Louis is a physician in his mid-thirties who recently moved his family from Chicago to become the head of University Medical Services in Maine. Raised by a single mother after his father died when he was three, he approaches life with clinical rationality and values authority and control. He deeply resents his wealthy father-in-law and frequently daydreams about escaping to Disney World when adult responsibilities feel overwhelming.

Rachel manages the daily operations of the Creed household and acts as the primary emotional caretaker for the family. Raised by wealthy parents who dislike her husband, she maintains a stubborn but sensitive personality. A severe childhood trauma involving her older sister left her with an intense phobia of death and illness, making her highly anxious about the dangerous road near their new property.

Ellie is the five-year-old daughter of Louis and Rachel who is preparing to start kindergarten. She possesses a highly observant and independent personality. After visiting the local pet cemetery, she demands honest answers about mortality from her parents, creating a philosophical rift between her mother and father.

Gage is the two-year-old toddler of the Creed family. He frequently catches colds, babbles enthusiastically, and gets into typical childhood mischief like swallowing marbles. His parents must supervise him constantly to keep him away from the busy highway bordering their front lawn.

Jud is an 83-year-old lifelong resident of Ludlow who lives directly across the street from the Creeds. He speaks with a thick Down East accent and frequently enjoys beers and cigarettes on his porch. As the keeper of the town's history, he guides the Creed family through their transition to rural Maine and introduces them to the local pet cemetery in the woods behind their house.

A tomcat named after Winston Churchill who serves as Ellie's constant companion. He bears physical scars, including a ragged ear, and frequently stalks small birds and mice in the yard. His habit of wandering near the dangerous highway prompts Louis to schedule a neutering procedure.

Jud's wife of sixty years. She suffers from severe rheumatoid arthritis but refuses to complain about her physical deterioration. She warmly welcomes the Creed family to the neighborhood and dotes on the children, maintaining a resilient and pragmatic outlook on life.

A university student who sustains massive injuries after being struck by a car during Louis's first week on campus. In his final moments, he speaks directly to Louis, addressing him by name despite never having met him. He subsequently appears in Louis's dreams to deliver cryptic, terrifying warnings about the woods behind the Creed property.

Rachel's wealthy father who resides in a Chicago suburb. He openly despises Louis, believing the doctor comes from the wrong side of the tracks and is unworthy of his daughter. He uses his financial leverage to attempt to control family decisions, creating a permanent state of hostility between himself and his son-in-law.

Rachel's mother, who shares her husband's low opinion of Louis. She acts as a slight buffer during intense family arguments but generally defers to Irwin's domineering personality and class judgments.

Rachel's older sister who suffered from spinal meningitis and died when Rachel was eight. Her physical deterioration caused her body to curl upon itself, and her painful, resentful final days deeply scarred Rachel. Her memory represents the ultimate horror of mortality for the Creed family.

A physician's assistant who works alongside Louis at the campus clinic. He is an athletic coworker who frequently attempts to schedule racquetball games with Louis and provides practical support during medical emergencies.

The head nurse at the university infirmary. She is an efficient professional who remains unfazed by medical emergencies, expertly directing student volunteers and managing clinic operations.

A local teenager hired by the Creeds to watch their children. She helps Rachel with household chores, like sewing Halloween costumes, and displays a morbid curiosity about the emergencies occurring at the university.

A local man from Jud's childhood who knew the deeper history of the land beyond the pet cemetery. He passed down his knowledge of the woods to a young Jud Crandall, acting as a link to previous generations of Ludlow residents.

A young man from Ludlow who died overseas during World War II. His father's extreme inability to process his death serves as a dark, cautionary tale within the town's hidden history.

A grieving father from Ludlow's past who lost his son in World War II. Driven mad by sorrow, he resorted to desperate measures in the woods behind the town, setting a grim precedent that the older generation remembers well.