Murklins
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Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX-1 through -5 are contained in a standard Safe-class containment safe at Site-91. Copies of the text of all instances of SCP-XXXX are available and may be freely accessed by any researcher of Level 1 clearance or above. Experimentation involving any instance of SCP-XXXX requires Level 3 approval.

Description: SCP-XXXX-1 through -5 are a set of five travel guides, written in the Czech language, each of which describes a variety of locations in the rural Czech Republic and Slovakia. The author of all five books is listed as one █████ ███████; however, linguistic analysis of the text has indicated that each of the five was most likely written by a different author. As no evidence of a █████ ███████ has been located, it is postulated that the name is a pseudonym. The books do not contain a copyright page, but the information within, as well as wear and tear upon the items themselves, suggests that they were written at some point in the early 1950's.

The written content of SCP-XXXX-1 through -5 is non-anomalous, and Foundation researchers have found it to be accurate, if often outdated. The locations mentioned are similarly non-anomalous, albeit often rural and of little interest to the tourist audience that would usually purchase such travel guides.

A short message has been written in pen on the title pages of SCP-XXXX-1 through -4. The title page of SCP-XXXX-5 contains no such message. As SCP-XXXX-5 displays the same anomalous properties as -1 through -4, it is believed that the message holds no relation to the items' effects. Handwriting analysis suggests that all four messages were written by the same individual, and analysis of the ink suggests that the inscriptions were added no more than ten years ago.

The anomalous effects of SCP-XXXX manifest when a human subject falls asleep or otherwise becomes unconscious while reading an instance of SCP-XXXX and while located within 10 kilometers of one of the locations mentioned in that particular instance. To an outside observer, the subject will simply fall asleep or unconscious as expected. However, the subject will never enter REM sleep while in this state. If further subjects meet the conditions for the activation of an instance of SCP-XXXX while the first subject remains unconscious, only the first subject will be affected. Subjects may be awoken normally, albeit with some difficulty, resulting in the same effects as if the subject had woken of their own volition; see below.

Upon waking, subjects report having found themselves awake and standing in the nearest location described in their particular instance of SCP-XXXX upon entering the unsconscious state. Surveillance of said nearest location during this period reveals nothing of interest; the subject is not present and the location behaves as usual. Although subjects almost unanimously remember becoming unconscious, all are convinced of the reality of their experience, refusing to entertain the possibility that they were dreaming or hallucinating.

Aside from the initial setting of the experience, subjects' reports of their experience differ vastly, although almost all tend to feature major digressions from the laws or patterns of our reality, similar to "dream logic," although subjects often object to this term. Approximately ██% of subjects perceive themselves as dying or being otherwise incapacitated as the result of these events; these subjects immediately awake with no further anomalous effects, usually after having been unconscious for 6-8 hours.

The remaining ██% of subjects report that, after about 6 hours of subjective experience, the presence of this "dream logic" in their perceived events strengthened, specifically focusing on common dreaming tropes. Subjects frequently report sudden changes of scenery, implausible sexual encounters, inability to speak or move, and/or falling from a great height, among other occurrences, often to such an extent that the subject has difficulty perceiving what is going on with any clarity. As such, reports from subjects who have advanced to this stage are often unclear and unreliable. Due to the often chaotic and hostile nature of the environment, another ██% of subjects perceive themselves as being incapacitated or killed during this phase, and awake after having been unconscious for 8-12 hours.

Subjects who awake after having experienced this phase of SCP-XXXX's effects are often confused and hostile, although most calm significantly after several minutes, and this is believed to be the result of the subjects' experience while unconscious rather than an independent anomalous effect. Subjects will continue to insist that the events they experienced were real, but often become nervous and upset when repeatedly questioned about these events. In addition, subjects often express the belief that all of their dreams are in fact real events, though this is almost always accompanied with an apprehension towards the subject in these dreams, in some cases progressing to full oneirophobia.

The █% of subjects who do not awake after a period of 12 hours will cease all vital signs after being unconscious for a period of time ranging from 13 hours to 24 hours. Only one subject has been successfully awoken after reaching this phase (see Addendum XXXX-D). A statistically significant amount of the subjects who progressed to this phase reported being capable of lucid dreaming prior to their exposure to SCP-XXXX.

Addendum XXXX-A: SCP-XXXX-1 through -4 were recovered in the aftermath of Incident XXXX-A (see addendum XXXX-B, below) from the Prague apartment of Charles University professor ████ █████, who was fatally shot by Foundation agents after attempting to resist detainment with deadly force. Analysis done on papers found within the apartment suggests that █████ is the author of the written message on the title pages of SCP-XXXX-1 through -4. Additional documents located during the search suggest that █████ was in contact with several known members of the art-terrorist group "Are We Cool Yet?" Further research into this connection is ongoing.

During a routine search of the area surrounding Incident XXXX-A, SCP-XXXX-5 was found and obtained without incident from a local used book shop. Interviews with the owner of the shop revealed that she was not aware that the item had any anomalous properties, or where she had first obtained it, only stating that she thought the item had been in the store for "a while." Further investigation into the history of SCP-XXXX-5, and the existence of possible further instances of SCP-XXXX, is recommended.

Addendum XXXX-B: Incident XXXX-A
On ██/██/200█, local authorities in the village of ██████ in the Czech Republic received reports of mass panic and several fatalities at a youth retreat in the nearby woods. The Foundation initially suspected involvement of an uncontained instance of SCP-████, and intervened at the retreat. Upon arrival, Foundation agents found that all of the retreats' adult supervisors and several of the children had, over the past several days, used SCP-XXXX, leading to rioting within the group upon the death of one child. The crowd was subdued and SCP-XXXX-1 through -4 were successfully recovered from the scene. Survivors were administered Class-B amnestics. Out of 11 surviving affected subjects, 7 developed an acute fear of sleep, and 5 committed suicide in the week following the incident. Remaining 6 subjects under surveillance to ensure that memories of the incident have not surfaced.

Addendum XXXX-C: Transcript of Message in SCP-XXXX-1 through -4

If we cannot trust reality, how can we trust our dreams?

Addendum XXXX-D: Interview D-XXXX-23

Interviewed: D-XXXX-23

Interviewer: Dr. ████ B████, head researcher for SCP-XXXX.

Foreword: D-XXXX-23 underwent testing with SCP-XXXX-5 and was awoken after remaining unconscious for fifteen hours.

<Begin Log, ██/██/200█, 23:05>

Dr. B████: Can you tell me what you saw after you fell asleep?

D-XXXX-23: It wasn't a dream.

Dr. B████: Could you elaborate on that?

D-XXXX-23: I mean, it was kinda like a dream, at first. But it felt so real, you know? But Doc, I know how dreams go, and this wasn't one of them.

Dr. B████: Why is that?

D-XXXX-23: It felt like it was trying too hard to be a dream. This sort of… forced weirdness, you know? And as I kept going on, kept wandering around this place, I felt like it was getting desperate, because it didn't want me to know.

Dr. B████: To know what?

D-XXXX-23: What it was. But it didn't work. It couldn't keep it up, and I guess I was just too clever for it. And now it knows that I know, and and it knows when I sleep, and it-

Dr. B████: What is it, then?

D-XXXX-23: It's there when I close my eyes.

<End Log, ██/██/200█, 23:08>

Closing Statement: D-XXXX-23 developed a strong phobia not only of her own sleep but of being near others who were asleep. After repeated psychological counseling, Class-A amnestics were administered. D-XXXX-23 made a full psychological recovery and was terminated on schedule.

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