subject is seen checking the drawers, coughing as plumes of small specks float and flow through the air.
D-8113: Ugh. Are you sure the suit can handle this?
Control: Readings out here say the filters are working on overdrive, but you should be fine.
D-8113 stops her search for a second and looks around. After a moment, she resumes.
D-8113 Uhm, okay. I found some clothes. No tags. Looks handmade. Definitely for a child. Yeah- [coughs] -Small one, maybe eight, or, ten? Dunno. Huh, found some paper underneath, and a photo. Oh.
Control: What is it?
D-8113: [DATA REDACTED, SEE ADDENDUM 2853-1-C]
Control: Noted. Thank you.
D-8113: [nervously] That's enough for this room.
Camera distorts, static returning despite no obvious changes. Subject gathers the documents and picks up the camera, turning to leave. D-8113 stops halfway and aims the camera down for Control. Dust rolls against the floor in waves.
D-8113: What the heck?
Moving to the door, 8113 is now wading against a current of dust, approximately waist high. D-8113 passes through the door frame to find dust pouring in from another room.
D-8113: [coughing] This is bizarre, but I'm okay. I think it-
Camera feed, audio feed and GPS positioning all fail at once. SCP-2853's doors open without warning. After a period of radio silence, D-8113 is considered lost. Due to the information gathered from the documents D-8113 found, this sudden disconnection is likely due to [DATA REDACTED, SEE ADDENDUM 2853-1-C].
Exploration 2853-C
Subject: D-1446
Abstract: When the doors opened again on ██-██-████ at ██:██:██, D-1446 was sent to investigate, equipped with the same gear, including one can of compressed air.
Upon entry, the doors swing shut loudly, as per usual. D-1446 activates their camera and takes a look around. Control notes major differences in the interior space, most notably the remnants of a struggle. Furniture is overturned, torn and/or broken. The gardening tools are scattered on the floor, one or two covered in what appears to be dried blood. Dust is negligible, a minor coating that defies previous logs.
D-1446: Okay. So, what should I do now?
Control: Please explore the house to the best of your ability.
D-1446: Easy enough.
Problems with the video feed cause Control to pause and reestablish the link. Subject finds a window sill to place the camera on and waves to Control while the video broadcast is confirmed. Once finished, D-1446 is instructed to ignore the bottom floor and focus on the rooms of the second floor. Subject begins to move but stops, freezing in place.
D-1446: Fuck. What was that?
Control: Hm?
D-1446: It sounded like someone was knocking on the walls. [pauses] There it is again.
Audio feed registers no such noise. It is possible the noise was too quiet to be picked up by the microphone.
D-1446: There's a pattern to it too. Let me listen.
Audio feed records silence for about fifteen seconds.
D-1446: Three short knocks, three slow knocks, three short knocks again. Fucking weird. Plumbing, perhaps? Could be, like, a squirrel… or something.
Control notes that this is Morse code for "SOS" but does not tell the subject.
D-1446 hurries to the stairs and ascends quickly, reaching the landing a few seconds later and stopping in their tracks.
D-1446: Oh shit.
Dust accumulation at the top of the stairs is unremarkable. Instead, a trail of blood runs down the length of the hall, splashed or smeared on the walls.
After some encouragement, D-1446 begins to explore the hallway, nervously glancing about. Subject passes the child's bedroom and looks inside, revealing a bare floor surrounding the degrading furnishings, which have been rearranged since last observation. Once again, no sign of the previous D-Class individuals is seen.
Leaving the room, subject takes the next available door on the right, leading to the master bedroom. Blood coats the bed, sprayed outwards on the headboard. Red speckles are observed on all surfaces in the room, including the ceiling, glistening and likely fresh. Dust is accumulated in this room in large piles, swept against the walls and furniture in dunes a meter high. On the bed are the eviscerated remains of at least two individuals, none of which are the missing subjects. A dusty revolver lies on the ground, surrounded by spent casings.
D-1446: That's horrid. What the hell did this to you?
D-1446's video feed distorts. A small breeze is seen moving the particles around behind D-1446's person. The change in the stagnant air causes the subject to spin in a panic. Nothing exists besides a sudden accumulation of dust, flowing around D-1446's ankles.
D-1446: This is weird. Tell me this is normal, right? Happens all the time in this place, yeah?
Control: The suit is enough to keep you safe.
D-1446 scoffs and wades through the dust into the landing. A small bathroom lies across the hall, door ajar. Dust is seen overflowing from the toilet in a rapid torrent.
D-1446: Yup, totally normal.
Video feed becomes intermittent, but reveals no changes in the surrounding area. Another room is visible on the landing, and D-1446 progresses towards it in the rapidly rising levels of dust. Upon opening the door, a small study comes into view. Worn books occupy the shelves adjacent to a plain wooden desk. D-1446 closes the door behind them, struggling against the river of dust forcing its way into the room, and takes a look around. A small globe occupies the corner of the room. Upon approaching it and clearing the dust, it is apparent that the globe does not accurately represent the current geographical distribution of our planet, despite sharing significant geological similarity.
D-1446: Weird place.
A loud bang is heard in the recording equipment on the subject's person, causing them to glance around.
D-1446: I did not like that. Sounds like it came from downstairs. I'm staying here.
Control approves this and instructs D-1446 to inspect the books on the nearby shelves. Several pages crumble upon touch, but the topics range from ritualism and the occult to music theory, quantum mechanics, and children's books.
Another bang is heard, louder this time. D-1446 peers around again, revealing nothing. Video feed breaks down momentarily and returns, subject now leafing through some documents on the desk.
D-1446: 'Rituals for Stabilization of Temporospatial Parallax via Transitional Decoherent Sequencing, Modeled in 6D Apertures'? What does that even mean? What am I even doing here?
The rafters bend and creak loudy, as if under the assualt of heavy winds.
D-1446: This place. Man, is it giving me bad vibes. And I think my vision is blurry? I can barely read this stuff as it is!
Control does not respond. Subject continues rummaging through drawers and cabinets in the room, hands visibly shaking. Visual distortions are severe, accompanying a rising sound akin to white noise. Subject inspects a snowglobe depicting a mountain range in a raging blizzard. At the top, a small feature may have been a log cabin.
D-1446: …Hm?
Suddenly, a 160 dB explosion is heard throughout the entire containment site. Subject wheels around, dropping the snowglobe, which shatters loudly, spilling gray "snow" onto the bare floor. The closed door caved as it buckles from the ceiling-high mass of dust now cascading into the room. A loud drone is heard in the background as the accumulation blasts outward in a violent slipstream, smashing into D-1446 and throwing them against the bookshelves. The camera collides with the ground and visual contact is lost for two seconds. When reestablished, the feed shows large amounts of particulates swirling through the room in unseen winds. Screaming is heard, accompanied by visceral tearing and gasping, culminating in a wet thump. Wheezing continues for a short time before growing quiet.
Video feed shows a high density of dust flowing throughout the room. After a moment, the substance ceases moving entirely, frozen in place, still floating in the air. Slow steps emanate from elsewhere in the house, along with several bangs and groans. The noises grow louder until humanoid legs comprised of dust pass by the camera's view, swirling in gyres of shifting gray fragments, falling apart and reassembling in waves. A final, dismayed groan is heard, swelling in volume, warping into the sound of anguished, howling gales. Silence follows shortly thereafter.
No further activity is recorded. Contact persists until ██:██:██, when GPS, audio and video fail simultaneously. D-1446 considered lost.
ADDENDUM 2853-1-B: Updated Documentation
SPECIAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES: Due to the nature of SCP-2853, containment is unfeasible. A perimeter is to be established in a kilometer radius of SCP-2853 and monitored for activity with extreme scrutiny. All civilian access points should be closed down under the guise of military operations.
A containment chamber should be constructed around the house, with an airlock situated outside each of the doors leading into SCP-2853.
Since the events of Incident 2853-1-1A, the containment measures have been updated several times to adapt to the ongoing growth of SCP-2853-1. Despite this, containment breach is imminent, and research into reversing the effects of SCP-2853 is ongoing.
DESCRIPTION: SCP-2853 is a dilapidated two story house located approximately 4 km outside of ███████ █████, Oregon. Despite the degrading architecture, the house is completely sealed, and all attempts to break or peer through the windows have failed.
For 1-20 minute intervals, typically once per 24-hour period, the front and back doors of SCP-2853 unlock and open. The doors will close and reseal themselves after this interval has passed. After the events of Incident 2853-1-1A, however, the doors of SCP-2853 remain perpetually unlocked and closed. At no time should anyone be permitted to open the doors of SCP-2853.
If a human enters SCP-2853, the doors will immediately seal themselves until the next day. The effect does not apply to nonhuman animals, although fauna explicitly avoid the location and trained testing animals have been uncooperative with Foundation handlers on the grounds of SCP-2853. This is considered due in part by infrasonic frequencies recorded throughout the surrounding area, which cause an expected physiological response in D-Class personnel during exploratory efforts.
During this interval, the interior will begin "meshing" itself into another version of the house, understood by Foundation research staff to be alternate SCP-2853 instances of transdimensional origin. Over time, contact with those inside the house degrades and ceases as a different interior replaces the current one. Once the cycle has been completed, SCP-2853 will unseal itself until opened. Data suggests all copies of SCP-2853's doors are synchronous to one another, leading to sudden and unpredictable loss of personnel sent inside for exploration and research purposes.
The exact quantity of interlinked SCP-2853 instances is unknown. However, most observed instances are in the process of being filled with and consumed by SCP-2853-1.
SCP-2853-1 refers to an anomalous accumulation of dust found within the house. Testing has revealed that the substance is comprised of many different materials, a majority of which is finely ground biological matter.
Clouds of SCP-2853-1 are particularly harsh to the respiratory system of humans, often resulting in suffocation over a period of minutes to hours, depending on the air quality of the affected area. Attempts to destroy or otherwise convert SCP-2853-1 into an inert material have failed.
When exposed to strong winds or otherwise moving at high speeds, SCP-2853-1 can exhibit erosion capabilities that far exceed those of typical dust storms. Exposure often results in full-body lacerations, friction burns, and other grievous injury through intense and rapid abrasion.
While there is no confirmation that SCP-2853-1 is sentient or "alive" in any traditional sense, SCP-2853-1 often exhibits flows and currents, accumulating in groups and moving on its own accord. How this behavior is accomplished is unknown.
SCP-2853-1 has no identified source, but recovered materials suggest the presence of a separate entity, one that may have caused multiple XK-Class End-of-the-World scenarios in alternate realities linked to SCP-2853.
INCIDENT REPORT 2853-1-1A:
At ██:██:██ on ██-██-████, one hour and twenty-three minutes into Exploration 2853-C, the anomaly demonstrated alternate behavior for the first observed time. Without warning, SCP-2853 emitted a noise comparable to a large explosion accompanied by splintering wood. The house experienced no external changes, aside from the appearance of hundreds of small, unknown glyphs, glowing in a bright ring on the external foundation of the anomaly, which faded after a few seconds. Efforts to identify or utilize the symbols are ongoing.
The behavior has repeated during subsequent activity spikes. Thermal emission measurements taken indicate the glyphs are likely under increased stress, while close observation has confirmed minor wear to the inscription that may correlate with reduction to the overall integrity.
SCP-2853's doors have since remained in a closed and unlocked stasis, suggesting an "occupied" state. Due to the significance of recovered information, this change in behavior should be closely observed and maintained for as long as possible, while better forms of containment are prepared.
Following this event, noises such as knocks, taps, and scratches have been heard on the outer doors of SCP-2853.
Upgrade to Keter classification approved.
ADDENDUM 2853-1-C: Additional Data
Record of documents and excerpts from Exploration 2853-B, taken from video feed.
Photograph recovered from Exploration 2853-B. Click to enlarge.
Islia,
If you're reading this, then I am dead.
I tried to save us.
I really, really tried. Maybe it worked. Maybe you can make it work.
We were running low on food and went into what was once ███████ █████, nothing was left. It was just… gone. Razed to dust. So I came back from that wasteland to the only thing left standing- this house.
Whatever happened when Gwrgr drew the "perimeter" has changed these walls. They were supposed to stay the same, to stand firm even when the dust should blow right through and take all of us along with it. I told you it wasn't possible, that everything was fine, but you could see different. I know you could. The cloudy light in the windows and the sounds from below. I kept you to your room, but you are such a bright child. My sunshine.
This place should not have to be your home. Your mother wouldn't have wanted it this way. I was a fool and I never should have trusted him. No, we did it together. We had to. And I don't think we can undo it now, anyway. I'm not going to agree to it fully, I know it, and I get it. I would do the same for you if I didn't know what I know now.
When he had realized his mistake, he embraced it. Said it would be a new beginning. That the others would be our freedom, our safety. A blank slate. He believed it, and I did too, but it wasn't. It was a cosmic prison, across space and time, and for the moments we could see the sky, it was our fatal wound, bleeding ceaselessly until nothing was left.
Day by day, every time we opened the doors, we were looking for a better home, a better life than this, for all of us, for you. For every day, the dust grew higher outside. Even when sealed, I could taste it from within.
Pale dust and empty air. We would always leave to the same, come back to the same. Same but different. Different, but the same. Nothing but dust and death outside and in. Gwrgr was restless, and I could see the gray in his eyes, clouding his vision, his thoughts. Felt it in mine too, but he was worse. I didn't understand yet what it was like to look yourself in the eye and kill without hesitation. How long before it would happen to us? And if it didn't… I refuse to accept that possibility.
So we kept looking for a way out. We set the timer, opened those doors, and prayed it would be the last time. Over and over, one hand on each knob, twisted in unison. That's the key, our mutual assurance of trust. We'd have to work together, until we found a way out or you were old enough to replace one of us.
Now comes the hardest part: It was all the same. A world of dust. Another. Another. A world of ashes and eyeballs. A world of tar and boiling blood. Dust again. A blank world. A dark world, full of whispers and a man with a wide grin. Dust. Dust. More dust. Cobwebs. Corpses. They fill my mind, like he before me. I can't keep us both here. We've already hurt too many. I've hurt too many.
I hope you can forgive me for being the me that I am. Know I will not be the worst version of myself. The one you got now is probably better than the both of us anyway. I only wonder about what he was running from, since you don't seal yourself off from the world if you aren't trying to keep it out. I wish I had realized that sooner.
I love you and I'm sorry.
