Nineteen years old but possessing the face and personality of a child, Pepé is initially characterized by his excessive laziness. He avoids work on the family farm, preferring to play with his father's heavy knife. His desire to be perceived as a man leads him to don his father's clothing and adopt a masculine facade, setting off a perilous journey into the harsh wilderness after a fatal altercation in town.

A lean, dry woman with ancient eyes, Mama Torres has managed the family's worn-down mountainside farm alone for ten years. She is highly practical and perceptive, skillfully balancing the family's survival with her children's welfare. She initially treats her eldest son as a child but recognizes when she must equip him for a dangerous reality.

An unnamed, unseen pursuer tracking Pepé through the treacherous mountain terrain. Moving with brutal and relentless efficiency, this figure acts as a pace-setter for the desperate flight through the wilderness. The lack of physical description or clear motivation gives the character the feel of an impersonal, predatory force.

Emilio is the twelve-year-old son of Mama Torres. Unlike his older brother, Emilio actively helps provide for the family by fishing, acting more like an adult despite his young age. However, he maintains a child's limited understanding of serious dangers, focusing on mundane concerns like breakfast rather than life-threatening situations.

At fourteen years old, Rosy is the middle child of the Torres family. She shares the responsibility of providing for the family with Emilio, fishing when tidal conditions permit. Rosy demonstrates an uncanny foresight and maturity greater than both of her brothers, quickly understanding the gravity of sudden family crises.

The late husband of Mama Torres and father to Pepé, Emilio, and Rosy. He died after tripping and falling on a rattlesnake a decade ago. His legacy lives on through the items he left behind, including a heavy knife, a coat, a hat, and a gun.

A neighbor living in Monterey. She is entrusted by Mama Torres to provide a place to stay for the night when errands require travel to town for medicine and salt. Her home becomes the setting for a fateful altercation.