Interviewed: Kayla ████; 14; female

Interviewer: ████ █████████, ██████████ County Sheriff

Foreword: On April 9, 2006, a family of three (1 adult, 2 children) were swimming in [REDACTED] Lake in ██████████ County, Virginia. An SCP-XXXX culture occupied the majority of the center of the lake that this time. The father (39) and younger child (8) drowned due to the SCP-XXXX culture, but the elder child (14) survived being ‘captured’ by the culture’s effects on the surrounding water. ██████████ County Police interrogated the surviving individual approximately one hour after the incident. The interrogation log was later confiscated by the Foundation.

<Begin Log>

Sheriff: I’d just like to start by saying that I am terribly sorry for your loss.

Survivor: [inaudible]

Sheriff: Would you like any further accommodations? A new towel? That one looks like it's gotten pretty wet.

Survivor: [quietly] No, thank you.

Sheriff: OK then. If there’s anything you need whatsoever, just ask. [pause] Are you ready?

Survivor: [nod]

Sheriff: OK then. Let’s start with when you guys first got into the water. What were you all doing?

Survivor: [haltingly] We were just - messing around. We always - come here when its Dad’s - weekend - to have us.

Sheriff: So, just swimming?

Survivor: Yeah. [pause] Actually Caleb can’t even - swim, he uses - floaties. [pause] [quieter] used - floaties.

Sheriff: [long pause] What first made you realize something was wrong?

Survivor: I - was watching - Caleb - and Dad play on the other side of the - lake while I - went around to the - pier.

Sheriff: So you were separated?

Survivor: I could still see - them, I just - was on the other side of the lake.

Sheriff: OK. Then what happened?

Survivor: Dad turned to do something with Riley -

Sheriff: [interrupting] Riley?

Survivor: Our dog. She was - there too.

Sheriff: OK, sorry, go on.

Survivor: [pause] Dad looked at Riley doing something stupid near the shore, and Caleb started - swimming towards - the middle - of the lake. When he got near it, he… [trails off]

Sheriff: [long pause] Its OK Kayla.

Survivor: [rapidly] Its like the floaties didn’t work anymore he just sort of sank I called out to Dad but Caleb was already gone so I had to scream “He’s under!” “He’s under!” again and again Dad was swimming to me asking “Where!? Where!?” and finally I said ‘In the middle! He sank in the middle” and maybe if I had told him where he sank he could have gotten him in time and and [pause] and [pause] [begins lightly sobbing]

Sheriff: Kayla? Kayla look at me. [waits for interviewee to do so] None of this is your fault. You hear me? Exactly none of it.

Survivor: [nods]

Sheriff: [pause] What happened when your father got to the middle of the lake?

Survivor: Actually I - got to - the middle - first. I - had - started swimming - while screaming that stuff at Dad.

Sheriff: OK. What happened when you got to the middle of the lake?

Survivor: [long pause] I’m trying to think - of how to describe it.

Sheriff: Take your time.

Survivor: [pause] You know that feeling - when you step off a step - and think there’s - another step there - but its - not?

Sheriff: Yes, I do.

Survivor: It was - like that. I just sort of - [voice becomes much higher pitched] fell . While underwater. I was - swimming - and then I was - falling forward. Still underwater.

Sheriff: I don’t think I understand.

Survivor: [brief forceful exhalation] Me neither. But it was like the water was - not holding me up - anymore. I still couldn’t breath too.

Sheriff: Did you sink -

Survivor: [assertively] fall!



Sheriff: OK. Did you fall all the way to the bottom?

Survivor: [quieter] Yeah. It was dark - and the bottom was super sticky. I hit my shoulder pretty hard. I tried to swim up - but it felt like I was waving my hands just in wet air, not water. I tried to breathe - but just got a mouthful of fizzly water.

Sheriff: ‘Fizzlly’?

Survivor: It was weird, like the water was - a soda or something. But not quite like that.

Sheriff: OK. Um, how did you reach the surface?

Survivor: I figured out I had to just walk. But the - floor was really sticky so it was hard. I was really scared.

Sheriff: Everyone would have been.

Survivor: [pause] After - a bit - the floor - it wasn’t sticky. It was smooth. And when I kept walking I figured out I could swim again.

Sheriff: Just like that?

Survivor: Yeah.

Sheriff: And when you got to the top?

Survivor: I coughed a lot. My head felt funny. [pause] And I couldn’t see Dad or Caleb anywhere. [begins crying]

Sheriff: [to secretary] I think we’re done here.

<End Log>

Foundation Investigation Notes: Near the pier (the direction from which the survivor approached the SCP-XXXX culture) was a small, sunken vessel that had been treated with an anti-fungal paint some time prior to being sunk. This apparently prevented the growth of SCP-XXXX upon the sunken vessel, and is presumed to mark the transition from the ‘sticky floor’ to the ‘smooth’ surface described by the survivor. Additionally, the absence of SCP-XXXX in that area made the surrounding water retain its normal buoyancy. This advantage allowed the survivor to ‘walk’ out of the area of influence of the SCP-XXXX culture and then swim to the surface. The father and brother approached the SCP-XXXX culture from the opposite direction, and as a result could not escape its influence before drowning.