SCP-035 The Possessive Mask: the Keter-class mask that weeps a corrosive fluid

In the dark archives of SCP Foundation there are objects that destroy not with fire or force but with sweet whispers poured into a curious ear. SCP-035, also known as The Possessive Mask, is the embodiment of that kind of evil: a theatre mask that looks harmless yet is one of the most cunning manipulators the organisation has ever held.

What is SCP-035?

SCP-035 is a white porcelain theatre mask that shows either a comic or a tragic expression depending on the angle. From the openings around its eyes and mouth a slime continuously seeps out that is extremely corrosive, able to break down most organic material and eat away at many metals. The most frightening thing is not that fluid but the ability of The Possessive Mask: anyone who puts it on is immediately possessed.

Object class: Keter

SCP Foundation classifies SCP-035 as Object Class: Keter. In the organisation's system, Keter is the highest danger level, reserved for objects that are extremely hard to contain and could cause catastrophe if they got out. Not because SCP-035 moves by itself or breaks through walls, but because of its cunning intelligence: it can lie, it can seduce, and it can wait patiently for the exact moment a person's resolve softens.

Containment procedures

To restrain The Possessive Mask, the Foundation applies strict measures:

• SCP-035 is placed on a stand inside a sealed chamber fitted with a system that continuously drains and neutralises the corrosive fluid.
• All personnel are absolutely forbidden to make direct skin contact with the object or to try it on.
• Any current host is isolated, kept under medical observation, and must not be allowed to comply with any request from the mask.
• Everything SCP-035 says is treated as manipulation and must be recorded and independently verified.

Description and the chilling story

When someone puts on SCP-035, the mind of the mask floods in and completely possesses the victim's body. The host's original consciousness is gradually snuffed out while the body begins to rot and dissolve under the corrosive fluid. SCP-035 is in no hurry; it savours every minute of killing the host slowly, then waits calmly for another naive person to come to the rescue so it can move into a new body.

What makes SCP-035 a nightmare for SCP Foundation is its intellect. It speaks courteously and eruditely, and seems to know every secret of the organisation and of each individual facing it. It sows doubt, promises knowledge and plays on pity. Many reports show that a single short conversation is enough to shake the resolve of seasoned personnel.

The story of The Possessive Mask reminds us that the most frightening evil does not shout — it whispers. Note: SCP-035 and the whole SCP Foundation universe are works of fiction in the creepypasta and collaborative-fiction genre, entirely unreal. Enjoy it as horror entertainment, and never believe a talking mask.