Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne

‘All right then,’ she said, clapping her hands together twice, and quickly, like someone in a television programme about to cast a spell. ‘Grab your swimming trunks and a towel. I’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes.’
    Noah did as he was told, wondering what on earth could possibly have got into her. This was the second time she had taken him away for the day on an unexpected treat. The first time, the pinball time, had been the most terrific fun, and if that was anything to go by, then this would be even better. She never used to do things like this, but now, out of the blue, they were all the rage. Although he couldn’t imagine how she could possibly bring the seaside to the forest. His mother was many things, but magic she was not.
    ‘Where are we going?’ he asked when they were sitting in the car, driving along with the top down for once. (In the past, Mrs Barleywater had said she didn’t like to do that in case she got a cold, but shedidn’t seem to be worrying about that any more, and seemed happy to enjoy the fresh summer breeze.
You only live once
, she’d said as she pulled it down.)
    ‘I told you,’ she said. ‘The seaside.’
    ‘Yes, but in real life,’ he asked.
    ‘Noah Barleywater,’ she replied, turning to look at him for a moment before turning back to watch the road, ‘I hope you’re not suggesting that I would let you down. You told me that you loved going to the beach.’
    ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘but that’s hundreds of miles away. We’re not driving hundreds of miles, are we?’
    ‘Oh no,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘No, I wouldn’t have the energy for that. No, we should be there in about fifteen minutes.’
    And sure enough, fifteen minutes later, having driven away from the forest and in the direction of the nearby city, they arrived at a hotel that Noah had never seen before and pulled into the car park. ‘Don’t say anything,’ said Noah’s mother, noticing the sceptical look on her son’s face. ‘Just trust me.’
    They went inside, and Mrs Barleywater waved at one of the receptionists, who immediately came out from behind her desk wearing a broad smile on her face and handed her a key.
    ‘Thanks, Julie,’ said Noah’s mum, winking at her, and Noah frowned in surprise, for he was sure he knew all his mother’s friends and this Julie was a new one on him. He followed her as she walked on,however, only turning round for a moment to glance back at the receptionist, who was now standing with one of her friends, watching them walk away. She seemed to be shaking her head as if she was very sad about something, and she spoke to her friend, whose mouth fell open as if she’d just been told a terrible secret.
    ‘Just down here,’ said Noah’s mother, holding his hand as they walked along the corridor. ‘And through here. Do you want to press the button?’
    Noah sighed and shook his head. ‘You do remember I’m eight, don’t you,’ he asked, for when he was younger he always wanted to be the one to press buttons in lifts, ‘not seven? Still, it needs to be pressed, I suppose.’
    ‘B,’ said his mother, and he pressed the button marked ‘B’, the doors closed and the lift slowly descended with a great many creaks and whistles.
    ‘Where are we going?’ he asked after a moment.
    ‘Somewhere good,’ she said.
    When the doors opened again, they walked along another corridor, and Mrs Barleywater opened a door to an empty changing room. ‘Run in there and put your trunks on,’ she said. ‘I’ll change into mine next door. Quick sticks, now! Meet you out here in five minutes flat.’
    Noah nodded, did as he was told, and five minutes later the pair of them were walking down another corridor until finally his mother stopped outside a door and turned round, smiling at him. ‘I’m sorry we couldn’t go to the beach this year,’ she said. ‘But I didn’t want you to miss out just because of me.’
    ‘What do you mean
just because of you
?’ he