In this story by H. G. Wells, a young Englishman of eight and twenty comes to an ancient castle to investigate a haunted room. The three old custodians of the castle warn him of the horrors of that room, but he assures them that the red room holds no terror for him. And he has come to prove once and for all that no ghost inhabits the chamber by staying the night in that room and not only one night but two. "It is your own choosing," says the old man with the withered arm. "But if you go to the red room tonight..." ("This night of all nights!" says the old woman.) "You go alone." "And you are really going?" asks the second old man with the crutch. The young man is really going. He goes alone. There is no electricity in the castle. The only illumination is his candle. He lights 17 candles. He lights the fire. He is feeling reassured when along about midnight, the candles start going out. They go out faster than he can relight them. He races about the room leaping from candle to candle in a vain struggle to keep them lit. But there is still light in the room. The fire! Then it, too, vanishes. The only light now comes from occasional flashes of lightning from the raging storm. In one of those flashes, he sees a shroud advancing toward him. He empties his revolver into it. He tries to escape., but his legs are cut out from under him. He remembers no more until he is found the next day by the three old people. Does he find out who was in that room with him? Yes. He does not stay the second night.
