Emil Hayes
rating: 0+x

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be stored in a standard containment locker while not undergoing testing. Access is restricted to Level 2 or higher personnel.

Following testing, all affected subjects are to undergo psychological evaluation. As of ██/██/████, psychological evaluations are no longer required, as they have been deemed unnecessary.

Following Incident XXXX-1, blind subjects are not allowed to interact with SCP-XXXX for any purpose, including testing.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a steel box measuring 15 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm. The top of the box functions as a lid, which can be opened. At the bottom of its front face is a horizontal slit meassuring 1 cm x 10 cm.

SCP-XXXX's anomalous properties manifest when a human subject any vertebrate able to open the box does so. This triggers a Startle event. When this happens, the subject is shown an image, usually relating to a fear and/or phobia the subject has, accompanied by a loud noise.
This is only experienced by the subject. Any vertebrates present, who did not open SCP-XXXX, will neither see, nor hear anything unusual.
This effect usually startles the subject, however, aside from the expected effects of shock, such as an elevated heart rate and sweating, no permanent psychological damage has been recorded.

Following a Startle event, a single standard Polaroid image will be ejected from the slit at the front of SCP-XXXX, showing the subject's (usually startled) face at the moment they witnessed the image.
It is unknown how SCP-XXXX captures these images, as examinations have not been able to locate a camera of any sort.

SCP-XXXX seems to have an effectively infinite reach when it has been opened. When a robotic arm was used to open SCP-XXXX's lid, the researcher operating it was the subject of a Startle event, despite being in an adjacent room.
When test subjects were ordered to keep their eyes shut while opening it, the Startle event didn't occur until the subject opened their eyes. Closing the lid, leaving the testing area, or waiting for upwards of ██ hours did nothing to prevent the Startle event, which always ocurred as expected.

Addendum: Incident XXXX-1
In an attempt to determine whether or not SCP-XXXX was able to affect a subject who was physically unable to open their eyes, a blind subject, D-8796, was asked to open SCP-XXXX's lid. D-8796 was not informed of SCP-XXXX's properties.
The subject did not appear to undergo a Startle event, and did not notice anything unusual. Subject was held for examination for ██ weeks, before Lead Researcher Dr. █████ determined that no further examination was necessary. D-8796 was released back into general holding.
However, █ years after the test, D-8796 was terminated during testing of SCP-████. At this time, SCP-XXXX produced a photograph, appearing to show D-8796's face at the exact moment of termination.

Following a review by the Ethics Committee, the decision was made to ban blind subjects from any future tests.