Lizzy's August 20, 2019: Chapter 23 Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

On the night of August 20, 2019, Lizzy hikes through the dark forest toward the old stone tower, carrying a backpack with a small revolver and a hand-drawn map from Skink. The map directs her from the campground to the Silver Trail, then onto the Tower Trail. As she walks, she feels the damp, decaying air and hears the wind whisper warnings. She wonders if she has crossed a veil into a dangerous place.

Lizzy recalls a childhood conversation with her sister about killing monsters. Her sister doubted she could do it, and Lizzy described using stakes, silver bullets, salt, holy water, and decapitation. That memory frames her current mission: she believes the monster she may face is her long-lost sister, and she hopes to find Lauren, possibly bound and gagged.

When she reaches the tower, she sees it is massive, round, and leaning slightly. Boards are nailed over the doorway, with danger and no-trespassing signs. Inside, she finds graffiti, including a red warning, a pentagram, a reference to Rattling Jane, and a chalk drawing of the chimera from The Book of Monsters. A chalk message asserts that monsters are real and all around us. Lizzy takes this as proof her sister has been there.

She takes out her revolver and climbs the rusted spiral staircase, testing each step. She hears shuffling footsteps above. About halfway up, her flashlight slips from her hand, crashes to the floor, and goes out. Despite her fear, she feels a magnetic pull upward. She recalls the image of Frankenstein's monster throwing the doctor from a windmill, and she whispers "Ready or not, here I come" as she climbs.

At the top, the floor is empty. The walls are crumbling and the wooden boards feel spongy. She finds a worn copy of The Book of Monsters, credited to Violet Hildreth and Iris, with illustrations by Eric Hildreth, dated 1978. Lizzy tears up and hugs the book.

Nearby, she discovers a cloth doll with a stitched face, crosses for eyes, and a frowning mouth. It is dressed in denim shorts, a black hoodie, and Converse-style sneakers. Sewn into its head is real blond hair with purple tips—matching Lauren's. Lizzy realizes the doll is made from Lauren's actual clothes and hair. As she examines it, she hears footsteps climbing the stairs toward her.

Key Events

Lizzy follows Skink's map through the forest to the tower.
She recalls a childhood argument about killing monsters.
She enters the tower, finding graffiti and a chalk chimera.
She climbs the rusted stairs, losing her flashlight.
She reaches the empty top floor.
She finds The Book of Monsters from 1978.
She finds a doll made from Lauren's hair and clothes.
Footsteps begin climbing toward her.

Character Development

Lizzy's internal conflict is central. She is both a determined rescuer and a frightened woman facing the possibility that her sister has become a monster. Her memory of the childhood argument shows how deeply she has internalized monster-hunting rules, yet her fear reveals she is not sure she can follow through. When she finds the book and doll, her emotional guard drops: she cries and hugs the book, treating it as a homecoming. This suggests she still feels a profound connection to her sister despite the danger.

The chapter also deepens Lizzy's role as an investigator. She reads the graffiti as clues, recognizes the chimera, and interprets the doll as a deliberate message. Her decision to keep climbing after losing her flashlight shows her commitment, even when logic says to turn back.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Monster hunting: Lizzy's backpack, revolver, and remembered rules frame her journey as a literal hunt, but the chapter complicates what a monster is.
Sister as monster: Lizzy explicitly thinks of her long-lost sister as the monster she may have to slay.
The tower as threshold: The leaning, crumbling tower feels like a place where the ordinary world gives way to something else; Lizzy wonders if she has crossed a veil.
Childhood games: The phrase "Ready or not, here I come" connects her search to hide-and-seek, turning the tower into a hiding place and the confrontation into a deadly game.
The chimera symbol: The chimera, a hybrid creature, appears on the book cover and in chalk, representing the blending of human and monster.
The effigy doll: The doll made from Lauren's hair and clothes stands in for Lauren, suggesting her sister has been watching or collecting evidence.
Decay and ruin: The tower's crumbling stone and rusted stairs mirror the deterioration of family history and secrets.
Graffiti messages: The chalk and spray-painted messages act as communication from the sister, turning the tower into a message board.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 23 is a turning point. It brings Lizzy physically to the tower and provides concrete evidence that her sister has been there. The discovery of The Book of Monsters connects the childhood creation to the present mystery, while the doll made from Lauren's hair and clothes links Lauren's disappearance to the sister's actions. The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, with footsteps climbing toward Lizzy, raising the stakes for the confrontation to come. It also deepens the novel's questions about identity, memory, and the line between human and monster.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What does Lizzy find at the top of the tower, and why is it significant?

Lizzy finds a worn copy of The Book of Monsters, credited to Violet Hildreth and Iris with illustrations by Eric Hildreth, dated 1978. She also finds a cloth doll dressed in denim shorts, a black hoodie, and Converse-style sneakers, with real blond hair tipped purple sewn into its head—matching Lauren's appearance. The book connects the childhood monster project to the present, and the doll suggests that Lauren's belongings have been used to create an effigy, implying the sister has been involved in Lauren's disappearance.

2. How does the chapter use the childhood game of hide-and-seek?

Lizzy recalls playing hide-and-seek with her sister and repeats "Ready or not, here I come" as she climbs the tower stairs. This frames her search as a continuation of a childhood game, but with much higher stakes. The tower becomes a hiding place, and the game becomes a life-or-death confrontation. The repetition also highlights Lizzy's emotional regression as she faces the possibility of meeting her sister again.

3. What does the chimera symbol represent in this chapter?

The chimera, a creature with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a tail ending in a snake's head, appears on the cover of The Book of Monsters and in a chalk drawing inside the tower. It represents hybridity and the blending of different natures. In the context of the chapter, it mirrors the idea that the monster Lizzy fears is actually her sister—a being who is both human and something else. The chimera also serves as a marker of the sister's presence, as Lizzy recognizes it as a sign that her sister has been in the tower.