The Marsten House

The Marsten House sits on top of a hill. From the Marsten House, one has a view of much of what goes on in the town. The Marsten House was once occupied by Hubert and Birdie Marsten, thus its name. Hubert kills birdie and then himself in 1939, and the mail carrier finds Hubert and Birdie dead in the house. From that time until roughly the beginning of the story in 1975, nobody inhabits the house.

It is probable that upon or before Hubert Marsten's death, he manages to infuse his evil into the house so that it lives on after him. People avoid the house. It makes the members of the town feel creepy. Hank Peters and Royal Snow, for example, can feel the evil of the house and quite sensibly but illogically are afraid to go inside to deliver a package to the basement. Children...