Hibernator

by Patricia Keiller

Who is the mysterious boy with golden eyes found wandering along Brighton beach suffering from amnesia, soaking wet and wearing old-fashioned clothes?

What is his name, and where does he come from? What is the mystery that surrounds him?

When a new foster child comes to live with Jake, Lauren and Simon it is not long before they discover that he has an incredible secret. It is an amazing truth that will lead to a race against time to save both the boy and his extraordinary secret.

Young Adult, Science Fiction, Mystery

ISBN 1-59431-512-4

Cover art by Shelley Rodgerson.

Also available in RTF and HTML formats.



Chapter 1

Jake, Simon and Lauren were all being fostered by Mrs. Henderson, a kind, yet formidable widow in her late fifties. The children had found themselves with Mrs. Henderson for various reasons.

Jake, who was now approaching fifteen, had been orphaned a few years previously, and for a while he had lived with an uncle. However, his uncle had been unable to give him the affection, time and care needed for him to flourish. As a result Jake spent more and more time with his tearaway cousin. And although Jake was academically bright, his school work began to suffer. His cousin awakened in him an interest in cars, which eventually led to them stealing vehicles, and joy riding around in them. When the boys were eventually caught, the police were only lenient with Jake because they considered his older cousin to be largely responsible. As a result he was put into the care of the widow. Under Betty Henderson’s gentle, but firm influence his school grades rapidly improved, and a far more well adjusted boy soon emerged.

Lauren, who was fourteen, had been raised by her mother, the father having deserted the family when she was just a baby. When her mother went into hospital with a serious, life threatening condition, no one was left to look after her, and so she too had found herself in Mrs. Henderson’s care. When the widow had first taken her under her wing, Lauren had been just about scared of everything. After a year with Betty Henderson, the shy, withdrawn girl, had slowly began to feel less fearful and more relaxed.

Simon, who was the youngest at just thirteen, had been a difficult child. His parents had been unable to cope with his wayward behaviour. At first the local authorities had sent him to a children’s home, then after six months or so, he too was sent to live with the tough, but kindly matriarch. Within months Simon’s behaviour improved, and he too began to thrive.

All three children were extremely happy and well settled in the rambling, large, rather shabby looking house which overlooked the sea on the outskirts of Brighton in East Sussex. For a long time their lives proceeded in much the same way as always. Nothing extraordinary ever seemed to happen. Their lives were comfortable, cosy, and for want of a better word, ordinary. All of this was, however, was about to change. Something new, and amazing was about to enter their lives.

One evening in late autumn Jake and the other children were sitting at the dining table, tucking into one of Mrs. Henderson’s hearty meals, when she made a casual remark.

“You know that mystery boy they found wandering about on the beach a week ago?” she began.

“Yes,” Jake and the others replied in unison.

“There was a big report in The Evening Argus about him. They said he was found aimlessly walking along the beach near Hove Lagoon,” the children’s foster mother continued.

“Didn’t they say he was soaking wet, as if he had just come out of the sea?” Jake added.

“Wasn’t he wearing really old fashioned clothes, or something?” Lauren asked.

“Yes, he was. Apparently, the boy was completely disorientated, and suffering from amnesia. He couldn’t even remember his name,” Mrs. Henderson replied.

“I’ve got a feeling this is leading up to something, Auntie Betty,” Jake smiled at the woman, he had learned to call ‘auntie’.

“It is leading up to something. The mystery boy is coming to stay with us. I’m going to be fostering him for a while. At least until the authorities find out who he is,” Betty Henderson smiled back at her eldest foster child.

Jake stared at his companions. After a pause he announced. “It should be good fun having someone new around.”

Secretly though, he was unsure about the prospect of a new foster child coming into their already tightly knit family circle.