Peter Straub’s Dark Matter, should be left in the dark
Straub’s story revolves around a group of college friends, whom during the turbulence of the sixties engaged in an occult ritual. The Ritual led by a nomadic charlatan-guru named Mallon, who insinuates himself into the group of teenagers. This ritual results in the death of one student and effects the rest of the group in subtle ways, such as blinding one member over a period of years.