View of SCP-3673 after disappearance of Drone 2B. Note distortions in layout, duplication of interior and absence of windows.

Item #: SCP-3673

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: The building containing SCP-3673 is to be sealed and guarded with the cover story of a failed restoration project. The door to SCP-3673 remains closed and barricaded. All footage recorded by the camera in SCP-3673 will be retained for analysis. A second camera is to be installed to film through the windows into SCP-3673.

Security personnel are advised to ignore any noises audible from SCP-3673. Further experimentation is pending Level 4 approval.

Description: SCP-3673 is studio 5C of the ███████ Arts Building, located in Lower Manhattan. The room is located on the fifth floor and was used as a ballet studio. It contains a mirrored wall with ballet barre, roof-level windows on the northern side, and a single door. There are no other exits.

On or about July 7, 2016, SCP-3673 became the locus of a spatial anomaly. Since this time, when the door to SCP-3673 is closed, all persons inside appear to be affected by spatial distortions and related phenomena.

These phenomena cannot be observed from outside SCP-3673. When the door to SCP-3673 is closed, no communication is possible with persons inside the studio; the room appears empty when viewed through the exterior windows. No persons who have been subject to the anomaly have been recovered.

The only information about the anomalous conditions within SCP-3673 is from a CCTV camera located in the upper north-west corner of the room. The camera records black and white video, but not sound. From this camera, the majority of the studio may be observed, including when the door is closed.

+ Addendum 1: Video Transcript

- Re-secure data

Addendum 1: Video Transcript

Note: This transcript is of the CCTV recording from SCP-3673 on the afternoon of 7 July 2016, the first recorded occurrence of the anomaly.

Fifteen girls, aged from 7 to 9 and dressed in leotards and slippers, are participating in a ballet lesson. The lesson is conducted by a woman identified as Chloe Saunier, a 45 year old teacher at the ███████ College of Arts. An assistant sits at a chair, operating a tape player; she has been identified as Emily Parker, an 18 year old student at the college.

The lesson ends. The girls huddle in groups, talking and laughing. Saunier opens the studio door. Parents come in to collect their daughters.

Ten minutes after the lesson ends, four children remain in the studio. They have been identified as Rebecca Jones, Amy Chang, Kayla Okonjo and Elizabeth Telford. Chang and Telford are lying down, looking at Telford's smartphone. Okonjo is practising her "arabesque" in front of the mirror. Jones is reading by herself, seated facing a corner of the room.

Saunier finishes speaking to parents in the doorway. She walks back into the studio, and the door closes behind her.

Okonjo begins to rehearse her "pirouette". As she turns, her grounded foot sinks slightly into the wooden floor of the studio. On her final turn, her image in the mirror stops moving. The other reflections continue motion as normal. When Okonjo spins to face the mirror, her reflection resumes synchronization, and her toe is again grounded on the studio floor.

Parker speaks to Chang and Telford, who laugh in response and resume watching Telford's phone. Parker moves back to place her chair against the studio wall. Saunier is making notes in a notebook on the far side of the room.

Okonjo is looking at one end of the mirrored wall, nearest to the studio door. She walks towards that edge of the mirror. As she reaches forward, it becomes apparent that the last panel of the mirror is recessed. Okonjo leans into the recess, looking behind the other mirrors. She walks into this passage, disappearing from view.

The scene outside the studio windows briefly changes to resemble a heavy snowstorm, then reverts to normal. Only Parker notices. She walks towards the wall with windows, craning her neck to see up through them.

Jones remains reading but drifts slowly along the floorboards towards the wall. She does not react.

Saunier begins walking across the studio towards the door. Despite her walking speed, she does not make appreciable progress across the room. She increases her pace, without obvious effect.

Okonjo walks out from behind the mirrors, and calls to Chang and Telford. Chang and Telford walk towards the recessed mirror as Okonjo again disappears into the darkened passageway. Chang puts her arm around Telford's shoulders as she walks. Her elbow remains in a fixed position in space, and her lower and upper arms lengthen accordingly as she crosses the room. The lengthened arm does not appear to have an internal skeletal structure, falling to the floor in loops. Neither girl notices.

Saunier runs across the studio with limited forward progress. She is visibly concerned. She looks around the room but does not appear to see any other person. Saunier trips and falls, causing minor abrasions to her lower arms. The floor of the studio has become irregular and rough where she is lying. Saunier stands up and continues towards the door.

Jones, still reading, has tilted to a 30 degree incline against the wall.

Parker backs slowly away from the windows to change her viewing angle. There is a small chip in the wooden floor behind her. As she steps backwards, the gap in the floor widens and deepens. Its base cannot be seen.

When Chang is approximately 2 meters from the mirror, her extended arm snaps rapidly back into place. She does not react. When Chang and Telford reach the mirror, the area previously recessed is now flat with the remainder of the mirror. Chang and Telford press on the glass. Their reflections press back.

The floor in Saunier's path is becoming increasing irregular, with sharp protrusions up to a metre in height. Saunier continues clambering forward.

Telford steps away from the mirror and begins sinking into the studio floor. Telford screams, and Chang grabs at her shoulders. Telford sinks rapidly to her waist.

Parker turns at the sound of the scream, and sees the chasm that has opened up behind her. She shouts, but keeps her balance. Panicked, Parker attempts to make a call from her cellphone, but is not successful.

Chang manages to pull Telford free of the studio floor. They sit for a moment, breathing heavily. Chang points in the direction of the far wall. Telford calls out in that direction, then both girls run towards and through the wall.

Saunier reaches the studio door, but is unable to open it. She hits the door with her fists.

Shadows are visible in the mirror.

Parker walks back towards the wall with windows, and reacts in surprise. She begins to step upwards, apparently climbing a staircase which is invisible to the camera.

Saunier turns from the door and sees Jones, who remains reading, situated halfway up the wall. Saunier calls out to Jones, who does not respond.

Telford and Chang re-emerge from the far wall, each smiling and holding a stalk of wheat or barley. They are accompanied by, and speaking with, Okonjo. Okonjo's teeth and sclera are several shades darker than before, and her knees now bend backwards, changing her gait. These alterations are not shown in Okonjo's reflection.

Saunier leaves the door, attempting to walk towards Jones, who has drifted towards the ceiling. Saunier regularly changes direction, stops in confusion, and backtracks, as if walking through a maze. Her progress is limited.

Parker reaches the top of the invisible staircase, and is adjacent to the windows, through which the afternoon sky can be seen. She slides one window open. Behind it is darkness. Parker leans her head out of the window.

Telford, Chang and Okonjo walk to an area in the center of the studio. They observe a shimmering sphere, approximately 30cm in radius, centered one meter above the floor. Telford removes her ballet slipper and cautiously pushes it into the sphere. The slipper's shape is heavily distorted, and Telford drops it in shock. It returns to its previous shape as it falls from the space.

Parker leans further through the window, then crawls out along an unseen surface beyond the window. She continues crawling until out of sight. The window slides shut behind her.

Jones, still reading, drifts back towards her original position.

Chang and Telford experiment with the spatial anomaly. Their ballet slippers and hair clips change shape and dimensions inside it before returning to normal when removed. Chang's hand accidentally slips into the space, and its fingers become grossly distended. She shrieks and pulls her hand out, at which point it returns to normal size and shape. Chang and Telford laugh. Okonjo ceases to react to the other girls, and becomes slowly more and more transparent.

Saunier has returned to the studio door. Okonjo steps out from the passageway in front of the recessed mirror, looking confused. She sees Saunier. The Okonjo in the center of the studio has now faded completely.

The window in the top corner of the studio begins to slide open.

Chang and Telford are still playing with the distortive space, pushing their arms and feet into it, and attempting to make shapes with their hands.

Jones has returned to her original position in the corner of the room.

Okonjo and Saunier call and run towards each other.

Parker's head emerges from the sliding window into the studio. She sighs, and looks to her left.

Okonjo runs through Saunier. Both turn in confusion.

The sliding window slams shut. Parker is decapitated.

Telford pokes her head into the spatial anomaly, and collapses.

Parker's head falls through the floor of the studio.

Telford convulses on the ground. Chang stares in shock.

Okonjo takes two steps back towards Saunier, then suddenly falls upwards, flying through the studio ceiling. Saunier screams.

Parker's head drops down through the studio ceiling above Chang, and lands heavily on the floor at her feet. Chang panics, running towards the mirror and through it.

The floor near Saunier vibrates, as if hit from below by a heavy object. Saunier jumps, startled. Blood begins to seep upward through the floor. Saunier looks around wildly, then grabs the handle to the studio door.

Chang is briefly visible within the mirror. She stands motionless, facing the room. A reflective liquid seeps from her open eyes and mouth.

The door to the studio opens inwards, the opposite direction to its hinge design. Saunier peers beyond it, then is abruptly pulled through it by an unseen force.

The studio door swings shut.

Chang's body in the mirror fades from view.

Jones is alone in the studio. She continues to read, oblivious.

The door closes.

The camera's view becomes completely black for three seconds.

When visuals return, Jones remains reading. A body, dressed in Saunier's clothes, is lying on the studio floor five metres behind her. The front of the head has been subjected to repeated blunt force trauma. The head of a large sledge-hammer is resting in the remains of the face.

Jones turns the page of her book. The mirrored wall recedes to an estimated distance of 500 metres. The barre remains suspended in place and begins to writhe slowly.

Behind Jones, the arms of the corpse move, grasping the handle of the sledge-hammer and lifting it out of the face. The body stands upright as if pulled. Viscous droplets of liquid spill from the hole in the front of its head.

The corpse walks approaches Jones, raising the sledgehammer. The girl continues reading.

CCTV signal cut.

The Foundation has determined that at the time of loss of signal from the camera, the father of Rebecca Jones had opened the door to SCP-3673 and entered the studio. Finding the studio empty, Mr. Jones left to look elsewhere for his daughter. The door to SCP-3673 did not close until Mr. Jones exited, at which point the CCTV signal resumed, showing an empty studio.

+ Addendum 2: D-Class Testing

- Re-secure data

Addendum 2: D-Class Testing

Exploration and testing of the anomaly using drones was unsuccessful, as transmission of signals to or from SCP-3673 was not possible when the door was closed. D-Class testing was approved on 2 February 2018. D-4739 was instructed to enter SCP-3673, wait until the door was closed, then walk around the edge of the studio, keeping one hand on the wall, eventually returning to the door.

D-4739 enters SCP-3673 and turns left, placing his left hand on the wall. The observation team closes the studio door.

D-4739 walks slowly along the edge of the studio, continuing to touch the wall with his left hand. The reflection in the mirrored wall shows an empty room.

As D-4739 reaches the corner of the room, he turns 90° left, instead of right. However, instead of facing the wall to his left, D-4739 finishes by facing in the correct direction to proceed along the next wall. Slow-motion analysis of the camera footage cannot determine whether this was caused by the studio rotating around D-4739's position, or by D-4739's body turning through itself. D-4739's left hand remains in contact with the wall at all times.

Half-way along the second wall, D-4739 falls into a section of floor which is visually normal, but immaterial. D-4739's torso lands on solid floor next to this area, and he holds himself in place, with his legs extending into the floor. Simultaneously, a pair of legs resembling those of D-4739 come down through the ceiling in the center of the studio.

D-4739 sees the legs extending from the ceiling, and laughs. D-4739 moves his torso and the legs move in concert, swinging and kicking. After approximately one minute, D-4739 pulls himself out of the intangible floor. The legs in the ceiling do not retract, and remain visible, swaying and kicking intermittently.

D-4739 appears concerned, turns, and attempts to retrace his route to the studio door. Despite walking forward, D-4739 moves backwards, travelling in his original direction around the room. D-4739 stops walking as he reaches the next corner of the room, beneath the studio windows.

D-4739 attempts to jump upwards to reach the windows. With each jump, the height of the studio wall increases, until the windows are approximately 20 meters above the studio floor. The position of the camera, the ceiling (including the legs) and the height of the other walls of the studio remain unchanged.

D-4739 proceeds quickly along the wall beneath the windows. Two-thirds of the way along this wall, D-4739 turns and runs towards the middle of the studio. After approximately three meters, D-4739 disappears.

The final frame of CCTV footage prior to D-4739's disappearance shows his body distended in two distinct directions. Review of the preceding frames suggests that, immediately prior, D-4739's hair and loose items of clothing were pulled towards these same locations. The observation team's leading hypothesis is that this may have been caused by the gravitational effects of two separate points of exceptionally high density within SCP-3673. This model is unable to account for the fact that neither light nor the structure of the studio were affected by such gravitational forces.

The legs protruding from the ceiling of SCP-3673 remain in place, moving occasionally until the door to the studio is next opened.

+ Addendum 3: Exploration Log

- Re-secure data

Addendum 3: Exploration Log

A manned exploration of SCP-3673 was authorised on October 12, 2018. Three members of MTF Zeta-9 ("Mole Rats") were selected for the mission.

Task force members were briefed on the likely conditions within SCP-3673, and informed of the location of the CCTV camera. The initial mission parameters were to proceed to the center of the room, remain stationary for 3 minutes, then return to the door and exit. Agents were equipped with standard exploration equipment including torches, ropes, navigation tools, and rations for approximately 2 weeks.

MTF agents enter SCP-3673, and the studio door is closed.

Agent Alpha indicates to the CCTV camera that GPS trackers are operating normally. Agent Beta erects a "foresail rig"1 and takes point. The agents proceed slowly towards the center of the studio. Agent Gamma, at the rear, marks their path using fluorescent spray paint.

No anomalous conditions are detected. The mirrored wall reflects images normally.

Upon reaching the center of the room, Agent Alpha signals to the CCTV camera. The MTF waits.

After 3 minutes, the agents confer, then begin walking back across the studio. Agent Gamma marks the return path next to the paint marks from the team's entry. During this journey, the agents become subject to a time and/or distance dilation. They take more than 6 minutes to travel a distance of approximately 15 meters, based on SCP-3673's external measurements. Agent Alpha indicates awareness of this situation, and that the studio door remains visible.

Approximately 2 meters from the door, Agent Beta strikes a barrier which cannot be seen on camera. The "foresail rig" is not impeded by this barrier. Agent Beta reaches out to touch the barrier, suggesting that it cannot be seen from within SCP-3673. The "foresail rig" is retrieved from beyond the barrier without incident. The agents test the barrier, which does not block their equipment, but is impermeable to their bodies.

After some discussion, the agents spread out to the left and right, continuing to test the barrier. It appears to be a flat surface blocking the entire width of SCP-3673. Agent Alpha indicates to the camera a change of mission parameters, pointing to the studio windows on the opposite wall. The MTF regroups and walks across the studio.

After another 5 minutes of walking, Agent Beta is blocked by a second unseen barrier, located approximately 4 meters from the opposite wall of the studio. Testing suggests that this barrier is also intangible to non-living materials, but impassable by humans. The agents return towards the door.

At a point approximately 6 meters away from the studio door, the agents again strike the first invisible barrier. Agent Gamma attempts to mark the barrier with paint, but the paint sprays through without impediment. Agent Beta disassembles the "foresail rig", and pushes the telescopic rod towards the door, but it is now too far away to reach. Agent Alpha stands stationary with hands pressed on the barrier. Both hands are slowly but perceptibly pushed backwards. Agent Alpha calls to the other agents, and all three press against the barrier, without visible change to its motion.

Agent Beta discharges their firearm at the barrier without result, and is reprimanded by Agent Alpha. Agent Alpha points to the mirrored wall of the studio, and distributes cutting tools from Agent Gamma's backpack. Agent Gamma moves to the mirrored wall, and Agents Alpha and Beta attempt to cut through the floor in the center of the studio. Their progress is slow.

Agent Alpha breaks off work to check the gap between the barriers, which are now less than 3 meters apart. Agent Alpha turns to the camera and indicates a request for assistance. The observation team seeks permission to intervene.

Agent Gamma calls Agent Alpha over to the mirrored wall. Agent Gamma has cut a hole as deep as their forearm, but the entire depth of the hole is glass, with no change in composition. After discussion, both agents return to the center of the studio.

Researcher Janson obtains permission to open the door to SCP-3673. Researcher Janson stands in the doorway but does not enter SCP-3673. On camera, Researcher Janson is visible in the open doorway. Agents Alpha and Gamma can see Researcher Janson and begin shouting and banging on the barrier.

Researcher Janson reports that SCP-3673 is empty. This observation is corroborated by other researchers present.

The barriers are less than 2 meters apart. Agent Beta successfully cuts a hole in the studio floor. While Agents Beta and Gamma enlarge the hole, Agent Alpha secures a rope and drops one end through. The room below SCP-3673 (a musical rehearsal space) can be seen through the hole.

The barriers are approximately 1.5 meters apart. Agent Beta attempts to reach through the hole in the floor, and is prevented by another invisible barrier. Neither the cutting tools nor the rope are affected. Agent Beta exhibits distress, and draws their firearm. Agent Alpha knocks it away, and it falls outside the barriers.

When the barriers are approximately 1m apart, Agent Beta places hands on both barriers and pushes outwards, to no effect.

Agents Gamma and Alpha attempt to climb upwards towards the ceiling. They successfully affix the rope to a ceiling panel, and begin cutting.

When the barriers are approximately 75cm apart, Agent Gamma holds their position near the ceiling by bracing their back and legs on the barriers. There is limited room to wield the cutting tools, slowing progress. Agent Alpha stands below, speaking and passing further items up. Several pieces of equipment are now outside the barriers and have become irretrievable. Agent Beta paces back and forth at one end of the gap, occasionally banging on the mirrored wall.

When the barriers are approximately 50cm apart, Agent Gamma falls, grabbing at the rope and pulling it loose from the ceiling. Agent Alpha helps them upright. After some discussion, the agents reach a decision. Agent Alpha draws their firearm and shoots Agent Gamma in the head, then discharges the weapon into their own head. Both agents slump, but are held partially upright by the barriers.

When the barriers are approximately 25cm apart, Agent Beta's movement is severely restricted. They attempt to move toward the center of the room, screaming continuously. The barriers press into Agent Beta's forehead, chest, thighs, back and the back of Agent Beta's head.

The barriers continue to move inwards. Agent Beta's head suffers what appears to be a severe depressed skull fracture in the occipital and parietal bones. Agent Beta loses consciousness. Cerebrospinal fluid from leaks from Agent Beta's ears.

The barriers continue to move inwards. Further fractures occur to a number of Agent Beta's ribs, and to the pelvic bone. Similar injuries occur to the bodies of Agents Alpha and Gamma. Several fractured bones pierce the skin, causing substantial bleeding into the space between the barriers. The agents' skulls suffer further severe fractures.

As the barriers move closer, the agents' clothing begins to fall loose outside the barriers as their bodies are held within. Various elements of the agents' bodies are subject to compression and torsional forces, causing tearing and bursting of the epidermis and exposure of internal organs. Significant loss of blood and other fluids occurs, but muscle and other tissues are held suspended by the pressure of the barriers.

When the barriers are less than 5cm apart, most tissue has been damaged by compression into unrecognizability. Small pieces of intact bone and cartilage can be identified within the suspended pulp, including one of Agent Beta's ears. The continuing inward pressure of the barriers spreads the agents' remains upwards and outwards, with liquids on the studio floor likewise forced upwards to form a dark translucent paste.

At an estimated separation of less than 0.1cm, the barriers cease movement. A thin wall of organic matter remains visible on the CCTV camera for several weeks, until permission is granted to close the door to SCP-3673. Subsequently, the camera view shows an empty, intact studio.

Update: 17 January 2019

Security personnel guarding the entrance to SCP-3673 reported hearing knocking and thumping sounds coming from the other side of the studio door. The noises ceased after approximately 20 minutes. The CCTV camera feed showed nothing visible within SCP-3673.

Containment procedures updated.

Update: 11 February 2019

A routine external survey of the building alerted the research team to changed conditions inside SCP-3673. Large letters had been sprayed on the floor of the studio using fluorescent orange paint. The letters faced the windows, and read: "DON'T TR" with the last letter misshapen, as if rushed.

The letters were accompanied by a series of six handprints made using the same fluorescent paint. The prints were clearly defined, regularly spaced, and appeared to be from the left hands of distinct individuals. Three of the handprints were child-sized.

None of these markings were visible on the CCTV camera feed, which showed SCP-3673 empty. Deliberations are ongoing as to whether to re-open the studio door.

Footnotes

1. A human figurine hung from a telescopic pole ahead of the lead agent. Used to detect areas of dimensional instability in the MTF's path.