Read Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London for Free Online

supposedly unconscious, so he started to talk.
    â€œHi, Mum. It’s me … Johnny. I’m sorry it’s been so long. I’m still living at Halader House—out in Essex. Mr. Wilkins—the cook—he’s horrid as ever. Hate to think what he puts in thefood. Mrs. Irvine’s still there too. And I’ve got a new social worker. She’s American—really nice. She came on the train with me. Bentley’s here too. I know he misses you. On the train, Mr. Wilkins was saying I should forget you. But I miss you, Mum … and Dad. I wish you’d get better so I didn’t have to live there any more. You know I don’t believe any of those things they said you and Dad did.”
    He hadn’t meant to say all that, but once he’d started it just poured out—he didn’t have anyone else he could say this sort of stuff to. As he talked he half noticed the lines on the EEG spike, just for a second. He’d probably imagined it. He tried to compose himself and started again.
    â€œI’ve built a cool computer there. It talks and I’ve called it Kovac. I’m getting really good at computers. Wish you could come to a parent’s evening. You’d be dead proud—honest. And I’m in the football team. We’re in the county final—we won the semi yesterday … three–one. And when I came back Kovac was saying there was a signal. I’ve got him set up doing a kind of special SETI thing. That’s the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. You know—looking for aliens. They’ve got to be out there and I’m going to find them and make you really proud and I’ll be famous, and maybe rich, and I’ll be able to get you out of here and looked after by some proper doctors—not like Dr. Carrington—and they’ll make you better … promise. So when I get back tonight I’ll do some more work and try and find out what it was and where it came from. It seemed really close.”
    There it was again. He was sure there’d been a spike this time. Maybe he should go and fetch Dr. Carrington? And then it was as though a wind was blowing around the room. Johnny felt his hand getting warmer and warmer, but he couldn’t seem to let go of his mother’s. It was like when he was dreaming he had to run away from something, but however quickly his legs moved he stayed rooted to the spot. He wasn’t afraid—it didn’tfeel like a bad dream. Now his hand was hot, or rather something hot was in his hand. But it wasn’t burning him—it was as if the warmth was flowing up his arm and energizing his whole body. The EEG was now off the scale. His mother’s eyes looked suddenly silvery bright, and it wasn’t just her eyes. A light was emanating from her. Her body twitched and the light went out. The plastic jug flew off the trolley, scattering the gerberas across the floor, the window slammed shut and the room was suddenly still.
    Johnny let go of his mother’s hand and something fell to the floor. It was a sort of pendant on a chain. He picked it up but didn’t have time to look at it. The door burst open, sending the wedged chair flying across the room and in came the man in the suit, followed by Dr. Carrington and Miss Harutunian. Instinctively, Johnny slipped the pendant into his trouser pocket.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” asked Stevens. “What happened? What was that noise?” As he spoke Bentley bared his teeth and growled.
    â€œShe moved,” said Johnny. “She moved and those lines starting going funny on the screen over there.” He was pointing at the EEG.
    â€œImpossible,” said Dr. Carrington, coming over to the bedside. He looked at Johnny’s mother and checked the machines, which by now had returned to normal.
    â€œOh, Johnny,” said Miss Harutunian. “And just look at your flowers.” She put a hand on his chin