The Wishing Game
Encyclopedia
The Wishing Game is a psychological suspense novel by Patrick Redmond
. It is set in a boarding school
for boys in 1950s Norfolk
. It deals with bullying, secrets, supernatural
phenomena, and homosexuality
.
One night, Richard suggests that the boys play a game with a Ouija Board that he has brought to the school from his aunt's house. The twins refuse and leave. Nicholas refuses to let Richard scare him, so he remains. Following that evening, bad things begin to happen that Jonathon believes he has caused. Both James Wheatley's cronies leave the school - Stuart with his family to the U.S. and George to the hospital after a brutal injury on the rugby field. This leaves James Wheatley vulnerable. James Wheatley becomes paranoid and becomes too afraid to go to sleep. Driven mad, he ends up running out of the school in his pyjamas and is killed in a hit and run. Jonathon believes that it was his fault and begins to fear Richard Rokeby.
It is on the last night of the school year that police are called to the school grounds. The headmaster has a heart attack. The cruel Latin professor has gone insane and has beaten his wife to death. The closeted History teacher has hanged himself. Michael has fallen to his death trying to stand up to Richard. The police break in to a locked room where Richard and Jonathon are. Both boys are dead and one police officer has to break a window for air, as he is suffocated by an indescribable smell in the room. Nicholas ends up taking the blame for all of it, despite being innocent.
Many decades later, an adult Nicholas tells his story to a journalist. However, he tells the journalist that if he publishes the story, Nicholas will ensure that his life is ruined. Nicholas claims that, like Richard and Jonathon, he also acquired dark powers during their "wishing game" with the Ouija Board. The journalist deliberates for a few moments before throwing the tape recordings of Nicholas's story into the fire.
Patrick Redmond
Patrick Redmond is an English author of psychological thrillers; typical themes include insanity, secrets and death. Before becoming a writer, he went to Felsted School,then studied law at Leicester University and British Columbia in Vancouver, and worked for eight years as a solicitor in...
. It is set in a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for boys in 1950s Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. It deals with bullying, secrets, supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
phenomena, and homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
.
Synopsis
Jonathon Palmer is a shy teenager at a traditional British boys boarding school in the 1950s. He has three friends: bookworm Nicholas and twins, Stephen and Michael. Unfortunately, his friends live in a separate dormitory, leaving Jonathon exposed to regular bullying at the hands of sadistic James Wheatley and his cronies Stuart and George. There is only one boy who is not bullied with James Wheatley - Richard Rokeby. Richard is a loner but has confidence and scathing wit. Jonathon gradually befriends dark and dangerous Richard, who in turn encourages Jonathon to be brave and stand up to the bullies (both students and faculty members). Richard begins to turn Jonathon against his three friends.One night, Richard suggests that the boys play a game with a Ouija Board that he has brought to the school from his aunt's house. The twins refuse and leave. Nicholas refuses to let Richard scare him, so he remains. Following that evening, bad things begin to happen that Jonathon believes he has caused. Both James Wheatley's cronies leave the school - Stuart with his family to the U.S. and George to the hospital after a brutal injury on the rugby field. This leaves James Wheatley vulnerable. James Wheatley becomes paranoid and becomes too afraid to go to sleep. Driven mad, he ends up running out of the school in his pyjamas and is killed in a hit and run. Jonathon believes that it was his fault and begins to fear Richard Rokeby.
It is on the last night of the school year that police are called to the school grounds. The headmaster has a heart attack. The cruel Latin professor has gone insane and has beaten his wife to death. The closeted History teacher has hanged himself. Michael has fallen to his death trying to stand up to Richard. The police break in to a locked room where Richard and Jonathon are. Both boys are dead and one police officer has to break a window for air, as he is suffocated by an indescribable smell in the room. Nicholas ends up taking the blame for all of it, despite being innocent.
Many decades later, an adult Nicholas tells his story to a journalist. However, he tells the journalist that if he publishes the story, Nicholas will ensure that his life is ruined. Nicholas claims that, like Richard and Jonathon, he also acquired dark powers during their "wishing game" with the Ouija Board. The journalist deliberates for a few moments before throwing the tape recordings of Nicholas's story into the fire.