S T A I R S

NOTICE FROM THE FOUNDATION CONTAINMENT COMMITTEE

Due to numerous requests from the research team responsible for SCP-XXXX, the Containment Committee has chosen to allocate an additional ███████ as well as ████ more staff to research on SCP-XXXX.

— Nikolai Glazkov, Containment Committee

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An instance of SCP-XXXX-2, as seen by MTF Delta-11.

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX cannot be fully contained, due to it being as massively widespread as it is. As such, the Foundation has undertaken a misinformation campaign on the topic of SCP-XXXX, effectively "normalizing" the safest response to the entity. It should be noted that Foundation Field Agents are to immediately respond to any possible signs of SCP-XXXX-2 in the wild with immediate force, as instances of SCP-XXXX-2 have been noted to enter a state of paralysis when fired upon. Any humans affected by SCP-XXXX-2 are to be transferred to the nearest Foundation facility so that they may be administered Class-B amnestics.

A singular instance of SCP-XXXX-2 is currently in containment at Site-37 for testing, and it's containment procedures are as follows:

• SCP-XXXX-2 is to be kept within a 6 meter x 5 meter x 7 meter, two-floored containment cell, with floors being connected by a singular staircase, each step measuring about 16 centimeters in height. Cameras must be placed at the top and bottom of said staircase, with the lights of the cell being controlled externally.
• When SCP-XXXX-2 is under testing, a singular D-Class Personnel is to walk up the stairs within the containment cell, with the lights having been turned off. The D-Class will be instructed to not run, despite the presence of SCP-XXXX. This will almost definitely result in an attack from SCP-XXXX-2, which should be recorded via present cameras.
• Instances of SCP-XXXX-2 may be physically captured during this attack period, given that Site Security are present in the cell during the attack. Site Security is authorized to fire lethal rounds at SCP-XXXX-2, which has generally been observed to paralyze the entity on contact.
• In the event that SCP-XXXX-2 is not paralyzed, cell lights are to be turned on¹, which should result in the subsequent disappearance of SCP-XXXX-2.
• Any D-Class Personnel involved are to be interviewed and then administered Class-B amnestics following the procedure, unless a change of testing variables requires otherwise.

PROCEDURE UPDATE XXXX-1

After further testing, those who have come into contact with other SCP instances are not to be subjected to testing of SCP-XXXX. Refer to Testing Log XXXX/C.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a cognitohazardous entity affecting a majority of the human populace from the approximate ages of 4 to 28 years old. Due to this entity being so widespread among the human population, it is theorized that SCP-XXXX actually resides within the human psychospace², and thus a request has been sent to the Containment Committee for further testing on instances of SCP-XXXX and SCP-XXXX-2. This entity manifests itself as the idea that when a human is walking up a set of stairs in the dark, something will chase after them, and subsequently results in said human feeling an urge to run.

In the event that a human has felt the effects of SCP-XXXX and has overcome the urge to run, an instance of SCP-XXXX-2 will appear behind the human and attack them, almost always resulting in the death of the human involved. In most cases, SCP-XXXX-2 appears as a dim, red orb behind a human before attack, although this has been disputed, with various reports ranging from large spiders, deceased family members, etcetera. The data collected from post-trauma interviews of D-Class Personnel (See Interview XXXX/A) suggests that the previous experiences of victims may be a factor in the form taken by SCP-XXXX-2.

DESCRIPTION UPDATE XXXX-1

Recent testing has confirmed that experiences of SCP-XXXX-2 victims are the main factor in it's physical appearance, and it is further confirmed that thus far, only Foundation Personnel (non D-Class) result in SCP-XXXX-2 appearing as a red orb. The exact reasons for this are currently under investigation.

Discovery: SCP-XXXX was discovered when an instance of SCP-XXXX-2 was found paralyzed in ████, Texas. SCP-XXXX-2 (originally thought to be a singular instance of the SCP) was found in the form of a 5.5 meter long rattlesnake³, having unsuccessfully attacked the 8 year old daughter of the family living in the site of discovery. The father of the victim reportedly heard her screaming, resulting in the shooting and then paralyzing of SCP-XXXX-2.

The family reported the event to local police, resulting in the interception of information of the event by Foundation Field Agents, and subsequently the first capture of SCP-XXXX-2. Following this event, all non-Foundation persons involved were administered Class-C amnestics, and SCP-XXXX-2 had disappeared, due to lights within the discovery site having been turned on. This event was eventually replicated within Site-37, resulting in the current containment procedure of SCP-XXXX-2.

Addendum XXXX.1 - Testing Logs:

►TESTING LOG XXXX/A

Testing Log XXXX/A (Excerpt)

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Time: ██/██/2009, 8:30 AM

Notes: D-3798 was given a post-trauma interview soon after the test. See Interview XXXX/A.

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8:32 AM: D-3798 is instructed to ascend the staircase slowly.

8:32 AM: Lights turn off midway through D-3798's ascent.

8:33 AM: [D-3798] "What the hell is this?"

8:33 AM: D-3798 is instructed to continue. Vital monitors of D-3798 show increased heartbeat.

8:33 AM: Cameras show what appears to be a large spider⁴ now chasing D-3798 up the stairs.

8:33 AM: Lights are turned on, and the large spider (now a confirmed instance of SCP-XXXX-2) disappears.

►TESTING LOG XXXX/B

Testing Log XXXX/B

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Time: ██/██/2009, 3:05 PM

Notes: D-3706 was age 44, notably above the generally affected age of victims.

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3:09 PM: D-3706 is escorted into containment cell, followed by a member of Site Security.

3:10 PM: Lights are turned off, and D-3706 is instructed to ascend the staircase slowly.

3:10 PM: [D-3706] "This is it? Really? Couldn't I have been assigned to this earlier?"

3:11 PM: D-3706 is instructed to ascend the staircase a second time. Vital monitors show that D-3706 has not seen any change in mood from pre-test exams.

3:11 PM: D-3706 walks up the stairs without SCP-XXXX impeding.

3:12 PM: Testing ends, and D-3706 is brought in for interview.

►TESTING LOG XXXX/C

Testing Log XXXX/C

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Time: ██/██/2011, 1:30 PM

Notes: D-1498 had been transferred to Site-37 after having previously tested with SCP-939. See Interview XXXX/B.

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1:31 PM: D-1498 is escorted into containment cell, followed by Site Security.

1:31 PM All non-security members of research team ██ are redirected away from watching cameras (to prevent any further "red orb" appearances).

1:32 PM: D-1498 is instructed to ascend the staircase slowly.

1:32 PM: D-1498 begins ascension, and lights are turned off.

1:32 PM: SCP-XXXX-2 appears at the bottom of the stairs as an instance of SCP-939-53, before attempting to attack D-1498.

1:32 PM: Site Security within the containment fires upon SCP-XXXX-2, paralyzing the entity.

1:33 PM: Site Security removes D-1498, who is brought in for a post-trauma interview.

1:35 PM: SCP-XXXX-2 is removed for an autopsy.

Addendum XXXX.2 - Report from Research Head:

Anomaly Behavioral Report

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Researcher Head Samuel T. Block
SCP-XXXX

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[Begin Report]

This is year █ of study on the anomaly, and we've been constantly hitting dead end after dead end on how the hell this thing works. At least- we were, until yesterday. We sent in a D-Class that had been transferred over from Area-14, and lo and behold: SCP-939 spawned from the ███. By no means should this have been possible in any manner, but it still happened. D-1498 had been amnesticized twice during his transfer to Site-37. Twice. How could it take something from his mind that wasn't even there to start? (Sigh) Doctor Brennard said it must've been a simple logistical error on our part, but I think there's a better explanation than that. I think the anomaly reaches much further into the mind than we previously hypothesized. Time will tell, I guess.
I've made a special request to the Containment Committee for more resources to study the matter, specifically D-Class personnel. I think we're gonna need a lot of those if we want to go anywhere with this line of inquiry. In the meantime, I've set up the necessary resources and paperwork to replicate D-1498's test come next week. Let's hope it doesn't turn out to be a logistical error, eh?

[End Report]

Addendum XXXX.3 - Post-Testing Interviews:

►INTERVIEW LOG XXXX/A

Interview Transcript XXXX/A

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Interviewer: Doctor Korschack

Notes: D-3798 was 23 years old at the time of interview, and required multiple hours of recuperation before participating.

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Footnotes

1. 100% of cases in which lights were turned on resulted in disappearance of SCP-XXXX-2.

2. The collective human unconsciousness.

3. Crotalus atrox

4. Spider was of unknown species, and was estimated at 1.5 meters in length.