Interviewed: Schuyler Reed
Interviewer: Dr. Erin Sorris
Foreword: Schuyler is an eighteen-year-old former user of SCP-XXXX and a lifelong resident of Meadowlark, Connecticut. She is the third user of SCP-XXXX in her immediate family, the others being her parents, Samuel and Nora Reed.
<Begin Log>
Dr. Sorris: Thank you for agreeing to speak to me, Schuyler.
Schuyler: It’s fine, but I don’t really get why you’re doing this now.
Dr. Sorris: What do you mean?
Schuyler: Like, I know the interview’s about the pumpkin, but it seems kind of excessive, don’t you think? We weren’t doing anything illegal, unless you count the private property thing, but we don’t get to pick where we turn up when we get back. It was a [expletive] move, whoever reported Kelsey.
Dr. Sorris: You…you think these interviews are for a trespassing case?
Schuyler: Aren’t they? Your group only got involved after Kelsey popped back in that lot behind the airport. I can’t think of anything else she could’ve done that’d cause this much trouble. She’s a good kid - they all are.
Dr. Sorris: I, um, I’m sure she is, but the interviews are actually about the pumpkin. Your history with it, any memories from your time in the neighborhood, how you normally share it.
Schuyler: Then why all this men-in-black stuff? We don’t normally bring the pumpkin up outside the original families, but it’s not like we can’t talk about it.
Dr. Sorris: …I was led to believe from my talk with your classmate, Marta, that the pumpkin was a secret.
Schuyler: Not really. People just don’t ask much. Like, even the people who’ve never tried it out know we’re all super into Halloween, so they don’t really notice when we show up to school in costume or things like that. Besides, we share the candy, so everyone’s happy.
Dr. Sorris: They never ask? What about the disappearances, the unfamiliar candy brands? All those times someone reappeared with the pumpkin? Are you saying no one in Meadowlark ever asked about why so many of you shared a single pumpkin bucket throughout the year?
Schuyler: Not really. We don’t cause any issues for them, and it’s not like it’s a new thing. Anyway, what did you want to know if it’s not about Kelsey?
Dr. Sorris: Right. Well, why don’t we start from the beginning? Tell me about the first time you used the pumpkin. How old were you?
Schuyler: It was my seventh birthday. I got home after school and my parents had it waiting. I think they got it from Bailey’s dad. Dr. Jordan.
Dr. Sorris: So you all knew who had it? The use was organized?
Schuyler: It kinda had to be. Otherwise everyone would be fighting over it. They’re good kids, but it’s still unlimited candy. I’d want to keep it to myself if I could still use it, so everyone tries to keep things fair.
Dr. Sorris: And you started at seven. Is that the standard age for children getting to use the pumpkin?
Schuyler: Seven or eight. There’s no exact age requirement or anything, but you want to make sure they’re old enough to know what to do. They go over alone, and I don’t think anyone’s ever gotten lost, but, like, imagine if a toddler had it. They might be gone for days if someone didn’t help them out.
Dr. Sorris: I see what you mean. What happened then?
Schuyler: Um, I went outside and my parents took some pictures. I started walking and crossed over into the neighborhood. It was really dark where I ended up, but I could see the lights up ahead, so it wasn’t that creepy. It only took a couple minutes to get to the Wolf House.
Dr. Sorris: It’s always dark there, isn’t it?
Schuyler: When we were there, yeah.
Dr. Sorris: Interesting. Does the plant life look the same in the neighborhood as it does here?
Schuyler: You mean like the grass and trees? Yeah, it’s the same. Why?
Dr. Sorris: Just wondering. So, you ended up at the Wolf House. Was that the name of the family that lived there? Wolf?
Schuyler: No, I actually don’t know what their names are. We call them that because they’re always wearing these awesome wolf prosthetic pieces and furry gloves. Have you ever seen that show on [REDACTED] where people design movie costumes and prosthetics from scratch? It’s like that level of quality, but better. Really freaky, but a really nice couple.
Dr. Sorris: And they were wearing the same costumes every time you visited?
Schuyler: The outfits changed a lot, but they always had the face pieces and gloves.
Dr. Sorris: Are you sure they were prosthetics?
Schuyler: I’m no expert or anything, but I’ve never seen a mask move like that. They could really emote when they talked, like it was glued to their skin, so I’m pretty sure it was custom work.
Dr. Sorris: It mov - Alright, so you made it over to the Wolf House. How did things go from there?
Schuyler: I knocked, and did the whole “Trick or treat!” thing when they answered. The man said I had a great outfit, and that’s when I realized my outfit changed. I was dressed up like a [REDACTED] Scout.
Dr. Sorris: From the cartoon?
Schuyler: Anime, but yeah. I still have it somewhere. Most of us keep our first costumes. Kind of a sentimental thing, you know?
[Dr. Sorris nods and adds something to her notes]
Schuyler: So, I got a [REDACTED] bar, and a bag of Gummy Bats. Normal Halloween stuff. It was basically like that for the rest of the night. Everyone was super nice when they found out it was my first time, and they loaded me up with candy and some homemade snacks. One place had these awesome candy apples, so I stayed there for a while. I only made it to five or six houses before the pumpkin was full and I ended up in the library. It was pretty great.
Dr. Sorris: I can imagine. There’s something you mentioned that I hadn’t heard before. They give out homemade food in the neighborhood, not just the candy?
Schuyler: Sometimes. It was really good when they had it, but it wasn’t easy to hold that and the pumpkin at the same time, so I always ate it at the house.
Dr. Sorris: And how many times would you say you used the pumpkin before you hit the age limit?
Schuyler: Well, I wanted to go back way more than I actually got to, because there were like thirty other kids who wanted it, but I usually got to take the pumpkin out at least eight times a year. I always got it for my birthday, and Mrs. Harris let me move up on the waiting list after I got my cast off in fifth grade.
Dr. Sorris: I see. I know the people in the know were willing to share the pumpkin, but not everyone in your school used it, did they?
Schuyler: No. Most of my class up through Meadowlark Elementary did, but only like a third of my junior high knew about it.
Dr. Sorris: And you never talked to anyone about the pumpkin’s abilities who didn’t already know? Any friends in middle school? Family from out of town?
Schuyler: No. Never.
Dr. Sorris: Why?
Dr. Sorris: I don’t know. Guess I didn’t think about it. Besides, wouldn’t it be sort of weird? I went to junior high in Glenfield, and they were all over the age range anyway, so it’s not like they could try the pumpkin out. Like I said earlier, we don’t bring it up much. It’s easier on everyone, not making it a big deal out of something we can do and they can’t.
Dr. Sorris: Don’t you consider that a little unusual? Your town had an item that could do something with no scientific explanation, and you had it for decades. Surely one of you would have told somebody over the years? Maybe someone who moved away or left for college?
Schuyler: No, none of us would do that. It’s cool to share, but if everyone knew…you’re kind of proof of that. It’s been weeks. Mrs. Harris is freaking out about her schedule.
Dr. Sorris: Thank you. That’s all I need for now.
Schuyler: So when are we getting the pumpkin back? You’ve got to be out of tests to run by now.
<End Log>
Closing Statement: Schuyler was told that we will return the pumpkin in a few weeks and was escorted out of the facility. An appropriate course of amnestics should be decided by that time.
Note: Schuyler and several other interviewees seemed honestly confused by our interest in the pumpkin. Perhaps this could be explained with a teen who grew up in the community, but many of the older members were introduced to SCP-XXXX between the ages of 10-12 and should reasonably understand that what the pumpkin can do isn’t normal. Could there be some lasting effects on their mental states from the time spent in the neighborhood? Recommending a full psychological profile to be made prior to the administration of amnestics. Possibly scans of the brain before and after. -Dr. Sorris
Per 
