If you’re not familiar with the work of the SCP (Secure, Contain, Protect) Foundation then you’re missing out on some the most terrifying internet urban legends available anywhere. Each entry is a profile of a terrifying entity or unexplainable phenomenon. Entries currently number into the hundreds but below are four of the most terrifying entities the SCP Foundation has ever encountered. 

1. SCP-106

Item #: SCP-106

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures:

REVISION 11-8

No physical interaction with SCP-106 is allowed at any time. All physical interaction must be approved by no less than a two-thirds vote from O5-Command. Any such interaction must be undertaken in AR-II maximum security sites, after a general non-essential staff evacuation. All staff (Research, Security, Class D, etc.) are to remain at least sixty meters away from the containment cell at all times, except in the event of breach events.

SCP-106 is to be contained in a sealed container, comprised of lead-lined steel. The container will be sealed within forty layers of identical material, each layer separated by no less than 36cm of empty space. Support struts between layers are to be randomly spaced. Container is to remain suspended no less than 60cm from any surface by ELO-IID electromagnetic supports.

Secondary containment area is to be comprised of sixteen spherical “cells”, each filled with various fluids and a random assembly of surfaces and supports. Secondary containment is to be fitted with light systems, capable of flooding the entire assembly with no less than 80,000 lumens of light instantly with no direct human involvement. Both containment areas are to remain under 24 hour surveillance.

Any corrosion observed on any containment cell surfaces, staff members, or other site locations within two hundred meters of SCP-106 are to be reported to Site Security immediately. Any objects or personnel lost to SCP-106 are to be deemed missing/KIA. No recovery attempts are to be made under any circumstances.

Note: Continued research and observation have shown that, when faced with highly complex/random assemblies of structures, SCP-106 can be “confused”, showing a marked delay on entry and exit from said structure. SCP-106 has also shown an aversion to direct, sudden light. This is not manifested in any form of physical damage, but a rapid exit in to the “pocket dimension” generated on solid surfaces.

These observations, along with those of lead-aversion and liquid confusion, have reduced the general escape incidents by 43%.  The “primary” cells have also been effective in recovery incidents requiring Recall Protocol ██ -███ -█. Observation is ongoing.

Description: SCP-106 appears to be an elderly humanoid, with a general appearance of advanced decomposition. This appearance may vary, but the “rotting” quality is observed in all forms. SCP-106 is not exceptionally agile, and will remain motionless for days at a time, waiting for prey. SCP-106 is also capable of scaling any vertical surface and can remain suspended upside down indefinitely.  When attacking, SCP-106 will attempt to incapacitate prey by damaging major organs, muscle groups, or tendons, then pull disabled prey into its pocket dimension. SCP-106 appears to prefer human prey items in the 10-25 years of age bracket.

SCP-106 causes a “corrosion” effect in all solid matter it touches, engaging a physical breakdown in materials several seconds after contact. This is observed as rusting, rotting, and cracking of materials, and the creation of a black, mucus-like substance similar to the material coating SCP-106. This effect is particularly detrimental to living tissues, and is assumed to be a “pre-digestion” action. Corrosion continues for six hours after contact, after which the effect appears to “burn out”.

SCP-106 is capable of passing through solid matter, leaving behind a large patch of its corrosive mucus. SCP-106 is able to “vanish” inside solid matter, entering what is assumed to be a form of “pocket dimension”. SCP-106 is then able to exit this dimension from any point connected to the initial entry point (examples: “entering” the inner wall of a room, and “exiting” the outer wall. Entering a wall, and exiting from the ceiling). It is unknown if this is the point of origin for SCP-106, or a simple “lair” created by SCP-106.

Limited observation of this “pocket dimension” has shown it to be comprised mostly of halls and rooms, with [DATA EXPUNGED] entry. This activity can continue for days, with some subjected individuals being released for the express purpose of hunting, recapture, [DATA EXPUNGED].

---

Addendum:

SCP Review Notes:

Due to the exceedingly difficult-to-contain nature of SCP-106, SCP is to be reviewed every three months or during a post-breach incident. Physical restraints are impossible, and direct physical damage appears to have no effect on SCP-106. Current SCP, as of ██/██/████, revolves around basic observation and immediate response. Previous, more proactive special containment procedures have been recalled due to the events of breaches ██, ███, ██, █, and ████.

Notes on behavior:

SCP-106 appears to go through long periods of “dormancy”, in which it will remain completely motionless for up to three months. The cause for this is unknown; however, it has been shown that this appears to be used as a “lulling” tactic. SCP-106 will emerge from this state in a very agitated state, and will attack and abduct staff and cause gross damage to its containment cell and the site at large. Recall Protocol [DATA EXPUNGED].

SCP-106 appears to hunt and attack based on desire, not hunger. SCP-106 will attack and collect multiple prey items during a hunting behavior event, keeping many “alive” in the pocket dimension for extended periods of time. SCP-106 has no determinable “limit”, and appears to collect a random number of prey items during an event.

The inner dimension accessed by SCP-106 appears to be only accessible by SCP-106. Recording and transmission devices have been shown to still operate inside this dimension, though recordings and transmissions are very degraded. It appears that SCP-106 will “play” with captured prey, and appears to have full control of time, space, and perception inside this dimension. SCP-106 appears [DATA EXPUNGED].

Recall Protocol ██ -███ -█:

In the event of a breach event by SCP-106, a human within the 10-25 years of age bracket will be prepped for recall, with the compromised containment cell being replaced and restored for use. When the cell is ready, the lure subject will be injured, preferably via the breakage of a long bone, such as the femur, or the severing of a major tendon, such as the Achilles Tendon. Lure subject will then be placed in the prepped cell, and the sound emitted by said subject will be transmitted over the site public address system.

SCP-106 will typically begin to gravitate toward the lure subject within ten to fifteen minutes after hearing the subject. Should SCP-106 not respond to the initial broadcast, additional physical trauma is to be administered to the lure subject at twenty-minute intervals until SCP-106 responds. Multiple lure subjects may be used in the case of major breach events.

SCP-106 will typically enter a dormant state after finishing with a lure subject. In addition, subjects may [DATA EXPUNGED].

***

2. SCP-1981

Item #: SCP-1981

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-1981 is to be kept inside a secure video storage unit at the media archive of Site ██. When in use, SCP-1981 should not be removed from its casing or exposed to any strong magnetic sources. A Betamax home video system and an analog television has been provided in Observation Theatre 02 at Site ██, as well as video equipment to record viewings.

Description: SCP-1981 is a standard Betamax tape. “RONALD REGAN CUT UP WHILE TALKING”(sic) has been handwritten on the adhesive sticker in felt tip pen. Laboratory analysis indicates that SCP-1981 is made of ordinary material, and serial numbers correspond with home cassette tapes produced in September of 1980. SCP-1981 was initially encountered by a filing clerk in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in 1991, who upon watching it alerted the police, with the intent to find the tape’s creator to press “obscenity charges”. A low level police investigation was conducted, at which point the Foundation was alerted and secured SCP-1981. Class A amnesiacs were administered before █████ could be notified. Further investigation of the library’s records by Foundation personnel failed to yield any leads on SCP-1981’s origin.

SCP-1981 appears to be a home video recording of former United States President Ronald Reagan delivering his “Evil Empire” speech to the National Association of Evangelicals at Sheraton Twin Towers Hotel, Orlando, FL on 3/8/1983. However, at 1 minute and 10 seconds, the speech begins to deviate heavily, eventually resembling no known speech ever made by Reagan. Beginning at approximately 5 minutes, multiple incisions, lacerations and penetration wounds can be seen being slowly inflicted, though no corresponding source of these wounds is visible. Despite suffering bodily harm that would likely incapacitate an ordinary person, Reagan will continue to deliver his speech until either his vocal cords are severed or the tape degrades to static at 22:34.

Upon rewinding SCP-1981 and initiating playback, Reagan will deliver an entirely new speech, often radically different from the ones previously observed. Topics have included torture, child molestation and ritual sacrifice. Trauma inflicted upon Reagan also appears to be divergent, with impalement, genital mutilation, and [REDACTED] having all been observed. In roughly one in seven viewings of SCP-1981, a figure clothed in black robes with a conical hood will have replaced a random member of Reagan’s press detail, henceforth referred to as SCP-1981-1. The significance of the appearance of SCP-1981-1 is currently unknown.

The speeches delivered by Reagan are mostly incoherent, lacking any sort of underlying thematic structure and largely being composed of nonsensical anecdotes and parables. However, occasionally references are made to future events that Reagan could not possibly have known about or predicted, such as the September 11 terrorist attacks, the result of the 2008 Russian elections, and █████ ██████████. For this reason, rigorous time and effort has been devoted to recording the speech delivered on each playback. Attempts to replicate SCP-1981 onto a similar Betamax tape have met with failure, however, cameras used to record the television SCP-1981 is broadcasted on have succeeded in “capturing” individual playbacks. Any observations performed on SCP-1981 must be recorded on the camcorder provided, and delivered for subsequent review to Dr. B█████, project supervisor.

Years of natural magnetic interference has severely degraded SCP-1981’s signal quality, making it even more difficult to sift meaningful information from playbacks. Additionally, the gruesome nature of the mutilations performed upon Reagan have been described as “extremely disturbing”, and for this reason it is recommended that any personnel feeling squeamish or ill after playback visit the on site psychiatry facility for a level 3 evaluation.

As Ronald Reagan was alive at the time of SCP-1981’s containment, a surveillance net was deployed to establish any relation between him and SCP-1981. No known connection was developed, though Reagan would frequently complain about “nightmares” before his mental state degenerated due to Alzheimer’s.

Transcript 1:

0:17:24 – Reagan: A renewal of the traditional values that have been the tendons of this country’s strength. One recent survey by a Washington-based researcher concluded that Americans were far more willing to participate in cannibalism than they have in the past hundred years. America is a nation that will not suffer abominations lightly. Seven. And that is the core of the awakening. Twelve. Eighteen. We will stop al-Qaeda. Now there you go again.

0:18:02 – Reagan:  For the first time we have risen, and I see we are being consumed. I see circles that are not circles. Billions of dead souls inside containment. Unravellers have eaten country’s moral fabric, turning hearts into filth. I’m from a kingdom level above human. What does that yield? A hokey smile that damns an entire nation.

0:18:43 – There is no hope.

0:18:59 – [Applause]

0:19:15 – [Reagan winces back, as if experiencing severe pain. Several new lacerations begin to manifest across bare eye socket, as well as punctures appearing to penetrate forehead and temples. Remainder of left arm is now cleanly bisected.]

0:19:59 – Reagan: Further consensus has proven that over half of all Americans still hate. Eaten whole by void. The emptiness. The sadness. The blackness. The darkness. <laughter>

0:20:30 – [Laughter continues until signal degrades into static]

END TRANSCRIPT

Transcript 2:

0:12:32 – Reagan: I’ve been to the steel mills of Alaska, and the cornfields of Nebraska. I’ve seen the derelict offices of Google burn with the window boarded up and the squatters inside them. I’ve seen the houses where they cut up the little babies. From coast to shining coast I have walked empty down drooling path <indecipherable> The decaying flesh of false morality poisoning our children. I have stood atop the mountain of this greedy earth, looking upon our beautiful pious pit, filled to bursting with the vast hands of helplessness. And did you know what I saw?

0:13:57 –  Hell.

0:14:20  – [The audience erupts into laughter]

0:14:32 – [Muffled voice can be heard behind camera]

0:14:45 – Reagan: Now there you go again!

0:14:52 – [Laughter proceeds to die down]

0:15:00 – Reagan: But truly now, we live in a fortunate time. This is a fortunate time. Time is on our side. <laughter> A stitch in nine saves time.
0:15:40 – There are your truths and there are my truths. There are known knowns, known unknowns and unknown <indecipherable>. Some of them are in the audience right now!

0:16:02 – [At this stage, wounds inflicted upon Reagan’s neck appear to be so severe that it can no longer support the head. Speech degenerates into gurgles as Reagan violently jerks forward, spine being severed cleanly and the head only being loosely connected to the body by strands of muscle tissue. Body remains animate for the next 3 minutes, and continues to gesture as spinal column appears to be withdrawn from neck cavity, before finally collapsing. Tape degrades into static at 22:34]

END TRANSCRIPT

Transcript 3:

0:00:00 – [Long shot of podium as well as empty chairs normally occupied by Reagan and entourage. Curiously, this is the only recording that lacks both the intertitles and the presence of Ronald Reagan.]

0:00:30 – [Camera zooms in on podium.]

0:02:55 – [Entity known as SCP-1981-1 enters shot from left and stands at podium. Remains motionless for remainder of film.]

0:22:34 – [Tape flashes to single frame intertitle with words “I SEE YOU” colored in red. Holds for seven seconds then immediately cuts to static. No further signal for remainder of tape.]

END TRANSCRIPT

Note: This is the last known sighting of SCP-1981-1. SCP-1981-1 has been absent in all subsequent playbacks. If observed, staff are advised not to attempt to communicate with SCP-1981-1 and to alert any Level 4 Supervisors on duty.

***

3. SCP-087

Item #: SCP-087

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-087 is located on the campus of [REDACTED]. The doorway leading to SCP-087 is constructed of reinforced steel with an electro-release lock mechanism. It has been disguised to resemble a janitorial closet consistent with the design of the building. The lock mechanism on the doorknob will not release unless ██ volts are applied in conjunction with counter-clockwise rotation of the key. The inside of the door is lined with 6 centimeters of industrial foam padding.

Due to the results of the final exploration (see Document 087-IV), no personnel are permitted access to SCP-087.

Description: SCP-087 is an unlit platform staircase. Stairs descend on a 38 degree angle for 13 steps before reaching a semicircular platform of approximately 3 meters in diameter. Descent direction rotates 180 degrees at each platform. The design of SCP-087 limits subjects to a visual range of approximately 1.5 flights. A light source is required for any subjects exploring SCP-087, as there are no lighting fixtures or windows present. Lighting sources brighter than 75 watts have shown to be ineffective, as SCP-087 seems to absorb excess light.

Subjects report and audio recordings confirm the distressed vocalizations from what is to be a child between the ages of █ and ██. The source of the distress calls is estimated to be located approximately 200 meters below the initial platform. However, any attempts to descend the staircase have failed to bring subjects closer to the source. The depth of descent calculated from Exploration IV, the longest exploration, is shown to be far beyond both the possible structure of both the building and geological surroundings. At this time, it is unknown if SCP-087 has an endpoint.

SCP-087 has undergone four video recorded explorations by Class-D personnel. Each subject conducting an exploration has encountered SCP-087-1, which appears as a face with no visible pupils, nostrils, or mouth. The nature of SCP-087-1 is entirely unclear, but it has been determined that it is not the source of the pleading. Subjects exhibit feelings of intense paranoia and fear when faced with SCP-087-1, but it is undetermined whether said feelings are abnormal or simply natural reactions.

Addendum:
Over a period of 2 weeks following Exploration IV, several members of the staff and students from the [REDACTED] campus reported knocking at a variable rate of 1-2 seconds per knock coming from the interior of SCP-087. The door leading to SCP-087 has been fitted with 6 centimeter thick industrial padding. All reports of knocking have ceased.

Authorized personnel may refer to documents 087-I through 087-IV for transcripts of Explorations I – IV.
Document 087-I
Document 087-II
Document 087-III
[DATA EXPUNGED]

***

4. SCP-1733

Item #: SCP-1733

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: The DVR containing SCP-1733 is to be kept in a secure video archive at Site-██. Playback of SCP-1733 is strictly forbidden unless required for research. Personnel must contact Dr. Geller for permission to study SCP-1733.

Description: SCP-1733 is a digital recording of the 2010-2011 NBA season opening game played at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on 10/26/2010 between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. Agents monitoring social networking sites were alerted to SCP-1733 when Boston native █████ ██████ complained in a Facebook thread on 10/27 about a technical foul in the third quarter involving players Ray Allen and Chris Bosh that never occurred in the original broadcast. When confronted, █████ ██████ uploaded the relevant segment much to the confusion of his derogators. Foundation agents embedded in Facebook’s moderator team deleted the thread and procured the IP addresses of all individuals present at the chat at this time to locate and administer Class-A amnesiacs. The Motorola brand DVR containing SCP-1733 was recovered for study.

Study of the footage has since revealed the nature of the recording’s anomalous properties. Although initially diverging from the original broadcast only negligibly, such as quarter point totals and occurrences of fouls, SCP-1733 has begun to markedly digress from the content of its earlier playbacks. Recorded entities have been observed to retain memory of previous playings, and as such have developed a burgeoning awareness of their existence. It is hypothesized that playbacks impart an unquantifiable measure of cognizance to the entities inhabiting SCP-1733, with consecutive playings greatly expanding recall of previous events. This effect is cumulative and extends to all persons in the arena. Quality of awareness has progressed from reported feelings of intense déjà vu by commentator personalities Mike & Tommy to a near-eidetic memory of preceding playbacks. However, to note, no entities inside SCP-1733 have ever addressed the viewer directly, or shown awareness that they reside in a digital recording.

The individuals in the recording are virtually indistinguishable from their real life counterparts in talent, behavior, and mannerisms on court. Fans in the crowd also appear to be real human beings in all respects, and Foundation inquiries into the current status of these persons has found nothing of note. For all intents and purposes, recorded entities appear to be the actual individuals but somehow abiding in a digital medium. TD Garden records have put the number of people in attendance on 10/26/2010 at ██████.

It was initially thought the purpose of SCP-1733 was to depict an infinite number of game outcomes, since players were able to modify offensive and defensive strategies during every playback. By playback 034, players and coaches became so keenly adapted to the opposing team’s playbook that the score remained 0-0 until 3:34 in the first quarter. As quality of recall was still weak in early stage iterations, memory of preceding playbacks likely manifested as a vague intuition felt by players, fans, and team personnel alike, interfering with their ability to grasp the full scope of their situation.

By playback 045, however, comprehension of their predicament had reached such a point that players declined to play altogether and assembled with the rest of those in attendance to formulate possible escape plans. It is the conclusion of Foundation researchers that the inhabitants of SCP-1733 are imprisoned in the setting of the recording, as they have been unable to exit by any means. Doors leading out of the arena have not yielded to an estimated force in excess of █████ N. The assembly has also been unable to exit from locker rooms, player facilities, and skyboxes. Waiting for patrons arriving in at scripted points prior to the start of the first quarter has also been unsuccessful: individuals leave by where patrons entered and are then unable to navigate an escape from the adjacent corridors that girdle the main arena. Escape attempts have since grown more desperate, and have included failed attempts at constructing makeshift explosives, all-out rioting, the fracturing of the assembly into three opposing factions, and by playback ███ the ritualistic murder and disembowelment of players in the hopes of appeasing whatever it is that confines them (see Timeline Document 001 for details). However, upon the beginning of a new playback, all persons are returned to their pre-game status unharmed.

Researchers have been unable to duplicate the effects of SCP-1733 with other recordings made by the DVR, confirming the device is not the source of SCP-1733’s aberrant properties. Due to the distress visited upon inhabitants of SCP-1733, testing has been suspended indefinitely.

Timeline of SCP-1733 Playback:

Playback #	Notable Developments
Playback 002	First recorded deviation from recorded broadcast. TD Garden crowd boos the Miami Heat during entrance. Miami Heat forward LeBron James observed to have scowled and shaken his head dismissively at the crowd.
Playback 015	Score remains 0-0 for eight consecutive possessions. Fans appear noticeably subdued when displayed on the facility’s HD scoreboard screen. Celtics power forward Glen Davis is able to execute a crucial block late in the fourth quarter on LeBron James he could not complete during the original broadcast, securing the Celtics lead. Commentators note Glen Davis’s dedication to performing well on both the sides of the court in spite of the “Big Three’s blistering ball movement on offensive plays”. A nascent awareness of previously played games has begun to form.
Playback 026	First Miami Heat victory, 112-85. Crowd becomes aggressive, shouting obscenities and hurling foodstuffs at the Celtics. Color commentator Tom Heinsohn understood the frustration, criticizing the Celtics coaching staff for becoming so complacent after having “cracked the code of the Miami Heat offense”. As this was the first game together for the Miami “Big Three”, it is unlikely any coaching personnel would have become so adjusted to an unfamiliar offense in a single game.
Playback 027	Commentators Mike & Tommy note a feeling of déjà vu during the Heat’s grandiose entrance. Crowd remains subdued during key Celtics plays. Celtics emerge the victors, prompting Tom Heinsohn to remark “the Celtics have come a long way winning back the hearts of their fans”. When asked to elaborate by Mike Gorman, Heinsohn could only respond that he felt the team had an embarrassment to atone for, but could not specify further.
Playback 044	Teams emerge disoriented and confused. Game is suspended. Majority of time is spent by medical professionals assessing the mental state of players, who remain convinced they had dreamt playing the season opener frequently the previous night. When informed of the situation by team staff, commentators Mike & Tommy affirm the same feeling. Crowd is also afflicted. Recording ends with court-side correspondents interviewing members of the crowd on the nature of their dreams.
Playback 045	Players refuse to play. Cameramen, facility personnel, players, commentators, and crowd members gather in the court to appraise the situation. All persons are convinced they are reliving the same game repeatedly. Doors are tested but cannot be budged. Recording closes as crowd begins to fashion makeshift weapons to pry open doors. Last instance of camera being manipulated by the camera crew. All following playbacks seen through a single static shot of a broadcast view camera.
Playback 051	No attempts to exit the building have succeeded. All exits in the arena and adjacent areas remain sealed. A physical altercation in balcony section 318 between an inebriated group of college-aged males and one older male leaves the older male concussed on the floor and unconscious. As broadcast camera is unable to pick up audible voices on opposite side of the arena, presumably the dispute occurred over the group of males not assisting with escape plans. First recorded violent incident.
Playback 052	The man knocked unconscious in previous playback is returned to previous state unharmed upon the beginning of current recording. The man ambushes and bludgeons one of his attackers to death at 34:12 mark.
Playback 055	Cognitization has progressed to such a point that the crowd is now able to remember the events of that week, as well as friends and family members outside the facility. Attempts to contact outside for help are met with failure.
Playback 065	Crowd is unable to exit the facility. Congregation has since dissolved into the following groups and “factions”: players, coaches, and all involved team personnel have presumably barricaded themselves in off-screen player facilities. The infirm and parents accompanied by their children have retreated to northeast corner of balcony rise and have elected to wait out playbacks as they occur, marking their territory with a Celtics championship flag draped over Section 320. ██ individuals henceforth referred to as the “Faithkeepers” have proselytized to multiple gatherings that they believe being confined to the TD Garden is a punishment for rampant consumerism of the post-industrial world, and have burned “offerings” of mobile phones, car keys, handbags, and wallets in center court for the past four playbacks. The group comprises Boston churchgoers and [REDACTED]. A notable portion of adults numbering approximately ████ individuals, however, remain diligent in formulating escape plans.
Playback 073	The “Faithkeepers” grow in number after previous playback incident, where three males were severely injured by an improvised explosive fastened to an exit door. No damage to the door is visible.
Playback 095	Hedonistic displays of sex and violence have sufficiently curbed the efforts of proselytizers. Makeshift curtains are hung around the site of an orgy at loge 8 at the urging of Section 320 members.
Playback 112	Conditions have deteriorated considerably. ██ individuals leapt from balcony section in opening ten minutes of playback 112.
Playback ███	Faithkeepers storm player facilities to retrieve Paul Pierce and LeBron James. The players are ritually sacrificed and their bodies are subsequently displayed on the arena’s “Jumbo-tron”. The murder of players seems to have no effect on the recording.
Playback ███	Proselytizers have begun to call for the sacrifice of children. Adults have formed a wall between Group 320 and the Faithkeepers.
Playback ███	First recorded deviation in arena light to a deep red color. [DATA EXPUNGED].