example, the last chapter of the novel implies that this will be his very last time leaving the graveyard and that he won't be coming back.

Though Neil Gaiman doesn't explicitly tell us what Bod does when he leaves, we can make some educated guesses based on what we are given. First, he's given a wallet full of money, a passport with a new identity, and a suitcase full of belongings. These things are all new to him; he hasn't needed them in the graveyard, and this is just the beginning of preparing for life as a normal human being rather than a human surrounded by ghosts.

Until this point, Bod's life has been rather sheltered. While he gets into all kinds of adventures, he doesn't get to see much of the real world. His life in the graveyard is interesting to us because we don't live that way, but, from Bod's perspective, things we find commonplace are interesting. He tells Silas that he wants to leave footprints in a desert and play football, and that he wants everything; in essence, the life he has not been able to experience because of the threat of Jack.

His last encounter before he leaves is with Mistress Owens, his adopted mother. She sings a familiar song to him, advising him to:

"Kiss a lover

Dance a measure,

Find your name

and buried treasure...

Face your life

Its pain, it's pleasure,

Leave no path untaken."

Unfortunately, the book ends as Bod leaves--we don't get to see what he does. But his own optimism, his hopes, and Mistress Owens' song give us a strong hint that what he'll do when he leaves is experience life and all it has to offer, whether that matches exactly what Mistress Owens suggests or whether it looks quite different. When he leaves the graveyard, Bod aims to do everything he couldn't do there--meet people, travel, see everything the world has to offer. He's embarking on a new adventure in his life, and while we don't see it happen, we know that almost everything he experiences will be new to him.

After trying to run away from the graveyard, Bod appears in Nick Farthing's dream in retribution for his having been a bully. Next, Liza Hempstock catches up with him and talks some sense into him, convincing him to go back to the graveyard. Liza, a witch buried adjacent to the graveyard in which Bod has been raised, reminds Bod that by running away, he runs the risk of "[breaking] Mistress Owen's heart." She points out that the residents of the graveyard care about Bod and want him to stay alive.

When Liza encourages Bod to come home, he is hesitant, remember the things he said to Silas and assuming that he will be angry. In response, Liza points out that the only reason Bod could upset Silas is that Silas genuinely cares for him.

When the two reach the end of the alley, Bod makes a left turn, which will lead him back to the graveyard. He confirms to Liza that he is going home, and we thus know that he plans to return to the graveyard, although his trip back turns out to be far from as smooth as he would have liked. He is picked up by a police car, in which he discovers Mo Quilling, Nick Farthing's coconspirator. It turns out that one of the policemen who have picked him up is Mo's uncle. The drama heightens when there's a loud noise and Bod realizes that the policeman driving has hit Silas with the car.

Bod uses the situation to his advantage, accusing Mo's uncle of arresting him and killing his father all for no good reason. This leads to an argument between the two officers, during which Silas and Bo are able to disappear and return to the graveyard.