Zyn
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A "desire path" associated with SCP-XXXX manifestations.

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Foundation web crawlers are to monitor the internet for news reports, personal blog posts, and forum discussions involving manifestations of SCP-XXXX. Should a location associated with SCP-XXXX occurrences be identified and confirmed by Foundation personnel, deterrents are to be gradually introduced to the area to dissuade passersby from traveling the nearby pathways on foot at high speed.

Disinformation responses are to be released following any reports from individuals describing experiencing SCP-XXXX, to present the anomaly as a hallucination or popular urban hoax.

Experimentation regarding an SCP-XXXX location requires permission from the Site Director or a Level-4 personnel member present at the nearest Foundation facility.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a phenomenon that manifests on unpaved walkways made over time by human foot traffic (colloquially referred to as “desire paths”). Based on gathered reports, it is currently believed that SCP-XXXX manifestations are primarily localized to England and France.

When a human1 travels over such a walkway on foot at a relatively quick pace (taking into account physique and potential encumbrance due to items being carried), SCP-XXXX will cause the following to occur:

  • White down feathers will manifest at the soles of the individual’s feet or footwear, and trail behind them until they reach the end of the pathway. (If not soon picked up, the feathers will disappear.)
  • Standing or slower-moving individuals on the pathway will move aside to let the individual pass.
  • If the individual drops something they are carrying, the item will briefly remain hovering in place and allow them to quickly recover it.
  • The individual’s clothing will take on a slight glittering sheen. This effect persists for a few minutes, and appears to cause clothing to repel water in the event of rain or snow.
  • Upon reaching the halfway point of the pathway, the individual will hear an unidentified crowd chanting motivational lines to them, including phrases “We believe in you!” and “You can do it!”
  • (Pending confirmation) after leaving the pathway, the individual will reach their intended destination without any interruptions, including those caused by traffic, illness (e.g., needing to blow one’s nose), and need to use restrooms.

It is currently believed that SCP-XXXX will not manifest for all individuals. Foundation-monitored experiments have indicated that the following personal history factors tend to be associated with a failure to activate SCP-XXXX:

  • Individual’s family is financially secure and has provided for them for the majority of their child and adolescent life.
  • Individual has a strong emotional support system.
  • Individual has not experienced many major life-changing negative events (e.g., loss of a parent, eviction).
  • Individual’s stress levels are low (compared to those of other test subjects).

SCP-XXXX’s first noted manifestation is believed to have occurred on the grounds of the University of Cambridge, following an undergraduate student’s collision with a hit-and-run bicycler. The incident left the student with a broken leg, preventing them from attending classes and the part-time job they held to keep up with the expenses of their education. The student, when later questioned, stated that they received counseling from an elderly benefactress named “Professor Faymaren” (note: no professor with that name has been employed by any of the surrounding colleges) who encouraged her to continue with her dreams despite the hardships she currently faced.

Foundation records indicate that the student later successfully applied for and received financial aid from a philanthropical society, completed her education, secured employment as a well-respected teacher, and married the headmaster of a neighboring school. No “Professor Faymaren” was noted to be present at the commemorative events associated with these milestones; accordingly, Foundation surveillance was withdrawn six months following the individual’s wedding.

Addendum SCP-XXXX-1: On ██/██/████, the SCP-XXXX research team conducted an experiment involving a test subject with muscular dystrophy, who was asked to travel the length of an SCP-XXXX-affected pathway using their mechanized wheelchair traveling at top speed. The individual’s service dog was allowed to follow; SCP-XXXX’s “feathers effect” was noted to manifest for both the individual and the dog (who was later determined to have been a shelter rescue, prior to being adopted and given training as a therapy animal).

Given this new development, the SCP-XXXX research team is currently initiating updates on the web crawlers assigned to monitor SCP-XXXX occurrences. Suggestions and volunteers for further test subjects will be accepted following this maintenance.