[DISCLAIMER] Messenger and all of its characters and ideas belong to Lois Lowry. I own nothing.

PART III - Endings

Forsaking her umbrella, Jean knelt by Matty's grave, not caring if her black mourning dress got muddy or wet. Her face was already wet, anyway – but not from the rain. Today had been Matty's funeral.

Squinting through her pearly tears, Jean could make out the simple, bold words on the headstone before her:

Here Lies Matty

Healer and the Savior of Village

She wiped the tears from her eyes, unwillingly recalling the day that he died.

"Jean!" Matty's hoarse voice cut through her atmosphere of pain.

"Matty," she croaked. "You're – you're here."

He placed one hand on the gushing wound in her stomach, the blood dying his hands a sickly red. "Don't… worry," he said faintly. "You'll be fine… I'll… heal you…"

The memory of Matty, giving his life up so he could save Village, and herself, brought the tears back again.

Placing a bouquet of pastel-hued flowers on the grave, she stood and walked towards the cemetery gate. Kira, Mentor, Seer, and Leader – all clad in black as well – waited for her there. Frolic huddled beside them, whining heartbreakingly, a black ribbon tied around his neck. Reaching the group, she and the others walked away in silence.

The only sound was the pitter-patter of the rain, tears from heaven falling on the lonely headstones.

The End

[A/N] ... and that's all, folks! Ends on a real happy note, no? But honestly, I couldn't change that part much, because no matter how I thought about a way around Matty's death, I don't think the book would have been as powerful as it was (I remember crying after I finished it the first time!) So all I was really able to do - in the interests of keeping it like something Lois Lowry would write - was to change the circumstances around a bit.

Thanks for reading!