61 pages 2-hour read

Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Hex

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2013

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Katherine is a 17th-century woman executed for witchcraft who now wanders Black Spring as a physical ghost. Her most defining features are her eyes and mouth, which have been tightly sewn shut by the town's historical founders. She serves as a silent, unnerving presence whose proximity dictates the town's oppressive laws and heavy surveillance.

Key Relationships

Town resident haunted by Steve Grant

Secretly worshipped by Griselda Holst

Tormented by Jaydon Holst

Steve is a medical professional and rationalist trying to raise a family in a town governed by superstition and fear. He accepts Black Spring's strict, authoritarian rules as a pragmatic necessity to keep his loved ones safe. He struggles to bridge the gap between his scientific worldview and the supernatural reality of his home.

Key Relationships

Husband of Jocelyn Grant

Father of Tyler Grant

Father of Matt Grant

Friend of Pete VanderMeer

Son-in-law of Milford Hampton

Jocelyn is a former geologist and dedicated mother who attempts to shield her family from the psychological toll of Black Spring. She uses domestic pragmatism to cope with the terror of living alongside a supernatural entity. Her primary focus is maintaining a semblance of normalcy for her sons in an inherently abnormal environment.

Key Relationships

Wife of Steve Grant

Mother of Tyler Grant

Mother of Matt Grant

Daughter of Milford Hampton

Friend of Mary VanderMeer

Tyler is a 17-year-old aspiring vlogger who resents the oppressive, fear-based culture of Black Spring. He leads a secret group of teenagers in conducting experiments on Katherine to test the boundaries of the curse. He hopes to eventually expose the town's secret to the outside world, driven largely by a desire to be honest with his girlfriend.

Key Relationships

Older brother of Matt Grant

Romantic interest of Laurie

Friend of Lawrence VanderMeer

Friend of Jaydon Holst

Friend of Burak Şayer

Friend of Justin Walker

Jaydon is a 19-year-old resident with a volatile temper and a history of domestic trauma. He harbors intense hatred toward Katherine, blaming her for his abusive father's disappearance. He frequently escalates the teen group's pranks into genuine acts of cruelty against the witch.

Key Relationships

Friend of Tyler Grant

Influence over Burak Şayer

Tormentor of Katherine van Wyler

Grim is the cynical head of HEX, the high-tech organization responsible for tracking Katherine and maintaining the town's absolute quarantine. He relies on cameras, smartphone apps, and theatrical deception to manage the supernatural threat. He despises his job but views it as a necessary defense mechanism for the community.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Colton Mathers

Employer of Warren Castillo

Employer of Claire Hammer

Employer of Marty Keller

Informant to Burt Delarosa

Supporting Characters

Matt is the 13-year-old son of Steve and Jocelyn. He enjoys horseback riding and generally acts like a typical young teenager. Underneath his typical adolescent exterior, he has deeply internalized the town's superstitions and folklore regarding the witch.

Key Relationships

Younger brother of Tyler Grant

Griselda owns the local butcher shop and serves on the Town Council. A survivor of severe domestic abuse, she has developed a secret, obsessive reverence for Katherine van Wyler. She privately leaves offerings for the witch in the woods, believing Katherine protects her.

Key Relationships

Mother of Jaydon Holst

Secret worshipper of Katherine van Wyler

Harassed by Arthur Roth

Subordinate to Colton Mathers

Mathers is the head of the Town Council and the primary political authority in Black Spring. Deeply religious and puritanical, he favors harsh historical punishments over Grim's modern security methods. He actively manipulates the town's fear to maintain strict control over the populace.

Key Relationships

Superior to Robert Grim

Superior to Griselda Holst

Superior to Adrian Chass

Lawrence is a teenager in Black Spring and a core member of Tyler's "Open Your Eyes" project. Like Tyler, he wishes to test the limits of the town's curse through modern documentation. He is observant and occasionally serves as the voice of reason when experiments go too far.

Key Relationships

Son of Pete VanderMeer

Son of Mary VanderMeer

Friend of Tyler Grant

Burak is a local teenager involved in the "Open Your Eyes" group. While initially drawn to Tyler's pseudo-scientific approach to the witch, he is highly impressionable. He easily falls under the sway of Jaydon's more aggressive and chaotic methodology.

Key Relationships

Friend of Tyler Grant

Follower of Jaydon Holst

Justin is a friend of Tyler's who assists in documenting the witch. He treats the curse as a subject for juvenile pranks and viral videos. Like Burak, his sense of camaraderie eventually leads him to participate in darker activities spearheaded by Jaydon.

Key Relationships

Friend of Tyler Grant

Follower of Jaydon Holst

Pete is a sociologist and the Grants' neighbor. He acts as the town's unofficial historian, explaining the origins of Black Spring and the horrific execution of Katherine van Wyler. He advocates for a measured, democratic approach during town crises.

Key Relationships

Husband of Mary VanderMeer

Father of Lawrence VanderMeer

Friend of Steve Grant

Mary is Pete's wife and Lawrence's mother. She is a supportive presence in the neighborhood, reflecting the tight-knit but anxious social fabric of Black Spring.

Key Relationships

Wife of Pete VanderMeer

Mother of Lawrence VanderMeer

Friend of Jocelyn Grant

Burt is a newcomer from New York City who purchases a home in Black Spring. He is initially completely ignorant of the town's supernatural reality until a terrifying encounter forces him to realize he is permanently trapped.

Key Relationships

Husband of Bammy Delarosa

Monitored by Robert Grim

Bammy relocates to Black Spring with her husband, Burt. She represents the horror of an outsider violently inducted into the town's inescapable quarantine.

Key Relationships

Wife of Burt Delarosa

Arthur is a resident imprisoned by the town for continuously breaking the rules of secrecy. He is kept hidden from the outside world and supplied with food by Griselda Holst.

Key Relationships

Assailant of Griselda Holst

Warren works in the HEX control center monitoring the surveillance feeds. He helps analyze footage of Katherine's movements and coordinates with the rest of the security staff.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Robert Grim

Coworker of Claire Hammer

Claire is a HEX employee tasked with tracking Katherine's location via the town's extensive camera network. She ensures the witch's presence is logged and managed effectively.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Robert Grim

Coworker of Warren Castillo

Marty is a HEX officer who becomes increasingly unnerved as supernatural phenomena escalate. He favors aggressive, militaristic responses to the town's crises over observation.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Robert Grim

Lucy is part of the staff that manages the day-to-day surveillance of Black Spring under Robert Grim's command.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Robert Grim

Adrian is a HEX staffer who acts as an operator for the Town Council, utilizing the organization's surveillance footage for political and punitive purposes.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Colton Mathers

John is a highly superstitious town resident who actively incites panic and demands severe retribution to appease the curse.

Key Relationships

Accuser of Steve Grant

Laurie is an outsider unaware of the supernatural horror governing Black Spring. She serves as Tyler's primary motivation for wanting to expose the truth about his life.

Key Relationships

Romantic interest of Tyler Grant

Milford is Jocelyn's father. Because he lives outside Black Spring, he is completely ignorant of the curse and the true reasons behind the tragedies afflicting his daughter's family.

Key Relationships

Father of Jocelyn Grant

Father-in-law of Steve Grant

Grandfather of Matt Grant

Joey is a young boy in Black Spring who becomes intertwined with Katherine's wanderings as the town's social structure breaks down.

Key Relationships

Brother of Naomi Hoffman

Approached by Katherine van Wyler

Naomi is Joey's sister, a small child living in the increasingly chaotic town of Black Spring.

Key Relationships

Sister of Joey Hoffman

Fletcher is the Grant family dog. His sharp instincts make him highly reactive to the supernatural presence of the witch, which eventually puts him directly in her path.

Key Relationships