Rohan Quine, “The Host in the Attic” – chapter III “Addicted to the image” – second sample – video
Jaymi is spotlit before the immaculate wall-mirror in his dim bathroom, attired as sleekly as ever, eyes stark and cold, staring dead-still in dead silence.
With his right hand he raises into view a long, red-handled carving-knife, brings it to a gradual halt pointing up at his face, and holds it there a long time.
The explosive and protracted convulsion of deafening violence in which he stabs and stabs his face—including numerous horrific images of a growing bloodbath of facial injury and then ever-larger chunks of his face cut away until only a neck-stump is left—is brutally terminated and revealed as a fantasy, leaving him still intact, beautiful and spotlit in silence as before.
He raises the carving-knife again, presses its point by degrees into his throat, presses more and twists … drawing one drop of blood, with three spotlights reflected like pinpricks on its surface.
He keeps the knife-point there, uncomfortably long.
His stark cold stare softens into an innocent little ghost of a smile, and for the first time in the scene he blinks.
Reviews and interviews relating to “The Host in the Attic” are at
rohanquine.com/press-media/the-novellas-reviews-media
Buy “The Host in the Attic” through most online retailers:
in paperback via rohanquine.com/buy/the-platinum-raven-and-other-novellas-paperback
or as an e-book via rohanquine.com/buy/the-host-in-the-attic-novella-ebook
The video version of this second sample of chapter III “Addicted to the image” is this page on Vimeo,
vimeo.com/rohanquine/the-host-in-the-attic-iii-second-teaser, also known as vimeo.com/115357538
Short samples from each of the nine chapters of this novella are at
rohanquine.com/the-host-in-the-attic/teasers-for-the-nine-chapters-of-the-host-in-the-attic
Longer tasters from “The Host in the Attic” are at
rohanquine.com/the-host-in-the-attic
A Synopsis of “The Host in the Attic” is at
rohanquine.com/the-host-in-the-attic/synopsis-of-the-host-in-the-attic
Duration 1’24”
