The Statement of Randolph Carter by H. P. Lovecraft

After a terrifying expedition into a forbidden crypt, only Randolph Carter returns—rambling about what he saw below. Told as his personal statement to the authorities, the story unravels with mounting tension as we discover what happened to his companion. With atmospheric horror and a chilling finale, it hints at unseen, ancient forces lurking beneath the earth. One of Lovecraft’s most accessible early stories, it introduces the mysterious Randolph Carter, who appears in several later tales.