Link to article: SCP-7295.
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[[>]] [[module Rate]] [[/>]] [[include :scp-wiki:theme:basalt themesetting | darkmode=a]] [[include :scp-wiki:component:acs-animation]] [[include :scp-wiki:component:anomaly-class-bar-source |item-number= 7295 |clearance= 2 |container-class= safe |secondary-class= |disruption-class= dark |risk-class= notice ]] ------ **Special Containment Procedures**: Staff assigned to SCP-7295 must check regularly that no power is being fed to SCP-7295-1. Due to an increase in unexplained power surges, staff patrols have increased from once every day to once every hour. All personnel with international access to SCP-7295 have been advised to never press the 4th floor button. Rescue teams will not be sent for you. **Description**: SCP-7295 presently takes the form of a decrepit elevator housed within a condemned building (now designed as SCP-7295-1) 10 miles outside of Fort Worth, Texas. The interior of SCP-7295 appears heavily used with scuffs and dirt covering the walls and floor. A wide selection of music plays over the entity’s audio system, however, they are often distorted beyond recognition. Despite this, three songs have been identified. Two pieces are believed to be from the theatrical production //“Mr. Blue Beard”//, and the third appears to be an adaptation of //“Hurrian Hymn #6”//. While staff are currently working on ways to identify other pieces, the distortion has slowed progress. Attempts have been made to fix this maintenance issue but nothing has yielded results. The buttons of the elevator display options for floors 1-4. Under no circumstances should staff press the 4th floor button. At the bottom of the control panel are a 'door control' button and a help button. The 'door control' button works as intended but the help button behaves strangely. The help button will usually fail to work when pressed. However, in approximately 10% of uses the music will stop, and a woman's voice will recite a statement instead. The statements made by this voice are recorded in the addendum below. **Discovery**: SCP-7295 was first discovered when a group of city inspectors became trapped within SCP-7295 and pressed the help button. They unknowingly triggered Story Iteration 5 and upon leaving through the shaft, notified authorities. Their report pinged a Foundation AI alerting the nearby site of the anomaly. As the building was abandoned and scheduled for demolition, acquisition proved simple. **Addendum 7295-A: Elevator Transcript**: The previously-stated statements consist of five stories, apparently chosen at random [[div class="smallmodal"]] STORY ITERATION ONE ------ How many stories do you think start with the phrase "Once upon a time"? There must be millions, maybe even billions of universes stuck underneath the crushing weight of those words. Very well. Once upon a time. I was a woman living in a horrible, decrepit, three-story apartment. The walls cracked under the force of time and a half-assed paint job only barely covered the dark spots in the ceiling. Each morning I woke to the smell of mildew fighting a losing battle against my empty whisky bottles. This was my life. One I now dearly miss. You might find my description of this place repulsive and you'd be 100% right. It was a real piece of shit. In all likelihood it would only be a few more months 'til the only thing coming through the doors were wrecking balls and sledgehammers. There was little about this place I could describe as interesting or unique. There was one thing, however. I lived on the 3rd floor, the very top floor of the building. I knew it's the top because I often used the emergency exit outside my bedroom window to climb on the roof and smoke. There are only 3 floors in the building, that's an absolute fact. Yet, the elevator contained a button for a 4th floor. This wasn't exactly a reality-breaking detail, there could be a thousand reasons why that button was there. Maybe they originally planned for the building to be four floors? Maybe it was cheaper to buy an elevator with that button? Maybe it takes you to the roof? So the existence of the button wasn't exactly that big of a deal. However, anytime I took the thing I couldn't help but stare at it in curiosity. A nagging itch clawed itself into the back of my brain and imprinted the question in my mind. What would happen if I pushed it? For years I was able to suppress this urge and lived my shitty life completely fine being oblivious on all subjects floor 4. I don't know what it was that made that day special, after all, it started like any other. I awoke to find the smell of whiskey won the aroma battle today. I threw on a shirt and shorts I found on the floor before starting my very busy day with such difficult tasks, like rewatching //Parks and Rec// while eating cereal for lunch. My plans were thwarted when my milk failed the sniff test, forcing me to venture out to the local corner store. I threw on a jacket as it was the middle of winter and stepped into the dimly lit hallway of my apartment. The floors groaned as I made my way down, passing the many empty rooms. This was a dying community. In fact, I had no proof anyone besides even lived here anymore. I saw one old lady when I first moved in but she moved out years ago. She told me the owners were put under a lot of pressure back in the day for not helping in a missing persons search, and a lot of people left as a result. So there I was, the only soul in this empty husk. I stepped into the shaking elevator and reached to press the 1st-floor button. My hand stopped as my eyes locked onto the 4th-floor button. I barely even thought about it, I simply shrugged and pressed that fucking button. The doors shut and that was that. I leaned against the back elevator wall and stared at the floor as I waited for a response. The metal box was still for a long while before I felt it shift and start to rise, much to my surprise. My brain immediately made the connection that it must be going to the roof. I pulled out my phone and waited for it to stop so I could head to the ground floor. After a strangely long stretch of time, the doors opened and my eyes left my screen to see the night sky. I was frozen for a long while as I studied the outside scenery, my brain trying desperately to understand what exactly was happening. The first very wrong thing I noticed was that it was night. I just woke up and one look at my phone told me that it was still only 11:24 am. Yet somehow, the moon hung in the sky all the same. There was also the fact that the elevator seemed to open up to solid ground. It was knee-high grass that stretched forward for a long while before hitting a treeline. In the distance I could just barely see a dirt road. Something about this place felt familiar. I stepped out cautiously as if something out there would make anything about this scenario make sense. After a few moments of seeing nothing I stepped out completely. This was definitely the ground. I started to feel panic rise in my throat as any attempts at a rational explanation began to fall away. The elevator appeared as if it had sprouted straight out of the dirt and opened into someone's cow pasture. It stood as a silver monolith in the sea of grass. My investigation of the area was taking me further from the elevator that I intended. In the distance, I could see a building, a simple gas station planted a few hundred yards downhill from me. It stood guard over an empty intersection lit by a flickering light post. Somehow, I felt like I knew this place. I heard a ding and turned to see the elevator doors shut. A thousand thoughts flood through my mind in a wave of panic that hit like a truck. It’s honestly incredible how fast a human can grasp the gravity of a situation like this because instantly I was panicking and banging on the door. The box shifted and shook for a moment before it began to move. The machine was sinking into the earth. I slammed my shoulder into the glass and pulled fruitlessly at its edges to stop it but it made no difference. Before long the elevator sunk into the ground and the grass flowed over the top like water over a stone. The place was silent and still. It was the kind of stillness that makes you wonder if everyone on earth had suddenly vanished. I stayed there on my knees for a long while, staring at the ground as tears continued to burn my cheeks. The entire trip since getting into the elevator had managed to break any perception I had of reality before stranding me here. The moon shined a silver glow on my back as I came to terms with my current situation. I was stuck here. Wherever here was. I don't know how long I sat there before hearing it. Across the field, the dinging of the elevator echoed with the might of a gunshot. My head immediately snapped in that direction to see its silver frame in the middle of the intersection, right next to the gas station. With renewed enthusiasm, I stood and started walking. My steps made crunches over the dry grass as I made my way to the dirt road. Wind gently blew through the field, making it shift and writhe like a living thing. The aroma of manure told me this was definitely a cow pasture, somehow I knew that before. That being said there wasn't a cow in sight. There was a barn up the hill and piles of hay for them to eat but not a single cow. I eventually came to a barbwire fence and climbed over it expertly, tapping into my years of being a kid in the country. The cracking of leaves beneath my feet changed to the crunch of gravel as I stepped on the dirt road. It looked like the rocks making up its surface had been spread recently as they still held a white powder and lacked many tire impressions indicating use. The elevator grew closer and closer. My eyes never left its face as I feared looking away for even a moment would send it scurrying away again. Now that I traveled on the road I felt even more certain I had been here before. The layout of the trees and surrounding structures sent signals throughout my brain triggering my nostalgia. The only issue was that I couldn't find a single memory in my head putting me on this road. That is, till I saw the truck. My journey eventually led me to the gas station where a handful of cars sat parked in the driveway, one of which I recognized. A green truck rested two spots from the front door. The truck was old and had a heavy coat of dirt over its surface. On the back window were neat letters spelling out the words 'wash me'. That was my dad's old truck. He had it when I was really young and used it anytime the family was heading to church. I even remember writing the words 'wash me' on the back window. The elevator lost my attention for a moment as I walked to the gas station. The windows were dark but I could hear voices inside. There was the sound of dishes clattering and laughter. I felt a warm glow in my chest as I got closer and closer to the glass door. The smell of good, home-cooked brisket filled my nose causing a small smile to cross my lips. I did know this place. It wasn't a gas station, it was a diner repurposed from a gas station. The ancient pumps still stood tall under the overhang but they had run dry long ago. My dad took me and my mom here every Sunday after church to get the Sunday special. Brisket with mashed potatoes and gravy. My mouth watered at the memory as the smell grew stronger. There was a time I considered that my favorite food. I ate it every Sunday with a can of Dr. Pepper while Family Feud played in the background. Before I knew it I was at the door. The voices grew louder and laughed hysterically as Steve Harvey's voice spoke under the screams of his audience. My hand touched the door and pulled it open causing the bell above the door to jingle. The inside was dark and empty. Every voice had cut out the moment the door had opened leaving only Steve Harvey to fill the silence. I stepped inside, letting the door swing shut behind me. The dust-covered floor felt like snow under my boot as I took in the surroundings. Just like the pasture this place was set up for the presence of people only to be completely devoid of life. Plates sat full of steaming food at every table along with different drinks and sides. At the very end of the bar were three plates of brisket, one of which sat next to a can of Dr. Pepper. The bar stool was cracks and I felt it poke me as I sat, my eyes fixed on the plate. Slowly, I picked up a fork and cut off a piece of meat. I studied it closely before lifting it to my mouth and biting off a corner. It tasted just as I remembered. "Okay Martha," Steve said over the box television's speaker, "We asked a hundred single men: Who is our lovely new guest?" That question felt odd. My eyes lifted up to the screen as the woman whispered with her family before answering, "We're going to go with Dawn Owens, Steve." My heart sank to the bottom of my chest. My name is Dawn Owens. Steven pointed at the screen which only had one available slot, "Dawn Owens!" The iconic correct sound went off before showing my name on the board. The camera hard cut to Steve who stared at me. He didn't stare at the camera. He stared at me. "We got a great show for you tonight, Dawn! We're going to have buckets of fun living out your favorite moments. I know for a fact I can't wait to see where this leads you. Am I the only one, everybody?" The crowd cheered as I jumped to my feet and ran to the door which didn't open as I pushed. I remember it would so this sometimes. You had to hold the door at just the right angle for it to open. The crowd laughed as Steve Harvey called out to me, "You running away, Dawn? Where you gonna go? I live in the space between every pixel and the static of every radio. There's nowhere you'll go I won't follow!" I finally got the angle right and shoved the door open, "She finally got it, everybody! Give’er a big hand!" Iron radiated from the back of my throat as I ran for the elevator. No matter how far I ran I could still hear the fucking crowd. It circled my skull and bit into my ears as tears streamed down my face. I don't even know why I was crying, everything was just so impossible that my body felt it had to or go mad. I finally ran through the open elevator door and pressed the 3rd-floor button. Nothing happened. I pressed every other button only for nothing to happen. The elevator speaker buzzed to life as a man's voice whispered through the static. "You can only go up from here, kid." I balled my fist and relented, pressing the button I had been neglecting. The 4th floor button. The doors shut and I watched the elevator rise. Through the window I watched us pass endless space. I am infinite sea of black nothingness so empty it felt as if it was pulling away my very mind. I fell against the wall and wept. "What is this place?" [[/div]] Note: Following this story iteration, an investigation was conducted into both the mentioned missing person’s case and the owners of the property. Very little was discovered involving the missing person and even less regarding the owners. In fact, there is not a single piece of documentation suggesting the building exists at all. It is unknown if this is due to SCP-7295 or the poor record keeping of the town. ----- [[div class="smallmodal"]] STORY ITERATION TWO ------ I rode the elevator for what felt like an eternity. A billion thoughts flooded my mind as we rose higher and higher, the elevator music playing all the while. After some deep breaths and even more crying I was able to get myself calm enough to think. Okay. This was clearly something far beyond my understanding. I needed a breather and a moment to decide what I DID understand. What did I know? I knew I was in a Willy Wonka elevator crashing through a void and my childhood home. I knew I was completely and utterly out of my depth. And I knew Steve Harvey was somehow able to see me through a television. God, I sounded fucking insane. Maybe that was a better option. Maybe I had lost my sanity and was currently wandering the streets of the city rambling incoherently. I'd have liked that better than having this be my reality. My thoughts were cut off by the dinging of the elevator as the doors screeched open. This time the sun shone brightly on an asphalt street and cookie cutter houses sat at its borders. This was another place I recognized well. My family were proud residents of the Pine Curtain for years before having to move for work. Dad had gotten a shiny new job that allowed us to live in a fancy house far better than our old one. I sat and stared at the scene outside. I didn't want to move. The elevator music cut out as the man's voice spoke again, "It won't move till you leave. Best to not keep it waiting." I looked at the speaker in the corner of the ceiling, "Who are you? What is this place?" There was no answer. Wouldn’t really matter if there was one anyway because he was right, sitting here wasn’t progressing whatever this was. I had to go off what I knew and at that moment I knew moving forward got me somewhere. I stood and stepped out of the elevator which immediately shut and sunk into the road. The sky was a clear blue without a single cloud. Heat from the sun graced me with just enough warmth to be comfortable. It felt peaceful and cozy, like a fireplace was burning in my chest. I felt overwhelming peace as the scenery around me took me back to my childhood. I had to be at least twelve or thirteen at this point and the prospect of going somewhere new had really appealed to my sense of adventure. If that desire for adventure still lived in my body now it would probably be secretly thrilled about all this. My feet were the only sound I could hear as the street snaked to the left toward a park. The trip home had been tattooed in my brain even all these years later. I walked the road from my bus stop every day until I eventually graduated. If there was a place I could call home it was this city and this house. Number 768. I stood before the oak door and stared at those golden numbers. How many times had I stared at them feeling absolutely nothing? Had to have been thousands. The home security buzzed announcing my presence. I heard the clatter of dice and my parents laughing. It must have been Friday, we always had a game night that day and while my parents were meant to wait for me they often played a few games without my presence or consent. Over their voices a movie played over the television, by the sound of it I had to guess it was //Jurassic Park//. My father’s favorite 'dad movie' by far and I had seen it enough times to quote it from memory. Muscle memory pulled me through the door and tossed my shoes to the side. The place felt different, I thought it was bigger. I walked down the hall following the voices to the living room which immediately died upon me entering. The room was now empty and dark, like the sources of the noise had ran the moment I walked in. The only sound now was Dr. Sattler talking about the symptoms of an ill triceratops. I crossed the room and looked down at the coffee table where a Monopoly game sat half-played. The pieces on board were the top hat and the car. "Nice place," Laura Dern said from the television. I spun around to see her sitting in a green field, her eyes locked on me. I turned to run but hesitated, in all honesty I’m not sure why. Even now I couldn’t tell you what forced my feet still. "Wait," she said through the speakers, "Don't run again. I didn't mean to scare you. I just got a little excited last time." I don't know why but I listened and turned to the television, "You were Steve Harvey?" She chuckled, "Well I wasn't //actually// him. Just like I'm not actually Dr. Sattler." "Well then who are you?" "A friend. You won't get many of those here so you better cherish me." I nodded, "Okay friend, what is this place?" "Well, it looks like your childhood home." "Yeah, so why did my fucking elevator bring me here?” "Do you expect me to have an answer? I'm as trapped as you. But don't worry, it's your lucky day because I know a way out. Just keep riding the elevator and you'll eventually get spit back out right where it found you." Okay, I could work with that. I just needed to keep pushing forward. I moved to the coffee table and picked up a stray piece placed on the side. The thimble. My piece. I stared at it with a smile. "Happy family," the television said with a smile, "shame how things turned out." My head snapped to her immediately, "What did you say?" I didn't even let it respond before I picked up the remote and aimed it at the screen. "No wait," it cried out before I pressed the power button and only saw myself in the television. The remote fell onto the floor but my thimble stayed in my grip as I continued exploring the house. It was exactly how I remember it any Friday afternoon. Brownies baked in the oven, music played over Dad's record player, and Mom's candles infested my nose with feelings of home. I walked the halls, looking at our family photos, my throat tightening a bit. At a young age, the only thing I ever wanted was to move out but here I was as an adult yearning for the good ole days. At some point it dawned on me that I hadn’t moved in a while and I was starring at a picture of me and another young girl. My hand reached out on its own to touch its glass face. There wasn’t a spec of dust on it. Odd. We never really focused on dusting. Eventually, I made it to my room and pushed it open to see the explosion of pink colors and Hello Kitty merch. I always acted like I was embarrassed about my Hello Kitty phase but in reality, I never even grew out of it. I picked my plushie of her and crossed the room to my window. The best part about living here was that my room overlooked the park across the street which often had a host of ducks doing silly duck things. Today, however, it seemed empty apart from an elevator floating on the still water. I stared at the shore as flashes of memories crossed my mind. I smiled. The home security speaker buzzed to life, "Happy memories?" I felt the joy leave my body immediately upon hearing his voice, "How are you even doing that?" "I told you, I live in the currents that run through all things. I'll be able to follow you the whole way through." "Why? What do you want?" "Same thing as you. I want out of here." I said nothing but continued looking at the shore, the memories slowly growing darker. "That's where you met her, right?" I turned and started marching out, making no attempt to acknowledge the voice. "Yeah, might as well keep moving. After all, you have an elevator to catch." I was out of the house quicker than I thought possible but slower than I would have liked. As I stepped back onto the road I stared across the empty park to the reflective pond and silver elevator duplicated across its surface. I groaned as I realized I’d have to swim across. The paved road was soon abandoned in favor of lush grass that shone more vibrantly than I thought possible. I passed many places that contained happy memories. A picnic table where I sat with her talking for hours, putting my fingers through the holes absent-mindedly. A playground where we'd play hide and seek. The ancient oak we'd climb to tell one another secrets. This place was a graveyard for my happiest memories. None held a candle to what I found on the shore, however. Sitting at the edge of the sand-covered bank was a pink, paper boat. I picked it up as I heard her in my mind. This wasn’t the place speaking, this was a conversation I'd replayed in my head all my life. //What are you doing?// //I'm making a boat.// //Out of paper?// //Yeah, why?// //Oh, I just don't think you'll make it very far riding that.// //Ha, ha, you're hilarious.// //Can you show me how to make one?// //Umm, yeah sure. Here's some paper.// //Can I have a green one?// //Sure, here you go. Now you just have to fold it like this, then here and there and... Just like that.// //Your’s looks great! Okay, let me try. Fold it like this, then here and there and... uhhhh...// //Well, you can't be perfect at everything your first time.// //Is it ugly?// //You want me to be honest?// //I don't know.// //It's the worst thing I've ever seen.// //Youch.// //See how it floats though.// I pushed my boat into the pond and watched it circle around a green, mishappen mass of paper that I couldn't call a boat with a straight face. I smiled fondly as I watched the green boat sink. //Guess I wasn't cut out to be a sailor.// //You'll get those sea legs eventually.// //I'm Hannah.// //I'm Dawn.// A radio sitting on a nearby picnic table buzzed to life, "You expecting the elevator to come to you? Keep it moving, kid. I've waited long enough." I shook my head and relented, wading into the reflective pond exactly like I didn't want to. Ripples spread across the smooth surface, distorting the mirror image and twisting it into a funhouse mockery. The pond was shallower than I remembered it being, I felt the ground the entire way as I made my trek to the open elevator. As I crossed I passed the pink boat. I wondered how long it would float in the pond before sinking with the green one. Maybe they could both be friends at the bottom of the pond? But I only saw it continue floating as I crawled into the elevator and pressed the 4th-floor button. [[/div]] Note: Based off this account, Foundation personnel attempted to locate the house described, to find evidence that the events actually took place. Efforts were successful, but the house was found to have been demolished several years ago and the lake filled in. ----- [[div class="smallmodal"]] STORY ITERATION THREE ------ The elevator traveled upwards through the void as the voice crackled over the speaker, "Feeling nostalgic?" "Something like that," I said with a sigh. "When was the last time you visited your parents? Has to have been years, right?" "How do you know so much about me?" "Because I'm your friend, Dawn." "I don't think I believe you." "Yeah, why's that?" “I feel… I don’t know.” “Go on, I won’t take offense,” there was a smile in his words. “I feel… unsafe when you speak. If you were actually my friend, I wouldn’t feel so hated every time a voice comes through a speaker.” It was true. Since the first moment I met this person I've felt nothing but resentment coming from the photons on screen. Nothing but rage through the waves of static. The voice chuckled in response, "It did take you so long to get here, Dawn." And with that, doors finally opened to a new scene. "Better keep walking, Dawn. I hate waiting." I was on a college campus that rang far too many bells. I stood in the parking lot near the Science Building in its crystal glory. The windows reflected the sun rising in the distance as birds sang from unseen places. At this time, students would be getting ready for class or recovering from a hangover. I remember going through both phases many times while shackled to my education. The elevator sunk into the ground behind me but I barely noticed. My body was taking me to the dorms where I'd find room B1-2 awaiting me. Windows into empty classrooms stood at my right, I could see the hollow rooms as I walked by. Unfortunately I managed to glimpse myself as well. Red hair fell over my shoulders messily and dark circles hung under my eyes. I had seen my reflection in these very windows many years ago and back then I considered myself quite pretty. Now I looked near dead. Had I really let myself go that much? I passed the science building and followed the sidewalk to the dorms I had called home. I always liked this place, it was nice and cozy. The only real problems were the rodeo boys on the other side of the dorm constantly being loud and annoying. I heard so many screams, whoops, and shitty guitar songs in my few years there than most people would have to endure in their entire life. However, there was always someone to help with that. When I arrived at my dorm I found it locked which wasn't surprising. I was notorious for losing my keys, however, I always had a method to quickly get into my dorm. I opened the window neighboring the door and crawled inside. The place reeked of blossom bath bombs and Whataburger bags I hadn't gotten around to throwing away. A bunk bed sat in the corner, the top covered in lavender blankets and the other bright pink with a Hello Kitty plushie sitting on the pillow. In the corner of my room was my roommate's gaming setup. She had two monitors and spent much of her time playing through the many soulsborne games with extensive lore she'd parrot back to me. That might sound annoying but I happened to really enjoy the stories she told. Sometimes I wonder where she is now. I hope she's happy. Hollow voices and laughter came from the common room. My own voice cackled along with another I have heard in every dream I've had for the past five years. Under our cackling, I noticed the gentle tunes of 8-bit music and knew the scene playing out. Hannah wasn't in college but she'd still come see me constantly. We'd play video games, watch movies, and drink a healthy amount of alcohol till the sun rose in the moring. This specific game was an indie project similar to old Nintendo games. God we had a fucking blast voicing each character with new, wacky pitches. //Oh my god, he does not sound like that!// //He literally does though, he just said, "Howdy!"// //I say howdy all the time, dude!// //And you also have a country accent.// //I do not have an accent!// //"I ain't got no dadgum accent." Ha, ha, no come back I'm kidding.// //No, this is unforgivable. Get off of me. I'm going to end it all.// //Aww, poor baby gonna cry? You gonna cry? Little country bitch baby?// //Jesus, I might now.// //No you won't because then I'd leave. You wouldn't be able to hang out with me. Then what would you do?// //Live a quieter life.// We laughed together for a while as we leaned back on the couch and looked into each other's eyes. I'm sure it was just the alcohol but I acted on a desire I didn't even know I had. I had always thought of Hannah as my closest friend but in that moment I knew I wanted her to be more than that. I leaned in and kissed her. //... What the fuck?// //Oh god... Fuck, I'm sorry. I don't know why I just did that. I'm drunk and-// //Oh shit... Why did I say that? I was caught off guard and wasn't, like, upset. I was just shocked. God, I'm a fucking idiot.// //Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.// //No, it's fine, Dawn.// //Let's just forget about this and-// //Dawn. Listen to me. It is okay. To be honest I've kind of wanted you to do that for a while now.// //Really?// //Yes! You fucking moron! I've been dropping hints since, like, freshman year.// //You have?// //I'm going to hit you. You can't take a hint to save your life.// //Then why'd you react like that?// //I never thought you'd actually do it. Of course, my dumbass had to ruin it.// //Yeah, nice one.// //I'll hit you.// //... Well, we can always start over and try it again.// //I think I'd like that.// The living area was dark and empty. The only light shone from the television displaying pixelated sprites and text boxes. The smell of liquor filled my nostrils as I crossed the small room and stepped behind the coffee table. My body collapsed right where I sat all those years ago. I looked where she had been and wished she was there now. I sensed him there before even looked. It’s like I could smell his resentment. A sprite on the television stared forward at me as a text box with red lettering appeared. "So this is where it started, huh," it asked, gesturing to the bottles on the table, "I don't blame you. Can't kiss a pretty girl without a chest full of liquid courage. You didn't drink just for the courage though, did you?" "Shut up," I said. "It's nothing to be upset about, Dawn. After all, you have a disease. That's what you tell yourself at least. To take the blame away from yourself. But that doesn't help as much as another bottle, does it?" "You don't know what you're talking about," I said quietly. The sprite jumped at the screen as the lights flickered and the smoke detector screamed out into his words. I covered my ears and cringed as he screamed, "I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! I've seen your life beginning to end. I know who you were. I know who you are. I know who you're going to continue being. We don't change, Dawn. We are who we always have been." "What do you want from me!" From my dorm mate's room, I heard the ding of the elevator. The sprite nodded to it, "I want you to get in the fucking elevator." I stood and did as I was told. I felt tears roll down my cheek as I knew what came next. [[/div]] Note: This was the first story iteration recorded. Originally the Foundation agents assigned to SCP-7295 believed it to be an elaborate stunt. However, investigation into SCP-7295-1 itself showed many strange objects within the brickwork. Over the next week, investigators recovered nearly a dozen fossils sealed into the structure. When radiometric dating of the bricks failed, the age was discovered using anomalous means revealing the stone to be over 7 billion years old. This would easily make the apartment older than Earth and even the sun. Further investigation is ongoing. ----- [[div class="smallmodal"]] STORY ITERATION FOUR ------ The elevator opened to a dark road leading to a house branded with Greek letters. Solo cups and trash covered nearly every inch of the lawn as music blasted over the speakers. The ground seemed to almost shake with the rumble of screams and music from inside the building. I shook my head and turned my eyes to the ground, "I can't do this." "You think you have a choice?" The elevator began to sink in the ground with me inside. Panic started again as I imagined getting trapped within this thing and stuck in the void for all of eternity. I jumped through the closing door and rolled onto the cold, moist asphalt. //Are you sure this is a good idea? I have to get up kinda early tomorrow.// //We're going to have fun, Hannah. Just loosen up a little.// I grabbed my head and shook the thoughts out, "I don't want to see this!" "Get up and face it like a fucking man," the speakers screamed down at me, "I didn't wait all these years to waste time watching you cry." I stayed on the ground. Breath was coming fast. I was hyperventilating. My vision was going black. Toxic memories tried to claw their way over my skull. I rolled onto my back and watched the stars stare down at me. The voice continued, "You want to go home, don't you? You won't get there lying on the floor." My breath slowed a moment as I gathered myself. "You've lived this once already," the voice said, "surely you can do it again." I picked myself up and stared up at the house, tears in my eyes. //I don't really know any of these people, Dawn. I'm not really comfortable with this.// //It's fine, we'll have some drinks and head home.// I stood in the foyer of the house surrounded by beer pong tables and half-emptied liquor bottles. On one of the tables were two cups with the names Dawn and Hannah scribbled on the sides. "She didn't even wanna be here, did she?" the voice came from the flat screen as a singer I couldn't name suddenly focused on me. "You already know, why are you asking me?" "Because I want to hear you say it." I closed my eyes as tears built up at their edges, "No. She didn't want to be here." //Who invited you here, Dawn?// //What?// //I said who invited you here? I don't see anyone I recognize.// //Some guy, I don't know.// //You just showed up here because some guy told you to.// //I'm just trying to have a good time, can you lay off a minute?// I was in the living room now where Scream was playing. Randy Meeks smiled at me as I entered the room, "Do you regret it? Probably not considering regret means you'd change your actions given the chance." "Of course I regret it," I yelled at him. "Then why haven't you changed, Dawn? You're still the same fucking drunk that-" "Stop!" "You don't want me to say it? Then what are you going to do when you have to see it?" "I said stop," I screamed before grabbing a beer bottle and throwing it at the screen. Cracks spiraled from the point of impact and for just a moment I could see what appeared to be an empty theater before it turned black. //Dawn... I don't feel good...// //Okay, we'll leave in a minute.// //I can't see straight...// //I said we'll go in a minute!// //I think someone put something in my drink.// //Wait are you serious? Are you-// //Please Dawn, please just take me home...// I stood back outside before my own vehicle, how had I gotten here? I don't remember walking there. I was certain I hadn't. I had just been in the living room. The speakers buzzed to life, "She couldn't drive after being roofied but there you were, her knight in shining armor. How many drinks had you downed that night? Do you even remember?" "I'm not doing this," I said. "You already did." I heard a ding and looked down to see the ground beneath me had changed to the doors of the elevator. They flew open and I was falling through the empty shaft. Darkness surrounded me as I twisted and swerved through the road. The headlights of my car were dim and a light drizzle was making it hard to navigate the street. Hannah cried silently beside me as we sped through the streets. I felt my blood boiling and my voice grow hoarse from screaming. I blinked and suddenly things were wrong. Things were blurry. I couldn’t see through the windshield. Gravity pulled my scarlet hair to the ceiling. Bile rose in my throat as I tasted metal in the air. It took me a few attempts before my disoriented mind could unbuckle and fall to the car's ceiling. I couldn't look at her. I closed my eyes and started to crawl through the broken windshield. //Hannah? Oh my god, Hannah! Hannah! You're okay! You're going to be okay. Please, please baby please be okay. I need you to be okay. I need to be okay. God fucking... God please just... Fuck... Fuck! FUCK!// I heard the car's radio laugh at me as I rolled out of the car and collapsed on the road, "That one drink must have been really important to you. That party meant more to you than her life. Meant more to you than her death too since that didn't stop you from grabbing another bottle." "Who the fuck are you," I cried out to the voice as the flames burned the car to ash. "This place isn't about me anymore, kid! It's about you and what you did! What did you do, Dawn?" "Fuck you!" "WHAT DID YOU DO?" The flames found their source and blew the car to smithereens. I fell back from the force directly through the doors of the elevator. I landed in my bed and stared at the half-assed paint job of my ceiling, the smell of liquor and mildew hit me like a ton of bricks. My television played //Parks and Rec//, April stared at me from behind the screen. "You killed your fucking girlfriend and decided to drown her memory in an ocean of booze. Honestly, you should have died with her but you decided to live on, bringing down everyone with you. Couldn't hold down a job so you had to beg Mommy and Daddy for rent and drink money. Mommy had to pull doubles just to support your pathetic ass. You remember, right? Of course you do. You'll never forget the look your father gave you when you asked him for a couple hundred bucks at her funeral." I sobbed and held myself as the weight of everything fell on my shoulders, "Please. Please. Please. Please, please, pleasepleasepleaseplease. I wanna go home. I wanna go home. I wanna go home." "You know where the elevator is," the television said, "I'll be waiting for you up above." I didn't leave the bed for a long while. I simply sat and cried myself to sleep. [[/div]] Note: A month into SCP-7295’s investigation led to an interesting development. A nearby family reported that a man came to their home, claiming he used to live there. The family told him they had lived in the house for more than 40 years and he looked far too young to have lived there before that. The description the family gave of the man was nearly identical to the missing person mentioned in story iteration one. All attempts to find this person have been unsuccessful. ----- [[div class="smallmodal"]] STORY ITERATION FIVE ------ I woke up in the elevator with no memory of how I got there. Void passed by the windows as the same damn music played over the speakers. I sat in silence and watched the nothing pass by. Was this hell? Had I finally died and been dragged to hell to suffer for what I'd done? The elevator doors opened and this time I saw something I didn't recognize. The room was vast and dark. Rows of seats sat positioned before a massive theater screen. Standing just before that screen was a man. I stood and stepped into the theater, the elevator doors shutting behind me. "Hello, Dawn," the man said in a voice identical to the one I'd heard in the elevator, "it's lovely to finally see you." "Who are you?" I asked. "I told you. I'm your friend." "I'm tired of your goddamn games," I yelled, "I sat through all of that to get here and get back to my fucking home! You owe me an explanation! Tell me what this place is!" He smiled patiently, "I will. Please, have a seat." I stared at him silently for a few minutes before relenting and sitting in the nearest seat. The man nodded to me, "Very good." "Now tell-" "To tell you the truth I don't know what this place is," the man began, "I mean obviously it's a building now but it hasn't always been that. Being here as long as me connects you to it in a way. It's been many different things over the course of history and I'm sure it will continue being different things in the future when the apartment visage stops drawing people in." "Are you saying this place is... alive?" He shrugged, "I only know what the last guy told me and what I’ve been able to steal from its memories. There is one thing that is certain. This thing is hungry. It built your entire life and put you through it in order to suck the emotion like marrow from a bone. Let me put it in a way you'll understand, you are a very nice bottle of liquor for it to nurse for the next few years." "Next few years?! No, you told me... You said that you knew a way out of here." "I do. You see it can only take one person at a time, while it's powerful it's still limited to that. So the only way you can escape is if someone comes to take your place." I felt my heart drop as I finally realized what he was saying. The man's voice cracked as he spoke, "You have no idea how long I've waited for someone to press that 4th-floor button just as I did. You don’t die here. No force, not time, nor your own hand will stop it or the memories." I jumped to my feet and ran for him but was stopped as strings of light shot from the theater screen and wrapped around my limbs. I struggled and screamed as the pixelated strands of television and static lifted me into the air. The man smiled up at me. The elevator rose from the ground behind him, the doors opening to greet him like an old friend, "I wish I could say I felt any kind of empathy for you, Dawn. But I can't feel anything, save this pure and utter joy right now. I'm going home. I've been here for decades but I'm finally going home. I hope you enjoy the film, Dawn. You'll be seeing it a lot." He stepped into the elevator and vanished behind the doors. I watched the metal box sink into the floor as the projector buzzed to life and started a film. I watched as my life began to play on screen. I watched Hannah. I watched our kiss. I watched the crash. I watched the bottle. I watched Hannah. I watched our kiss. I watched the crash. I watched the bottle. I watched Hannah. I watched our kiss. I watched the crash. I watched the bottle.I watched Hannah. I watched our kiss. I watched the crash. I watched the bottle.I watched Hannah. I watched our kiss. I watched the crash. I watched the bottle.I watched Hannah. I watched our kiss. I watched the crash. I watched the bottle. I cried out to whatever held me in place, begging it to kill me. I just wanted this to end. I wanted to burn in hell for all of eternity. Anything to escape seeing her again. Anything to escape. I was met with silence. [[/div]] ##pink | Note: This is eternal.## ------ **Addendum 7295-B**: Following a long period of radio silence from the team assigned to SCP-7295, an MTF squad was sent to conduct a wellness check. Upon arriving to the location, the team reported SCP-7295-1 had completely vanished. The captain remarked that the plot of land looked as if there had never been a building there at all as the vegetation replacing it was thick and old. All attempts to locate the missing researchers have failed as their trackers stopped responding at the same moment they did. The last location recorded was from the team technician and it pinged him exactly where SCP-7295 once resided but 167 miles inside the Earth’s mantle. Investigation into SCP-7295’s current location is still ongoing. [[div class="footer-wikiwalk-nav"]] [[=]] << [[[SCP-7294]]] | SCP-7295 | [[[SCP-7296]]] >> [[/=]] [[/div]]