MAIN CHARACTERS in THE FOREST

STEPHANIE: Fiery red hair. Rich brown eyes. Age fourteen. Misogynistic father left when she was seven years of age. Mother uninterested. Able to see mysterious, other-worldly manifestations. So she’s not sure if she’s crazy. Her low self-esteem is rivaled by her passion for life and innate sense of right that often causes her to speak without thinking. Heroin.

VAUGHN: Very dark brown hair and eyes. Age fifteen. Neurotic, greedy mother, weak father, they have no inkling about their son’s nature. Plagued with inner turmoil, he fights his way through confusion by discovering life has meaning. In deep meditation, he has vision of the ‘Heart Monster.’ Hero.

FRED: Dark eyes, shiny bald head. His overbearing, dominating, cruel mother has caused him to despise women, taking his vengeance out on his wife and daughter. High up in the government. Stephanie’s father. Villain.

STEPHANIE’S MOM (unnamed): Medium brown hair, red highlights, always working, or pursuing her boyfriend. Unaware of Stephanie’s life. Constantly puts her down and blames her for Fred’s leaving. Had married Fred to ‘move up’ but he divorced her. Unclassified.

ALEX: Vaughn’s father. “He’s like oatmeal. No matter what my Mom does, he just sits there like a bowl of mushy, indistinguishable oatmeal.” Unclassified.

VIRGINIA: Vaughn’s mother. Descended from a long line of fearful, neurotic women. Phobia of being poor. Viciously dominating and controlling. Doesn’t want Vaughn to cause trouble or fight back. Villain.

JEAN: Long blond hair, blue eyes, around age thirty. Fred’s second wife, under mysterious circumstances. Mother to Lana. Unclassified.

LANA: Long light brown hair. Deep gray eyes. Five years old. Insightful. Heroin.

SPOT: Almost two years old. All black fur with white spot over right eye, white triangle on chest and floppy ears. His big tongue can’t be escaped. “Part Great Dane, part Shepherd, part I don’t know what.” Given to Vaughn by old farmer. Hero dog.

PUPPY: Three months old. Golden long fur. Floppy ears. Hero Puppy.

MAFFERAN: Age unknown. Ancient spirit who once was the father and king over the Appendaho, his mysterious and ancient people. Faithwalker and married to Yinauqua.

YINAUQUA: Age unknown. Ancient spirit who was once mother and queen of the Appendaho. Prophetess. Heroin.

TRACY: Long, medium brown hair, brown eyes. Age fifteen. Co-gang member with Stephanie. Friend or foe? Really likes Vaughn. Unclassified.

GARY: Age fifteen. Short, black, semi-curly hair. Head of his gang that Stephanie belongs to. Her supposed boyfriend. Torments Vaughn. Malicious. Villain.

GLEN: Age sixteen. Gary’s cousin. Looks like Gary, only slimmer, stronger and smarter. Father is high up in government. Trying to rack up the female numbers. Villain.

JARGONO (Jargon): Age twenty-one. Tall, slender, medium length, straight blackish brown hair, very hansom. Mysterious abilities. Highly ambitious and intelligent. Member of the Appendaho. Sent to learn ‘outsider’ ways. Becomes more and more prominent to government. Villain.

KAREN: Age fourteen. Another co-gang member with Stephanie. Avaricious and jealous of Stephanie. Villain.

ARLUPO: Current Appendaho leader’s daughter. Prophetess.

APPENDAHO: A holy, ancient tribe. Keepers of the Tree of Life. Secluded.

GRRRAGAGAG: Chief demon in charge of the country without name (formally the northern half of United States.) Watches over Stephanie and Vaughn to destroy them. Intelligent, deceptive, dangerous.

SCRABACK: Grrragagag’s underling/ student demon. Plots to consume his Master.