The Silverleaf Syndrome — Eleanor Robinson

The search for a lost boy becomes a bizarre encounter with biological horror! Christopher was, what doctors called, a freak of nature. Born with unusual deformities, he nevertheless possessed a fantastic strength. When his mother abandoned him, Christopher was placed in an institution, where, incredibly, he developed unique powers. At five, he murdered a guard and escaped. Terror swept through the town of Silverleaf, and a massive manhunt scoured the countryside. But they were looking in the wrong places. Christopher had gone to the swamp, the place of his birth. Somewhere amid the mire and the reeds lay a secret so horrifying and astonishing that it could change the ultimate destiny of the human race!