Chandler Wilson

“On the Edge of Tomorrow” by Chandler Wilson

As the day to leave for Texas Tech finally dawned, I felt a strange mix of dread and anticipation. I stared at the boxes piled up by the front door, a silent reminder of how much was about to change. In a way, I’d been counting down the days, eager to break away, to carve out a life that was all mine finally. But standing here, watching my dad’s Range Rover pull into the driveway through the side panel window, the feeling twisted into something heavier. A bittersweet ache settled into my chest, and I rubbed my clammy hands on my jeans, tryin...

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“A Reflection of Valor” by Chandler Wilson

Submitted to Contest #261

Victor Blackwood is a 60-year-old accountant who, until today, has lived a life filled with routine and predictability. Each day seemed to blend into the next, creating a monotonous blur of unfulfilled dreams. He sits in his Subaru Outback, staring at the sign in the yard outside his Aunt Ursula’s attorney’s house. The stark white lettering of the sign contrasted with the dull gray and blue of the one-and-a-half-story Cape Cod-style house. The rain peppered his windshield, the streaks slightly blurring his view. Peering up, he saw the s...

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“Last Night's Reunion” by Chandler Wilson

As a hot July twilight seeped into the heart of Texas, Michael Lewis sat at his desk in his bedroom, staring blankly at his computer screen. His publisher expected a first draft of his next book within a week. Michael hadn’t written a line. He was at a loss for where to start. His mind was more or less a blank slate. He tried to concentrate on what he should write but couldn’t. A sequel to his last book, possibly a new one from scratch?  Michael’s chest tightened as an insistent impending doom washed over him. He felt in his heart somet...

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“Waiting for Noah” by Chandler Wilson

Submitted to Contest #250

The faint sound of footsteps shuffled through the brush as an undercover SWAT team approached the abandoned mortuary. An orange sky signaled the impending sunset and arrival of twilight across the Scottish landscape.Clad in black tactical gear, they moved with calculated precision, their movements silent and synchronized. Each member was a seasoned professional, honed by years of training and experience.The leader signaled for a halt as they neared the mansion converted into a mortuary. With a hand gesture and silent communication, they coor...

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“Alien Fire” by Chandler Wilson

On an early November night in rural Texas, bright stars sparkled in a dark, moonless sky. Kevin Griffin, a forty-three-year-old Texas Rancher, jumped from his pickup truck into his brother's Jeep. Kevin rubbed his hands together and blew on them. “Burr. It's a cold night and getting colder.” Logan turned to him, pausing before he said, “It sure is.” They sat momentarily, staring at Kevin's burnt-out, smoldering sofa in his yard. Suddenly, two blue and yellow spheres of mysterious light materialized on the ends of the couch. Lo...

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“Wizard of the Lost” by Chandler Wilson

Submitted to Contest #189

The moment Jake stepped off the trail and onto the narrow path, he felt a sense of foreboding. His brother, Simon, close behind, laid his hands on Jake’s backpack. Drawing short, quick breaths, his dark brown eyes like saucers as he glanced about with uncertainty. The thunderhead in the distance was reshaping in slow motion. The encroaching storm ate up the color of the horizon, more ominous with every passing second. The full moon cast long shadows across the way ahead. Overhead, a malignant sky becoming darker by the minute. Fractures...

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“Red Shoes Unshackled” by Chandler Wilson

The radiant light from above-illuminated specks of dust floating around thirty-seven-year-old Aaron Gresham. He knelt with his head resting on the back of his fists, wearing no shirt or shoes, only his jeans. The room was sour, damp, and reeked of mildew and urine. Slumped over, he realized he was shackled to the floor in the center of a round room. He was surrounded by the darkness outside the circle of the spotlight shining overhead.  The hard concrete surface was like ice to his aching knees and elbows. Glancing up, he was temporaril...

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“Red Shoes Reconciliation” by Chandler Wilson

Jacob Arlow, on the second leg of a routine trip to Singapore, expected an uneventful flight from Tokyo. About half an hour after take-off, the plane shuddered violently as if a horrific blast had struck it. The roar from the rip in the triple seven’s fuselage was deafening. With a death grip, Jacob held tight to his armrests. His knuckles turned white. The icy wind tugged and whipped all around him. In the torrent, oxygen masks danced and bounced about. Passengers, as if reaching for dangling sunflowers, desperately went for them. Jacob scr...

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“Red Shoes Isolation” by Chandler Wilson

Leviathan, the demon of separation, had entered Seth Owens at an early age and lay in wait to seize total control and push him to his death. He would often encourage Seth to do things against his nature. When Leviathan wasn’t criticizing him, he repeatedly urged him to commit suicide, suggesting that no one cared for him and that he would be better off dead. Seth grew up as an only child without a father. His father died before he was born.  The death of Seth's father had thrown his mother into a lifelong state of depression. As a resul...

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“My Friend Charlie” by Chandler Wilson

Nathan Butler, a sandy haired 26-year-old graduate student, laid alone in his bedroom and stared at the ceiling. He glanced over at the clock, it was three a.m., then, looking up, he whispered, “Five nights in a row without sleep.” Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, his hands were clammy. His heart beat kicked up a notch, and his pulse thumped at his temples. His insides quivered as his mind raced.  My grades are slipping. I've lost all my friends. I’m alone in a crowd. Something's just not right. He sat up, and threw back the c...

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“A Prior Life” by Chandler Wilson

Doctor Todd Bischoff smiled as he walked into the hospital room. Alaina Graff, a lovely 28-year-old first time mother, held her baby boy, Jake. The soft glow from the deflected light above the bed put them in an almost angelic aura. Her husband, Ethan, his dark brown eyes filled with their reflection, stood at the side watching over his wife and new son. Glancing from one to the other, he said “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Graff, I'm the staff pediatrician. Congratulations, you have a perfectly healthy child.” Alaina’s smile melted into a...

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“In Too Deep” by Chandler Wilson

Joe Freeman, a handsome man in his early forties, and a certified federal building inspector, decided to take the back-road home to Sacramento from Reno. The two-hour drive would take longer, but he needed the time to clear his head. He took his cell from his shirt pocket. There was a message with a direct link to a bank account. He clicked on it and his phone number verified his identity. The money was there. Then he hit the speed dial.The voice on the other end said, “Freeman’s residence.”“Is this the lady of the house?”His eight-year-old ...

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“Captive” by Chandler Wilson

Jake McGinn, an average looking thirty-something guy, panted, his chest heaved and a bead of sweat trickled over his brow. Moonlight poured through a row of hopper windows overhead. He slid onto the basement floor. The concrete wall was like ice against his back. Wearing only his boxers and a tee shirt, he glanced up at the sound of creaking joists. He heard running footsteps above. Then he turned to the door at the top of the stairs. Wiping his forehead, he rubbed his eyes. Just two days ago, he was rushing to catch the Greenville commuter ...

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“Fiona's Revenge” by Chandler Wilson

Lisa Jenkins, a twenty-two-year-old college student, decided to spend Halloween with her mom at her new house in Granbury, Texas. Unfortunately, the weather grew worrisome throughout the day, but she decided to make the drive from San Marcus anyway. Once there and settled in, she went to bed early and was awakened by a knocking. “Mom, is that you?” she asked, sitting up in bed. The rain pelted against the windows, a flash of lightning lit up the room. The reflection of herself, shown in the dresser mirror. When her mom didn't answer, she lai...

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“Dances with Ghouls” by Chandler Wilson

Fractures of white light crawled across the black sky over Immortal Hills Cemetery. The lightning cast a momentary flash of blinding blue over the eerie graveyard. Headstones and tombs were instantly visible. Like long slender tentacles of waving hairy hands, Spanish Moss hung from the live oak trees and oscillated with the wind. The ground trembled with the horrific clap of thunder that followed.In Zachary, Louisiana on a late October, stormy and muggy night, something evil was lurking about. The sound of concrete grinding against a sa...

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