The SCP Experience - Babylon's Whore Corner Store | SCP-2854

Episode Date: March 1, 2024

Want to listen ad-free? Try it FREE for 7 days here: patreon.com/TheSCPExperience SCP Foundation EUCLID class object, SCP-2854: Babylon's Whore Corner Store This story was derived from https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-2854 and is released under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Author: Cyrus Spears * * * DISCLAIMER: This episode contains explicit content. Parental guidance is advised for children under the age of 18. Listen at your own discretion. #thescpexperience #scp #scpfoundation #scpencounters #securecontainprotect #scpstories #scpexplained #whatisscp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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His mother's voice rattled around in his brain. Never looked directly in the sun. She always told him while slathering his red cheeks and sunscreen. He was sure she would disapprove of his current situation and ask him something like, Why aren't you wearing sunglasses? But then, it was a moot point to wonder about her feelings at all, considering she was dead. Four days ago, he had driven from Arizona to Massachusetts, just for the opportunity to watch them drop his mother's coffin down into a hole and cover it up with dirt.

All her friends were sure to forget her now, out of sight, out of mind. She had moved several states over, just to live with four gal pals who hosted, weekly bridge parties and took quarterly beach trips down to Florida. Four grown women who could not be bothered to call him the night she died. If James hadn't been trying to sort out a bill with her landlord, he would never have found out. His brother, Caleb, was 17 and fresh out of juvie. He couldn't care less that their mother was dead, but James had stuffed him in a rented suit and made him go to the funeral anyway. Now the kid was slumming. in his passenger seat with his bare feet propped up on the dashboard.

He had barely said a word for the 16 hours they had already been on the road. He only said something when the car vibrated. James grounded his smoldering cigarette's yellow filter between his lips. The cigarette had burned down far enough that the filter was hot, but he was unwilling to let it go just yet. The backright tire was shredded, and he didn't have a spare. They were stranded on the side of the road, in 80-degree weather. Bitter tobacco stung the surface of his tongue. James finally pitched his

burned-out cigarette to the ground and spat. He turned around and banged his fist on the window. It was hard enough that Caleb jolted upright and slipped off his headphones while making a face. James opened the door so that they could talk. Hey, he said. I called a tow company, but we're in the middle of nowhere, so it's going to be a while. He nodded towards the road. There's a corner store, it looks like. Are you hungry? No.

Caleb leaned back in his chair. Hmm. James reached in and grabbed his sleeve. That's too bad, because I am not leaving you here all by yourself. Caleb tried to wriggle out of his grip. How come? He asked. I think I can handle myself sitting alone on an empty road.

What do you think is going to happen? I don't know, James said. and I'm not going to take any chances. He kept his grip on Caleb's sleeve. His kid brother wiggled a little bit more before giving up and sliding out of the passenger side of the truck. He huffed to make his displeasure known and tightened his puffy jacket around his shoulders.

You're killing me, Caleb said. Come on, James replied. Stretch your legs. It will be good for you. Caleb muttered something, but did not say much else. James started walking towards the bright, flashing pink lights he saw circling in the distance. It was not anything that he remembered passing on his way to his mother's funeral. But then again, he had been a little bit preoccupied at the time. He hoped it was a corner store and not a weird pawn shop or something like that.

The closer they got, the more confident he became. He saw a freezer for bagged ice and a line of old vending machines near the front door. None of them looked like they worked anymore. All the old advertising was too washed out or faded to read, and most of the labels had been stripped away. Finally, he got close enough to make out what was written in the flashing pink lights. They bled neon onto the sidewalk, and big bold letters advertised, Babylon's Whore Corner Store.

James paused. He glanced over at Caleb, who was also staring up at the lights. The teenager scoffed and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. So, what is it? A sex shop? Caleb smirked. You'd like that, James rolled his eyes. It's probably just some weird Midwest humor. The parking lot was empty except for one car. James did a double take because it looked a lot like his blue truck.

It even had a hideous dent in the side, like when he had been sideswiped at a stop sign a few years back. A chill crept up his spine, but he shrugged it off and kept moving. Caleb shuffled behind him as they crossed the short asphalt parking lot. The door was plastered in paper advertisements. Almost all of them looked like some sort of flyer for a doomsday cult. James didn't dwell too long on them. In fact, he only paused long enough to check the hours before tugging on the metal door handle.

A rush of cool air greeted him. It was a welcome change from this scathing heat. The store was much bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. Rows of products stretched out in front of them, almost like a proper grocery mart. There was a single cash register. Instead of cigarettes stacked up behind it, there was candy. James stared desperately at the counter and hoped that there was at least some tobacco to be found in this place. He was down to his last cigarette, and they were.

had a lot of trip left to go. There's no one here, Caleb pointed out. James shrugged. Doors open, he said. They're probably just in the bathroom. Caleb gave him a skeptical look, but started moving through the rows. The teenager bent in front of one of the shelves. He picked up a package and crinkled his nose, flipping it over in his hands to try and get a better look at the front and the back. This is all weird stuff. Caleb said. James tore himself away from the front counter to join him. What do you mean? James asked. Caleb pressed a package of candy into his hand. At first, it looked

normal. The bag was hot pink, and there was a plastic window that showed off a cluster of similarly pink gummies shaped like ghosts. They were all pressed up against the clear plastic, which had started to fog around the edges. James found something unsettling about their hollow gummy eyes and round little O-shaped mouths. They stared up at him, squished against each other, as if they were clamoring to get out. There was no brand or anything written on the package. It just said, candied souls. Off-brand shit. James shook the weird feeling off, and shrugged as he chucked the bag back towards the shelf. At least it's probably cheap. I don't even see a price. Holy shit.

Caleb grabbed what looked like a loaf of bread and pulled it from the shelf. It was pure green and modelled black like mold. The bread was shaped like a person. Maybe it was something whimsical at some point. But the state it was in made it look like a body that had been left out to rot.

It was shoved into a plastic container and on the top the label said, Unbred. Caleb pressed his lips together like he was going to vomit. This shit has mold all over. over it. Caleb shoved it back onto the shelf, so hard that the container banged against the metal backing. That is disgusting. Yeah. James was starting to have second thoughts. Sorry about that, Caleb. I don't know if I would trust any of this shit at this point.

He swept his eyes over the rest of the star, suddenly suspicious of everything. Even the generic looking sodas bubbling with carbonation in the lined up coolers were probably three years out of date. Good thing I wasn't very hungry anyway, Caleb said. He started walking down the row with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, looking right and left, as if to see what new disgusting thing he could discover before they booked it out of there. Maybe the store clerk wasn't in the bathroom, James thought. Maybe this place had been abandoned. It wasn't unusual for an employee to just walk out and leave everything unlocked. He couldn't scrub. He couldn't scrubbed the image of the green, unbred loaf from his brain. It was enough to make him nauseous,

like a bald-up fist had punched him straight in the stomach. There were more plastic containers lined up and down the row, and he was not brave enough to look at them all to see if they contained the same thing. James pushed his hand underneath his shirt and rubbed his stomach. It gurgled audibly, and he dug his blunt fingernails in his side to distract himself. I'm going to see if they have any cigarettes, he called after Caleb. And then we're going to go. Hey, look at this. Caleb acted as though he had not heard him. He pulled a red jar from the shelf and turned it outward so that the label was facing James. Devil's eggs, and it has a little cartoon devil. Weird, right? You could probably eat these. James made a face. No thanks, he said. They probably pickled those in the

toilet. Caleb laughed and put the red jar back where he had found it. James walked back over to the counter and leaned against it, trying to get a good look at the rose behind. Lazzang sur-goled, puissance-moleaned for 15 minutes. We're like it's the hour dojo. Pree to enjoy. Vive the pleasure with Leo Jo. The casino in line that proposes the more recent machine-assed-a-sou and the

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There was no answer. James put his hands on the counter and leaned over a little farther until the edge was pushing into his gut. Off to the side, something crashed. The sound of glass shattering was like a gun. going off. James whipped his head around, knocking it against the glass separator that shielded the cash register. He grimaced and pressed his hand against the back of his head.

Caleb? He called out. Are you okay? Fuck! Caleb shouted. Jesus Christ! James ran back to the aisle where he had left his brother. Caleb was still standing at the very end. Red glass from a smashed jar was scattered around his feet and dyed eggs, floated on pools of venison. Swirling around the broken shards. The teenager was frozen, and his eyes looked like they were going to bug out of his head. He stared towards the end of the aisle, but he wasn't looking at James. He raised his hand and pointed. His lips trembled to form words that would not quite stumble off his tongue.

James started towards him, and then stopped dead in his tracks. At the end of the aisle, opposite Caleb, was a person standing with their feet pressed together and their arms outspread. They looked human enough at first, except for the eyes. Their eyes were like two flashlights that had been jammed into the center of their skull. They were the brightest lights that James had ever seen. It was like looking directly in the sun. Lengths of chain were wrapped around the person's arms and waist.

They draped all the way down and pooled on the cold floor. James' breath caught in his throat. For a whole minute, he could not speak or breathe. He was just staring at the entity. waiting for it to speak. Finally, the entity opened its mouth. No words came out, though, only light. It was another bright, white spot, just like a flashlight.

It flooded the aisle, and somehow it was enough to break his trance. James darted towards Caleb and grabbed him by the arm. Caleb squawked in protest, but James dragged him over towards the next aisle. His heart pounded so hard in his chest that it made his ribs hurt. The entity did not turn its arm. head. It did not even follow them. Still, James pulled Caleb behind a display of cereal boxes, determined to put as much between them and the thing as possible while gunning for the door.

James! Caleb whispered hoarsely. What was that? James admitted. He swiped at the corners of his mouth where nervous sweat and saliva were collecting. I really don't know. From behind the counter, the brightly colored boxes of candy and chewing gum went flying. It was a as if some great arm had swept across the shelves and knocked them all down. James caught a flash of white. He thought it looked feathery, but he did not stop too long to try and analyze it.

He locked his eyes on the door and kept running. It felt like no matter how fast he ran, the door wasn't getting any closer. His legs began to burn all the way up to his thighs with exertion, like he was pulling a two-ton weight. Don't be afraid, a voice came from nearby. It was a perfect blend of deep, resonant masculine notes and soft, feminine ones.

It sent a shiver of fear like a thread of lightning shooting up James' spine. Despite the words that were meant to be reassuring, he did not stop. He did not even slow down. He ran for the door and threw his entire weight against it. He could still see the blue truck through the front windows, looking more and more like his the longer he looked at it. The back tire was even shredded. James?

Caleb's voice trembled. He tried to turn his head. But James grabbed his brother by the jacket and shook him. Do not look over there, James said. For the love of God, do not look at whatever is over there. I'm scared. Caleb lowered his voice. More rustling came from behind the counter, like a vulture's wings gliding through the air.

I know, James said. We are going to get out of here. He grabbed the metal bar across the door and tugged, and pushed. No matter which way he tried, it would not open. He ground his teeth until he tasted blood. God damn it! He slammed his fist against the glass. Don't be afraid!

The strange voice repeated. More multicolored boxes went spilling to the floor, and the metal shelves shook, unable to stand up against the immense pressure of the feathers and bone that were bending them down. A warm feeling started to overtake James. It began in his feet, then it crept up to his legs. By the time it reached his knees,

They were wobbling. He locked his eyes on the truck. All he wanted to do was to get out there and get Caleb in the passenger seat. Nothing could happen to them then. He was sure of it. He threw his fists against the door trying to break the glass. James, I think. Caleb's voice was even fainter than before.

My face feels really funny. James leaned against the door. His legs no longer felt like they were capable of holding him up. He looked over his shoulder and saw Caleb standing just behind him. His brother's face was bathed in bright golden light, and he was smiling from ear to ear. Even though his grin was blissful, the bottom part of his jaw and his twitching forehead muscles were contorted in agony. His smiling mouth hung open in a silent scream, with no noise escaping, except for a crackling gag like popping bacon grease. He reached out, as if trying to catch hold of his older brother,

But his hand froze mid-air. The golden light grew brighter, and then Caleb's eyes popped. They exploded like bursting eggs while white runny goo mixed with blood raced down his cheeks. Caleb started laughing and clawing at his face, dragging on the sides of his persistent smile that kept curling upward, despite the fact that his eye sockets were now just too deep, bloody caverns in the center of his skull. A ragged, angry cry tore from James' throat. His mouth was full of blood, and he spat another glob onto the convenience door floor.

It was as red as a cherry. Suddenly, the door flew open. Fresh air hit his face, and James collapsed against the ground. He hit the asphalt nose first, and the sound of splitting cartilage filled his ears. More hot blood ran down his face. The sensation made his skull feel like it was going to fall into two pieces. He tried to reach out to crawl. He tried to press his fingertips into the asphalt,

and drag himself forward, but he did not even have the strength to do that. Flashing pink lights made his skin look gray, almost green. He stayed conscious long enough to wonder if he would be put into a little plastic container and labeled before being slid onto the shelf. He wondered if he would actually be consumed, or if he would be left to sit there and rot. He wondered if the gases from his corpse would fog up the plastic window on bright pink wrapping paper, like those little ghosts with their vacant eyes and little round gummy mouths. The last thing he thought of was Caleb,

with his mouth like a hole and his eyes running down his face. He thought of that contorted expression pressed against a shiny plastic window, labeled Candid Soul, with one arm still stretched out in front of him. James vomited blood onto the asphalt and watched it trickle towards the shredded wheel of his blue truck. RBC Training Ground has discovered potential in over 20,000 Canadian athletes and counting. Your story could be next. If you've got the drive, they'll help you find your path to the Olympics. Let's see what you've got.

Sign up for free at rbc trainingground.ca. SCP 2854 is an abandoned supermarket, located about three kilometers from Site 118. SCP-24-1 instances referred to entities that frequent SCP-284. During normal business hours, SCP 2854's anomalous properties will manifest. Cars will begin to appear outside of SCP 2854 in the parking lot. SCP 2854-1 instances will then vacate their cars and enter SCP 2854. Entities observed during normal business hours include incorporeal entities, which include entities with eyes that reflect visible light, adorned,

with intangible lengths of chain, entities whose bodies are the consistency of mist and are observed to be lacking discerning facial features. Entities with several pairs of wings and heads, similar to depictions in Christian iconography, varying entities of different sizes, shapes, and anomalous ability with iconography similar to depictions of the Christian underworld. The name Babylon Hors Corner Store

is prominently displayed over the entrance to the establishment, Inside, several checkout lanes can be observed near the front of the store, with aisles occupying the majority of the remaining space. In the back of the supermarket, a storeroom is observed to be storing unused products for placement on the shelves. When items are removed from the shelves, they are observed to restock themselves after an average interval of five minutes, with a delay increasing or decreasing based on consumer demand for said item. The longest recorded interval is 30 minutes, and the shortest recorded interval

is one second. When stock depletes in the storeroom, new stock is acquired through means of teleportation. Deliveries to homes are handled through this process as well. It is currently unknown where SCP 2854 acquires its stock of anomalous products, or where the products are delivered to. The SCP-2854-1 instances will pay for the products with a monetary currency not recognized by any known government or organization. The SCP-2854-1 instances will then re-enter their car and disappear. Currency discovered inside of SCP 2854 display a rough depiction of a dwarf on the front,

with a denomination printed in a language that currently eludes, Foundation researchers. At time of writing, all attempts to translate the language printed on the currency have been unsuccessful.