Spaces_012-5C
Nickname: The Crawl
Danger Ranking: 5C
First Reported: 1981–02–26 — Hanover, MT

Summary:
The Crawl is an intrusive, labyrinthine tunnel system that begins in the basement of a condemned orphanage in Hanover, Montana. The original structure has since collapsed, but The Crawl persists—accessed through a single fractured section of the foundation. The anomaly takes the form of an endless series of brick-lined crawlspaces, each barely wide enough to accommodate a person on hands and knees. Despite initial appearances, the structure is non-Euclidean—twisting impossibly, warping back on itself, and extending far beyond the physical bounds of the original site.

Some have entered and returned, changed. Others never do.

It smells like mold and iron. Sometimes voices echo down the corridors: pleading, singing, crying.

The environment within The Crawl is always cold. Flashlights flicker or go dead within minutes, and most mapping efforts have failed. Survivors often speak of seeing children watching from corners or hearing footsteps behind them—always just out of reach. It is unknown how large the structure truly is. Audio recordings sent through remote drones often end in looping static, or worse, clear recordings of the drone operator’s own voice begging for help.

Exploration teams report altered time perception, nausea, and disorientation. Some lose their own names or forget they entered. One team emerged after what felt like twenty minutes. They had been missing for three years.

Known Properties:

• Dimensions inside the tunnel system shift based on the explorer’s psychological state.
  
• Entities 046 and 027 have both been recorded exiting The Crawl during active phases. Neither acknowledged the passage they emerged from.
  
• Traces of claw marks, hair, and old toys have been found throughout the interior.
  
• No clear source of ventilation or power, yet certain junctions are dimly lit by flickering incandescent bulbs.
  
• Survivors report a recurring hallucination of a face watching them through cracks in the brick. When described by multiple subjects, the faces are always different—but always seem familiar.
  
• Once inside, explorers often feel compelled to keep moving forward, even when logic or instruction tells them to stop.
  

Containment Procedure:

• The Hanover orphanage site has been fully fenced and posted with high-level biohazard warnings. Entry is strictly limited to Paradigm-approved research teams with psychological pre-screening.
  
• Physical access into The Crawl is sealed except for monthly inspection intervals.
  
• Long-range drones equipped with auto-return functionality have been partially successful in mapping upper layers; all deep-exploration units have failed.
  
• No recording devices are permitted to be left behind inside The Crawl.
  
• Any personnel returning from more than 5 minutes inside must undergo identity confirmation, trauma screening, and a 30-day observation period.
  

Encounters:

• 1981–02–26 — Hanover, MT: Disappearance of two children following collapse of orphanage. One child returned five days later from beneath the rubble, mute and emaciated. She died within 12 hours.
  
• 1983–06–09 — Hanover, MT: Recon team "SABLE-3" lost contact 41 minutes into descent. Returned six weeks later, disoriented and aged significantly. Two members were never located.
  
• 1990–11–14 — Hanover, MT: Emergence of a humanoid figure wearing the same clothes as a staff member who never entered. Identity unconfirmed. Terminated on site.
  

Recommendation:
Do not enter. Do not call back when the voices speak your name. The Crawl does not end, and it is not lost—it is waiting.

List of Case Workers:

• Dr. Ilana Cho (Status: Active – Spatial anomalies specialist)
  
• Agent R. Klemens (Status: Deceased – Entered during solo expedition, 1985)
  
• Technician Saul Vargas (Status: Retired – refused to speak after return)
  
• Analyst Dalia Reeve (Status: Active – Audio anomaly review)
  
• Reverend Carl Issacs (Status: Active – Spiritual containment consultant)