SCP - 020 "Unseen Mold"
Object Class - Keter
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Mobile Task Force Eta-10 ("See No Evil") — Outbreak Response, [REDACTED]
The red house looked normal enough, but Corporal Diaz's heart hammered as he checked his rebreather and motioned to his team.
"Cameras on, safeties off. Remember—don't trust your eyes," he whispered.
Sergeant Walker nodded, watching the video feed on his wrist display. The house's windows glowed with heat signatures—too many for a family of four.
"Team Two, in position," Walker reported. "Ready to breach."
"Copy," came the reply from Command. "Proceed."
Diaz kicked the door. It swung open with a creak.
A woman stood in the hallway, her nightgown stained, a kitchen knife glinting in her hand. Diaz's breath caught as he saw, through the camera, mold crawling up her cheek, blooming blue and white across her face—yet to his naked eye, she looked only pale and sick.
"Well… hello there, gentlemen… care to take a breather inside?" she crooned, voice syrupy.
Walker raised his rifle. "On the ground! Drop the weapon!"
She took a step forward, smiling. "Don't be silly! Come on in and… stay a while…"
Diaz's skin crawled. "Sergeant, she's covered in it. The mold—it's everywhere."
The woman's smile twitched. "We just want to have some guests… please… come in…"
Walker's voice was steel. "Last warning. Drop the weapon!"
Her eyes flicked to the flamethrower on T2-4's back. She lunged.
"Open fire!" Walker shouted.
The hallway erupted in gunfire and screams. Diaz saw mold spores burst from the woman's wounds, swirling in the air, invisible except on the camera feed.
"Incendiary—now!" Walker barked.
T2-4 unleashed a jet of fire. The hallway blazed, the mold shriveling and blackening, filling the air with the stench of burning rot.
Diaz coughed, his rebreather filtering the smoke. "Room clear! Two more heat signatures in the living room!"
They moved in, rifles raised. Two children sat on the couch, faces blank, mold blooming from their mouths and eyes.
Walker's voice broke. "God forgive us."
Hours later, the house was a charred ruin. Diaz sat on the curb, helmet in his hands.
Dr. Lin, the containment specialist, approached, clipboard in hand. "You did well. The spread is contained."
Diaz shook his head. "I keep thinking about her smile. How she wanted us to come in. Like she didn't even know what she'd become."
Dr. Lin's eyes were tired. "That's how SCP-020 works. It makes you want to share. To invite others in. It's not just a fungus—it's a hunger."
Walker joined them, silent for a moment. "How many towns like this, Doc?"
Dr. Lin sighed. "Too many. And unless we find the source, there'll be more."
They watched the sun rise over the ashes, the invisible guest still lurking in the shadows, waiting for another invitation.
End of Log