Recent photo of SCP-5344-1.

Item #: SCP-5344

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: The former residence of Eve and Hannah Fitzgerald has been purchased, and is to remain under observation. Access is prohibited — unauthorized entry is considered high-priority for interdiction.

Local investigations into missing person cases are to be monitored, reviewed, and flagged for markers consistent with SCP-5344. Law enforcement agencies are to be dissuaded from pursuing these cases.

Weekly surveys are to be conducted of local insect populations. Any significant increase is to be reported to the acting Containment Director immediately. Significant increases in the population of insects within the Lampyridae family are to be additionally reported to the North American Regional Director.

Description: SCP-5344 is a region of approximately 1.13 km2 that encompasses a residential zone within the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois. SCP-5344 is centered on SCP-5344-1, a single-story house located at 1005 Townshead Rd., 60106.

SCP-5344-1 is the childhood home of Elaine Fitzgerald, who occupied SCP-5344-1 from her birth in 1991 to her departure in 2011. Local records indicate that her parents (Eve and Hannah Fitzgerald) occupied the house from 1984 to 2015. No known relatives of Ms. Fitzgerald are currently alive.

Ms. Fitzgerald does not recall any unusual phenomenon occurring during her residency, nor during her infrequent visits afterwards. Surveys of neighboring homes prior to their seizure provided no relevant information. No other individuals have occupied SCP-5344-1 since the deaths of Eve and Hannah Fitzgerald. Exhumations of SCP-5344-1's previous residents, as well as Ms. Fitzgerald's extended family, have uncovered nothing of note.

As of 2020, SCP-5344 has been associated with 206 disappearances, with SCP-5344-1 linked to over half of these incidents.

Addendum 5344-A (Exploration and Analysis Summary):

Interior of SCP-5344-1.

Ms. Fitzgerald's room was scrutinized due to her status as the sole surviving resident of SCP-5344-1. This space contained only standard furnishings and one binder of childhood artwork. Its contents were analyzed by Foundation-employed child psychologists and determined to contain no unusual themes, symbolism, or subtext. The artwork was subsequently destroyed at Ms. Fitzgerald's request.

All other objects within SCP-5344-1 were evaluated according to standard classification metrics. The home's above-average number of crematory urns were flagged for further testing. Their removal from SCP-5344 failed to affect its size, location, or intensity. When queried, Ms. Fitzgerald noted attending a large number of funerals throughout her childhood in increasingly distant locations.

Mounds of soil behind SCP-5344-1 were scanned with ground-penetrating equipment, then excavated. A variety of roots, loose stones, and other mundane objects were found within. Elevated levels of insect life were noted throughout all soil samples. These insects uniformly refused to eat when introduced to controlled laboratory conditions and subsequently expired.

Crawl space beneath SCP-5344-1.

The crawl space beneath SCP-5344-1 was investigated via SII autonomous mapping drones. This area was found to be unusually extensive, containing several dead-ends, looping passages, and piping of uncertain purpose. Three locations were identified in which a consistent 56 dB hum could be heard. Harmonic analyses suggested the noise to be biological in origin, though sources could not be identified.

SII drones were further employed to examine HVAC systems. Interior ventilation networks exhibited similar complexity, including branches that emerged into spaces not listed on the structure's filed blueprints. When queried, Ms. Fitzgerald denied knowledge of the rooms in question. Investigators subsequently bored holes through adjoining walls for preliminary analysis, then cut entryways.

Five rooms were discovered through this process. None contained any observable means of entry or egress. All were furnished with one light bulb attached directly to the house's electrical wiring and one wooden chair. The walls and floors of three rooms were found stained with dark, unidentified fluids. All rooms contained photography equipment manufactured in 1991. No photographs were found within SCP-5344-1.

All unlisted rooms were found to connect with the attic through plastic tubing systems. While preliminary analysis of the attic had discovered nothing notable, thorough examination uncovered five floor panels that concealed metal basins. The basins were found stained with similar fluids. Other attic contents included 6 empty aquariums, 23 empty paint cans, and 134 metal screws of varying make. Extensive scuff marks across the floor could not be matched with any of these items.

A sixth concealed basin was found to connect with Eve and Hannah Fitzgerald's bedroom through similar tubing, which prompted reevaluation of their living space. This process reached similar results. No unusual items were discovered within. No items were arranged in unusual patterns. No journals, diaries, or letters belonging to either individual were found. No notes of a personal nature were found.

This investigation is considered complete and inconclusive. SCP-5344 containment efforts are ongoing.