Interview & Spotlight
Untethered
By
Katie Hayoz
Excerpt
“Rise and shine, Sylvie,” Dr. Hong says, his voice full of forced cheer. “PSG’s done. You have a couple hours of free time before the MSLT. Go crazy.” I open my eyes and the first thing I see is the bramble of silver hairs sticking out of his nose. Note to self: Buy Dr. Hong nose hair clippers for Christmas.
He helps me sit up and I look down at myself, feeling like something out of a horror movie. Sticky pads with wires dot my legs and chest. I can’t see the ones above shoulder height, but their glue makes my chin, forehead and the areas around my ears and eyes itch. A heavy ponytail of wires cascades down my back and leads to a machine on my left. Probes tickle my nostrils.
Doc rearranges things and unhooks me so I’m able to walk around. I almost thank him, but catch myself before I do. I’m here because he doesn’t believe me. He’s brought me here to prove himself right. As with all the other tests I’ve taken.
But so far, he hasn’t proven anything. It drives him nuts.
It drives me nuts, too.
I go to the window and open the blinds. Outside, the sun is bright. Another stifling summer day in Wisconsin. Outside, I know the air sticks to your skin like Saran-Wrap and feels thick as cotton wool. I can almost smell the fresh-cut grass, the acrid scent of blacktop burning.
But here, in the lab, it stinks like antiseptic. And it’s dry and cool. The perfect sleeping temperature. That’s what I’m here to do: sleep. It’s the last weekend before school starts, and while everyone else is tanning on the sand, I’m snoozing in a sleep lab.
Talk about social suicide.
Dr. Hong writes something on my chart. “I’m turning you over to the team,” he says. “I think these tests will help us figure it out, Sylvie.” When I don’t respond, he goes on. “You know, the cataplexy – that’s where you have the sudden loss of muscle tone. Then the sleep paralysis ... ” Here he looks up from the chart and directly into my eyes. “And, of course, the hallucinations.”
Of course. The hallucinations. I stare back at him without blinking. He breaks the gaze first and I feel a ridiculous sense of victory.
They’re not hallucinations. That’s what bothers me the most, what scares me and pisses me off: Dr. Hong insists it’s all make-believe.
“Your mother’s worried about you.” Dr. Hong’s voice is accusing. Like I’ve been giving my mom problems on purpose. If there’s one thing I don’t want, it’s to make my mom worry more.
“There haven’t been any more incidents,” I say.
Dr. Hong narrows his dark eyes at me. I know he doesn’t believe me. He never believes me. I might actually be offended – if I were telling the truth.
“Well, that’s wonderful, then. But with all that’s going on–”
“I’m doing fine. Really.” No need for him to play shrink any longer.
He’s silent a moment. Then he says, “Okay, Sylvie.”
“Everything’s set for school?” It’s a yearly ritual. Tests, tests, and more tests. Then the paper that declares me fit to fester in the classrooms of my high school.
“Sure. We don’t need these results to know that. I’ll contact St. Anthony’s and let them know everything’s in order for your –” he picks up my chart and looks at it again “—junior year.” He sticks out his hand and I shake it unenthusiastically.
“I’m sure school will be a lot of fun. You must have the boys lined up.” His eyes crinkle as he tries a smile.
“The only boys lining up are those who are trying to get away,” I say.
It wasn’t a joke, but Dr. Hong looks at me and laughs loudly. He throws his head back and I get a direct view up his nostrils.
Note to self: Forget the nose hair clippers. Buy the guy a weed whacker.
Buy Links
Paperback out May 1
Author Links
Interview
1.When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I can’t really tell you the exact moment when I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I remember going to the guidance counselor in high school and saying so. She twisted up her face, looked through my records and said, “You’d do wonderfully as a psychologist. Why don’t you think about that?” Good advice. All writers should spend their first year of college studying psychiatry. It shows you how insane you are to still want to be a writer.
2.Do you have a process?
Yes. It’s called complete chaos. I write from the gut rather than an outline (though believe me, I’ve tried outlines) and it involves countless major rewrites. I don’t suggest it unless you are like me and are either too stupid or stubborn to do it any other way.
3.What's your favorite genre to write?
Paranormal. I read and write to escape the everyday. Even though I cover everyday issues, there needs to be a paranormal edge to it. My goal is to create an escape from reality that somehow amplifies reality, if that makes sense. I was told by publishers that paranormal is dead, the bubble has burst on the market, etc. That I should write realistic fiction. And a lot of my writing is realistic, but something weird always creeps in. That’s just how it is.
4.Who or What is your inspiration?
My inspiration to write comes from the knowledge of how impossible it will be to live with myself if I don’t. I can taste my mood going sour when I haven’t written in a while. But the inspiration for this book, Untethered, came from another novel I read a (very) long time ago: Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan. It was the first time I’d read anything on astral projection and I thought the whole idea was awesome.
5.What will you be working on next?
I’m about 2/3 of the way through a novel that involves the devil, a girl from Wisconsin, the lost colonists of Roanoke Island, and some really creepy masks.
6.Favorite paranormal read?
This is almost impossible for me. I love so many books and my “favorite” changes all the time depending on what I pick up. But after reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight, I think Laini Taylor is a goddess. I’ve said before that I want to dip her in gold and worship her.
7.Favorite Author?
Gah! I love Laini Taylor but the woman who has never ceased to impress me on all levels over her entire career is Margaret Atwood. She’s beyond amazing.
8.If you could be any character from one of your books who would it be?
From my book Untethered? Though he’s a boy, I’d have to say Nelson. I think I’m secretly in love with him. And I’d love to have the confidence to dye my hair a bright color.
Fast Fairy Questions
Apple or Windows? Windows (but so want to try Apple)
Cat or Dog? Cat
Pepsi or Coke? Coke
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook
Summer or Winter? Summer
Vampires or Werewolves? Vampires
Amazon or Barnes and Noble? Amazon
Funny or Serious? Funny
Print or E-book? E-book
Dream spot to visit? Malta
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