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Info
⚠️ Content warning: This article contains elements of depression and suicide and references a real-life tragedy. If these themes make you uncomfortable, it is suggested you stop reading after the first addendum.
SCP-6249 — Your Biography On Vinyl
More works by me can be found here!
I'd like to thank, in no particular order,
Tiamat Elsen,
Voiiiii,
RadioactiveRADS,
Mooagain ,
NDHeckfire,
psychicprogrammer, Dr Trintavon does not match any existing user name,
Alzin Cdag,
fairydoctor,
nddragoon,
Ghost Jackal, and
New_to_life for their insightful critique and for making this SCP possible!
I'm a big fan of Frank Sinatra and I've had this idea for the longest time. I finally decided to start writing it and, at this point, I've been working on this article for at least a month now. It's gone through so many revisions and narrative shifts, I can't even remember the original content. This is mostly because I'm never fully confident with my work, so I keep seeking critique on it infinitely. I hope the final product is at least par!
Item #: SCP-6249
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: Music stores that have contained instances of SCP-6249 in the past are to be monitored. In the event a radio station broadcasts SCP-6249, the station is to be taken down until Foundation agents can be embedded in the station's staff. In addition, online chat forums are to be surveilled by Foundation automated expungement tools.
Description: SCP-6249 is a song titled "A Song About You," accredited to songwriters Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen and sung by Frank Sinatra. Reports of the song date back to 1959, frequently appearing on radio programs, especially those with a small viewership. Physical media formats of the song could be found and purchased in stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom until the Foundation's intervention in the 1970s.
The lyrics vary significantly among witnesses, however the song spans four minutes and thirty seconds consistently. The lyrics of the song depict integral moments from the listener's life, specifically those the listener regrets or otherwise finds shameful.
The song appears to become more exaggerated, and in some cases, inaccurate, the more detailed the lyrics are. Notably, the song will conclude with a description of the listener's death. Regardless of the number of listeners present, each individual will hear their own variation of the song. The anomalous effects can be replicated by recording the song, appearing unaffected by the audio's quality.
Addendum 1-A: On 03/02/88, SCP-6249 was broadcasted at 8:14 AM on a radio station in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. The song was able to be played in its entirety before Foundation personnel could remove it and was heard by 531 known individuals, making it the largest SCP-6249 incident to date. Several concerning calls were received by police in the following minutes. One of the listeners, Foundation Researcher Lia Corretz, wrote down a portion of the lyrics in a notepad.
Five dollars to my name, no future
Your mama said, behave
Your father said I ain't no suitor
[unintelligible] all the rave
We're off, for New Zealand
All roads crossed, all bridges burnt
A cure for your heartburn
But then again, you said
Make me your misses Cor—
The incident was brought to the Foundation's attention when Corretz made a manic call to the Foundation's anomalous activity call center. She was discovered by her coworker parked on the side of the road in downtown Chicago, Illinois.
Addendum 1-B: Following the events of Addendum 1-A, Corretz has refused to drive and instead has insisted on traveling by bike or train. The call was perceived by the Department of Crisis Assessment as a confession to a possible future attack. Upon arrival at Site-81 the same day, Corretz was redirected by DCA agents to a vacant room in the facility. At 3:10 PM, the interview commenced.
« BEGIN LOG »
(Corretz is sitting across from Agent Watts. Agent Marcellus takes a seat next to Corretz and begins the cassette recording.)
Marcellus: The interview will now begin. Interviewers Agent Denis Marcellus and Agent Theodore Watts are present. Interviewee Lia Corretz is present.
(Marcellus lowers closer to the microphone.)
Marcellus: The time is 3:11 PM. The interview may now commence.
Corretz: Okay, what the hell do you two want?
Watts: Yesterday morning, Miss Corretz, you made a call to the Foundation's dispatch center. In specific, you requested coworker Michelle Rojewits be present at the Site-81 entrance upon your arrival. You proceeded to exit your car about 320 kilometers from the site, is that correct?
(Corretz nods.)
Marcellus: We need you to answer verbally. Is that correct?
Corretz: Yes, that is correct.
Watts: Records suggest you were driving back, alone, from an expedition in the Rocky Mountains when you abandoned your car. This occurred only a few minutes after making the call to our center. Is this correct?
Corretz: Yes.
Watts: What did you do after abandoning your car?
Corretz: Well, once I abandoned my car, I began walking north towards central Chicago. After some time, I reached the city and went to the metro system. I took a train south-east. Eventually, I left the train in Indiana, and proceeded to advance south for the rest of the day, switching between walking and traveling by train.
Watts: Why did you not travel by taxi at any point during this time?
(Corretz does not respond.)
Watts: Does this have anything to do with the call you made?
Corretz: Why am I being interrogated over this? Shouldn't you be investigating the radio program? You know as well as me that the anomaly was broadcasted to hundreds of people!
Watts: Well, it's not every day that a Foundation Researcher says they're going to die by crashing into a bus. We really need to confirm what went down. For all we know, you could've been confessing to a future attack.
Corretz: Do you think I'm some kind of terrorist?
Marcellus: That kind of damage coming from a collision alone is unlikely.
Watts: Tell me, to the best of your memory, what the anomaly said about your death.
Corretz: It said that I would get into an accident with a bus while riding in a car. I would die, along with tens of other people. I'm sure there was more to it, but I simply don't remember anything else. I feel like a broken record repeating this.
Watts: So what, I'm to understand that you abandoned your car because some voice on the radio said you'd die in a car crash?
Corretz: Listen, it sounds suspicious, I know, but I've been working for the Foundation for over a decade now. Why the hell would I intentionally cause a bus crash?
Watts: Nobody knows. That's the most damning part.
Corretz: You and I both know this is nonsense. Have you at least found out how the whole scandal happened? Why was it not removed faster?
Watts: We can't release information on that.
(Watts turns to Washington, nodding, before turning back to Corretz.)
Watts: We're going to conclude the interview here. If we call for you, you show up. We might have more to ask. Sound good?
(After several seconds, Corretz nods.)
Watts: What was that?
Corretz: Yes. That sounds good.
Watts: Good. Is there anything else you want to tell us?
(Corretz hesitates for several seconds, before ultimately shaking her head.)
Watts: Then Agent Marcellus will see you on your way out. Your post-expedition assessment is tomorrow, so head back to your quarters and get some good sleep.
(Marcellus steps back into the room after dismissing Corretz and shuts the door.)
Watts: Have her surveilled by agents. I'm not fully convinced yet.
Marcellus: I trust her. I say we admit her to an on-site psychologist.
« END LOG »
All attempts to mediate Corretz's amaxophobia, caused by SCP-6249, have failed. After a month of unsuccessful psychological treatment, Corretz stopped attending meetings with a psychologist. As a result, Corretz has been placed on administrative leave without pay. The team of agents assigned to surveil Corretz was ultimately withdrawn. A collection of select meetings between Corretz and Psychologist Hannah Rho can be found below.
03/04/88 4:00PM - 4:51PM
Department of Psychology and Behavioral Analysis
Licensed Psychologist Rho
Patient Researcher Corretz, Semeiological Treatment, Meeting 1
Select Excerpt:
Rho: Is there anything in specific about this revelation that could be the source of your phobia? What, in specific, frightens you? Death?
Corretz: I (pause) don't really know. Obviously, I am afraid of death. Everything is. (nervous chuckle) But if I had to pick something in specific, I'd say I'm mainly afraid of being the reason someone else dies.
Rho: It stems from empathy it seems. Why do you choose to ride by bike or train then, when ultimately, the same outcome could arise?
Corretz: Well, (pause) the song specified a car. I would be in a car when I die. So, as long as I don't enter a car, everyone is safe. I'll have to enter a car eventually, but at least by avoiding it, for now, I'm delaying it.
Rho: How would you say this has affected you mentally?
Corretz: Are you kidding? I've been petrified. I've been keeping my mind clear, I've stopped drinking. As long as I'm not in a car, though, I can feel a modicum of wellness.
Rho: You've denied medication from my coworkers to aid your anxiety, why?
Corretz: I already told you, damnit, I have to be paranoid. If I'm not, I can't assure I stay out of a car. We've become so dependent on vehicles, so it'd be so easy to enter a car one day without thinking about it.
Notes:
- Amaxophobia, severe
- Patient appears stable visually, however eyes are tired
- Patient's daily routine seems unhindered by changes
- Additional anxiety from DCA interrogation
Summary: Two days following the patient's problematic revelation, they appear well, although on edge. During the meeting, the patient would continue to glance about the room, and more noticeably, scratch their arms and kneecaps constantly. Since the patient has no history of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the cause of this scratching is likely anxiety. The patient had stopped taking anxiety medication four years ago but was given a new prescription after the meeting.
Signed, Hannah J. Rho, Psychologist.
Signed, Daniel Ipsberg, Supervisor.
03/11/88 4:00PM - 4:54PM
Department of Psychology and Behavioral Analysis
Licensed Psychologist Rho
Patient Researcher Corretz, Semeiological Treatment, Meeting 2
Select Excerpt:
Rho: In regards to the anxiety medication prescribed, have you noticed any changes yet? Your eyes look better than last time.
Corretz: I've started taking melatonin of my own volition, the anxiety medication has done damn-near nothing.
Rho: That's certainly troubling. Do you think you should have your dosage increased? I can sign you up for an evaluation with an MD.
Corretz: No, (pause) no. I'm not sure that'd do anything, I haven't noticed any change whatsoever since I started taking the medication.
Rho: Well, it's been a week since we last talked, so I want to know how you've been coping with your amaxophobia.
Corretz: It's (long pause) not going well. I'm constantly looking behind my back. I'm not sure if it's in my dreams or not but I keep hearing different variations of the song's concluding lyrics. I'm having a hard time remembering what the original message was.
Notes:
- Patient's paranoia has increased
- Patient is taking sleeping medication
- Anxiety medication ineffective
- Patient broke down in the middle of the session, hitting themselves on the head aggressively
Summary: Since the last meeting, the patient has become significantly more agitated and has begun showing symptoms of schizophrenia. The issue has been forwarded to the Medical Department for analysis. The patient has agreed to a sleep analysis session and has moved to an on-site living quarter temporarily to lower exposure to anxiety-inducing stimuli.
Signed, Hannah J. Rho, Psychologist.
Signed, Daniel Ipsberg, Supervisor.
03/25/88 4:01PM - 4:50PM
Department of Psychology and Behavioral Analysis
Licensed Psychologist Rho
Patient Researcher Corretz, Semeiological Treatment, Meeting 4
Select Excerpt:
Rho: You've been quiet most of this meeting. Is there a reason for that?
Corretz: (Unresponsive.)
Rho: Hello?
Corretz: I don't want to do this anymore. I don't fucking want to do this anymore.
Rho: Do what? These meetings?
Corretz: I just want confirmation I can enter a car.
Rho: Elaborate.
Corretz: I'm going to fucking die, and I don't know when. I know I'm going to die and it's going to hurt others. Can't I just kill myself? Before (pause) anything bad happens?
Notes:
- Patient appeared intoxicated upon arriving at the meeting, going back on their refusal to drink or take medication from the first meeting
- Patient has developed suicidal tendencies and requested amnesticization or euthanasia, requests forwarded to the Medical Department
- Patient has gotten back on anxiety medication with increased dosage
Summary: Patient's mental state is worsening and has reached the point of severe depression. The patient wants to move out of their on-site living quarter, likely due to developing schizophrenic paranoia. The patient's requests for amnesticization or euthanasia have been forwarded to the proper authorities, although they are likely to be denied. DCA has dropped the investigation on the patient, accepting the patient's claims.
Signed, Hannah J. Rho, Psychologist.
Signed, Daniel Ipsberg, Supervisor.
04/01/88 4:00PM - 4:23PM
Department of Psychology and Behavioral Analysis
Licensed Psychologist Rho
Patient Researcher Corretz, Semeiological Treatment, Meeting 5
Select Excerpt:
Rho: Are you going to talk at all?
Corretz: (Unresponsive.)
Rho: I think it'd really help to spill out what you're thinking. You're a smart woman, I know something's going on in there.
Corretz: (Unresponsive.)
Rho: Alright, then. We're here for another half hour if you feel like talking any time soon.
Corretz: (Rises from the couch and exits the room.)
Notes:
- Patient appears disheveled and their clothes appear dirt-ridden
- Patient noticeably has what looks like needle marks on their left arm, suspected of using heroin
- Patient nearly fell asleep on two occasions during the meeting
Summary: It is likely the patient has begun using illicit drugs and drinking significantly more than last week. Any attempts to talk with the patient during this meeting have failed. Patient's requests for amnesticization or euthanasia have been denied. The patient has also moved out of the on-site living quarter and has become unresponsive entirely to work emails and text messages. Administrative staff are looking into the situation.
Signed, Hannah J. Rho, Psychologist.
Signed, Daniel Ipsberg, Supervisor.
Corretz failed to show up for the last three scheduled meetings. She would eventually stop replying to work-related emails and calls, only remaining in contact with select coworkers, and be designated MIA when their house was found empty in April. At this point, administrative staff began making plans to fire Corretz after the administrative leave expired.
Addendum 2:
« BEGIN LOG »
At 22:38 on May 14th, 1988, Corretz exits a bar in Carroll County, Kentucky intoxicated. She enters a taxi car and the driver, Vincent Parkson, begins driving north up Interstate 71.
As this is occurring, a retired school bus, repurposed as a church bus, is heading south on the parallel road. The bus is occupied by approximately 60 students and a driver from a local high school. The group was returning from Kings Island theme park in Ohio. At 22:40, the two vehicles are approximately nine kilometers away from one another.
Due to the thick fog that had settled that morning, Parkson unknowingly switches lanes and is driving in the opposite direction of the bus. By this point, the two vehicles are within three kilometers of one another.
A concerning text is received by Rojewits at 22:44 from Corretz, who at this point has decided to exit the car near a gas station. In the text, Corretz asks Rojewits to drop her bike off at her location.
Shortly after, the car exits view of Corretz, who lingers outside the gas station. The driver makes an attempt to switch roads, at which point the bus emerges from the fog. The car and the bus make contact at 22:55, causing the bus to come to a forced stop in the middle of the two roads. Parkson is rendered dead on impact from blunt trauma, with most of the bus passengers being unscathed and some minimally injured.
In the coming seconds, debris from the car strikes the bus' gasoline tank, igniting it and causing a fire that engulfs the bus. All emergency exits to the bus were blocked or otherwise rendered inoperative as a result of the crash, trapping the bus' passengers. The accident, in total, killed 28 people, including the two drivers, and left the rest with severe injuries.
« END LOG »
The scene of the incident was discovered approximately five minutes later when Corretz had walked down the road, having heard the sound of the collision. The local fire department arrived an hour later due to the fog, causing significantly more damage at the scene of the crash.
Subsequent to Incident 6249-2-C, Corretz received an extension on their administrative leave and has been forcibly admitted into a rehabilitation facility. The usage of SCP-6249 for testing purposes has been temporarily restricted. Investigation into the incident by the Department of Crisis Assessment is ongoing.