Item #: SCP-221
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-221 is to be maintained in a slim lead-lined container, with sand used to fill up any remaining empty space. This box is to be kept in storage safe [DATA EXPUNGED]. No active personnel are authorized any sort of contact with SCP-221.
Description: SCP-221 appears to be a Waterman brand fountain pen of 1920's design. The pen appears to be made mostly of steel, gilded with silver and gold. On the pen's side is a small inscription reading "For my Beloved Clarice."
Subjects coming into the possession of SCP-221 at first report feeling soothed or contented by the artifact, and are very reluctant to part with the pen. Within the first 24 hours of having come into possession of SCP-221, usually after the first full sleep cycle, subjects begin to suffer from night terrors. These night terrors seem typical; subjects are unable to wake up, but are observed to moan or scream, often accompanied by writhing or flailing, then settling into peaceful sleep again. In the morning, the subjects are unable to recall any unusual events.
Shortly after this first incident, subjects begin to show signs of paracusia. It is at first subtle, but becomes stronger as time progresses on. The rate of advancement for these hallucinations seems to depend on the individual. Usually during this stage, the subjects seem to have an urge to write with the artifact, and become extremely agitated if prevented from doing so. All known cases outside containment started journals documenting their experiences. Test subjects show feelings of intense paranoia; the recovered journals of those who operated freely while under SCP-221's influence show this same pattern. Subjects eventually become unable to enter REM sleep, and the paracusia becomes more intense as the subjects become sleep deprived. Soon after achieving this point, subjects begin experiencing polymodal hallucinations. Again, they begin subtly; subjects often report seeing a shadow or form in their peripheral vision, accompanied by a small noise. However, these hallucinations become more potent with the passage of time, and eventually override reality for the individual.
Attempts at communication with subjects become futile; they appear to hear different words than those spoken, and even see different text than that presented to them. From the examined writing, it is clear that the paranoia suffered by those under the artifact's influence is acute at this point; all examined examples have clearly identified as believing all others around them as either secretly or openly hostile. Subjects reaching this stage are often violent and hostile, and seem to believe their violent outbursts are merely acts of self-defense. It is important to note that the mental faculties of subjects do not seem to be diminished any more than a normal episode of panic would. Their thought process is quite lucid even if stressed, and this makes their violence more dangerous. It has been noted though that, if alone, subjects can even find moments of total clarity and peace by writing with the artifact.
No subjects in the facility have lasted longer than 90 hours (the average being 72.5 hours) without becoming so uncontrollably violent that their termination was required. Trying to forcibly remove the artifact from test subjects with advanced hallucinations has met with mixed results; most subjects died violently trying to maintain control of the pen, but those from whom it was successfully taken became docile shortly after. All of these surviving test subjects attempt to take their own life, or simply die without apparent cause after a few hours.
Additional: Attempts to trace the origin of SCP-221 have proved fruitless. Attempts to trace the pen through its victims have been impossible, and only five of its victims before coming into the Foundation's possession have been traced. The known civilian cases are as follows:
- CX0-221: A John Doe patient brought into ██████ █████ Hospital was the first known person carrying the pen. After appearing comatose for over 12 hours, the patient suddenly woke up and murdered three hospital employees before being killed by █████ Kemp, a nurse in ██████ █████ Hospital, in self-defense. It is of importance to note that █████ Kemp used the pen to strike the killing blow, which had fallen from her assailant's pocket. Time under influence of SCP-221 is unknown.
- CX1-221: Two days after the incident with CX1-221, █████ Kemp returned to work, insisting her patients needed her. That night, she murdered one of her patients by repeated trauma to their face with a hospital food tray, and threw herself from the roof of the hospital attempting to evade dispatched police forces. Time under influence of SCP-221 is estimated at 70 hours.
- CX2-221: █████ Clarkson apparently found the artifact near where CX1-221's body was found. His father, mother, and older sister were found dismembered and strewn throughout the family's home two days later. Subject was later found in the home of a friend, █████ ███████, who had apparently been raped and murdered. Police were forced to shoot Clarkson after the subject advanced on them with a lumber axe. Time under influence of SCP-221 is estimated at 110 hours.
- CX3-221: Investigator ███████ saw the pen in evidence, and recognized it as having been used by Nurse █████. At this point SCP became involved. Unfortunately, ███████ had handled the pen, and had to be shot by Agent █████ as his hallucinations progressed. Time under influence of SCP-221 is estimated at 30 hours.
- CX4-221: Agent █████ came into contact with the pen, but was able to be taken into custody before hallucinations became serious. Efforts at the time were insufficient to save Agent █████. Time under influence of SCP-221 is estimated at 24 hours.
Addendum 221-01: The pen seems to have an unknown degree of sentience, and its goal seems to be to continue passing from person to person. In order to accomplish this, the pen has been seen to roll, tumble, or fall on its own accord, and its containment box is occasionally heard to shake violently within its safe, though this has never been observed. However, usually the pen seems to rely on humans for transportation; the artifact seems to have some amount of mental pull on certain people, compelling them to pick it up so that it may begin to induce its effects. The artifact's motivations are completely unknown.
Addendum 221-02: As of ██/09/03, eleven D-class test subjects (DX1-221 through DX11-221) have been exposed to SCP-221, all of them experiencing symptoms within the first 24 hours. However, DX12-221 began experiencing symptoms only 4 hours after exposure, and before experiencing night terrors during a sleep cycle. Hallucinations progressed at a faster rate. The same held true for DX13-221. DX14-221 experienced symptoms after only two hours, and progressed extremely quickly. Testing has been discontinued as there is a fear that the steady "diet" of D-Class personnel is strengthening SCP-221's abilities.