SCP-1448

Description

SCP-1448 is an incorporeal entity that appears as an opaque black object roughly 8 meters in diameter with a rapidly shifting physical form. SCP-1448 only absorbs visible light in very dim light, rendering it invisible to the naked eye from shortly before sunrise to shortly after sunset and difficult to see otherwise; however, it is several degrees cooler than its surroundings, allowing it to be tracked via infrared sensors. Except during migration events, SCP-1448 will display no activity whatsoever. SCP-1448 emits indistinguishable whispering noises at roughly 10 dB during migration events.

SCP-1448 will only remain in one area for a period of between three months and ten years, with the median time of residence being fifteen months. After this period of time, SCP-1448 will leave and travel to a new destination at a mean speed of 65 kph and a height of between one and fifteen meters. SCP-1448 will normally travel approximately 950 kilometers before choosing a new habitat.

SCP-1448 tends to inhabit manmade structures, although by no means will it restrict itself to artificial habitats. In every recorded instance, SCP-1448-1 has been in an area accessible to the public. SCP-1448-1 has, in the past, been:

• Churches. In all cases, churches inhabited by SCP-1448 have always been over 53 years old at time of migration. SCP-1448 rarely inhabits other religious centers.
• Cemeteries. Cemeteries inhabited by SCP-1448 frequently have larger-than-average gates. Said gates often require frequent maintenance to prevent rusting.
• Caves. Subterranean areas that have been SCP-1448-1 frequently become colonized by bats after SCP-1448 departs, if they were not already home to bats.
• Trees and stumps over two meters in diameter. Oak trees are the most common tree for SCP-1448 to inhabit.
• A variety of abandoned buildings in varying states of disrepair. SCP-1448 has attempted to inhabit SCP-1084 on five separate occasions, in each case compounding [REDACTED].
• Densely forested areas. Forests containing SCP-1448 have been noted to become significantly darker after containment and appear to remain so indefinitely.
• Small bodies of water, such as swamps, ponds, and the shores of lakes. In these cases, SCP-1448-1 has always been the site of at least one drowning, intentional or otherwise.
• Amusement parks and other outdoor recreational areas. Persons who enter SCP-1448-1 during these instances are highly unlikely to dispose of refuse properly.

In a disproportionately large number of cases (16.3%), SCP-1448-1 has been the scene of at least one death prior to hosting SCP-1448. Said death has been within twenty years of containment in each incidence. 118 separate incidences of SCP-1448-1 have been recorded since discovery in 1839.

The effects of SCP-1448 being present at SCP-1448-1 are believed to begin approximately three days after SCP-1448 has ceased migration, although they may not become apparent for another week. The primary effect of SCP-1448 is the creation of rumors or “urban legends” regarding SCP-1448-1, often concerning supposed deaths or otherwise paranormal activity in the area. Usually, these rumors (collectively SCP-1448-2) are begun and spread among the youth population of the population center nearest SCP-1448-1. When SCP-1448-1 is near a densely populated area such as a city, SCP-1448-2 will generally be restricted to several city blocks or one neighborhood.

A feature common to every instance of SCP-1448-2 is that, between two and three weeks after SCP-1448 arrives at SCP-1448-1, a rumor will surface to the effect that performing certain actions in or near SCP-1448-1 will yield results that would normally be considered implausible or nonsensical. Every documented "ritual" involves situations in which SCP-1448-1 is likely to be exposed to appreciable amounts of blood (human or animal). No blood lost by a subject at SCP-1448-1 has been recovered.

Examples of rituals produced by SCP-1448 include:

• Placing a dead cat on a grave near SCP-1448-1-01 (see file photo) along with a wart removed from the subject's person was intended to cure the mumps.
• A female having sexual intercourse for the first time in or under SCP-1448-1-23 would not become infected with pathogens or become pregnant from the event, provided no other precautions were taken, i.e. birth control or condoms.
• Repeating the phrase “She [REDACTED]” with one’s eyes closed while running through SCP-1448-1-61 was supposed to cause the ghost of Edna ███████, who committed suicide in SCP-1448-1-61 in late 1894, to manifest and kill the speaker.
• Self-mutilation at midnight in SCP-1448-1-112 resulting in significant blood loss will grant audience with [DATA EXPUNGED]; notably, a similar entity was recovered from the area several months earlier.

Note that all rituals produced by SCP-1448 are completely nonfunctional and each is unique in nature and intended results. Reported failures of these attempts have been somewhat effective in discouraging others from making attempts.

After SCP-1448 migrates from SCP-1448-1, SCP-1448-1 is most commonly avoided by locals whenever possible for several years afterwards. The rumors and legends regarding SCP-1448-1 will stay, along with the mildest versions of the rituals involving SCP-1448-1. Persons will no longer exhibit any unnatural desire to perform these rituals. Former instances of SCP-1448-1 do not require containment. Former instances of SCP-1448-1 are reviewed for further containment on a case-by-case basis (See Incident Report 1448-38).

Research into creating reliable containment procedures for SCP-1448 is underway.