Item #: SCP-021-FR
Threat Level: Green ●
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: Due to the non-physical nature of SCP-021-FR, containment is currently impossible. The current containement procedures focus on reducing the number of appearances of SCP-021-FR instances and on hiding its existence to the public.
The various sub-sections of MFT Phi-61 "Lanterns of Falaise"1 must inspect all the following cliffs at least once a week:
- Látrabjarg Cliffs (Ireland).
- Moher Cliffs (Ireland).
- Etretat Cliffs (France).
- North Cape Cliff (Norway).
Any stone projecting more than thirty (30) centimeters above one of these cliffs, located near their edge and accessible from their top on foot, must be catalogued and regularly checked in order to record any SCP-021-FR event happening around it.
Any such stone easily accessible to the public must be removed from its spot and sent to Site 61 for analysis instead.
The identification of incidents directly related to SCP-021-FR must occur as quickly as possible. Any anomalous element of these incidents must be hidden to the public.
Description: SCP-021-FR is a phenomenon occurring irregularly at the top of some specific European cliffs, located around instable salient stones at the edge of said cliffs, and accessible on foot from the top. However, only a small portion of the stones that meet these criteria are likely to become the epicenter of a SCP-021-FR phenomenon.
When a stone meeting such criteria enters the field of vision of a human being (hereafter designated 'affected subject') located near the top of the cliff at night or at nightfall and a SCP-021-FR phenomenon is triggered, the affected subject perceives the area around them as being in a state of erosion incoherent with the current geological state of the cliff (the edge of the cliff is always perceived as being farther away from the subject than it actually is)2. The affected subject also perceives the presence of an entity of variable appearance talking to them and carrying a light source (referred to as SCP-021-FR-1). This entity, as well as the appearance of the cliff modified by the SCP-021-FR phenomenon, are not visible to other witnesses, but will appear on any recording, photograph, or film made by the affected subject.
The combination of the distant, fake cliff edge and the presence of the entity addressing the affected subjects sometimes prompts them to move towards the entity, causing them to fall over the real cliff edge. Affected subjects who die as a result of this type of accident present no abnormal characteristics.
Instance 021-41, ██/██/██ 09:31 PM (Etretat Cliffs)
Introduction: This was the first SCP-021-FR instance to affect a Foundation employee in charge of monitoring stones that could become the epicenter of a phenomenon.
<Begin log>
(irrelevant dialogue removed)
Dr. Ryan: That's it for tonight, guys, let's wrap it up.
Researcher Strauss: I thought we were done unplugging the sensors, why is there still someone near the rock?
Dr. Ryan: There's nobody there.
Researcher Koch: Just a minute. Strauss, what exactly are you seeing?
Researcher Strauss: There must be a guy who stayed over there, he's sweeping the ground with some kind of flashlight. Very tall, could be Keynes. (shouting) Keynes, what are you doing? We're packing up.
Researcher Koch: Strauss, Keynes is here with us. There's no light near the edge. You are being affected by SCP-021-FR. Do you have a camera with you?
Researcher Strauss: I left it in my vehicle. Just my luck.
Dr. Ryan: Infrared isn't detecting anything useful for us. Don't move and describe exactly what you're seeing.
Researcher Strauss: There's a tall figure, I would say about six feet tall, standing about thirty feet away from me. It's holding something bright in its hand and uses it to scan the ground, like a flashlight beam. I can't see what it's wearing very well, but it looks like a wet raincoat, it's shining in the light of the lamp. (pause) The silhouette is walking all around the stone, scanning the ground with its lamp. I think it's looking for something.
Dr. Ryan: It's walking around the stone? You mean on thin air?
Researcher Strauss: Now that you mention it, the ground looks different. There's more rocks and… I can't see very well, but it looks like the cliff edge is gone. I'll go take a closer look.
Dr. Ryan: Strauss, I told you not to move.
Researcher Strauss: I'll be safe as long as I don't go anywhere near the stone. (he starts to walk and lights his own lamp.)
Dr. Ryan: The position of the one you're seeing may not be quite the same as the real one. Don't take any chances.
Researcher Strauss: (he stops walking) You're right. (pause) Excuse me?
Dr. Ryan: I didn't say anything.
Researcher Strauss: Not you. (apparently talking to the entity) What was that? (long pause) I'm sorry, I have to go, you'll have to manage without me.
(long pause, during which Researcher Strauss seems to hesitate several times to return to the rest of the team. He finally returns after eight (8) minutes and seems to be regretting his choice.)
Researcher Strauss: He said he lost the ring he wanted to give to his fiancée in the grass and he wanted me to help him find it with my flashlight.
<End log>
Instance 021-55, ██/██/██ 11:04 PM (North Cape Cliffs)
Introduction: All team members present were equipped with dictaphones to confirm if it was possible to record the voice of SCP-021-FR-1. A SCP-021-FR phenomenon occurred on the fourth night of monitoring. This report is a transcript of the dictaphone recording made by Dr. Nilsen, the affected subject.
<Begin log>
Dr. Nilsen: I think something's going on.
Researcher Strand: Nothing on the infrared.
Dr. Nilsen: Don't be ridiculous. There's no way it's going to interfere with your devices if I'm the one affected. Just let me know if I get too close to the real edge.
(Dr. Nilsen exits the vehicle and walks towards the phenomenon.)
Dr. Nilsen: Someone is carrying an object that shines very brightly and looks like an old candle lantern. The entity is quite small, has its back turned to me and is waving the lantern slowly from left to right.
Researcher Strand: According to the infrared, you are about forty meters from the true edge of the cliff.
Dr. Nilsen: The entity is standing a little further than that. I'm getting closer.
(radio silence for about 30 seconds)
Dr. Nilsen: The ground seems to be covered with driftwood. I wonder how it got up there.
(radio silence for about twenty seconds, then an indistinct child's voice is heard. This voice was only recorded by the dictaphone. According to Dr. Nilsen, it said "good evening".)
Dr. Nilsen: Good evening. What is your name?
SCP-021-FR-1: Mayken Jørgensen, madam.
Dr. Nilsen: What are you doing here alone, Mayken?
SCP-021-FR-1: I'm saying goodnight to the ships, madam.
Dr. Nilsen: What do you mean? What ships?
SCP-021-FR-1: The ships of the night. I'm saying goodnight to them with my lamp. Are you here to say goodnight to them too?
Dr. Nilsen: I'd rather stay where I am, Mayken.
SCP-021-FR-1: If you say goodnight from this distance, they won't see your lamp.
Dr. Nilsen: (low voice, talking to Researcher Strand) The entity looks like a little girl, about eight years old. She's wearing worn-out clothes that I can't date with precision but which seem to be from the 13th to 15th century. She has a white scarf on her head.
SCP-021-FR-1: You should say goodnight to the ships of the night before you leave, madam. That would be nice of you. We say goodnight to them once in a while, and when they disappear, they leave little pieces of wood on the beach below and all sorts of pretty things to pick up. My dad says you should always be polite with the ships of the night.
Dr. Nilsen: Didn't he tell you that it was dangerous to stay at the edge of the cliffs in the dark? Does he know you're doing it?
SCP-021-FR-1: I'm not afraid, madam. You're here with me.
<End log>
Instance 021-62, ██/██/██ 04:50 AM (Moher Cliffs)
Introduction: This is the best documented instance of a SCP-021-FR phenomenon, from a technical point of view. The video recording made by Researcher Asling and the one made by the team can both be consulted at the Site 61 archives.
The stone serving as epicenter of the SCP-021-FR phenomenon could no longer be seen by Researcher Asling. Instead, he saw a small house made out of rough stones right at the edge of the cliff. A safety line was fixed to his waist to allow him to get closer to the phenomenon without risking to fall over the edge.<Begin log>
Researcher Asling: The place looks very different. I see several trees that were not there earlier. There's also a ramshackle stone house on the edge of the cliff. I can see a faint light below the door. I sincerely hope all of this will show up on the video.
Researcher Teagan: The rope is secured. You may proceed.
Researcher Asling: The weather has changed all of a sudden, too. It's raining heavily. How does it look from your point of view?
Researcher Teagan: It's not raining.
Researcher Asling: Interesting. I'm gonna try to- (stops abruptly) The entity has appeared. There's someone at the door.
Researcher Teagan: Describe it, please.
Researcher Asling: It's a hunched man who must be about five feet tall, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and some kind of worn-out cape. He's waving to me.
(He walks toward the entity. The rain is audible on the recording).
SCP-021-FR-1: What are you doing outside in this bad weather? You're soaked, my boy. Come in, warm up.
Researcher Asling: This house was not here five minutes ago. Identify yourself.
SCP-021-FR-1: I am the old Meallán and this house is my little home. It was the house of my grandfather and my grandfather's grandfather. The rain must have given you a bad fever, my boy. November rains are the worst. I made a nice fire, come in and warm yourself up.
(Researcher Asling enters the house and instantly disappears from the infrared video shot by the team.)
Researcher Teagan: Asling, are you still there? We can't see you anymore.
Researcher Asling: I went inside the house.
SCP-021-FR-1: Of course you went inside the house, what are you talking about? I told you you were feverish. Sit down on the bench, right there. The fire will do you good.
(The recording made by Researcher Asling shows a very dilapidated-looking house with a single room. A layer of straw appears to serve as a bed against the west wall. The room has two crude stone benches on either side of a central fire. Researcher Asling sits on the bench closest to the door. A pile of wood lies behind the opposite bench. Researcher Asling points his camera towards the ceiling; it is hidden by coarse cloth to which some hooks have been attached. Small objects are hanging from these hooks, such as onions, small bunches of grass, iron pots, various animal legs, dried berries and some frosted glass jars that appear to contain liquids. SCP-021-FR-1 adds a small branch in the fire and sits down opposite Researcher Asling. He observes him intently.)
SCP-021-FR-1: You're not from here, are you?
Researcher Asling: Not really.
(SCP-021-FR-1 continues to stare at Researcher Asling. Neither of them speaks again for forty minutes. The brightness of the fire begins to fade.)
SCP-021-FR-1: You should add some wood to the fire.
Researcher Asling: I'd rather not.
SCP-021-FR-1: It's going to die out.
Researcher Asling: It shouldn't be long before daylight anyway.
(The brightness continues to decrease. SCP-021-FR-1 continues to stare at Researcher Asling. Neither of them speaks for several hours. Eventually the fire goes out. Radio silence for thirty minutes.)
Researcher Teagan: Asling? Is everything okay? We still can't see you on the screens. You should come back.
Researcher Asling: Not yet. I want to wait for the end of the phenomenon. That way we will know exactly where I was in relation to the current topology of the terrain.
(The sun rises at about 7:50 am and ends the phenomenon. Researcher Asling reappears on the team's video. He is sitting on the stone that served as the epicenter of SCP-021-FR and his legs are dangling over the edge of the cliff.)
<End log>