Moonbank's Tale

Cleaning Duties

I was assigned to cleaning SCP-173's containment chamber yesterday. I've never seen SCP-173 in the flesh, but from what I've heard and seen in pictures, it seems terrifying. Blink once and your neck's snapped, is what I hear fellow inmates say. I don't know if that's true, but I'm sure as hell not gonna find out.

Oh shit, they're coming. I can hear them, marching up the rows. They're coming closer, they sound like they're talking about an SCP. I can hear snippets of conversation as they stride towards my cell. But then it all goes quiet. The footsteps cease, seemingly out of nowhere. They've stopped at one of the cells, but which one? Please, not mine.

I see the lock of my cell door slide open, the door following suit. The light would have been blinding, were it not that an entire fucking security team were crowding around my cell. What do they want now? I've been innocent, so far.

Looks like my cleaning duties start right away. I'm being escorted to the light containment zone. I've been a D-Class for a long time, and the central hallway in the light containment zone is by far the worst part of the complex. Old styling, cold white tiles, super high ceiling, and a few exposed bulbs dotted around the place.

Eventually, we come to the containment area. There's this big office/entrance zone thing before the actual containment chamber. The huge metal doors are shut, and there are a few guards along with a couple researchers and 2 more D-Class personnel. Meanwhile, I'm scared as balls standing in front of
them all.

Commands are given and the security crowds around us, as the researchers climb up to the office area. One of them gives us a bucket and mop before the doors creak open. And then we're in.

D-7651 is instructed to watch SCP-173 whilst me and D-9812 clean up the place, though also watching. We're told to alert each other before blinking. The chamber is creepy of itself. It's so big for a human-sized SCP. And the goddamn ceiling in here is even higher.

About 30 minutes into it, and were told we only have a couple more minutes to go. I was beginning to feel slightly more relaxed about it. But something has just gone wrong. Really wrong.

SCP-173 has moved from the corner of the chamber to just a few feet from us. D-7651 is laying on the floor, bleeding and headless. SCP-173 towers over his corpse, holding the head. It makes me want to vomit.

At this point, we're told to remain calm and resume cleaning whilst keeping eye contact. We sure keep eye contact, but no way are we going to try and clean. Most of the dirt is off the floor now anyway. All that matters is that I get out this chamber. Alive.

The door creaks open, and D-9812 looks over to see the security team waiting there. Unfortunately, I blink. SCP-173 moves closer, and a second corpse appears near to D-7651. Also headless. At this point I actually am vomiting.

They tell me to get the bodies out. I do so with relief, for there are now eight trained security members watching it. Though they suddenly walk away.

I am left trying to drag D-9812 out the chamber. I'm only a foot away. I hear the door creak. It's closing, slowly. I get out, with D-9812's corpse, but I need to blink. And I'm the only one watching.

I do so at the same moment the door creaks shut. I'm so lucky, I think. I turn around and there is a medical team to take it from here. 2 guards are standing by the door, ready to escort me. I'm suddenly tired, though I feel alert. Like I've experienced a trauma, which I sorta have. I don't know.

I do know that I'm never going near that fucking room again.