by Tom Hoyle
And there I lay for nearly a day.
One important part of the story was happening about twenty miles up the river. Just think: the water that was gliding past the girls was the same stuff passing me. Apparently, Andrea had been trying to contact us, and Zara and Belle were pestering her like mad. Jason had checked in with Cairns, and lied about how things were going on our trip. But Andrea was used to getting daily calls from Toby, and Zara and Belle were convinced that Matt and I would have been keen to make contact. They didn’t understand why their calls to us went unanswered.
The girls and Andrea wouldn’t let it rest with the cops. And that is why the police investigated – and that is why I’m sitting here now instead of dead. [THANK YOU! Amazing!]
From a helicopter, the rangers had seen the missing kayaks and flown down the river until they saw them discarded and then found me on a nearby hilltop.
I hazily remember a helicopter landing nearby; I remember receiving medical help.
I was asked about the rest of the group.
Through tears, I said, ‘There’s no one left. I’m the only survivor.’
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tom Hoyle is the pseudonym of a London head teacher.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to AW for encouragement and advice. Thanks also to CP and R(L)S for being first readers.
Thank you to Gillie Russell at Aitken Alexander. Again it is true that if it had not been for Gillie, nothing would have reached the printed page.
Macmillan is a wonderful publisher. Thank you to Venetia Gosling and Helen Bray for editorial changes, Sam Stewart for copy-editing, Nick de Somogyi for proofreading, Fliss Stevens and Tracey Ridgewell for setting and layout, Cate Augustin for production, and Rachel Vale for another striking cover.
I am grateful to all involved in the process who have supported a book written not for them, but primarily for kids.
Books by Tom Hoyle
Thirteen
Spiders
Survivor
First published 2015 by Macmillan Children’s Books
This electronic edition published 2015 by Macmillan Children’s Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-4472-8676-9
Copyright © Tom Hoyle 2015
Cover Art: Sam Hadley
The right of Tom Hoyle to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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