De Mortuis (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: John Collier
- First Published: 1951
- Type of Plot: Horror
- Time of Work: The mid-twentieth century
- Setting: Upstate New York
- Principal Characters: Dr. Rankin, Irene Rankin, Bud, Buck
- Genres: Short fiction, Horror literature
- Subjects: Crime or criminals, Murder or homicide, Marriage, Adultery, Faith, Ethics, Truthfulness and falsehood, Tombs or graves
- Locales: New York
The Story
As mild-mannered Dr. Rankin puts the finishing touches to a patch of wet cement on his cellar floor, he is startled by sounds, signaling the entrance of Bud and Buck, who call out, “Hi, Doc! They’re biting!” Not wanting to be disturbed, he remains silent, but his friends figure out where he is and come down the stairs.
When the friends ask Rankin about the wet cement patch, he explains that he has repaired a spot where water has been seeping in from an underground spring. Bud—the realtor who sold him the property—refuses to believe that such a spring...
[The entire page is 1505 words long]
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