SCP-1435: Grog the Cave Monster

"I was originally going to call him Thag," Henson stated in an interview, "but it turned out the name was taken."

Item #: SCP-1435

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-1435 is to be held in a 3 x 4 x 3 meter containment chamber with reinforced steel walls. The floor is to be a recessed scale with remote readouts. There are to be no windows or other visible portals leading into SCP-1435's containment chamber, nor any visual monitoring devices. In the event that SCP-1435 requires movement to a larger containment cell, only D-class personnel are allowed to view it, and are to be terminated immediately after containment is reestablished. All other personnel making visual contact with SCP-1435's termination point are to be terminated.

All data pertaining to the television program Grog and Tootie's Time Cave, including knowledge of its existence, is to be actively scoured from public sources. All recordings of the pilot episode are to be destroyed, with one copy stored electronically on an encrypted server for archival purposes.

Description: SCP-1435 is an orange puppet made by the Jim Henson Company for a planned children's educational show entitled Grog and Tootie's Time Cave. SCP-1435 is described in production notes as a "cave monster," with horns, sharp teeth and a faux hide toga. Testing has revealed no anomalies present in any of its composite materials.

SCP-1435 undergoes a growth event whenever a person both views and contemplates its termination point, the aperture through which the puppeteer's hand passed. Thoughts such as "Where does it stop?", "Does it go underground?" and "What's under there?" have been demonstrated to trigger growth events, which typically increase SCP-1435's length at a rate of approximately .4 meters per second for upwards of 130 seconds. This growth involves the lower "furry" fabric surface of SCP-1435 duplicating itself. Growth events can be triggered by remote viewing as well as viewing of still images of the termination point. At the time of its initial growth event, SCP-1435 was estimated to be 2 meters long. Efforts to contain and test SCP-1435 have since increased its length to its current 113 meters.

The termination point of SCP-1435 adheres to the surface on which it is placed. Attempts to lift it trigger growth events, but it is possible to move SCP-1435 by sliding it along a level surface. When under any observation, the first 30 meters of SCP-1435's body undulate, the rest maintaining whatever position it has grown into, and its mouth and arms move. It has also been observed vocalizing scraps of dialogue and the theme song from the television show as well as moans of pain, the latter having occurred only during growth events.

Imaging of SCP-1435 has shown that the first 10 meters of its length are filled with a mixture of bone fragments and undifferentiated tissues. The substance filling the remaining length has not yet been identified.

Addendum: Recent testing has shown that any subject who has viewed SCP-1435's termination point can trigger a growth event by thinking about it, whether currently observing SCP-1435 or not. The speed of growth is dramatically decreased when thoughts are not concurrent with direct observation, still photos or video of SCP-1435 (approximately .005 meters per second), but amnestics have proven ineffective in blocking this effect. Any previous observer reminded of the existence of SCP-1435 will become able to trigger growth events once more should they begin thinking about it. Control groups informed of SCP-1435's existence without having previously viewed the termination point do not produce this effect. This factor complicates containment of SCP-1435, as increases in size necessitate larger containment chambers.

SCP-1435 upgraded to Euclid class on ██/██/████. -Site Director Alshabazz

Video log of SCP-1435 initial growth event

Video log of SCP-1435 initial growth event

Video log consists of 2 minutes of the pilot episode of Grog and Tootie's Time Cave followed by SCP-1435's first growth event, as recorded by a secondary camera accidentally left running during filming. Voices are identified by the character speaking.

<Begin transcript at 1:45>

Tootie: Thanks so much for helping us learn about electricity, Mister Franklin!

Benjamin Franklin: It was my pleasure, Miss Tootie. I hope you'll be more careful around electricity from now on, Grog.

Grog: Yes. Grog understand danger of electricity now.

Tootie: Did Mister Franklin help you get over your fear of thunder, Grog?

Grog: Yes! Now Grog not afraid of thunder. Only lightning.

Characters laugh.

Tootie: Well, come on, Grog, we'd better get back to the future!

Growth event begins at timestamp 2:06, marked by a loud sound (approximately 95 dB) later described as "a zipper closing". The viewpoint camera records SCP-1435's puppeteer vanishing as SCP-1435 extends to reach the floor.

Tootie: What was that? Jesus, where's █████? What happened to him?

SCP-1435 begins increasing in length and undulating. Crew members are heard screaming and can be seen running in the background.

Grog: Mister Franklin Tootie cave a bunch… It hurts so much… [moaning]

Tootie: Someone get help!

Grog: Thunder cave thunder a happy monster time… [moaning] Burns…

Camera is knocked over. Screaming of crew members and moaning of SCP-1435 continue.

<End log at 5:16>

Video log of SCP-1435 initial growth event