Item #: SCP-2523

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: Annually on August 15th, Mobile Task Force Omicron-13 ("Trick or Treat") is to be activated. MTF o-13 must begin a full Class W mnestic treatment regimen no later than August 20th. MTF o-13 will begin the Class W dosage ramp-down no earlier than November 7th, and will stand down no earlier than November 15th. Activation may be extended up to 90 days at the discretion of the SCP-2523 project lead (further extensions must be approved by both the reporting HR supervisor and the reporting medical officer).

Beginning on October 1st, MTF o-13 will conduct 24 hour observation of eight sites affected by SCP-2523 (designated SCP-2523-A through -H) which will include the easternmost and westernmost affected locations as well as one additional site chosen in each US timezone. On October 31st, one hour prior to local sunset, MTF o-13 will deploy a two-man contact team into each designated site. As each location enters the anomaly, teams will confirm positive contact and passphrase with each other prior to carrying out mission operations. Contact teams are to be relieved every eight hours for 24 hours. Ejected team members must be replaced immediately. All teams within the anomaly must confirm positive contact and passphrase during each relief or replacement.

Team members are to attempt to prevent non-monetary purchases by civilians, using low-profile social engineering techniques only. In the event that a civilian engages in non-monetary purchasing, they are to ascertain the civilian's identity and origin point, and advise the support team. Support teams are to immediately locate and detain any civilians who have made non-monetary purchases. Purchased items are to be confiscated for study. Detained persons are to be interviewed and then released following amnesticization. Ejected contact team personnel are to be immediately reclassified as Class E personnel, debriefed, and quarantined for 366 days at a location at least 50 km from any key Foundation assets. Survivors may return to duty pending approval by the reporting medical officer.

Currently, detention of SCP-2523-1 entities is not authorized. In the event that authorization is reinstated, entities are to be secured with restraints consisting of a minimum 75% iron by mass.

Description: SCP-2523 is a phenomenon affecting seasonal Halloween costuming and decoration stores in the US and Canada from sunset on October 31st to sunset on November 1st. It is restricted to stores which are entirely seasonal, and does not affect Halloween displays in more permanent businesses.

While the anomaly is active, the affected locations become spatially collocated, regardless of geographic separation. Store interiors will overlay where sufficiently similar (e.g., similar display shelving will become a single shelf unit without duplication of products); otherwise, the entire space expands as needed. Persons entering one location are able to physically interact with persons at all affected locations in real time, and return to their place of origin when exiting.1

The affected locations remain open for the full 24-hour period regardless of posted hours. At sunset, four to six entities (designated SCP-2523-1) will appear and relieve all employees. Entities are diminutive humanoids (estimated to be between 0.8 and 1.2 meters in height) with a variety of chimerical features from various vertebrates, as well as limbs and extremities that vary in proportion (see Appendix A: SCP-2523-1 for additional detail). These entities carry out routine retail operations, except for attempting to persuade customers to make non-monetary exchanges. At the end of this 24-hour period they are relieved by scheduled human employees who typically begin closing the store for the season.

Exposed persons will rationalize all anomalous properties of SCP-2523, including those of trades, entities, and objects originating from the anomaly, as entirely normal experiences. This effect extends to direct conversation with affected persons as well as photographs and other direct recordings. This is an antimemetic effect that Class W mnestic treatment combined with conscious reaffirmation of observed details has been demonstrated to neutralize.

When a customer attempts to purchase an item during the anomaly, SCP-2523-1 entities will attempt to persuade them not to use monetary means to purchase the item. Instead, the entity will ask for a trade. Entities have accepted physical objects as well as more abstract concepts as fair trades. This has included: hair, personal abilities, years of life, children, illegal drugs, memories, and emotions (for a full list see Appendix B: SCP-2523 Non-Monetary Exchange). If the customer insists on paying with money the entity will, with visible reluctance, accept. Customers appear to have permanently lost the traded quality in all cases that it was testable.

Any item acquired by non-monetary means will manifest significant anomalous properties. The following is a partial list (see Appendix B for the full list):

Item
Anomalous Properties
Exchanged For

Prosthetic vampire fangs
Wearer develops an uncontrollable desire to consume blood (any vertebrate blood is accepted) as well as the ability to induce a state of extreme suggestibility via conversation.
30 grams of heroin

A dark chocolate candy bar
After consuming the bar, the subject lost all interest in food and did not show any signs of starvation despite consuming nothing else for 28 days.
The memory of a childhood family trip

300 plastic spiders
Purchaser was inspired to consume the spiders. Following consumption of a spider, subject was able to excrete an otherwise non-anomalous living banded spider (Argiope trifasciata) from bodily orifices, and direct it telepathically
The ability to sing

"Sexy Nurse" costume
Wearer demonstrated markedly decreased sexual inhibitions as well as increased attractiveness to the opposite sex. Sexual partners reported mild anesthetic effects.
An eight year old boy, current whereabouts are unknown

Decorative trick mirror
Entities visible in mirror are deceased persons or pets known to the viewer
Empathy

Bag of Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Seeds originate from SCP-097
A tattoo depicting the rank chevrons of a United States Navy Petty Officer 1st Class. Tattoo was removed without scarring

Addenda:

Ejection Events: The first ejection event occurred during initial containment on 11/01/1999 at 0110 hours and is typical of all later ejection events. Agent Mugnaini attempted to physically block the entrance to the anomaly. A SCP-2523-1 entity emerged and asked Agent Mugnaini to leave. Mugnaini refused, and began to suffer significant full body pain, which increased in intensity until he complied. Afterwards Mugnaini reported having "bad luck", and statistical analysis determined that he, and Area-██ where he was stationed, were suffering a significantly high number of unfortunate coincidences. This condition ended with his death in a car accident on 01/25/2000. It is suspected as a contributing factor in 17 injuries, four fatalities, and one Category-3 Breach Event at Area-██. Further testing has determined that this effect persists for 366 days. Once ejected, personnel are unable to reenter the anomaly, even after the 366-day period has expired.

Detention of SCP-2523-1 Entity:

Interviewed: SCP-2523-1 entity with nametag reading "Bobby Goodman".

Interviewer: Agent Rossetti

Foreword: On 10/31/2001 at 2000 hours MTF o-13 agents abducted an SCP-2523-1 entity to Site-17 for questioning and containment. It is described as having canine ears, a primate muzzle, and disproportionately long arms and legs (see Appendix A for a full description). Entity was successfully secured with iron restraints. Three o-13 team members were ejected from the anomaly as a consequence of the operation.

<Begin Log, 11/01/2001 0200 hours>

Rossetti: So, "Bobby", would you like to tell me about where you work?

SCP-2523-1: I don't work, human. I sell things.

Rossetti: Tell me about the things you sell, then.

SCP-2523-1: We sell delicious things, wonderful things, things of joy and darkness, things from the land of youth, things from the land of death, and the things from the border country. Come buy!

Rossetti: Who are you?

SCP-2523-1: [laughs] You humans! Always so forgetful! Such a delight! At summer's end, the gates at the border country are opened wide! We have come to sell our wares at this time as we did in the, what is your word for the places in the shadow that cannot be reached from the now? The past? We are the in-between people, the border people. Vassals neither to hot radiant summer, or cold merciless winter. We are the Autumn People.

Rossetti: Why only seasonal Halloween stores, and not others?

SCP-2523-1: Oh! The in-between places, they are ours. They too live only here, in the edge of summer.

Rossetti: Why do you prefer to trade for things, and not money?

SCP-2523-1: Money has no value. It is only a medium of exchange. We crave only things of value, for these we can trade in the world. How do you think we get the things we sell? We are the Autumn People, not cobblers!

Rossetti: Are you aware that the things you sell are problematic for humans?

SCP-2523-1: Yes! Of course they are! We are a merry people! Our wares are mirthful!

<End Log>

Closing Statement: Following the interview the entity was transferred to a humanoid containment unit and was extremely cooperative. At sunset on 11/01/2001 the entity vanished from containment leaving behind a crude doll made of rough unworked oak sticks, clothing scraps and mineral clay. All milk products at Site-17 were reported to have instantly spoiled simultaneously with this event.

Footnotes

1. The similarities between this phenomenon and SCP-1323, including the overlapping time frame, spatial distortion, the behavior of the entities within, and the nature of the exchanges suggest that these may be highly correlated phenomena. Questioning the SCP-2523-1 entities about this connection has resulted in ejection events.