SCP-3180

Description

SCP-3180 is a subspecies of Oryctolagus Cuniculus native to Chatanooga Valley, Georgia. Any unmarried adult residing in the valley for over six months will begin developing romantic feelings towards a specimen of SCP-3180, eventually housing it within their home and treating it as if it were a spouse. With the exception of this anomalous effect, SCP-3180 is identical to the common rabbit.

Affected persons do not appear to consciously realize the object of their devotions is not human, often engaging in prolonged one-way exchanges with specimens of SCP-3180.

Surveillance equipment installed in the home of Ms. Kayla Liddell captured the following exchange on 2/3/2011.

Ms. Liddell: Honey, I'm home!

As Ms. Liddell opens the door with a bag of groceries in her hands, a specimen of SCP-3180 runs in circles within the living room of her house.

Ms. Liddell: Oh, are you working out again? Gosh, you do that so much!

Ms. Liddell proceeds to the kitchen and begins unpacking her groceries.

Ms. Liddell: You won't believe who I ran into today. You remember our awful neighbor at the last place? Well…

Extraneous information removed.

Ms. Liddell: …so I just looked at her and said that I had a million better things to do than waste my breath on her!

SCP-3180 does not visibly react to Ms. Liddell's conversation.

Ms. Liddell: Yeah, I knew you'd disapprove. You're so much calmer than me.

Ms. Liddell: Oh, I got you some crunchies.

Ms. Liddell opens a bag of carrots and places it on the floor. SCP-3180 ceases running and hops over to consume the carrots, tearing the bag apart in the process.

Ms. Liddell: Oh sweetie, you are so messy.

Affected persons will not attempt to copulate with SCP-3180; however, they will attempt to sleep in the same bed with it, usually unsuccessfully. In public or in the presence of others, affected persons are extremely circumspect about their domestic situation. When pressed, they will offer a "cover story," which usually contains a plausible reason for the spouse to be temporarily out of town or otherwise unreachable. The Foundation has not been able to identify the mechanism or origin of the underlying anomalous effect.

Affected persons score similarly to married people on Ryff scales of psychological well-being, suggesting that co-habitation with SCP-3180 closely approximates the emotional responses associated with normal human relationships.

Surveillance equipment captured the following exchange in the home of Mr. Clark Hinds while he was watching the NBA playoffs on 6/13/1994.

Mr. Hinds: Motherfff…

Mr. Hinds glances anxiously at the corner of the room where a specimen of SCP-3180 appears to be on the verge of falling asleep.

Mr. Hinds: Sorry, honey.

Mr. Hinds: But can you believe it? He didn't put Pippen in!

Mr. Hinds looks at SCP-3180 for approximately ten seconds.

Mr. Hinds: No, Jordan's retired. Pippen's the main man now.

Mr. Hinds turns back towards the television.

Mr. Hinds: I don't even want to watch the end of this. Jesus Christ, my thousand bucks is down the drain now.

Mr. Hinds: I know you hate it when I gamble. I just thought…

Mr. Hinds: Eh, never mind. I'll make it up to you.

SCP-3180 begins to snore. The television plays out the remaining seconds of the game.

Mr. Hinds: Oh my God! It's in! It's in! Kukoc! Kukoc's the man! Honey! It's in! We're rich!

Mr. Hinds squeals for approximately five seconds then runs to SCP-3180 and attempts to pick it up. Startled, SCP-3180 scurries away.

Mr. Hinds: Fine, be like that.

Mr. Hinds puts on his jacket.

Mr. Hinds: I'm gonna go collect our winnings. No more renting! How'd you like a house….with a backyard?

Mr. Hinds heads out the door with a smirk on his face.

Affected persons will almost always suffer through a period of depression after the administration of amnestics. At this stage, it is typical for subjects to speak of "empty spaces and "gaping holes" in their person; many report feeling as if they are constantly on the verge of identifying and verbalizing what these holes are, though none so far have been able to overcome the effect of the amnestics. Rage spells driven by triggers connected to SCP-3180 are common.

It is conjectured that the loss of SCP-3180 is processed on an unconscious level. The period of depression usually lasts between six months and two years, with approximately 11-14% of subjects suffering bouts lasting longer than five years.

Surveillance equipment recorded the following exchange between Ms. Kayla Liddell and her mother on 8/7/2014. Ms. Liddell was bedridden for over a year at the time of this conversation.

Mrs. Liddell Hi Sweetie! I brought you some lunch.

Here and afterwards, Mrs. Liddell speaks in a tone of overexaggerated excitement. Upon seeing no reaction from her daughter, Mrs. Liddell puts down a tray of food on a bedside table.

Mrs. Liddell: Why don't you go outside today? It's beautiful out there.

Ms. Liddell does not answer.

Mrs. Liddell: Come on, sweetie. I just know you'd enjoy it.

Ms. Liddell: I'd rather stay right here.

Mrs. Liddell: But you don't do anything! You just lie there, staring at the ceiling all day.

A fifteen second pause ensues as Mrs. Liddell looks at her daughter.

Mrs. Liddell: Well, I made you a nice salad. See?

Mrs. Liddell points to one of the dishes on the tray.

Mrs. Liddell: I bought all the ingredients at a farmer's market this morning. Tomatoes, avocado, a few carrots, and the lettuce has just been picked!

Ms. Liddell jerks upright.

Ms. Liddell: Are you fucking kidding me?

They stare at each other for approximately seven seconds. Ms. Liddell then proceeds to take the salad bowl and throw it against the opposite wall.

Ms. Liddell: How many times do I have to tell you? I never want to see a carrot again, you dumb bitch!

Ms. Liddell takes a pillow and wraps it around her face, emitting a sequence of muffled screams. Her mother says nothing. Approximately 45 seconds pass as Ms. Liddell bursts into tears, screams, and quiets down in rapid succession.

Ms. Liddell: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.

Ms. Liddell: Whenever I hear anything about carrots, I just go crazy. I don't know why.

Ms. Liddell: What the hell is wrong with me!?

It was initially believed that SCP-3180 exerts a hypnotic effect that lingers after administration of amnestics. However, experiments conducted by the Psychological Division did not support this hypothesis. In particular, a treatment group of 38 persons affected by SCP-3180 was compared to a control group of 94 subjects who had memories of a long-term partner erased by amnestics. No measurable differences between the two groups were found, either in frequency, severity, of expression of the ensuing depression.

In spite of the apparent harm resulting from the procedure, the Ethics Committee recommends all persons affected by SCP-3180 be put through amnestic treatment immediately upon discovery.