I crept
Hesitation yanking me back
The collar of despair cinching tighter
A noose of misery
What is feared is unclear, often unseen
The great seducer
Blackening a future
Dictating it with lies
Love lures
Feeding a weariness with renewed faith
The powers of another realm
A familiar voice cures a starved soul
Nourishing it with hope
Edging forward
Turning a corner
My path illuminated
Bright rays guide me
What was stunted, now grows with fresh vibrance
What was dark is now flooded with light
A vacant space smiles
Greeting me, engulfing me with promise
Memories of love warm through my cold, abandoned layers
Settling in my core
Taking root
Fear of the unknown slips from my shoulders
Shrugged off like an old coat worn and torn
A voice that couldn't stay still speaks, forever singing in my ears
An immortal symphony
I travel on, my footpath now clear
Decorated with glamor
His greatest gift
JC Szot
Monday, March 31, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
The South Window
Sunday Snippet
“Tess, don’t do that.” Allie yanked the curtain down. “You can see through, the material’s sheer enough.”
“Come on, we want to get a good look at him. Besides, you could use a little stimulation.” Tess turned, flashing her dark, brown sultry eyes.
“Thanks,” Allie sighed, feeling beaten down again by Tess’s brutal honesty. “Listen, I have work to do. Federal Express will be here by noontime tomorrow.”
Allie crawled off the love seat and watched Tess perched on the windowsill with the binoculars as close to the screen as she could get them, the seam of her short-shorts riding up her behind. Allie wondered how she could cope with that thick denim seam searing through her crotch all day.
Tess rested the binoculars on the cushion then scooted off. “Oh well, we’ll just have to investigate him now, won’t we?”
She walked over to Allie’s drawing table. “So, what do we have here? A wedding, baptism, or are those sympathy cards?” Tess eyed all the pastel drawings that lay on her table.
“They decide when they get them.” Allie started to organize her tools, eager for Tess to leave.
“Okay, I’ll stop back tomorrow after your Federal Express pickup.” Allie listened to Tess’s blackened bare feet slide across the hardwood floor and descend down the stairs.
Allie sat down and attempted to finish the meadow scene with a rustic, red barn in the background. Being in the greeting card business required a lot of thought, and the study of nature. Whenever she felt starved for new ideas, she’d just get in the car with her camera and drive. Nature never failed her.
A loud clanking noise drifted through the open window, coming from next door. Distracted again, Allie got up and went to the window. A rather interesting man had just moved in. The house adjacent to her and Dan’s lot had been empty for years, a foreclosure that just didn’t sell, but now they finally got their new neighbor.
Now Allie felt like a hypocrite as she reached for the binoculars and focused in on him. He looked to be in his midthirties, tall and lanky, with dark hair that rested on the nape of his neck, wavy and thick. He was walking in and out of his shed carrying planks of wood. His jeans hung low, clinging to his hips. With every swaggering step, it looked as if the red bandanna in his back pocket would fall out. There was a peculiar limp in his step.
When he turned, the intense magnification had her lowering the lenses from her eyes for a minute. Raising them back up, she zoomed in for a closer look. His eyes were a light-cedar brown. His chest was bare, displaying a crimson-red tattoo of a bleeding heart on his tanned upper arm. The inked droplets leaked from the bottom like red rain. He turned his head, as if his eyes felt hers, his gaze reaching her window. Allie immediately leaned back, placed the binoculars on the end table, and returned to her work.
THE SOUTH WINDOW
http://www.amazon.com/South-Window-Siren-Publishing-Menage-ebook/dp/B0074AV7H4/ref=la_B008BTX0W2_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396179217&sr=1-4JC Szot- Author
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Snippet of the Day/ Hotter Horizons
Snippet of the Day
“Where you gonna go?” Jada asked, her tone now hesitant, laced with a fear Fern didn’t want to feel.
“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” Fern told her, yanking open drawers, stuffing her knapsack.
“Damn! I hate that son-of-a-bitch.”
“Yeah, he’s got a habit of provoking that in people.” Fern took one more glance around the tiny studio apartment. There was stuff she’d have to leave behind, for now. Jada met her thoughts.
“Maybe when you land and get settled, I can bring you the rest of your things,” Jada said, eyeing her small stereo, books, and CDs.
Fern sat down next to her, resting her hand on Jada’s thigh.
“Yeah.” She sighed, exhausted already. “I’ll call...” More words formed on her tongue, words better left unsaid.
****
The traffic had picked up, the late-day rush hour kicking in.
Fern hiked toward the Wawa, thinking she’d get her last mocha latte. The whine of the train whistle caught her attention. Fern ran across the highway and bolted into the thickets, having missed the last bus out.
Colorful cars moved slowly behind the tall brush. She climbed up the steep bank, watching as the train clanked over the rails. It moved at a speed that was doable, enabling the crazed thought that was forming in her mind to take shape.
Fern sidestepped down the embankment, waiting. With the last car in sight, Fern gripped the hot paper cup, seeing the hot beverage slosh inside.
The oily smell of creosote burned her nose. Fern took two cautious sips, realizing she needed to toss her last indulgence into the weeds until she got to wherever she was going.
Fern threw the cup into the brush. As the last car rattled past, Fern stepped in behind it and started jogging, pacing her steps, watching the tarry pebbles and ashen dirt below pass beneath her feet. With the width of two feet, her adrenaline got the best of her. She hurled her knapsack into the car and quickened her pace, her decision made.
The traffic had picked up, the late-day rush hour kicking in.
Fern hiked toward the Wawa, thinking she’d get her last mocha latte. The whine of the train whistle caught her attention. Fern ran across the highway and bolted into the thickets, having missed the last bus out.
Colorful cars moved slowly behind the tall brush. She climbed up the steep bank, watching as the train clanked over the rails. It moved at a speed that was doable, enabling the crazed thought that was forming in her mind to take shape.
Fern sidestepped down the embankment, waiting. With the last car in sight, Fern gripped the hot paper cup, seeing the hot beverage slosh inside.
The oily smell of creosote burned her nose. Fern took two cautious sips, realizing she needed to toss her last indulgence into the weeds until she got to wherever she was going.
Fern threw the cup into the brush. As the last car rattled past, Fern stepped in behind it and started jogging, pacing her steps, watching the tarry pebbles and ashen dirt below pass beneath her feet. With the width of two feet, her adrenaline got the best of her. She hurled her knapsack into the car and quickened her pace, her decision made.
She gasped. Fern dragged in a rush of polluted smog and took that leap, a leap away from Johnny that would buy her more distance, and a leap into a new life that was frightening as hell, holding all the fears of the unknown.
Hotter Horizons
http://www.amazon.com/Hotter-Horizons-JC-Szot-ebook/dp/B00EZ7X2HC/ref=la_B008BTX0W2_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395912466&sr=1-9Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Dark Day Bright Night
Snippet of the Day-
DARK DAY BRIGHT NIGHT
“I love it.” Zane laughed. “I’ve been waiting for a little fire from you.” Meg jutted her chin in defiance. “So tell me, is it Ms. Sullivan? That’s what was printed below your picture in the Holistic Hut’s Newsletter you gave me.”
“That’s right, Mr. Miller. It’s Ms. Sullivan to you.” Meg leaned over, digging the heel of her elbow into his thigh, sending a tickling twinge through his body.
“Well, why are you sitting here playing cards with a guy who has cancer on a Saturday night? Where’s your man?”
Her face fell. All the teasing and bantering dissolved. Zane stiffened, his bold comment obviously a mistake. He liked her face better the other way.
“There isn’t one.” Meg took a sip of her drink, eyeing him over the rim of her glass.
“I’m sorry.” Zane elbowed her in the ribs, wanting to return to the land of razz.
“Don’t be.” Her tone was firm. “Now I don’t have to be disappointed all the time. It makes life a whole lot easier.” She waved him off.
“Disappointed?” Zane leaned back on his stool. Things were getting interesting. “Why all the constant letdowns?”
Meg draped her arm over the back of her stool and leaned into him, her face a pretty pink due to either her bashfulness or the liquor. Her warm breath tickled his lips like a breeze meant to tease on a scorching summer day.
“I’m so tired.” Her eyes rolled. “So done with getting all hot for a guy, all attached and everything, and once...” Her words trailed off.
“That’s right, Mr. Miller. It’s Ms. Sullivan to you.” Meg leaned over, digging the heel of her elbow into his thigh, sending a tickling twinge through his body.
“Well, why are you sitting here playing cards with a guy who has cancer on a Saturday night? Where’s your man?”
Her face fell. All the teasing and bantering dissolved. Zane stiffened, his bold comment obviously a mistake. He liked her face better the other way.
“There isn’t one.” Meg took a sip of her drink, eyeing him over the rim of her glass.
“I’m sorry.” Zane elbowed her in the ribs, wanting to return to the land of razz.
“Don’t be.” Her tone was firm. “Now I don’t have to be disappointed all the time. It makes life a whole lot easier.” She waved him off.
“Disappointed?” Zane leaned back on his stool. Things were getting interesting. “Why all the constant letdowns?”
Meg draped her arm over the back of her stool and leaned into him, her face a pretty pink due to either her bashfulness or the liquor. Her warm breath tickled his lips like a breeze meant to tease on a scorching summer day.
“I’m so tired.” Her eyes rolled. “So done with getting all hot for a guy, all attached and everything, and once...” Her words trailed off.
Her eyes skirted around him, her reserve attempting to win over the uninhibited effects of the liquor. “Once things get, you know, hot and heavy”—she shook her head, her face lined with frustration—“once we go to bed, I’m always left feeling frustrated. It’s not that I’m hard to please or demanding. It’s just that every guy I’ve ever had sucks in the sack. They’re just out of touch, I guess.” Her cute lips twisted into a pout.
Zane choked on his drink. He turned, clearing his throat. He swallowed past the raw heat. It flamed around in his gut, moving throughout his body. The air between them became heavy, thick and sweet-smelling. Was it her?
“I’m sorry. No woman should have to tolerate that.” His voice was level. His seriousness had her erupting. Meg tossed her head back. Her laughter rang through the quiet apartment. Zane welcomed the conversational turnaround. This was much better. His horny body seized control over his mind. All rational thought was gone as he began to spin the web. His heart beat wildly.
“Well,” he said. Zane shuffled the cards again. “I say, this calls for a bet.” The bourbon had him feeling brave. He didn’t have much more to lose these days. Two things could happen. She’d either go for it or storm out, never to be seen again. “Our wager could enable me to save the rest of my fellow mankind from any further embarrassment. If you lose the draw, I get to attempt to satisfy you. It won’t be an easy feat, since I’m on the tail end of so much displeasure, but I’d like to try. Shall we place our bet, Ms. Sullivan?”
Zane choked on his drink. He turned, clearing his throat. He swallowed past the raw heat. It flamed around in his gut, moving throughout his body. The air between them became heavy, thick and sweet-smelling. Was it her?
“I’m sorry. No woman should have to tolerate that.” His voice was level. His seriousness had her erupting. Meg tossed her head back. Her laughter rang through the quiet apartment. Zane welcomed the conversational turnaround. This was much better. His horny body seized control over his mind. All rational thought was gone as he began to spin the web. His heart beat wildly.
“Well,” he said. Zane shuffled the cards again. “I say, this calls for a bet.” The bourbon had him feeling brave. He didn’t have much more to lose these days. Two things could happen. She’d either go for it or storm out, never to be seen again. “Our wager could enable me to save the rest of my fellow mankind from any further embarrassment. If you lose the draw, I get to attempt to satisfy you. It won’t be an easy feat, since I’m on the tail end of so much displeasure, but I’d like to try. Shall we place our bet, Ms. Sullivan?”
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Bright-Night-Siren-Publishing-ebook/dp/B007ZRXRLA/ref=la_B008BTX0W2_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395740853&sr=1-10
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Reflections of the Mind's Eye
Reflections of the Mind's Eye
A double edged sword, held by many
Resurrecting joy
Excavating pain
Which ones to bury
Which ones to erect
Exhausting to outrun
Hard to look away
Excruciating to numb
Unable to erase
The mind, a portrait of many images
Memorable
Adversarial
Arms outstretched
A phantom
How to live
The choice to reflect
One more time
Reactive emotions can't be predicted
Pulling on the reins of behavior
Patience, a daily exercise
One day different from the next
Awake with the darkness
Sleeping with the sun
My numbness melts
Love blooms again
The blade overhead
Ready score me open
Bleeding once again
JC Szot- Author
Search and Like author JC Szot to read my "Snippet of the Day"
JC Cerrigone/ Nonfiction works
Thursday, March 20, 2014
An awakening
An awakening
Intricate wires of the heart crossed
I wander through quiet space, life with an empty chair.
Pleasantly seduced
Eccentric, charming, yet running
An overcrowded life
In a corner I wait
Hungry passion gnaws at my bones
One need could lead to many
The thirst of life quenched
Indecisiveness stares back boldly
I shall not flatter
My assumptions unconfirmed
Feelings war against the trying realities of life
A separation you might've mastered
One who complains often remains
It is where you are
A mutual need
Fed by re-acquaintance
It is where you are
I am where I am
Having seen death
I now look at life
Fulfillment beckons
Your time limited
Some say I have it all
To whom do I give
To whom is available
A contest of sorts
There is no winner
I see my future before me
I've banished uncertainly
The premise that time is unlimited
A danger I've witnessed
A lesson learned
Knowing my wants
Days slip by
One wonders
Immobile from fear
Frozen by confusion
What one allows will continue
The need nudges
A reminder to strive
My visitor comes
The lure exists
Yet their absence reins
What is their purpose
Wants I can't have
Reasoning explodes
One foot in
One foot out
Desire braided
It's encounter brief
Fleeing through the darkness
Emotions unraveling, wild and reckless
Where does it all go
My drifter ebbs and flows
His significant finger banded
Contentment must reside on one side
Resolution lingers
Time cannot stay still
I walk on
For it may never be known
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Latest Release-All in- Available Now
Snippet of the Day
“Where did you get that?” Cara asked. Her eyes widened at the wad of cash Mick had clenched between his fingers. He straightened out the bills, fanning them in her face like a deck of cards.
“It’s my old man’s, or it was,” Mick said. A cunning grin formed on his full lips.
It was more money than Cara had ever seen, aside from standing in line while at the bank.
“I found it stuffed behind the insulation down in the basement,” Mick told her. “He says he never has any money," Mick shook his head in disgust."Well, now I’ve got a little over three G’s.”
They huddled in the dark alley, shuddering from a bone- chilling wind that tunneled around them.
Mick’s eyes flashed as he pushed the black wool cap back over his brows, displaying features that could easily swing between expressions, and at the drop of a hat. Cara had seen both sides, how Mick could look wonderfully handsome, as well as extremely intimidating.
He kept his dark hair buzzed close to his scalp. Mick had intense hazel eyes that seemed to change with his expressions, often looking as dark as cocoa with a leafy green incorporated in. Those unique eyes were paired with a strong, square jaw. His cheeks were always shaded with a hint of growth.
Checking both ends of the alley, Mick rolled the bills up, returning them to the safe confines of his pocket.
“What are you going to do with that money?” Cara pulled her hood over her head.
It’s what we’re going to do with it,” Mick told her, his features sobering. He scoured the length of the alley once more, his voice lowering. “We’re getting the hell outta here.”
“What the hell are you saying?” Cara felt her entire body go tight. The look on Mick’s face had her mind racing.
“Just look at our folks.” He sniffed, shaking his head. “There’s no future here. We live in The Hollow, remember?” Mick’s hand reached for her. His fingers dug into her arm. His grip seared through her heavy coat. Mick shook her, jarring her with the brutal truth of his words. “If we don’t get out of here now, we’ll never leave,” Mick whispered, his tone now dripping with an empathy Cara wasn’t familiar with. “There’s better, and I don’t need to become a goddamn basketball player to get it,” he said sharply.
Cara knew the resentment Mick had for his brother ran deep. All Mick’s parents cared about was Theo’s athletic success and what it could buy them later. Theo had won a scholarship for college and was now being considered for the NBA draft.
Mick had always fought to tame his jealousy, only ever getting the leftovers. He’d never been praised for his good grades. His father always told him there was never any money for him to even consider taking a night class at the local community college.
Mick was a short-order cook at the local diner, and a good one, but Cara knew his aspirations were always trying to reach higher.
They’d both been living day-to-day in The Hollow. Mick had been vowing since graduating high school that he was going to split. Cara had underestimated him. She thought this day would never come, assuming Mick shared her own fears about leaving, fears that were connected to failure, only having to return and admit defeat. Silence hung around them as dead leaves swirled in the wind before skidding across the asphalt.
A gust of biting wind stung her eyes. Mick’s voice clawed its way through the shadows.
“We only get one life, and this isn’t how it’s gonna be,” he said, jamming the toe of his sneaker into the concrete.
“Why do you want to take me?” Cara asked, her heart tripping at her own question. She and Mick had been what Cara always thought of as “survivor mates.” This was a radical move.
“No way am I leaving you here,” he told her through an irritated breath, his jaw tight. “It’s now or never. It’s this one second of indecision that can easily turn into many minutes. Minutes that turn into the hours of days, days that you can never get back. Faltering can do years of damage.” Mick swallowed hard, his eyes narrowing. “Tomorrow night is the night. Are you in, Cara?”
“We only get one life, and this isn’t how it’s gonna be,” he said, jamming the toe of his sneaker into the concrete.
“Why do you want to take me?” Cara asked, her heart tripping at her own question. She and Mick had been what Cara always thought of as “survivor mates.” This was a radical move.
“No way am I leaving you here,” he told her through an irritated breath, his jaw tight. “It’s now or never. It’s this one second of indecision that can easily turn into many minutes. Minutes that turn into the hours of days, days that you can never get back. Faltering can do years of damage.” Mick swallowed hard, his eyes narrowing. “Tomorrow night is the night. Are you in, Cara?”
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