Marc Wilks

“Home Turf” by Marc Wilks

The waitress placed a tray with three bottles of beer on the high bar table. “Thank you, Beth,” Greg said as he and his friends took the drinks. “You are welcome. If you need anything else just holler.”As Beth walked to another table, Greg noticed one of his friends looking after her.“Vince, why don’t you just ask her out, man? You have been drooling over Beth since you met her.”Vince looked at Greg and said, “She wouldn’t be interested in me. Besides, I think she is spoken for.”“And how do you know this,” Adam asked, sweeping his ...

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“Past Glories” by Marc Wilks

Larry clapped his hands as he watched the high school football practice. “Good job!”His loud voice echoed over the field and several heads turned toward him. Larry turned to a man to his left.“They boys looked good against Thompson last week, Ronald. Carrollton will test them though. They have a hell of a secondary that will limit our pass options.”Ronald glanced at Larry, then looked down at his clipboard. He pointed at two boys on the sidelines and said, “You guys switch with Andrews and Hall.”When they were out of earshot, Ronal...

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“Bright Line” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #263

Brian Woods walked along the sidewalk, his usual dread weighing on him like an anchor. He was on the way to school, a place that until recently, he would have said that he enjoyed. Brian played football, was in the drama club and his grades placed him in the top ten percent of his class. It was a situation that anyone would have loved to be in. That is until you factor in the presence of Neil Redman. Neil had transferred from a private school last year, and from his first day, Neil made it his mission to persecute Brian in any way he could. ...

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“Air Mail” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #258

Nicholas Jamison rummaged through the large cardboard box on the floor. Old framed photographs, letters, and a few articles of clothing surrounded him. Nicholas’ grandmother had passed earlier in the year and had left the house and everything in it to Nicholas and his brother Robert and sister Denise. Neither of his siblings had the time to take care of the place due to their careers. Robert worked for the state, and Denise was a traveling nurse. Nicholas worked in town as a computer programmer and could more easily maintain the house. ...

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“Heir and the Spare” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #254

The music in the ballroom soared to a crescendo before the intense melody faded into silence. The dancers bowed to one another and then drifted to the tables or bar and conversation struck up again as the musicians took a break. Louis Stratton complemented his partner, a red-haired beauty, and returned to his table. Once there, he took a deep drink of lemonade and sighed as he placed the glass back on the table.“You look good out there,” a woman said behind him.Louis turned to see his mother, Regina, her hand on the back of a chair.Loui...

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“Grand Old Time” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #234

The truck’s engine roared as Brent pushed the accelerator to the floorboard. He looked in the rearview mirror, and although he could no longer see the vehicle pursuing him, the cloud of dust made it clear that the chase was still on.  I can’t believe this is happening, he thought.  Brent looked at the flatscreen in the dashboard.  The GPS told him that the border was eleven miles away. He should be crossing back into the US in thirteen minutes.  What was supposed to be a simple exchange turned into a disaster.  Bre...

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“True To Form” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #234

I never thought that I would be back in this town. But here I am, driving down the main street of Billings, Georgia, heading to the same bar we snuck into in high school. I could close my eyes and not miss one turn or stop light. That is how much this town has not changed. The same people are walking the same streets, working the same jobs, and discussing the same things. Don't get me wrong, it’s not all bad. Billings is a small town, but lakes and forests surround it. If you are the outdoor type, this place has plenty to offer. Billings is...

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“Winter's Gift” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #229

The office was in absolute chaos. People ran in all directions, trying to complete weeks of work in two days. Not only that, but the mother of all snowstorms would be overhead in less than twelve hours.  “I should have left yesterday,” Alex Nelson said to himself. “But no, I had to be nice and help settle the Stafford account.” Alex shook his head and concentrated on finishing the last of his correspondence before leaving the office. He glanced out his office window and saw that the sky was still a non-threatening bluish-gray.  At ...

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“Not This Again” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #226

Greg Everett looked at his dashboard clock and nodded. He was only ten minutes from his uncle’s house.  I’m well ahead of schedule, he thought.  Dinner was due to start at three-thirty. Greg would get there just after two o’clock. He upshifted to go around a slow-moving truck, then shot past it. Greg took great pleasure in driving his Porsche. He rarely got to open it up like this. The wind rushed past his face, and Greg smiled.  I better enjoy this while it lasts. Because once the family gets to Uncle Robert’s, the fun is wel...

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“Those Who Wander” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #225

Carol shifted her nearly full shopping basket to her left hand.Annoyed, she looked around for her husband, Glenn.“Figures,” she muttered under her breath. Carol reached out with her free hand and picked up an oval wood-framed mirror. A sun and moon were etched in silver at the top and bottom of the frame. A tree and a sailing ship were on the left and right. “This is beautiful,” she said. “I’m surprised no one has bought it.”“Bought what,” Glenn asked as he approached her from behind.“Where have you been,” Carol asked as she handed...

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“ Order Up” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #218

Ian nearly stopped in his tracks. The odor that had just wafted over him was one he had not absorbed for nearly twenty-five years.  “It can’t be ” he said to himself. Picking up his pace, Ian used his phone to search nearby seafood restaurants. Discarding the more upscale results, he focused on three establishments. Two were within five blocks of one another and relatively close to the tourist traps.  The third was removed from the center of downtown by a few blocks. According to the GPS, Ian was closest to this restaurant. He smil...

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“Merciful Blade” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #217

Two months. That's how long Marcel and his company had been tracking the beast. Two months of following partial tracks and village gossip. They traveled through woods, across rivers, and over vast plains. After all that time and a chance encounter with a woman in Granholm, it was only now that Marcel stood at the entrance to the cavern where they were told they would find the monster they sought. Marcel Travers looked over the men and women under his command. All were wearing the armor of the Drakon Guard, the most loyal and elite of the kin...

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“Shaken But Solid” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #216

Delvin Carter was sweating as he made his way through the crowds. His perspiration was due to more than the summer heat. He hated crowds. Bad things happened when large groups of people gathered. Delvin had learned that the hard way.No matter how many times I say I’m not doing this again, he thought, here I am again.A young woman gripped his hand.“This is going to be so much fun,” she said. “I can’t wait for the fireworks.”Delvin forced a smile and said, “I’m sure it will be great, Lacy.”Lacy leaned in and kissed Delvin’s cheek, and his smil...

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“Destiny Delayed” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #211

This work contains mentions of slavery and violence associated with the practice. Two men jogged into the manor house to escape the raging storm. They had ridden their horses to near exhaustion, and both the men and their mounts were looking forward to being warm and dry.  “Ronald, I have not seen a storm like this since we were on Jamacia.” “I can agree with that, Adam. We never had so cold a rain there either.” Ronald Price slipped out of his soaked jacket and draped it over his arm. A butler took the jacket before Ronald was even...

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