Messenger: Chapter Twelve Summary & Analysis

Just after nightfall, Matty realizes that Frolic is afraid of the dark. He picks Frolic up to comfort him and chooses a sheltered spot to spend the night, near the clearing where Matty first healed the frog. By the fourth night, all of Matty's food is gone. Matty isn't concerned; he knows how to find food in Forest. The journey is longer than normal, however, since Matty has to backtrack and go off course in order to post the messages of Village's closure. He finds what he thinks is evidence of the woman's group traveling through and wonders if she's gone back yet.

Matty begins to understand what Leader meant when he said that Forest was thickening. While Forest has always been familiar and welcoming to Matty, it now seems hostile. It's harder to catch fish, and some of the berries have black spots. Matty also notices poison ivy and that the trees seem to be creating more of a canopy. While this protects Matty from the rain, it makes Forest much darker. Forest also smells like decay. Matty starts to have nightmares and his throat and head begin to ache. To distract himself, he thinks of what he was like as a little boy. He was a fierce child and Kira's good friend.