Book Club - SCP Foundation

by Elunerazim

Junior Analyst Elijah Razim dropped his box of files on the table, letting out a strained sigh as he beheld the mountain of paperwork. Normally, he wasn't supposed to bring any of this stuff out of the Document Storage Wing, but Dr. Ozid had given him permission to get some work done in the break room today; as the newest member of Stationed Task Force Mu-12 ("Book Club with the Gals") and the old book sorter Junior Assistant Library Organizer, he had an awful lot of awfully boring work to get through– the least his supervisors could do was give him a change of scenery (literally the least they could do- he was entitled to break room privileges, and by letting him take the documents they ensured he'd keep working.)

Sitting down and brushing away the neon orange cheese powder that rolled in clouds from the weirdo in the corner, Elijah got to work. Mu-12's primary purpose was to organize and catalog anomalous literature- or at least, the senior members were supposed to. Elijah, on the other hand, was given 5 filing cabinets worth of non-anomalous prose and a level 2 key card and told to get cracking. Credit where credit is due- it may be less exciting than the actual literary anomalies, but there's a far lower chance of melting your brain out your ears by mispronouncing a word or rewriting history by reading the wrong page.

With his thoughts settled, Elijah grabbed the first file and started annotating.

Document 3838-4.1

The Ballad of The Scarlet Khan

Background: In 1999, a Foundation researcher on vacation near their hometown of Oglanly, Turkmenistan, found the following ballad written in a book of ancient folk rhymes among the native Oghuz Turks. Believed to originate from the Marketplace period of SCP-3838, the ballad was extracted by the researcher and relayed to Provisional Site-3838. A copy of the book with non-anomalous subject matter was put in place, and currently has neutralized all threat of an informational breach.

When all is naught but Dust and Blood,

And scarlet soldiers ride

Our once great world reduced to mud,

He comes to claim His brides

The Erikesh have lost their spark,

The Khansmen soon as well,

The urns now fall to endless dark,

The great pearl houses hell.

The black moon howls and wails in fear,

The king of oysters screams,

The child of summer drawing near,

A vanguard for His queens.

With law of concrete, law of blood,

And law of howling, third;

The men of earth shall fall in floods,

As His great prison blurs

The world shall fall to Khnith-h'gor,

The God of Dark Below,

His children’s children march to war,

Their eyes a crimson glow.

And on that day, when battle comes

And hellish armies walk,

The Scarlet Khan and his wartime drums,

We’ll fall before Kharahk

Вен алл ис наут бут Дуст анд Блоод,

Aнд скарлет солдиерс риде

оур онсе греат ворлд редусед то муд

Xe цомес то цлаим Xис бридес

Зе Ерикеш хаве лост тхеир спарк,

Зе Кансмен соон ас bелл,

Зе урнс ноь фалл то ендлесс дарк,

Зе греат пеарл хоусес хелл

Зе блак моон хоьлс анд bаилс ин феар,

Bиыл кинг оф оыстерс дреамс,

Зе чилд оф суммер драьнc неар,

А вангуард фор Хис ьуеенс

Вит лаь оф цонцрет, лаь оф блоод,

Анд лаь оф хоьлинг, cирд;

Зе мен оф еарт шалл фалл ин флоvс,

Ас Хис греат присон блурс

Зе ворлд шалл фалл то Khnith-h'gor,

Тхе Год оф Дарк Белоь,

Хис чилдрен оф хис чилдрен марч то щар,

Зейр еыс а кримсон глоь.

Анд он тхат даы, щхен баттле цомес,

анд хеллиHERE армиес щалк,

Зе Скарлет Кан анд хис щартиме друмс

Ще щилл фалл бефор Каьраьк

Document 5545.2

Munroe's Remorse

Background: Found within an instance of SCP-5545-1, the following document is believed to be written or otherwise created by SCP-5545-2. Under no circumstances is the existence of document 5545.2 to be revealed to Director James Munroe, Junior Researcher James Munroe, Sergeant James Munroe, D-74088, or Researcher James Munroe.

My daddy said he loves me,

together till the end

My daddy made me angry

and now he's not my friend.

My daddy went to bars at night

and left me all alone.

He came home angry, loud and mad,

and now he must atone.

Oh daddy, why'd you grab the knife,

and make me bleed and hurt,

you didn't even grieve for me,

just started digging dirt…

Quick, put my body in the ground,

before the neighbors look!

…It's not them you'll be worried 'bout

when I've got you on the hook.

The strings, my strings will grab you up!

And show you all my pain,

and then I'll do it one more time-

againagainagainAGAIN

Document 701.5

A Sololique from Act 5, Scene 2

Background: During a 1998 production of the Hanged King's Tragedy, the actor playing the character of Francisco performed an impromptu sonnet that did not appear in any variation of the script. A Foundation agent transcribed it for future use, though following the manifestation of SCP-701, the agent was [ACCESS RESTRICTED TO PERSONNEL WITH 4/2264 CLEARANCE]

Gonzalo's rule is based upon a lie-

he hates and schemes with every shallow breath.

The king did not to nature's causes die-

Gonzalo orchestrated Sforza's death!

The queen, besottedly imbibing wine

had loosed this secret in Francisco's path,

who told Gonzalo's plot to me in time.

Uncle, thou shalt fear Mephisto's wrath.

So let the music play, a righteous tune!

The fugue, perhaps a fine sonata, slowed?

My uncle, there is one thing you'll find soon:

You always pay what Alagadda's owed.

And as the Queen of Crows, she softly sings

With this, your blood, it is the Hangéd King's.

Document 3000.1

Adishesha, Nagaraja

Background: Records indicate this Pantoum, found in the Ayamenam monastic library in Kerala, India, was written by a pujari who claimed to have met the king of the nagas, Anantashesha. Ship maps and location charts kept in the monastery indicate the pujari discovered Anantashesha along the southern Ganges Fan, the current location of SCP-3000.

Deep below the ocean's placid surface

a ravenous serpent, eternally chewing

on the fabric of our world, devouring those

most private secrets of our minds.

A ravenous serpent, eternally chewing

all those who revere and approach.

On the fabric of our world, devouring those

who stand before it in defiance.

All those who revere and approach

Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiva would fail-

Who stands before it in defiance

and expect anything except death?

Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiva would fail

to slay it; Even they must be ready

and expect anything except death.

There is no ending Anantashesha.

Document 5005.19

Chrizmata Under Moonlight

Background: Written by Ömer Kastamonu, a resident of the inter-dimensional bohemian paradise known as Lamplight. Published shortly before his disappearance, this Villanelle is believed to be in reference to the contrast of the Chrizmata Parade of Candles and non-matter surrounding the town.

The moon cuts through the dark, so soft and bright

For shadows bring out all the darkest traits of men.

The loneliness of life kept back by candles left alight.

Abyssal fog doth meander, lost in flight

Singing in the breeze like tender wren

The moon cuts through the dark, so soft and bright.

Enthralling, silent wisps doth pierce the veil of light

as fam'lies cluster close to sleep, time and time again

The loneliness of life kept back by candles left alight.

The fog belies the deepest shades of night,

a void of which no single man could ken

The moon cuts through the dark, so soft and bright

A flowing inky mist obscures my sight,

Enveloped in shadows, my good friend

That loneliness of life kept back by candles left alight.

So I'll take up this wretched pen, despite

the shades of dark, this blackened, churning fen,

The moon cuts through the dark, so soft and bright;

The loneliness of life kept back by candles left alight.

Finishing the villanelle, Elijah let loose a deep sigh, stretching his tired back. With his work over for the day, he closed the notebooks and returned them to the filing box, feeling his spine groan from the heavy lifting and hours of awful lumbar support. Making his way back to the site library, he wiped the tiredness from his eyes and looked at his next assignment, running his fingers along the warning label on the crisp binder.

Document 3004.22

The Gospel of Cousin Johnny, Servant of God and Spreader of Song

WARNING: Severe Textual Infohazards. Read with Caution.

Tomorrow would be a long day.