Katie Ingold

“Hunter and Prey” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #124

CW: Adult content, and though there is a perceived threat of SA, none takes place.“Ready or not, here I come.” A maniacal laugh echoed through the forest surrounding Jamie. He didn’t dare stop and listen for which direction it came from, even if he wanted to.An unsolicited shiver ran through him, and he pumped his legs faster, narrowly missing a low branch to the face. A late night fog had set in before he’d entered the woods, making it harder to see without the earlier moonlight filtering through the trees. He hadn’t expected it to be so da...

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“In the Quiet Our Sorrow Lies” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #119

TW: Mentions of death and grief.This is not a story I would usually write, but it wanted to be told nonetheless. To all of those who’ve lost someone they love, may you find love and happiness again.Silence filled the house. The locked doors and closed windows kept the noise of the world at bay. Jason’s family left out early this morning for the long drive back, and the last of his friends left a few minutes ago, too afraid to leave him by himself but needing to get back their own lives. As much as he loved them, he was glad they were go...

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“Love Knows No Barrier” by Katie Ingold

He held his hand upon the threshold between our worlds. The air shimmered in a ripple of prism light, its motion like the soft wave of the ocean on a calm day. I placed my palm against the gossamer barrier separating us in the same place as his. It had to be my imagination, but I swear I could feel the heat of his skin seep through the thin veil where our hands mirrored each other. That’s new. He must’ve felt it too. His mouth moved in an excited rush, but there was no sound.  He jerked his hand back and signed wildly. We used a rudim...

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“I am Genesis” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #116

CW: Polyamory and some adult contentEarlier“You are not to see those girls anymore. Do you understand, Genevieve? I will not have our family’s reputation tainted by your behavior any longer. It is unacceptable. Your mother and I have had to clean up your mess and do damage control for the last time.”Tick, tock. Tick, tock. The clock on my father’s desk was the only noise in the room until the thrum of the air condition kicked on. It saved the wretched thing from being swept off the desk onto the floor. Its only purpose was to serve as an int...

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“You're Ours” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #105

CW: Some adult content, soul mates, and polyamory. Cameron Shadows in the corner of the crowded club hid me from prying eyes as I watched them dance. Even though I was part of their inner circle, they forgot I was here and immersed themselves in each other. They were almost the same height, Logan only slightly shorter than Jace, so it was easy for Jace to reach anywhere on Logan. Their hands slid along each other’s bodies, and their hips ground to the pulse of the sultry beat. The strobe of the lights caused them to take on ethereal qual...

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“My Best Friend” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #103

As I picked up the last box, a photograph fluttered to the ground. Two preteen boys with their arms wrapped around each other smiled at the camera. They rocked mullets and sleeveless t-shirts, their mischievous grins bright for all to see. When I flipped it over, I immediately recognized the chicken scratch scribbled on the back—My best friend.   Mason. We were closer than brothers, permanently joined at the hip, as my mother would say. Where there was one, you’d find the other. Memories flooded my mind. Sleepovers and camping. Bas...

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“Fangs and Dreams” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #103

**Contains some adult content** A hand ghosts down my arm. Goosebumps trail behind the feather-like touch. “Do you like that, Micah?” he whispers in my ear before nibbling the lobe. His heavy accent is hard to place, and he’s avoided my question every time I’ve asked where he’s from. “Yes.” My breathy response and labored pants are the only sounds in the room. His sultry chuckle sends a shiver down my spine. “When will I see you?” My arms, frozen in place by his power, remain paralyzed when I reach for him. I grip the sheet to have s...

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“Reflections of a monster” by Katie Ingold

**Andre’s POV from The Other Side of the Window and The Other Side of the Table. CW: Contains a morally reprehensible character who is possessive and obsessive but loves his man. Our world often reflects who we are. Bobbles and trinkets echo our personalities. Clothing, hairstyles, jewelry, even our homes, and our pets define us as people. Our likes and dislikes. Often it’s what others first see and judge you by.   I surround myself with the finest things. Not to be judged by, but so others know who I am. What I am. So they a...

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“For the Luv of Seth” by Katie Ingold

**Part Two of For the Luv of Joe** “Shit!” I dropped the hot pan into the sink, causing steam to billow up. It hissed and spat like a pissed-off cat when the metal hit the water. Could I do nothing right? I knew how to cook, so why was I acting like a teenager forced to prepare his meals for the first time? It was just dinner, nothing more. You know why. No one had been in my apartment since the day I signed the lease. I guarded my asylum with a tight fist and hid behind the shield of these four walls. I went where I needed to go, di...

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“The Other Side of the Table” by Katie Ingold

**Please note: This is a ‘loose’ prequel to The Other Side of the Window with Daniel’s first dinner home after his kidnapping. It contains mentions of morally reprehensible characters. Home. Nothing had changed in the months I’d been gone. The knickknacks and pictures I’d placed around still sat in their usual spots. The floors still gleamed. The bright open rooms still echoed sound as we walked to the dining room. I was home. Andre pulled out my chair and slid it underneath me, always the gentleman. He sat to the left at the head of the...

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“The Other Side of the Window” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #97

**CW: Mentions of torture and anxiety** Darkness always hid from the light. The luminescence chased the shadows away where they remained hidden, waiting for an unsuspecting person to stumble into the blackness. Or they waited for the light to retreat so they could slither along once again to cover the beauty. As I stared out the window into the night, I wished the light would chase away my shadows. Shadows I held deep within. Shadows that caused an ache so painful it hurt to breathe sometimes. Shadows where I discovered the truth concealed...

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“Wolf at the Door” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #96

The roar of a motorcycle in front of the bar drowned out the jukebox stuck on a classic rock song. Everyone in the place turned to the door. Living in a small town, you knew who belonged here and who didn’t. And we all knew no one around here had a motorcycle. When the door opened, I nearly swallowed my tongue. In walked my every fantasy. He removed his helmet, revealing eyes so dark they looked black from where I stood behind the bar. They matched his hair, brushing along his shoulders as he shook it out and ran a hand through it. He took...

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“For the Luv of Joe” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #95

**TW: Mentions of domestic abuse**It was never supposed to be this way, our choices defining us as individuals—or as a group. The people around me...we all made the same choice: trusting the wrong person. Every woman or man here used to be someone else. Someone happy, active, full of life. Or maybe it was only them. Looking back, it was hard to remember that person before he came along. The one who stole my innocence and smashed it beneath his polished designer dress shoes. Now I was a stranger trapped in an unfamiliar body, in unfamiliar su...

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“Love in the Darkness” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #92

***Warning: Some adult content***The whisper of skin against silk, a quiet gasp, a soft sigh. I listened for what I couldn’t see. Darkness surrounded me. A familiar friend—one who visited me often. The one I looked forward to as the blackness covered me. The one whose silky touch was nothing but a figment of my imagination. Or so they said.Every day, I watched the clock tick the seconds away. I willed the sun to move faster across the sky and lower behind the edges of the landscape. Waited for the last ray to wink out of existence and hide u...

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“Late Night Mischief” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #91

Peace and quiet. I breathed a sigh of relief. One would think the library would be noiseless all day. But the soft whispers of those reading aloud, the gentle pass of pages being turned, or even the slamming closed of a cover created a cacophony of sound you didn’t perceive until the last patron left and the door locked behind them. I gathered the last of the scattered books and periodicals and placed them on the cart to be re-shelved. Some of the local high school kids waited until the last minute to do research for their projects due thi...

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