The SCP Experience - I Made a House of Horror I Can’t Escape | SCP-4745

Episode Date: August 16, 2024

SCP Foundation SAFE class object, SCP-4745 This story was derived from https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-4745 and is released under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Author: Matt D. * * * 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I said to Jordan as we walked to school. I can't find anything that pays decent. I won't have any money to get Crystal a good Christmas present. Jordan scoffed. "'Pays decent, my ass. We're teenagers. "'Managers salivate when they see us walk in, "'because they know we'll work for pennies.' "'I guess that's my problem,' I said,

"'hunching my shoulders against the early morning called. "'I don't want to work for pennies. "'Well, good luck, my friend,' Jordan said. "'It's going to be a shitty Christmas season "'if you can't find anything that's worthy of your royal ass.' "'I smiled. "'Hey, have you seen my ass? It deserves the best.

Maybe that's what I'll do. I'll get a job as an ass model. Girls don't care about asses. Now, if you can convince Crystal to get an only fan, she could be your sugar mama. She's got a great ass. I elbowed Jordan. Don't talk about my girlfriend's ass.

It's weird. Sorry, but she's got a... Hey, check this out. I said as we moved past a line of evergreen bushes, denoting the property line between two houses. What? Jordan said. The snowman? Yeah. I said. A plastic snowman, about three feet tall, stood on the yellow lawn in front of a two-story house.

What about it? Jordan asked. It's a snowman. Christmas is coming. So what? Yeah, but this house has been empty. The Russell's moved during the summer. Look at the for-sale sign. Jordan shrugged. Maybe someone bought it and didn't take the sign down. Or maybe the Russell's think that putting a few decorations up will help the place sell. I studied the house, looking at the lifeless windows, the sparse porch, and the shaggy bushes.

Then I turned my attention to the snowman. It smiled its plastic smile under its carrot nose. A red scarf, molded to its body, stayed perfectly still in the chilly breeze. But a cloth top hat sat on the yellow grass nearby, rocking slightly as the wind, jostled it. Let's go, Jordan said. It's freezing out here. Some instinct took hold of me, and I hurried across the lawn,

grabbing the hat and putting it on the snowman. Then, thinking that the breeze would just knock it off again, I picked the snowman up and put it on the porch. What the hell are you doing? Jordan said. The hat was going to blow away, I replied, turning around and heading back down the stairs. So what?

What? It's not your house. Just my good deed for the morning, I said, smiling. Jordan, his nose pink because of the cold, just shook his head and stamped his feet. Let's go. I'm freezing. I can't wait until I can afford a car. We headed along the sidewalk, and I glanced back at the snowman. It smiled at me from the porch. Its top hat snugly on its plastic head. After school, I walked home alone. Jordan had a shift. and Crystal was working on the party committee, getting ready for the holiday party in two weeks.

When I came up to the old Russell house, I stopped on the sidewalk and stared in confused awe. The snowman was still there on the porch, still wearing his top hat. But the exterior of the house was now covered with Halloween decorations. They weren't spooky ones, but cute ones with goofy-looking witches, grinning jackal lanterns and smiling ghosts.

Fake spider webs stretched across windows, and carved pumpkins sat on the porch steps. It was at least a good four or five hours' worth of work, but it didn't make sense. Halloween had come and gone over a month ago. Still, I guessed Jordan was right. Someone had bought the house, someone with a strange sense of humor. After studying the place for another minute, I shook my head and continued my walk home. The decoration stayed up for the next week. I walked by the house twice a day on weekdays and even knocked on the door that Saturday

to see if they needed any help with anything around the house. I was broke, so I figured it was worth a shot. But no one answered the door. I didn't see anyone in the house during the week. No cars were ever parked in the driveway. The window shades were never opened. There were never any kids playing in the yard. Then, a week after I'd put the house.

the first snowman on the porch, everything changed. Jordan and I were walking to school when we stopped on the sidewalk and marveled at the changes that had taken place overnight. The cute, kiddie Halloween decorations had been replaced with gruesome and semi-realistic grown-up decorations. Where there had once been goofy witches grinning jack-o-lanterns and smiling ghosts, there were now freaky monster statues, fake severed heads, and hanging props made to look like dead bodies bound in black trash bags and duct tape. Skeletal hands reached out of the lawn, piles of skulls stood menacingly in the yard, and a horrid scarecrow stood perched near the steps. But the one thing that hadn't changed was the snowman. He still grinned out from his spot on the porch,

incongruous with his surroundings, his top hat still firmly in place. What the hell is wrong with these people? Jordan asked. They must really really. hate Christmas. It's pretty fucking weird, I said. Have you seen them yet? I shook my head. Nope. Even knocked on the door. No answer. So creepy. Yeah, I said, for sure. We continued our walk, but all day at school, I couldn't get the house out of my head. And I decided I would do something a little stupid on my way home that afternoon. My day passed in a blur of boring schoolwork. It was Friday again, so I headed off the school grounds on my own, since Jordan and Crystal were both busy. I had plans to get together with Crystal later on, but I was glad to be alone now, so I could rush to the house.

When I got there, it looked the same as it had that morning. The creepy and gory decorations were still out, unchanged. The snowman still stood where I'd left him, his hat on his little plastic head. I walked up onto the porch, pausing as I heard faint screams and rumbles from inside the house. It took me a moment to realize it was some kind of spooky recording with people screaming and thunder and evil laughter. Smiling, I continued onto the porch and knocked on the door again. When there was no answer, I rang the doorbell. A witch's laugh played from inside the house when I touched the bell.

Yet no one came to the door. I was beyond asking them if they needed help around the place. Now I just wanted to know if I could bring Crystal here as a kind of Christmas present. I was broke, after all, but I knew Crystal would love this. We had long ago bonded over our love of Halloween and all things horror. It seemed a convenient coincidence, but I wasn't about to dismiss my good luck. And something, some gut feeling, told me the house was empty. Sure, someone had decorated the place, but I figured it was some kind of weird prank,

maybe a TikTok thing I'd never heard of. It didn't matter. I was determined to see if the inside looked like the outside. A plan had taken root in my mind, but I needed to make sure it would work. So as I walked off the porch, I looked around for signs of anyone paying attention before hustling down the side of the house. I dodged tilted headstones and zombie arms and even an open grave that looked to be actually six feet deep. When I reached the back of the house, I saw that the backyard had been decorated just as elaborately as the front.

Holy crap, I said, looking around at the props and gags. A big man with a white mask and blue coveralls stood rigid by the back door. A large knife gripped in one rubber hand. It was clearly supposed to be Michael Myers, but the mask was slightly different, and the knife wasn't quite the same. Leaving my backpack by the corner of the house, I eased up onto the back deck and peered through a window with open blinds. I was looking into some sort of dining room. A long, coal-black table dominated the space, complete with matching chairs. Many of the chairs were occupied by life-sized dummies. There was a guy whose head had been chopped off and now rested in his soup bowl.

A woman had knives sticking out of her chest, mouth screwed up in a rictus of fear. A skeleton sat grinning in a seat next to a vampire, complete with widow's beak and a high-collared black and red cape. Severed human body parts sat arranged on platters on the table, along with crystal goblets filled with red liquid. This is amazing, I said to myself, moving over. toward the door. The statue standing there looked so lifelike, I actually hesitated for a moment. Then I laughed at myself and eased toward the back door. I tried the knob. The door opened. Hello? I said. I tried the front door, but no one answered. Is anyone here? The Halloween sounds came from elsewhere in the house. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A woman screamed, and a man laughed

maniacly. Hello? There was still no answer. But from where I stood, it looked like the entire house was decked out in spooky decorations. I grinned the whole time I explored the place. It was unoccupied. I just hoped it would stay that way. When I finally left a half hour later, I looked over my shoulder at the house as I pulled my backpack on.

They're kind of love this, I said to myself, still grinning. 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 training ground.ca. There better be beer. Robbie said from the driver's seat once we were all inside.

He cranked the engine and pulled out of the parking spot. Oh, there's beer, Jordan said. I made sure of that with my brother's help. The holiday party was still going on in the high school gym, but we were heading out, ready to have our own little party. Turn up the heater, babe, Leslie said from the front passenger seat as she rubbed her hands together. Both she and Crystal wore slinky dresses that provided little protection against the frosty night air. Crystal, however, had planned ahead enough to bring a hoodie with her to the holiday dance, which she now had on. In all fairness, it had been my hoodie before she took it for her own.

It had a big picture of Pennywise the clown on the front and the words, We all float down here on the back. Jordan, Robbie and I were all dressed in suits. Jordan and Robbie looked good because their suits were stylish and they actually fit. Mine was an old thrift shop outfit I had barely been able to afford with my meager allowance. My dad was a fan of saying, Your allowance is the roof over your head and the food in your belly. But my mom always slipped me a little cash on Saturdays with a wink and a loving squeeze.

It wasn't much, but it was something. The rest of what little money I had saved up went to beer and snacks for the night's festivities. Jordan and I had gone to the Russell House before the dance to set everything up. It had been two weeks since I'd discovered the snowman on the lawn. The holiday party was still going on at the school, but we had dipped out to go to the horror house. Jordan and I had been talking it up all week once we decided to have our little party there. Christmas vacation stretched out before us, and we were going to kick it off right with a Halloween in December party. I had never done anything like this before, and the excitement gave me a wicked buzz as Robbie pulled his sedan over a block down from the house.

We didn't want to park right in front of it because the neighbors might have noticed that So we parked a block away And piled out into the frigid night air Jordan and I led them to the house Snickering and excitement Crystal had seen the outside before But Robbie and Leslie hadn't

Holy shit Robbie exclaimed when he saw the place Jordan and I said in unison giggling As always my eye was drawn to the snowman still on the front porch. Huh, I said to myself as I looked at the thing. What? Crystal asked.

Nothing, I said, shaking my head and smiling at her. But it wasn't nothing. Someone had turned the snowman, so it was facing us at the side of the yard. I could see its smile from where I stood. We moved along the side of the house toward the back door. Crystal and Jordan moved on ahead, talking about shotgunning a beer. Sensing the others had fallen behind, I looked to see that Leslie wasn't following. As Jordan and Crystal rounded the corner into the backyard, I turned to see what the problem was.

Robbie stood near a frozen Leslie, coaxing her to come inside. I don't want to go in there, Leslie said, staring at the house. Why not, babe? I thought you liked Halloween. It isn't Halloween, Leslie said. And this isn't right. There's something wrong with this place. Robbie looked at me and rolled his eyes. Just give us a minute, would you? Sure, I said.

Just watch out for the open grave when you come through. I left the couple there, Robbie whispering into Leslie's ear. As I moved along the side of the house, the zombie hand sticking out of the ground reached for me. I jumped back, peering down in the limited light at the fake hand. It squirmed in the ground, reaching blindly out. My brows furrowed. I was sure it had never moved before, and it hadn't looked so real.

Smiling, I looked up at the house and said, What is this place? A breeze stirred the skeletal tree branches, reaching over the fence from the neighbor's yard. A malevolent hand seemed to squeeze my heart for a moment. With some effort, I shrugged the feeling off and continued on my way. When I got to the back porch, I noticed that the big knockoff Michael Myers figure was gone. It had been there earlier when Jordan and I had brought the supplies. I shrugged, figuring Jordan moved it inside or something. As I stepped through the back door, a wretched stench

filled my nostrils. Oh God, what is that? I said to Crystal and Jordan, who stood ahead of me, looking into the dining room. Come on, Jordan said, turning to look at me. You did this, didn't you? Did what? I asked. is a little much. Crystal said to me, her nose pinched between two delicate fingers. I moved toward them so I could see what they were talking about. What is it? A dead pig or something? Jordan asked.

I stepped beside them and looked into the dining room. My eyes widened at the scene before me. The previously foam-stuffed body parts on the platters now looked incredibly real and smelled real. maggots squirmed in blackened flesh. Dozens of flies buzzed and swarmed on the lifelike severed limbs. The decapitated man with his head in a bowl also looked incredibly real. Same with the woman with the knives sticking out of her chest. They had been realistic before,

but only in that way that stuffed dummies from the Halloween store are real. You don't have to look hard to know that they're fake. But not these dummies. I was looking hard, and they didn't look fake. Not a bit. I stared at the vampire, who sat side on to us, his face in profile. His eyes were open, staring at the table. His pale skin shone with a slight sheen of moisture.

As I stared, that black hand gripped my heart again, this time tighter. A loud bang caught my attention. I turned to see Robbie and an ill-looking Leslie inside the house. The back door shut firmly behind them. What the hell is that smell? Robbie asked. That's rancid. In my peripheral vision, something shifted.

I looked back into the dining room to see that the vampire had turned his head. He stared at the three of us, me, Jordan, and Crystal. Jesus, Elijah! Crystal said. He looked so real. The vampire shifted, standing up and shoving his chair back in a swift movement. All three of us jumped backward to step. Hey, sorry, man, I said.

I didn't realize anyone. lived here. We'll get out of here. The vampire didn't say a word, but his lips stretched as he grinned, revealing teeth sharpened to points. He moved toward us. We're going, I said, grabbing crystal by the arm and yanking her toward the back door. Jordan soon followed. Open the door! I called to Robbie and Leslie. Leslie turned and gripped the doorknob, but the door didn't open.

Her skinny hands worked, fumbling with the deadbolt and turning the knob in all directions. It wouldn't open. An enormous figure emerged from the laundry room next to the back door, a figure in a white mask and blue coveralls. He swung one meaty arm down, his knife slicing through the air and threw flesh and bone as he chopped through one of Leslie's skinny wrists. The whole thing, from the vampire getting up to the blood spurting from Leslie's savage wound,

took all of five seconds. Then all hell broke loose. Robbie shouted as Leslie screamed. Crystal grabbed onto my arm while Jordan yelled something incoherent. The white-masked figure wasted no time. He brought his hand up, preparing to slice into Leslie again. Robbie stepped into the way and raised a hand to stop the blow. The knife cleaved through his fingers like they were little more than hot dogs.

Robbie dropped his arm and grimaced. Meanwhile, Leslie passed out and crumpled to the floor behind him. Run, Robbie! I screamed, pulling Crystal away from the back door, farther into the house. The entrance to the living room stood just up the hallway from the dining room entrance, so that's where we went. But to do so, we had to pass the dining room again.

I glanced in to see the vampire standing just inside the doorway, watching us go with cruel callousness in his concrete colored eyes. Jordan followed, and we all moved through the living room with me in the lead. Robbie came running after us, crying for us to wait. I moved directly to the front door and tried. tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. He's coming! Robbie screamed.

I looked over to see the Michael Myers knockoff striding into the living room, shoulders hunched in determination. I knew I had to get us somewhere in a room where we could regroup and maybe tried to get out a window. Upstairs was the best bet. I pulled Crystal along, rushing up the nearby stairs. Jordan and Robbie followed. Halfway up the staircase, I felt a sharp pain in my right ankle.

I looked down to see that one of the red plastic rats that had been decorating the staircase was now a real rat with black fur, red eyes, and sharp teeth. It was biting through my pants, latched onto my ankle. I reached down and pulled it off, but it took a chunk of my flesh with it. More rats came skittering down the stairs. Spider! Crystal cried. I whipped my head to the right, seeing a huge, hairy spider with a two-foot leg span on the wall, getting ready to pounce. I remembered the fake spider that had been there before. Aachnid jump, landing on Crystal and sinking its fangs into her upraised arm. She screamed as I gripped the hairy, writhing creature and pulled it off.

I turned and threw it over everyone's heads. I was just trying to get it away from us by throwing it down the stairs, but it just happened to hit the Myers' knockoff. He stumbled backward as the spider attacked him. Come on! I said, grabbing Crystal once again and running up the last few steps. As soon as we reached the top, Bats exploded from their upside-down perch on the ceiling, swarming and biting us.

I ducked into the first bedroom, just trying to get clear of the bats, not thinking about anything else. But I stopped short as soon as I stepped inside. Not able to believe what I was seeing, they were in a dark forest. A huge orange moon hung in the sky, slices of it visible between the skeletal branches of gnarled trees. Mist hung ankle-deep over the ground. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled. Before I could process the turn of events, the others came in behind us. Robbie slammed into me, pushing me and crystal forward.

Jordan came in last and slammed the door. Get off of me! Robbie shouted, reaching with his good hand toward his back. I quickly saw that there was a bat gripping his upper back, sucking his blood from the back of his neck. I knew real bats didn't do that. Even vampire bats didn't drink blood like that. Still, I let go of Crystal and grabbed the bat by one wing. Then I turned and slammed it into a nearby tree.

The thing squeaked upon impact. I dropped it to the ground and stomped on it. Then I turned to Crystal. How are you? I said, grabbing her arm and shoving the hoodie sleeve up to inspect the spider bite. At some point in all the commotion, she had stopped screaming. Now her fragile featured face was the color of milk. Her eyelids were heavy.

and a patina of sweat covered her skin. I don't feel good, she said woozily. Can you take me home, Elijah? I tried not to flinch as I inspected the spider bite on her forearm. The area around the two dime-sized puncture wounds was swelling and turning green. Jesus Christ, what the fuck is this? Jordan said, back to the door. A forest? How are we in a fucking forest?

I didn't have time to converse with Jordan. I needed to take care of Crystal. I had her sit down and then pulled her arm up over her head. Still standing, I put my lips around the bite and started sucking. The goo that came out of the puncture wounds tasted like a mix of gasoline and rotten garbage. It took all I had not to vomit. I sucked as much of the stuff out as I could fit in my mouth and then spit it out. I repeated the process twice more until all I was pulling out was blood.

Jordan was still babbling, but he had his back to the door. I thought we were safe for now. Robbie sat nearby, cradling his injured hand and sobbing. As quickly as I could, I bandaged Crystal's wound with fabric torn for my suit liner. She was delirious. What if I didn't get enough of the poison out? I thought, what if she dies? The sound of a branch snapping out in the woods caught my attention.

What the hell was that? Jordan said. What is this? If this is a joke, it's a shitty one, man. It's not a joke, I said, voice wavering as I looked out at the woods. I thought I'd seen just a flash of something out there, a flash of something big and fast. We gotta get out of here, I said. Leslie.

Robbie sobbed. She was still alive. I left her there. I left her down there to die. I studied the wall in which the door was set. It looked like just a single wall, about 12 feet long, standing in an endless stretch of woods. Leaving Crystal where she was, propped up against a tree trunk, I moved over to the end of the wall and looked behind it. There was no doorway on the other side, just a stretch of blank wall.

The forest went on for as far as I could see. I knew that wandering off into the woods wasn't the right thing to do. Somehow, we were still in the house. The only way to be the way to be out was through that doorway, back into the horrific home. The snowman's grin suddenly flashed in my head. I realized with sickening clarity that the snowman was the only thing that hadn't changed the whole time. Ever since I put its hat on and set it on the porch, it hadn't changed. It's the snowman, I thought. That's the key. I didn't know how I knew that, but it fit. Deep down in my gut, I knew it was true. If I could get to the snowman, I could make this stop. I could end it. Maybe I could put things right. I know what to do, I said, moving over to Jordan.

But I need you to stay here with Robbie and Crystal. Jordan had his phone out and already had 911 dialed. He just hadn't hit the call button yet. Are you crazy? He said. We need to stick together. I'm calling the cops right now. They'll be able to deal with these psychos. Fine, call 911. But do you really think the cops will be able to handle this? Whatever the hell is going on here, it's some Ghostbusters shit. No, I need to get to that snowman. I think, I think if I take off its hat, this will all stop. Jordan looked at me like I was a dog that had just started talking about the complexities of economics.

I grabbed my friend by the shoulders. Just trust me. Stay here. Call 911. Protect Crystal and Robbie. I'll come back for you. I'm coming with you, Robbie said, getting unsteadily to his feet. I need to see if Leslie's still alive.

That's not a good idea, I said. Just wait. Robbie rushed forward and grabbed my shirt with one bloody hand. I'm coming with you. It's not your fucking choice. Okay, okay, I said. Let's go. I knelt next to Crystal and told her I loved her and that I would be back soon. She grunted in return, her eyelids flickering open briefly before closing again. The hallway was empty as Robbie and I crept down through the door.

Jordan shut it behind us and locked it. There were still baths nesting on the ceiling, hundreds of them. But we stayed low and moved gingerly, and they didn't attack us again. At the top of the stairs, I looked down to see the Michael Myers knock off lying on the floor, his knife several feet away near the front door. The spider was nowhere to be seen. I started down the steps with Robbie close behind. A rat scurried toward me out of nowhere, but I was.

was ready for it. I kicked it down the stairs and it skittered away, squeaking in fury. I slowed as I reached the bottom of the stairs, expecting the knock-off Myers to spring to life. Ready to run, I reached out and kicked his foot. Nothing happened. So I rushed over and picked up his knife. He still didn't move. I tried the front door again, but it wouldn't open. Robbie stood nearby, finger nubs clenched in one fist to slow the bleeding. Gesturing with my head, I moved over into the room with the window nearest the snowman on the front porch. It was a sitting room, with several seats, a fireplace, and bookshelves loaded with ancient tomes.

I remembered a scarecrow with a jack-o'-lantern head sitting in one of the chairs, but it was gone now. All the better. At the window, I pulled the shades up and looked out. The snowman was right there, not three feet away on the other side of the pane of glass. ass. Looking hopefully toward the street, I saw no sign of the police. Of course, it had only been a couple of minutes since Jordan had called 911. After unlocking the window, I tried to pull it up. It wouldn't budge. God damn it! I shouted, then slapped a hand over my mouth.

We need to find Leslie, Robbie said. I ignored him, looking around for something I could use to break the window. I knew that if I could just knock the hat off the snowman, I could end this nightmare. The fireplace tools caught my attention. I hustled over, setting the knife on the mantle and selecting the fireplace poker. It was heavy in my hand. Perfect for breaking glass.

As I turned around to head back to the window, I saw Robbie moving toward the kitchen. Robbie, I hissed. Wait, I can end this. Robbie stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and turned to look at me. My blood turned to antifreeze as the vampire from the dining room stepped behind Robbie.

Look out! I shouted, but it was too late. The vampire slammed one hand into the side of Robbie's neck, his sharp nails slicing into the teenager's flesh like knives through cheese. His other hand palmed the top of Robbie's skull like a basketball. A gut-wrenching ripping sound came next as the vampire tore Robbie's head from his neck. Blood spewed everywhere. Still holding Robbie's body up,

The vampire placed his mouth over the fountain of blood gushing from Robbie's neck and drank deeply. No! I screamed, taking a step forward. Then I stopped myself. I had to think about Crystal and Jordan. I had to end this. Now! I used the anger and dismay and disgust from what I'd just seen to slam the poker as hard as I could into the window.

I expected it to shatter. But it didn't. The hit formed a webwork of cracks in the window. Son of a bitch, I said, but there was nothing else I could do. I had to get through the window. I hit it again and again, each impact, doing a little more damage. Then I heard a familiar voice shout my name. Jordan called, voice infused with terror.

I looked toward the stairwell, only half of which I could see from where I was. Crystal came stumbling down the stairs, tripping near the bottom and falling right on top of the Myers' knockoff. Next came Jordan. But right behind him was a hulking beast, a werewolf. Its mouth was open to reveal sharp yellow teeth and a blade of a tongue. It reached for Jordan, whose panic-stricken face looked toward me for help. The werewolf's claws sank into my friend's arms and pulled him back.

The beast's jaws opened wide, enclosed around my friend's head. Bangs tore through Jordan's eyes and sank into the back of his skull as the beast closed its mouth. its mouth. A moment later, Jordan's head collapsed in an implosion of blood and brain and skull fragments. I wanted to vomit, to crumple, to cry, and rage against the injustice of it all. But I still had Crystal to save. She was just getting to her feet when the Myers knockoff reached up and grabbed her. She screamed as he pulled her down onto him, his arms wrapping and tightening around her like a boa constrictor. I turned back to the window. Teeth clenched painfully as I took one more swing, finally busting a hole through the reinforced glass. I shoved my arm through the hole,

not caring about the little glass fragments that cut into my skin. I shoved my arm through, reaching for the snowman. It was so close, I could see it slightly pebbled plastic. And just before I touched it, I realized it had pivoted again to face the window. It was smiling at me. I shouted, my fingers touching the hard plastic with enough force to knock the thing over. But as I touched it, My entire world changed, fell into stiff winter grass, lying on my side on a lawn I didn't recognize, in a neighborhood I had never seen before. Somehow, it was light outside. A weak winter sun sat low over the middle-class houses I could see across the street.

A breeze ruffled the needles of a pine tree nearby, but I realized I couldn't feel that breeze. I couldn't feel anything. I tried to move, to sit up, to do a little. anything, but I couldn't. Anik tightened its steely hands around me as I fought my confusion. What had happened to Crystal? Was she okay? Had I stopped it?

There were no answers to these questions, but I kept asking myself anyway. My panic crept toward the point of no return. Then I heard voices. Two people talking. A couple of teenagers, a girl and a guy, came into view on the sidewalk. I tried to cry for help. But my mouth was just as frozen as the rest of me, and I realized it was frozen in a smile.

Still, the two teenagers looked over at me. Even though I couldn't speak, I felt hope. They'd seen me. They would get some help. Aw, the little snowman has lost his hat. The girl said in mock sympathy. I better put it back on. Who cares?

The guy said. I didn't even think anyone lived there anymore. See the for-sale sign? The girl ignored him. batting across the grass toward me. With complete and utter dread, I realized what was happening. I'd tried to tell her no,

to stay away, to not touch me. But she did anyway. She stood me up and picked up my top hat from nearby. She settled the hat on my head and then stepped back to look at me. There, she said. Perfect. It's just going to blow over again,

the guy said from the sidewalk. The girl twisted her mouth thinking, You're right, she said. I guess I'll have to put him on the porch. SCP 4745 is a three-foot-tall plastic snowman figurine with a top hat. The words Christmas Carl by Dr. Wondertainment are written on its base. Whenever the top hat is placed on the figurine, SCP 4745 enters its active phase.

While in its active phase and placed within six feet of a human dwelling, SCP 4745 will alter the abode to make it Halloween-themed, either by generating Halloween-style objects and items or by altering existing decor to fit a Halloween motif. After approximately seven days, the instances' alterations will transition from child-friendly horror elements to a more disturbing motif. After 13 days in its active state,

the instance will change the theme of its alterations to outright horror. generating malevolent entities, and becoming a threat to any humans in the altered dwelling. Testing has revealed the generation of booby traps, animated corpses, and various entities from horror media. When the top hat is removed, or SCP 4745 is removed from the dwelling, its alterations revert at approximately twice the rate at which they initially appeared.