- Full Name: Lydia Nicole Jane
- Born on July 16, 1997 to Jon and Lily Jane in Portland, Oregon
- Age: 18; 21 in Epilogue
- Marital Status: In a relationship with Jack Daniels
- Physical Appearance: Brunette, with brown eyes and ivory skin; stands at 5′5″ and has a slim build. She doesn’t generally wear makeup, and prefers sneakers over heels.
- Personality: Caring, but a little bit naïve. Introverted, but socially active, as she is quite good at making friends. She has a calm demeanor, but can be pushed to the edge at times.
- Education: Honors diploma from Cleveland High School (2016); 2nd year Psychology student at Bronx Community College (2018)
- Biography: Lydia was born at Portland Memorial Hospital to Jon and Lily Jane in the middle of summer in 1997. In her childhood, Lydia was extremely playful; she had a favorite Barbie doll, Belle, as named after her favorite Disney princess. While playing at the park one day, 6-year-old Lydia made a lifelong friend in 7-year-old Jack Daniels; he stood up for her against her bully, Eric Thomas, and the rest was history. When Lydia was nine years old, she found a love for singing after a school filed trip to a Beauty and the Beast musical; she loved the conveying of a story through a sweet melody. In 8th grade, when she was thirteen, Lydia developed a crush on her best friend, Jack, which grew over a course of five years. Through The Flames begins with an 18-year-old Lydia, still playful, with the voice of an angel, relishing in her flawless life.
- Full Name: Ethan James Hawthorne
- Born on March 22, 1986 to James and Delilah Hawthorne in Milwaukie, Oregon
- Age: 29; 12 in Prologue
- Death: Killed by Lydia Jane on September 27, 2015 (30+ stab wounds)
- Physical Appearance: Raven hair, brown eyes and ivory skin; stood at 6′0″, with an athletic build. Mostly seen wearing long black trench coat, Ethan was seen as being rather menacing.
- Personality: Intelligent, but socially inept as a child. Lacked empathy; killed Lydia’s family for his own selfish needs to be the only one in her life.
- Mental Health: Psychosis- a mental disorder characterized by a disconnection from reality.
- Education: Wilbur Middle School (8th grade)
Weekly tutoring at Arbor Place (12-18)
- Biography: Ethan was the second born child to James and Delilah Hawthorne at Providence Milwaukie Hospital. At an early age, Ethan showed signs of psychotic behavior: aggression, agitation, hostility, excessive word repetition, social isolation, and a limited range of emotions; as a baby, he never cried, or smiled, or giggled, being somewhat docile. He never felt any affection towards his parents, or his elder sister; not to anyone. That was, until Vivid was born. Vivid became his entire world the day she was born, and he made sure she knew it, too. As smart as he was, being able to do high school algebra in the 4th grade, and reading college-level books like Crime and Punishment when he was only 11, Ethan believed the only way he could be happy was to eliminate his parents and elder sister, leading into the Prologue of Through The Flames.
- Protagonist; Lydia’s best friend turned love interest
- Born on January 16, 1997 to Janet Daniels in Spokane, Washington
- Age: 19; 22 in Epilogue
- Marital Status: In a relationship with Lydia Jane
- Physical Appearance: Jet black hair and brown eyes; his skin is a tanned and he stands at 5′11″ with an athletic build. Mostly wears plaid flannels and jeans, with a signature pair of brown working boots.
- Personality: Optimistic, and sees the world through a fresh pair of eyes; not one to let minor inconveniences get him down. Very likable, and acts of a voice of reason.
- Education: Diploma from Cleveland High School (2016); 2nd year business management student at Bronx Community College
- Occupation(s): Waiter at Royal Coach Diner (2018)
Waiter at Janet’s (formerly)
- Biography: Jack was born to a 17-year-old girl named Janet in the middle of winter in 1997 at Providence Holy Family Hospital. He and his mother lived in Spokane with his grandmother until he was six, ripping him from his kindergarten class mid-semester, causing him to get held back. In the summer before 1st grade, he met little 6-year-old Lydia Jane, and stood up for her against a bully. From then on, Jack felt like it was his responsibility to protect Lydia. They quickly became the best of friends, and they, luckily, were in the same classes all through elementary school. However, once they entered high school, Lydia began to change: physically, and Jack couldn’t help but take notice. Through The Flames begins with Jack as a 19-year-old senior at Cleveland High, trying to figure out how to tell Lydia of his feelings without ruining their close friendship.
- Protagonist; Lydia’s mother
- Full Name: Lillian “Lily” May Jane (nee Smith)
- Born on April 2, 1970 in Portland, Oregon
- Marital Status: Widow (Jon Jane)
- Death: Killed by Ethan Hawthorne on September 25, 2015 (shot in the head)
- Physical Appearance: Silver hair in a pixie-style haircut; violet blue eyes and fair skin. She stood at 5′6″ with a slim build, a long face, and had a typically laid-back sense of style.
- Personality: Typically vibrant; loved her husband and daughter with all that she was. Protective of her family, and was a very emotional person. Lily loved taking pictures, and had made a family scrapbook over the past 25 years; it was very difficult for her to look at after Jon’s death.
- Education: Honors diploma from Cleveland High School (1988); master’s degree in interior design from Portland Community College (1992)
- Occupation: Interior designer (1994-2015)
- Biography: Lily was born to a poor roofer named Jerry, and his wife, Carrie, in early April at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. Sadly, when Lily was only eleven, her mother died from pneumonia, leaving her father in a chronic state of depression; he drank heavily and eventually lost his job. When Lily was 13, her father lost their little two bedroom house to the bank; this set into motion having to move in with Jerry’s sister, Marie. Luckily, Marie lived in Portland, so Lily didn’t have to leave her friends at school. Once entering high school, in 1985, Lily met a boy named Jonathan Jane. Instantly smitten, the two began to date; they were both driven, and wanted the same things out of life: Lily wanted a place to call home, and Jonathan wanted a family of his own. On August 18, 1990, Lily married Jonathan Jane, whom she began to affectionately call “Jon”. The two of them lived on an allowance that Lily got from her aunt Marie every month until Jon got a good paying job. In 1993, Jon got his relators license and began to work for a family-made firm in the rich part of Portland; a year later, Lily began to work as an interior decorator, mostly working with weddings. Then, in October of 1996, Lily became pregnant; both 26, both with good jobs, it was the perfect time to start building their family. In late May of 1997, Lily’s father suffered a massive stroke and died; being seven months pregnant at he time, Lily didn’t attend the funeral, afraid the stress would affect her unborn child. On July 16, 1997, Lily brought Lydia Nicole into the world, and life became utter bliss for the Janes. Leading into the events of Through The Flames, Lily had just celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary with Jon, and the two were more in love than ever.
- Protagonist; Lydia’s best friend
- Full Name: Annette “Anna” Grace Monroe (nee Bailey)
- Born on August 1, 1997 to Adam and Anne Bailey in Portland, Oregon
- Age: 18; 21 in Epilogue
- Marital Status: Married to Tommy Monroe
- Physical Appearance: Raven hair in a pixie-style haircut, with dark brown eyes, ivory skin, and thin lips. She stands at 5′5″, and has a petite yet athletic build. Typically dressy, wearing skirts and heels anytime she can, and wears makeup even when sitting home on a Saturday night, making her the complete polar opposite of Lydia.
- Personality: Bubbly and energetic; optimistic and thinks of Lydia as her sister. She cares deeply for her friends and family. Anna, while mature for her age, still looks at the world through glassy eyes, firmly believing that everyone deserves a happy ending.
- Biography: Anna was born to Adam and Anne Bailey in the first of August at Portland Memorial Hospital. In her childhood, Anna was very extroverted, and loved being the center of attention, which only became ore as she grew up. She found a love for acting at a young age, starring in her first play in 2nd grade when she was 7. Sadly, when she was 13, Anna, and the Baileys, suffered the loss of her mother to meningitis; Anna and her father, and Laura were utterly devastated. However, when Anna met country boy, Tommy Monroe when she was 15, he helped speed up the last stage of her grieving process: acceptance. The two quickly became enthralled with one another after meeting at the summer fair in Portland. Tommy was Anna’s first for everything; she lost her virginity to him when she was seventeen, at one of Tommy’s many parties that he threw anytime his uncle was out of town. Anna was sure about their love and figured “why wait?” Leading into Through The Flames, Anna has not a worry in the world; Julliard was a guarantee, and her and Tommy were solid.
- Protagonist; Ethan’s former psychiatrist; Anna’s father
- Full Name: Adam Gerard Bailey
- Born: December 29, 1969 in Lawton, Oklahoma
- Marital Status: Widower (Anne Bailey)
- Physical Appearance: Dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and has a beard; stands at 5′11″ with a buff build. He typically wears sweater vests and wears black-rimmed glasses when reading.
- Personality: Intelligent and introverted; never dated again after his wife’s death, instead choosing to focus on his daughters. He also has a guilty conscience, feeling as if he failed Ethan in terms of being his doctor.
- Education: Honors diploma from MacArthur Senior High School (1988); associate’s degree in psychology from the University of Oklahoma (1993)
- Occupation(s): Out of work psychiatrist
Psychiatrist for Providence Medical Olympia (formerly)
Psychiatrist for Arbor Place Mental Health Services (formerly)
- Biography: Adam was born to a CEO and his fashion model wife in late 1969 in Lawton, Oklahoma. Adam spent most of his childhood in the care of his grandmother. When he was 15, his mother died from a drug overdose; Adam found it hard to grieve her death, as he barely knew the woman. Same goes for when his father died in a plane crash while Adam was away at college at nineteen: he barely knew him. Adam attended college in Norman, Oklahoma at OU. As did a young lady from Enid, Oklahoma; her name was Anne Maxwell. Adam and Anne were friends at first, both majoring in psychology, and they became study buddies. Their flirtation went back and forth for a few years, until Anne switched her major to early childhood education; the two then grew apart. When Adam graduated, he moved to Seattle, Washington while Anne finished her studies at OU. A few years passed; Adam dated around but nothing really stuck, as he couldn’t get Anne out of his head. In the summer of 1995, Adam spotted Anne at the local coffee shop in Seattle while she was visiting with her aunt; they talked a lot over the next coupe of days. Anne was gearing to move to Portland, Oregon, where she had landed a 1st grade teaching job. Over the next 8 1/2 months, the two maintained a long distance relationship, and eventually married in late November 1996; they found out Anne was pregnant on their honeymoon, and they made home in Portland just in time for the birth of their daughter. Anna gave birth to Anna on August 1, 1997, and then had another daughter, Laura, in early March, four years later. Sadly, in 2011, Anne died from meningitis, leaving Adam to care for their two young daughters. Leading up to Through The Flames, Adam still struggled with the death of his beloved wife, while also stressing over the recent escape of Ethan Hawthorne, and knowing exactly what he was after.
- Protagonist; Anna’s boyfriend/husband; Lydia and Jack’s friend
- Full Name: Thomas “Tommy” Ryan Monroe
- Born on December 3, 1997 in Houston, Texas
- Age: 18; 20 in Epilogue
- Marital Status: Married to Anna Bailey
- Physical Appearance: Honey blond hair that falls just to the nape of his neck; he has brown eyes and slightly tan skin from his childhood in the Houston heat. Tommy stands at 5′10″ with an athletic build; he typically wears plaids and jeans, with brown cowboy boots.
- Personality: A true country soul, he loves playing his guitar, especially when covering Anna’s favorite songs. Kind, gentle, and attentive, Tommy has a typically calm demeanor, much like Lydia.
- Education: Technical honors diploma from Cleveland High School (2016); majors in general studies at Bronx Community College (2018)
- Occupation: Sale associate at Footlocker
- Biography: Tommy was born to Tom and Andrea Monroe in early December at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. Tommy hardly knew his parents as they were killed in a car crash when he was only 4 months old. Lester Monroe, his uncle, took custody of him and raised him as his own. The Monroes, having owned a long string of oil refineries, were quite wealthy. When Tommy was 14, Lester moved him and himself to Portland, Oregon, as the new home office for Monroe Oil was located there; that’s when Tommy met 15-year-old Anna Bailey, and he fell for her, point blank. He became close friends with Lydia, Jack, and later on, Holly. Leading into Through The Flames, Tommy and Anna were still together, Tommy planned on proposing to Anna before she left for Julliard, after graduation.
- Protagonist; Lydia’s friend
- Full Name: Holly Lee Johnson
- Born in Santa Monica, California
- Death: Killed by Ethan Hawthorne on September 24, 2015 (strangled)
- Physical Appearance: Golden blonde hair and dark brown eyes; stood at 5′7″ with an athletic body type. Holly had an exceptional sense of style, having Anna’s sense for expensive blouses and Lydia’s taste for retail jackets.
- Personality: Holly was head cheerleader, so she was quite energetic and extroverted; was quite naïve, her only plans after graduation being marrying her boyfriend. Friendly, and shy at first, Lydia and Holly became very close after she helped Holly break her shyness.
- Education: Cleveland High School (10th-12th)
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (formerly)
- Biography: Holly was the only child of author, Torrance Johnson, and his actress wife, Monica; she grew up with much love from her father, but hardly any attention from her mother. Monica was too preoccupied with becoming the next Audrey Hepburn. When Holly was 13, her mother abandoned her and Torrance, moving to Hollywood to “make a real name for herself”; she changed her name from Monica Johnson to Jackie Jewl, and made a line of pornographic films. It wasn’t long after that, when Torrance and Holly packed up and moved somewhere new; he opted for the small town of Portland, Oregon. There, 14-year-old Holly quickly made friends with Lydia Jane, who became her best friend. She also began to date Eric Thomas, an 18-year-old senior; at first, it was one-sided: Holly liked talking to him, but Eric just wanted to get laid. Holly was smart, making him wait, causing Eric to truly fall in love with Holly, as she had with him. Upon Through The Flames, Holly and Eric had been dating for nearly two years, and Holly was finally ready to give him her virginity.