Past or present?

Hello all. It's been a while since I've added to my blog, but I have a pretty interesting topic to post today that will require your FEEDBACK. Lately, though my school and internship, I've had the wonderful opportunity of talking to two, big time editors. They both focus on different genres and audiences, but they share one common trait: both of them DESPISE story telling in the present tense. So here's where I need YOUR help, dear reader. I'm currently working on a psychological thriller. I want to write it in the present tense so that the reader and protagonist experience the story's madness together. However, I'm slightly concerned about this approach since speaking to those editors, so I've decided to make a duplicate copy of my story in the past tense.

Below I've posted two versions of the same excerpt from the story. Just to give you some background, in the very beginning of the story, a madman butchers a 5 member family and writes a wood in blood on the living room wall (as of now, you don't know what that word is). Now, the protagonist is wandering through an abandoned mental asylum with his friends, just for shits and giggles, and comes across something that startles him:


PAST:

I observed the doctor’s room. I moved the beam of light around the walls, passing by graffiti and—

Suddenly, my hand stopped. My heart did, too. But no. It couldn’t be. I was just being paranoid. Imagining things.

I brought the beam of light a few inches back, slowly, cautiously, afraid of what I might find. And there the light stayed, shining upon the unfathomable truth. A bookshelf stood before me, its shelves rotting and filled with medical journals. But it was the graffiti hovering above this furniture that had caught my attention. I gaped at it, trying to make sense of its presence.

It was a single word, spray-painted in red.

Just like the word spread on the wall of that poor family’s home…

My hand trembled, and the beam of light quivered with it. From somewhere far away, I could hear Natalie’s voice call out to me, “Come on, Tyler. Let’s go find these idiots.” Next I heard footsteps wandering out the room and down the corridor. I should’ve followed her. I should’ve stayed with her. But disbelief had me rooted to the spot. 

PRESENT:

I observe the doctor’s room. I move the beam of light around the walls, passing by graffiti and--

Suddenly, my hand stops. My heart does, too. But no. It can’t be. I’m just being paranoid. Imagining things.

I bring the beam of light a few inches back, slowly, cautiously, afraid of what I might find. And there the light stays, shining upon the unfathomable truth. A bookshelf stands before me, its shelves rotting and filled with medical journals. But it’s the graffiti hovering above this furniture that caught my attention. I gape at it, trying to make sense of its presence.

It’s a single word, spray-painted in red.

Just like the word spread on the wall of that poor family’s home…

My hand trembles, and the beam of light quivers with it. From somewhere far away, I can hear Natalie’s voice call out to me, “Come on, Tyler. Let’s go find these idiots.” Next I hear footsteps wandering out the room and down the corridor. I should’ve followed her. I should’ve stayed with her. But disbelief had me rooted to the spot. What’s Lester Mitchell’s word doing in this room?


So what do you guys think? Do you prefer the past or present or is there no discernible difference between the two?