Free Short Story

Oliver Willowaite

A Free Short Story by C.S. Wachter

Oliver Willowaite has spent twenty-eight years perfecting the quiet life — opening his bookshop at precisely 9:00 a.m., closing at 7:00 p.m., and pretending he was never anything other than a mild-mannered bookseller on Brooksedge Square.

But Oliver is hiding a secret: he was once Alfhere the Toadite, a creature from the magical world of Terra Nefala, and the shimmering wall across the square is a rift between worlds he was sworn to guard — and chose to forget.

When a tattooed, combat-boot-wearing young woman named Claire walks into his shop looking for work, Oliver wants nothing more than to send her away. But an old friend has other plans, and the mosquito buzzing around Oliver’s ear at precisely 9:00 a.m. is sending a message he can’t ignore — trust the girl who comes for the job.

Cozy, quirky, and quietly magical, Oliver Willowaite is a portal fantasy about the life we build to feel safe, the commitments we bury when safety feels good enough, and what it costs when the world we’ve been hiding from finally comes knocking.

Enter your name and email to download a free copy of Oliver Willowaite!