House on the Corner

The House on the Corner

On the corner of Elm Street and Travis Drive, about 5 kilometers from the campus of Miskatonic University, Arkham, Massachusetts, there stood a grand old mansion of 200 years. It was a dark cedar wood structure with Victorian design and gables but few windows.

People in town rumored that the owner had a disease that made him avoid bright sunlight. But they neither could explain the disease nor provide any evidence. Typically the reports were regarded as mere rumors. This was the case for about 3 years.


It happened that the university accepted the application from one Atwill Reade, an alumnus and professor from Kent, United Kingdom, who had taught the subject of rare diseases at his university. Reade would teach 'psychic link disorders' at Miskatonic.

His application mentioned that these diseases were transmitted psychically by sorcerers and various unaligned users of psychic skills and magic. He felt the need to transfer his knowledge and research in United States.


That year, he disembarked at New Yirk and headed to Massachusetts. Within one week after his departure, he was admitted to the university and he heard the rumors about the photophobia. He was convinced that a malign source had transmitted the disease. During his leisure, Reade wandered into the department library to search for sources of data on the topic. The librarian on duty referred him to Necronomicon and a few related texts.



Reade was amazed that the Necronomicon had data about transmitting psychic diseases. He realized that his hypothesis was truer than he had supposed. But he was not scared. He believed that a safeguard existed.

Reade spent the major part of his first term both teaching the subjects and researching about safeguards. His lecture went as follows:

"Since we had established that mind or psyche is the source of our experiences, whether physical or emotional, we may therefore conclude that psyche may transmit the sensation of sickness to a receptive mind or psyche, which will transform the sensations into experiences.

One must be constantly aware that to open the psyche indiscriminately will induce disease transmission into that psyche. Be on guard against negative influences."

Questions and Answers concluded the lecture. Then Reade wanted to research further about the family which owned the house on the corner.


His research led him to the mansion one evening in the first month of his work at Miskatonic. Near neighbors either warned him or informed him of the specs of the case. In the event of warnings, Reade was prompted to research deeply into the family history.

He studied the premises thoroughly and noted the barricade against light. Then he observed the general design of the mansion. It was like several dwellings in Kent that he was familiar with. He finally returned to his room at the faculty hostel and searched his own resources including books on Kent.

At the hour of 10:45 that night, Reade felt the sensation of someone at the door of his room. But he knew it was not a colleague. The feeling was starker. He opened his door cautiously. A lean man in an evening suit and Inverness cape stood gazing at him.  Without a word from either man, the visitor strode into the room.

"Atwill Reade, the psychic scholar, I presume."
"You're right. Who are you?"
"My name is Jameson Callough, I am the owner of that house. You are puzzled by my visit, certainly."

"I sure am. Why did you come?"
"You are seeking information about me. I will inform you. I see that your nerves are steel, so my data will not alarm you.
"After I built and furnished the mansion, a man from outside Arkham wanted to buy it. Well, I certainly had no intention. He argued about it but I refused. Then he left in a huff. Neighbors said he resembled someone from Salem. I believed them.
"A week after I had moved into my house, I felt seriously distressed by sunlight and commissioned the crew to return and redesign the house to screen sunlight. They naturally were puzzled. I explained about the argument and they replied that I had been 'cursed'. I died within that month, suddenly. It was this time of year, mid-October.
"Fear nothing. I am dead but not a vampire or a zombie."
"I fear not. Thank you for the information. So you agree that that outsider transmitted a disease to you, is that right?"
"It seems to be true. Good luck with your term. I may provide data if you need it."
"I may. Meet here in that case."
"Okay, sir. Farewell."