Sticks by Karl Edward Wagner; The Freshman by Philip José Farmer; Jerusalem's Lot by Stephen King; Discovery of the Ghooric Zone by Richard A. Lupoff Summary

In Sticks, Leaverett, the protagonist, is an artist who goes hiking just a few days before being drafted during World War II. He explores old growth forest and discovers numerous strange signs made of twisted sticks. Fascinated, he sketches them in detail. He follows them to an abandoned and overgrown house and explores it, finding a deep and over-sized cellar that contains a central massive table alter. He approaches the alter and an undead lich is upon it, and grabs him. He smashes the lich's head and flees. He returns from the war morose and...