Every kid deserves an imaginary friend.

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Item#: 6033

Containment Class: safe

Secondary Class: none

Disruption Class: dark

Risk Class: notice

Drawing of SCP-6033-1 by Toby McEnderson, age 6.

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-6033 is currently cleared for nightly usage by Toby McEnderson between the hours of 19:00 and 21:00. One Foundation agent must be posted in his bedroom while SCP-6033 is in use.

When not in use, SCP-6033 is to remain stored in Site-58's high security item storage.

Description: SCP-6033 is a children's book titled "The Friend With Many Arms" with no known author or publisher. The book is illustrated in a style similar to non-anomalous children's literature1 and written in the style of books aimed at children aged 3-5 years old. The story contents of the book contain a mild cognitohazard that results in migraines upon initial reading, but are otherwise harmless. The book depicts the story of a formless entity named Ud'itlah as they wander the cosmos searching for a friend.

SCP-6033's anomalous abilities manifest when the story is read by Toby McEnderson. When he opens the book, a large formless entity2 identical to the one depicted in the book3 will manifest within 10 meters of him. SCP-6033-1 will then proceed to engage McEnderson in friendly conversation, typically finishing its interactions with him by reading him to sleep. SCP-6033-1 will demanifest once McEnderson has fallen asleep.

SCP-6033-1 displays a range of anomalous abilities involving shapeshifting, teleportation, and telekinesis. Viewing SCP-6033-1 directly also results in a mild cognitohazardous effect, causing migraines in the viewer similar to those caused by SCP-6033. Both SCP-6033 and SCP-6033-1's cognitohazardous effects rapidly diminish with regular exposure.

Reproduction of one of the pages found in SCP-6033.

Addendum 6033.1: Discovery

SCP-6033 was discovered in the possession of then 4 year old Toby McEnderson. McEnderson had been reported to local police by his grandmother as missing. Foundation agent Basil Sias4 became involved when reports of McEnderson being sighted alongside a massive unidentified entity came to the Foundation's attention. Due to initial reports from those having seen the entity claiming that it was difficult to perceive and visual contact resulted in migraines, Agent Sias was deployed with anti-cognitohazard gear. The entity was not present upon initial contact, and McEnderson and SCP-6033 were retrieved without incident. The local population was successfully amnesticized and there have been no reports of lasting mental, emotional, or psychological damage.

Due to initial assumptions that McEnderson had anomalous capabilities, they were originally given the classification of SCP-6033 and placed under strict containment procedures. Due to rapidly declining mental health and a lack of SCP-6033-1 manifestations, McEnderson's containment procedures were reviewed and the anomalous capabilities of SCP-6033 were discerned. McEnderson was transferred to a low-risk humanoid containment cell and permitted nightly access to SCP-6033.

Addendum 6033.2: Interview with Toby McEnderson

Interviewed: Toby McEnderson

Interviewer: Agent Basil Sias5

Foreword: The following interview was conducted at the request of the Department of Sciences as part of a review of Toby McEnderson's containment procedures. As Agent Sias had conducted the past four interviews with Toby and established a positive rapport with the child, he was assigned to conduct the interview on the DoS's behalf.

<Begin Log>

Agent Sias: Hey there, Toby! How are you doing tonight buddy?

McEnderson: I'm okay, Mr. Sias.

Agent Sias: You don't look okay. You look kinda sad to me. Is something wrong?

[McEnderson looks down towards his lap and fiddles with his hands.]

Agent Sias: You can tell me anything, bud. You won't be in trouble, I promise. You know what, we can pinky promise on it!

[Agent Sias holds out his little finger to McEnderson. Toby seems hesitant at first, but then hooks his own finger with Agent Sias. The two shake, and McEnderson appears to relax somewhat.]

McEnderson: Umm… I'm a little sad.

Agent Sias: Why's that? Did something happen?

[McEnderson shakes his head.]

McEnderson: I haven't been able to see my friend.

Agent Sias: Really, now? Who's your friend?

McEnderson: Udy-Lah.

Agent Sias: And what did "Udy-Lah" look like? We might be able to find them and let them come visit.

McEnderson: Udy-Lah is big and… squishy. It hurts a little to look at them sometimes, but they're not scary. They have lots of arms and they're very nice. We can't find them, though. They live in my book and someone took my book away from me.

[McEnderson sniffles.]

Agent Sias: They do? Now you're being silly! People can't live in books!

[McEnderson sniffles again, then giggles.]

McEnderson: Yes they can! Udy-Lah lives in my book! They come out and talk to me and read me stories at night.

Agent Sias: Do they, now? What kinds of things do you two talk about?

McEnderson: Umm…

[McEnderson tenses up again and begins fiddling with his hands once again.]

Agent Sias: It's okay, Toby. We pinky promised, remember? You can tell me anything.

McEnderson: We talk about… my mommy and daddy. They're with the universe now.

Agent Sias: With the universe now?

McEnderson: That's what Udy-Lah said. They said they spoke to mommy and daddy and that's what they said.

Agent Sias: "Udy-Lah" sounds very nice. Can I meet them?

McEnderson: Yeah! You just gotta open the book and we can meet them!

<End Log>

Following this interview, Agent Sias and Toby McEnderson opened SCP-6033 resulting in an SCP-6033-1 manifestation. Despite initial concerns, SCP-6033-1 was cordial and polite with Foundation personnel. Following a discussion between personnel assigned to SCP-6033, SCP-6033-1, and the DoS, SCP-6033's new containment procedures were agreed upon.

Addendum 6033.3: Observation Log

Drawing of SCP-6033-1 by Toby McEnderson, age 6. Text written on the back says "UDY-LAH READING TO ME"

Subjects: SCP-6033-1, Toby McEnderson

Date: January 13th, 2021

Foreword: Following revised containment procedures, Toby McEnderson was given a standard humanoid containment chamber furnished to resemble a child's bedroom. McEnderson was given permission to request any alterations within reason. The room was equipped to allow Foundation personnel to continue monitoring McEnderson and SCP-6033-1 as needed. The following is an observation log recording an interaction between SCP-6033-1 and McEnderson approximately two weeks following these changes.

<Begin Log>

[Agent Sias arrives at McEnderson's bedroom with SCP-6033. McEnderson looks up from blocks he had been playing with and runs over to Agent Sias. He takes the book and opens it, with SCP-6033-1 manifesting as expected. The entity glances towards Agent Sias and towards the observation window.]

McEnderson: Udy-Lah!

[McEnderson attempts to hug SCP-6033-1, and then proceeds to bring various toys over to the entity.]

McEnderson: What do you wanna play tonight? We could play… umm… Pokémon? Ooh, or maybe Spider-Man?

SCP-6033-1: Actually, Toby, how about we just read a story tonight?

McEnderson: But I'm not sleepy yet!

SCP-6033-1: I know, I know. Promise I'll make it extra special, ok? I finished writing that special story for you. Go get ready for bed and we can get started.

[McEnderson perks up and runs off to their privacy area. SCP-6033-1 undulates towards the bed, several eyes fixed on the observation window. McEnderson returns a few minutes later and climbs into the bed.]

SCP-6033-1: Did you brush your teeth and wash your face?

McEnderson: Uh-huh!

SCP-6033-1: Good! Now then, let's get started.

[SCP-6033-1 extends a tentacle towards the bedside table and picks up SCP-6033. It opens the book and begins reading. It waves various tentacles over the book's pages. As it does, the various glow-in-the-dark star stickers affixed to the bedroom ceiling descend and float in the air around the bed.]

SCP-6033-1: Once upon an eternity, there was a lonely [COGNITOHAZARD REDACTED]6named Ud'itlah.

[An image of the entity from SCP-6033 constructed from dust floats from the page and hovers in the center of the room. The room goes dark, with only this figure, SCP-6033-1, and McEnderson remaining visible.]

McEnderson: They look lonely.

SCP-6033-1: That's right Toby. They were very lonely. They were born a very, very long time ago. Before even the oldest star.

[SCP-6033-1 waves its tentacles through the plastic star stickers. Several of them begin to glow and gather together over the figure forming a single, large star. The figure looks up towards the star.]

SCP-6033-1: "Will you be my friend?" Ud'itlah asked the star. "I cannot," the star replied, "for I might accidentally burn you up." Ud'itlah was sad, but they understood. "Maybe I'll never find a friend," they thought.

[The figure appears to fall over and begins to cry. Meanwhile, the star above grows larger before collapsing in on itself, forming a massive ball of darkness in the stars projected around the room. The figure appears startled and looks up at the new formation.]

SCP-6033-1: "Who are you?" Ud'itlah asked. "Will you be my friend?" "I cannot," the black hole replied, "for I might accidentally eat you up." Ud'itlah was sad once again.

[The figure collapses over once more. SCP-6033-1 begins moving its tentacles in circular motions, and the stars in the room begin to move. The room is slowly filled with what appear to be various nebulae and other cosmic bodies created by arts and crafts supplies from McEnderson's bedroom. Several stars blink in and out over the course of several minutes, until a blue marble appears. The figure lifts an approximation of a head, and undulates towards the marble.]

SCP-6033-1: Eventually, Ud'itlah came across a little blue planet.

[Several crude representations of smiling human faces manifest across SCP-6033-1's body.]

SCP-6033-1: Ud'itlah was surprised. They had never seen something like this before! It wasn't large like a star, and it wasn't hungry like a black hole. "Who are you?" they asked, "Will you be my friend?" The planet, however, didn't respond to them.

[A framed photograph of Mr. and Mrs. McEnderson floats over towards the figure. Several stars attach themselves to the frame.]

SCP-6033-1: The universe itself saw Ud'itlah, though, and responded.

[The figure looks towards the photo.]

SCP-6033-1: The universe said, "What is wrong, Ud'itlah?" "I have no one to call my friend!" Ud'itlah responded. The universe looked at Ud'itlah with pity.

[Several more stars wrap themselves around the figure.]

SCP-6033-1: "No one deserves to be alone," the universe said, embracing Ud'itlah. "Down there is a planet called Earth, and on that planet is a little boy that is very dear to us. He's very lonely, just like you, and he needs a friend as well. Find him, and take care of him for us."

[McEnderson appears to have fallen asleep. SCP-6033-1 produces several tentacles and carefully tucks him in.]

SCP-6033-1: Ud'itlah knew what to do. He began working on a special book, and sent it down to Earth where Toby would find it. As long as Toby had that book, the two would always be together. They quickly became the best of friends, and were never lonely again. The universe itself had brought them together.

[Several of SCP-6033-1's eyes fixate on the observation window.]

SCP-6033-1: They're in a special place right now. It can be a little cold sometimes, and even a little scary, but there's lots of people there that will take care of them both and keep them safe. No matter what, Ud'itlah and Toby will always have each other, and maybe even someday they'll be able to see the world together. Together they'll live happily ever after.

SCP-6033-1 closes the book and places it on McEnderson's bedside table. A mouth appears on SCP-6033-1's body and gives McEnderson a kiss on the forehead. SCP-6033-1 glances towards the observation window once again before demanifesting.

<END LOG>

Request to grant Toby McEnderson permanent access to SCP-6033 is pending approval.

Footnotes

1. While testing has revealed that the book's images are illustrated via non-anomalous means, they appear to be animate as the entity depicted in the story constantly changes shape and size on each page while under observation.

2. Size is highly variable and constantly changing. On average, SCP-6033-1 is somewhere between 4-6 meters tall and 7-10 meters long.

3. Known as SCP-6033-1.

4. Agent Sias was assigned to this mission due to previous history of success regarding anomalies involving children and families.

5. Agent Sias was chosen due to involvement in SCP-6033's recovery, but also due to his experience as a member of the Foundation Department of Anomalous Ambassadors.

6. The word spoken here by SCP-6033-1 contains mild cognitohazardous properties that result in headaches. Toby McEnderson has yet to react negatively to this in any observations.