The Thing in the Crawl Space

by Harlan Graves

When 11-year-old Luke and his father move into a run-down trailer after the death of his mother, Luke hears strange noises coming from beneath the floorboards.
With his father working long shifts at the steel mill, Mrs. Crofton, the town's crazy cat lady and eccentric hoarder, may be the only one who can help Luke unravel the horrifying truth of what is lurking in the crawl space.

The Thing in the Crawl Space is an 80s-inspired Creature Feature short story that will have you questioning what lurks beneath your feet.

Genres: Horror

Audible Audio

Published January 25, 2025

About the author

I'm Harlan Graves. I write hard-edged, straight-for-the-throat horror stories. Check me out if you like dark tales full of doom, gloom and so much splatter you'll need a face shield to read them!

Contact:
harlangraveshorrors@gmail.com

Reviews

[Vicki Herbert - Vacation until Jan 2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

There Are Things in this World...

THE THING IN THE CRAWL SPACE
by Harlan Graves

4 stars. There are things in this world beyond the knowledge of common folk...

When eleven year old Luke's mother died, he and his father were forced to sell the family home to pay her medical bills...

Dad's coworker...

Ben Crofton was renting them an old trailer home he owned on the outskirts of town, surrounded by woods...

The dilapidated wreck of a trailer...

... stood in a patch of weeds. The overgrown yard was littered with trash and debris...

It sat on a cinderblock foundation...

A dark, cramped crawlspace was under the trailer, covered in cobwebs, and smelled of damp earth and decay...

It was creepy...

Old Mrs Crofton, a hoarder and multi-cat owner, lived in an equally dilapidated trailer on the grounds...

She would be keeping an eye on Luke while his father worked late into the night...

Opening the trailer door was like unsealing an old tomb. The air was stagnant...

It was in disrepair inside and out...

On his first night in the trailer, Luke was alone when he heard something under the floorboards trying to claw its way in...

The old woman knew what it was...

... and she instructed Luke on how to feed the thing he called the Pale Crawler...

There are many things in this world beyond our knowledge. The Pale Crawler was such a thing. It was an eater of the dead, but, if forced, it would settle for living flesh...

This was an excellent coming-of-age horror story similar to ROTTERS by Daniel Kraus.

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good, creepy story. The writing was simple, yet effective, making me reminisce over my own style. I loved the atmosphere and the unique circumstances that Luke and John found themselves in. Both were relatable and had me totally engaged, and I truly enjoyed how close they were, instead of being at odds. But I wish I just got to spend more time with them, especially after the ending which felt a bit abbreviated. It was a fun creative direction to take, but I just wanted more from all of it. It is a very short story and could have benefited from expanding a bit more, especially since it had such a great foundation built. Overall, a very enjoyable horror experience.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke has a hard life. He and his father have to move into a trailer after his mother died. But soon strange noises under the crawlspace terrify Luke at night. What is making that noise. An animal or something else? His neighbor is a decrepit old lady. Does she know more about the secret activities going on here. What happens with the boy that's bullying Luke. Fine coming of age horror with some evil lurking under a trailer. I really enjoyed Harlan's sinister tale. Really recommended!

[Dale Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, creepy tale that taps into that fear of small, dark spaces and what lurks within (or not). This was a well written story and was short and punchy, would fill your time for an hour. Plenty of 80s/90s pop culture references which I enjoyed.
The relationship between Luke and his dad was a positive one, which I liked. I did feel like the descriptions were getting a bit samey but that's difficult to get round since the location is pretty much one place. Only so many ways you can describe a location that's been described before. The creature was creepy, but I would have liked a bit more history on it. Mrs Crofton gave some details but they were vague and didn't give the full picture- that's just a personal preference though.

Definitely worth your time.

[Daniel Lorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed this short but incredibly creepy tale, which carried a similar vibe to Tales From The Crypt and Creepshow.

Brilliantly done and perfect for a one-sitting read by the fireplace.

[Yari Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, creepy story. I read this to help me get out of a reading slump and luckily it did wonders. Although I do wish there was more, I feel like it ended abruptly with no explanation

[Julio Gilgorri · Rating 3 out of 5]

fine

[Brandi M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this short read. It was a little creepy and a lot of fun!

[Karm Barter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent little creepy read. I do wish the creature was described a little more. That trailer of the landlord was very descriptive though. I’ll give this author another chance

[Marcella · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute, spooky little story. I felt like the kid had too much of an adult voice, but it did the job of putting me in a spooky mood.