Natalie: Natalie is, on the outside, an energetic, vibrant young woman who appears to have everything in herlife in order. Her meeting with Jared on the road, however, leaves her feeling disillusioned about what makes a person "good" or "bad" - she's starting to find that the distinction is not always black and white, an idea that shakes her to her core. She is stronger on the inside than most who know her would believe. She doesn't know who to believe... the Jared he tells her he is, or the Jared she sees with her own eyes. Natalie is beginning to realize that she is capable of much more than she ever would have thought... whether it is for better or worse is still up for debate.
Jared: To define Jared is to fail to understand him... he is not as simple as he would like to think he is. Jared believes he is, at heart, a good person who, through circumstances outside his control, has been forced to make choices and do things he might not otherwise do. He finds himself torn between what he pictures himself to be and what his reality is - a man who abhors violence while hiding his own bloody hands. He is plagued by the memory of his brief encounter with Annie... it both empowers and binds him, and drives him to do what he feels is morally right, even if the steps taken are less than ethical. Jared sees in Natalie a chance to turn his life around... as if she were a link to his past, to the moment his life began down the road he is on today.
Sal: Jared's boss, mentor, foe - their relationship changes as often as Colorado's weather. Sal is dark and acerbic, loves the drink and scantily clad women, and is motivated by pure greed and the desire for self-gratification. With Sal, what you see is what you get - a woman who is capable of anything, but who could charm you right out of your defenses without your even realizing it. Her charismatic nature is her most powerful weapon - it allows her to get close to you, so that by the time her true nature is revealed, it's already too late.
Kate: Kate is Natalie's best friend and road trip companion. Free-spirited and cheerful, and brimming with good-humored sarcasm, she finds herself out of school and facing the "real world" for the first time, suddenly unsure about the path she wants to take in life. She is concerned that she will not be satisfied choosing one role to play for the next forty years... she's afraid that the decisions she has made up to this point will leave her feeling unsatisfied. She's hoping to find peace of mind by getting away from it all for a few weeks, to get a chance to really explore who she is and what she wants. She is a fiercely loyal friend who risks everything for those she cares for.Kit: Kit is strong, powerful, and always gets what she wants. She is the one who sets everything in motion when she asks Sal to retrieve something of hers (or so she claims) from Nevada. She is strong-willed and guarded in what she reveals to others, and her only vulnerability may prove to be the item she covets the most.
The Good Samaritan: The Good Samaritan is a stranger who finds himself thrown into the mix in an attempt to play the part of the hero. He may just be Natalie's last hope.
Annie: What we know of Annie is only that which Jared knows - or believes he knows. She is a memory - she represents to Jared everything he had, everything he lost, and all that he hopes to one day get back. She represents both hope and fear - hope for a brighter future, fear of a not-too-distant past.
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