Item #: SCP-5933

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-5933 and SCP-5933-1 are to be kept within a sound-proof storage locker located at Site-255's Temporal and Dimensional Anomalies Department. Routine assessment is required once every two months to ensure that there is no loss of integrity in either component. Personnel involved with SCP-5933 are required to undergo psychological screening for trauma disorders prior to assignment, as well as routine evaluations after each assessment of SCP-5933. Should SCP-5933 activate during integrity checks, personnel are instructed to ignore the ringing.

As of 05/23/2019, testing has summarily been suspended at the direction of Dr. Taryn Scott. All requests for testing are to be denied. Individuals in violation of the aforementioned restrictions are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including amnesticization and/or termination from their position.

Description: SCP-5933 is similar in appearance to a black model GEC New Gecophone 701 rotary telephone; while the internal hardware is near-identical to non-anomalous models of its kind, the finger-wheel has been modified to accommodate additional symbols for nonstandard dialing codes. SCP-5933 is fully functional despite a lack of a landline connection.

SCP-5933-1 appears to be a standard Yellow Pages telephone directory; the contents of the directory, such as the names of individuals or businesses, as well as their phone numbers, do not match with any current or past public records. No connection to any other reality currently recognised by the Temporal and Dimensional Anomalies Department has been found.

SCP-5933-2 is the designation for an entity, or entities, that communicates through SCP-5933. Attempts to reliably identify characteristics of these entities beyond their voices and names given have thus far failed.

SCP-5933's effects manifest as a strong desire to maintain contact with SCP-5933-2 after initial exposure to SCP-5933. This effect occurs in greater intensity within subjects that have experienced significant psychological and/or emotional distress in former romantic relationships, and presently experience romantic thoughts or feelings about a particular individual or individuals. Subjects who interact with SCP-5933 are hereafter designated as SCP-5933-A.

Should SCP-5933's effects be allowed to progress unhindered in individuals, they are observed going through four stages with regards to SCP-5933:

Stage 1: SCP-5933-A answers the phone, at which point a bond is formed between the subject and SCP-5933-2,

Stage 2: SCP-5933-A becomes romantically attached to SCP-5933-2, which is reciprocated,

Stage 3: SCP-5933-A begins to experience psychological manipulation from SCP-5933-2; a co-dependent relationship is formed, exacerbating SCP-5933-A's attachment to SCP-5933-2, as well as an onset of self-isolating and self-sabotaging behaviours,

Stage 4: SCP-5933-A's mental wellbeing continues to rapidly deteriorate to a state not unlike psychosis. It is believed that at this stage SCP-5933-A has been sufficiently psychologically weakened by SCP-5933-2, at which point they cease to exist within this reality; the exact mechanism of this is currently unknown, and any attempt to track instances of SCP-5933-A through GPS have thus far failed.

Due to the intensity of SCP-5933's effects, Stage 4 symptoms have been observed in SCP-5933-A instances as soon as within a few months of exposure. It is possible for SCP-5933-A instances to recover from SCP-5933's effects if intervention occurs before Stage 4 symptoms.

Addendum #1: SCP-5933 and 5933-1 were initially recovered in 1994 from the apartment of a former university student in Edinburgh, Scotland. This individual is widely considered to be the first known instance of SCP-5933-A, hereafter referred to as 5933-A01.

The Foundation was initially alerted to the existence of SCP-5933-1 through online forum posts made by 5933-A01 to Oddities Online. SCP-5933 was later discovered by Foundation personnel following a missing persons report filed for 5933-A01. 5933-A01 has yet to be located by Foundation authorities.

Addendum #2: Following SCP-5933's recovery and investigation of 5933-A01's premises, Foundation personnel were able to identify the individual's journal containing entries that effectively catalogued SCP-5933's effects. These entries have since been transcribed and are logged below.

+ Supplementary Documentation: 5933-A01

- hide

[Irrelevant entries omitted for brevity]

25/6/1994

Found a really cool old phone today in a charity shop - came with some weird looking copy of the Yellow Pages too. Just had to have it for the flat - I think it'll fit the aesthetic nicely. Hoping it still works of course and it's not just for decoration. Don't wanna mess with the landline though.

30/6/1994

The phone was ringing today? I didn't even plug it in. Maybe it uses the same tech in it as one of those 'mobile phones'.

The guy on the other end, says he called the wrong number. Super sweet about it, though - we ended up talking for a bit. Felt like talking to an old friend.

I said I'd give him my number, but I didn't know what the phone's was. He told me not to worry about it. I asked for his number, but he told me I'd know what to dial when I needed him.

His name's Oscar.

3/7/1994

Drew up some numbers from the phonebook for the forums. Drawing with a mouse sucks, but the computer doesn't have any of the symbols that the book and the phone has.

Was telling Oscar about it. He says someone probably made the book for a laugh. Asked me why I bothered with putting it online.

I just wanted to show my friends, really.

23/8/1994

Uni starts back again soon. I told oOscar I wasn't gonna be around much to talk during the day. He joked he was more important than some silly lecture on BASIC. He's definately more interesting, that's for sure.

13/9/1994

Oscar told me he loved me, today. He was so shy about it, he was scared I'd reject him.

I told him I loved him too. He's the sweetest man I've ever met.

22/9/1994

Classes started back not too long ago. I thought I'd be enjoying it, but I'm honestly not. Can't focus right in class or anything. I'd rather be at home right now.

Was telling Oscar about it. He says maybe the degree's just too much for me.

5/10/1994

Oscar doesn't like my 'friends' very much. Gets annoyed when I talk about them. Says they're using me.

Definitely seems like it. They only ever call when they want something.

Screw them.

27/10/1994

Cancelled on going to the Halloween party. Feel too anxious leaving the flat.

Talking to Oscar makes me feel better. I think I talk to him more than my mum at this point.

He says it's just as well I cancelled. I'd have been stupid to go anyway.

He's right.

[After the prior entry, there is a cessation in entries for 37 days.]

3/12/1994

he hasn't called today yet

why won't he call me

i'm scared something happened to him

3/12/1994 (cont.)

nevermind

5/12/1994

I told Oscar I feel like he hates me. That he's been acting weird, that I feel like he's avoiding me.

He told me I'm just being paranoid.

I am. It's just paranoia.

He doesn't hate me.

[undated]

he fucking hates me

15/12/1994

It's getting really cold here. Lots of snow and ice.

Oscar says it won't be safe for me to see my mum and dad for Christmas at this rate. That it'll be safer to stay at my flat.

Honestly I don't want to try travelling in this kinda weather either. I don't want to leave Oscar.

I can't take the phone with me anyway. If my parents knew I was talking to another man, they'd be pretty fucked off about it.

oscars calling

22/12/1994

Decided to mess around with the phonebook today while waiting for Oscar to call. Loads of weird numbers. I tried some of them but nothing happened.

Oscar picked up on one of them. Asked me why the hell I was trying to call other people. Told me to quit fucking around with the book.

It wasn't even his number. I'm scared.

25/12/1994

he promised he'd call in the morning

he hasn't

he won't pick up

did i do something wrong

25/12/1994 (cont.)

he called. told me he'd have called earlier if i hadn't pissed him off the other day

i'm sorry

i won't do it again

27/12/1994

i don't feel real when i'm not talking to Oscar

i love him so much it makes me feel sick

[undated]

he hasnt called in 2 days ive not been able to sleep im so worried

2 days and 7 and a half hours

hes never gone that long without calling me

im so scared

11/1/1995

I've had to drop out of uni. I can't cope with how much it's been stressing me out. I fucking hated my degree. Oscar says I never would've been smart enough to do it. I don't know why I ever thought I was.

I don't know what to do now. I can't keep living in my flat without my loans. Oscar says I'm stupid for not thinking of that too.

13/1/1995

my mum keeps trying to call. i dont want to talk to her. she'd fucking hate me if she knew what ive done

[It is believed that after this point an indeterminate amount of days have passed, and each entry thereafter was left undated.]

[undated]

finally talked to my mum. lied

she doesn't need to know

[undated]

i don't know what day it is any more

i don't feel real

[undated]

oscar says its my fault for letting things get like this

he's saying if i don't get my shit together he'll leave me

it's my fault

i don't know what to do

[undated]

i feel like im disappearing

i dont have any friends left

i dont know the last time i saw my mum and dad

all i have is oscar

and i'm going to lose him too

[undated]

I begged Oscar to stay. Told him I'd do anything. He said he wouldn't actually leave me. He loves me too much to do that to me.

I love hi[illegible]

him so much

I keep dropping this fucking thing

[From here, the subject's entries become incomprehensible to varying degrees. It is believed that 5933-A01 has deteriorated into the final stages of SCP-5933's effects shortly before their disappearance.]

shadows in the corners

looks like oscar

i dont know what oscar looks like.

i dont remember eating how am i still alive

i look blurry in photographs

i dont remember the others names

the face in the mirror isnt mine

theres nobody else here

[End of entries]

Addendum #3: As of 6/13/2018, three separate Foundation personnel responsible for research into SCP-5933 have disappeared. Investigations into the incidents are pending.