They were insistent and caused Will's mother plenty of distress, so Will told them to leave. When Will was twelve years old, agents began to turn up at his house and question his mother about her husband. He recognized that his mother was so kind, sweet and loving even when she was having an episode, and he did not want her to be taken away from him. He was determined to take care of his mother, because he feared the authorities would take her away and send him to live with strangers. Will would take advantage of these moments and learn how to shop, cook, and clean. Will's mother would often have times of clarity where her disease seemed to disappear, but these moments were always short-lived.

It was after this incident that Will became more aware of his mother's condition - the enemies she spoke of were only in her mind - and made it his mission to take care of her. This prompted her to go back around the supermarket and place everything back, and she was convinced that the enemies would track them down by her card number. It was fun for Will to be the lookout, but when they finally reached the checkout, his mother began to panic because she was convinced the enemies had stolen her purse. They were playing a game in the supermarket where they could only place something in the cart when no one was looking. At age seven Will realised that his mother had mental health problems. Their cold attitude and contempt made his mother cry, and it was only when he was older that he realised they were his paternal grandparents.

After learning this, he grew up playing many games where he explored with an invisible companion that represented his father.Īt age six, Will and his mother dressed smartly to visit an elderly couple in a large house. She was unable to provide a lot of information, but told him that John Parry had been a handsome and brave officer in the Royal Marines who left the army to become an explorer.

Will grew up in their family house in Winchester with his mother.Īs he was growing up, Will questioned his mother often about his father. During the first months of his life, Will's father left on an expedition to the Arctic known as the Nuniatak dig, from which he never returned.

Will was the sole child of John Parry, an explorer, and Elaine Parry.

His darkest materials