The Place of Madness
Published in the early 20th century, "The Place of Madness" is a psychological horror story that explores the devastating effects of solitary confinement and the power of guilt upon the human mind. When a Prison Commission investigates allegations of brutality, a convict named Martin Ellis testifies about the horrors of the dark cell—a pitch-black isolation chamber. Dr. Blalock, a board member who doubts Ellis's claims, volunteers to experience the cell himself to prove it isn't as terrible as described, with catastrophic consequences for his sanity and his carefully hidden secrets.