[This is the first interview to take place after SCP-2420's admittance into Site 213.]
Dr. Hydock: Good morning, SCP-2420. I've heard you've had some trouble sleeping?
SCP-2420: Xanax.
Dr. Hydock: Pardon me?
SCP-2420: Anxious. Helps me sleep. Get me some, I guess. Also turn up the air-conditioning.
Dr. Hydock: Absolutely. However, I am not merely here to see to your mental and physical state. As I'm sure you may have guessed, I'd like to hear about your relationship with your pet before she was deceased.
SCP-2420: Mattie.
Dr. Hydock: Pard—
SCP-2420: Ma'am, you can call me whatever you want, but she has a name. It's Mattie. Short for Matilda. Her full name is Matilda May. Matilda May █████, I guess.
Dr. Hydock: Duly noted. But please, tell about Mattie.
SCP-2420: Well, uh, she was my dog. I guess. I got her from, um, a neighbor. They're not, like, a breeder. But they had a Border Terrier meet another Border Terrier, and they were looking to, uh, give away puppies. I guess. And I was lonely. My parents died. But, I guess you know that. They left me a house, but it's fucked up lonely to be the only one living in some dead people's house, you know?
Dr. Hydock: Mhm.
SCP-2420: I came to their house. Their backyard, uh, really. And they had all the puppies, kind of, you know, all meshed up. I mean, in some, uh, cage. Hey, can we turn a fan on? It's really hot. Like it's really hot. [SCP-2420 begins to hyperventilate and hug its chest.] Hard to breathe.
Dr. Hydock: Certainly, SCP-2420, but please, calm down. I promise, I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to hear your relation with the- uh, with Mattie. You were just telling me about the day you chose her from her litter?
SCP-2420: Okay. Okay. I saw her, yeah. She wasn't the biggest, but I, uh, ha, noticed her right away. She was a bit of a bully. She was playing, yeah, but you got the sense she didn't have patience for the other dogs. They bothered her, and she wanted them to know it. And when I came over, she was the last to come see me. The others, they just jumped up, trying to get me, wanting attention, wanting to be picked up. But she just sat down, and she stared at me for a good bit. I stared back. It was weird, I guess, but I felt like she was sizing me up. She came over, real confident, kind of pushed aside her brothers and sisters, and I held my hand out to her. She clamped down on my hand. But not hard. It wasn't mean. She was never mean. Not to me. And from then, uh, I guess I knew I had to get her.
Dr. Hydock: Did she ever exhibit any anomalous abilities? For that matter, before this, have you ever been able to do something that, to be blunt, SCP-2420, felt impossible?
SCP-2420: If I thought I was magic, I don't think I would've been a telemarketer. Living in my parents' house. And Mattie? No. Mattie was definitely not, uh, magic. I mean, shit, she was afraid of rainstorms. She thought the vacuum cleaner was a real animal. She was, uh, a smart dog, though. Always seemed to be more person than dog, yeah, but not magic. I always thought, you know, she could learn a bunch of tricks if she wanted, but she clearly had no interest. Mere tricks were beneath her. She carried herself like a little queen. I guess.
Dr. Hydock: So nothing strange in her life had ever led you to believe that she could be capable of this kind of anomaly?
SCP-2420: She was normal. I mean, like I said, she wasn't really a big fan of other dogs, but she'd play with them. It was always like, you know, they were beneath her. But she'd chase 'em. She was, uh, real territorial. Mattie killed a couple, um, birds and stuff. A squirrel once, because it got caught up in a fence. Never thought she'd ever catch one. Shit, you should've seen her. Blood all over her muzzle. So damn proud of herself.
[EXTRANEOUS DATA REMOVED]
SCP-2420: But, uh, I guess you wanna hear about how she died, right?
Dr. Hydock: That would be quite helpful, SCP-2420.
SCP-2420: Even that was, I guess, sadly normal. I was takin' her for a walk. She always loved walks. I mean, shit, I guess all dogs like walks, but she liked 'em a lot more. I don't know. Maybe that's crazy. But we were walking, uh, near the street, and uh, well, ha, can we turn up the air-conditioning? Just a little bit?
Dr. Hydock: Certainly. If you'd rather not talk about this right now, we could discuss it another time.
SCP-2420: No, I'm fine. I guess she, uh, didn't die after all, right? [SCP-2420 laughs then coughs.] A car hit her. I guess I wasn't paying attention. People said I was lucky I didn't get hit, but I'd rather've gotten hit. Maybe I wouldn't've died. Squished her down the middle. It was horrible. Person driving the car was some teen girl. Wasn't her fault. I was jaywalking. She was young. Wasn't her fault. I knew her mother. She lived on the street. But, I couldn't stop crying. There she was. Waltzing Matilda May, there she fucking was, and she was dead. Bleeding everywhere. I took her in my arms. She wasn't breathing. I didn't get to be there for her last breath. I think she died when I was crying, when I was stunned by all the, the shit.
Dr. Hydock: And what was done with the body?
SCP-2420: I took her. I walked her. It wasn't that far. Said I was in shock, but I knew what I was doing. I got a shovel from my garage. My dad's shovel. I got her favorite blanket. Guess it was my blanket, really. A big, uh, green one. She always loved it. It was mine, but it may as well have been hers. She was more comfortable with it than anyone else could have been, you know? You give a dog a blanket, and you swear, no human could ever be so cozy. So I wrapped her up. All broken. God, she was so small. I dug a hole. In the middle of my backyard. There was a spot where the shade of the trees didn't reach. She'd lay there. Waltzing Matilda May I Have This Dance. That's what I named her after. You know, the song. I buried her. She should, uh, still be there. You guys can check it out. No one moved it.
Dr. Hydock: Certainly, SCP-2420. Thank you for your cooperation. If you want to stop now, I would certainly understand. It has been a tough day for you.
SCP-2420: No. It's fine. There's only a little bit more anyway. Can I, can I, uh, continue?
Dr. Hydock: Absolutely.
SCP-2420: I was going to kill myself, the day I noticed that she was, uh, everywhere dogs were. Just a normal walk. But I was going to, uh, jump off a bridge. I don't know if I really was gonna, to be honest, ma'am. But it felt like I was gonna. It felt right. But, things were weird. I never noticed so many Border Terriers in my life. The neighbors, all of 'em, identical, and they looked just like Mattie. I thought I was losing it. They were trying to get under the gate, trying to climb up it, barking at me, carrying on. I, uh, didn't notice anything was weird until I got near the dog park.
Dr. Hydock: And that's where we found you, correct?
SCP-2420: Ha, yeah. I guess. That's where you all found me. I just, I don't know why I got there. Wasn't even near the bridge. Wasn't even all that close. I think I just wanted to see some. Before I died. They were always so nice. Dogs. But, they were all Border Terriers. And they were all running to me. So many of them. And they all, well, they all stopped in front of me. Owners were yelling. People were, uh, screaming. They were slipping out of collars that had gotten too big. They were, uh, breaking free from everything. To come to me. And they encircled me. They were all her. I knew it immediately. They were all her. One walked up to me, and it bit my hand. Gentle. And that's when I fainted. Then, well, I'm here.
Dr. Hydock: Excellent. Thank you very much for your cooperation. Is there anything you need before this is concluded?
SCP-2420: Uh, yeah. Just one. Just one thing.
Dr. Hydock: Yes?
SCP-2420: Does it hurt them? Does what she does hurt them? I heard they stop being her when I'm not there. Are they okay?
Dr. Hydock: Yes. When they're not instances of SC—I mean, when they cease to be Mattie, there is no pain in the switch. Either to or from. None of the dogs have exhibited any signs, anomalous or not, of being in any way affected by Mattie and your effect.
SCP-2420: And you. You're not going to hurt them?
Dr. Hydock: Pardon me?
SCP-2420: Listen, I've seen ET. I'm not stupid. You're going to dissect them. Dissect her maybe. And I'm telling you. Please don't. Please don't hurt a dog because of me. I beg of you.
Dr. Hydock: I will, I will see what I can do, SCP-2420. Once again, thank you.
SCP-2420: Will I get to see her again?
Dr. Hydock: Visiting times can certainly be arranged. Especially for testing purposes.
SCP-2420: Thank you. I miss her so much. I didn't even get to tell her how good a girl she was. For, you know. Being magic.
[Foundation operatives were able to recover the remains of SCP-2420's former pet where it had claimed them to be. The remains were not anomalous in any way and had been met with the expected amount of decay.]
[End of Interview Log]
