Palmer
Palmer is in the cross-hairs of fate. Quickly approaching his tenth birthday, he understands that his community will expect him to comply with their festival activities, but they murder thousands of pigeons each year, and Palmer is not convinced that hunting animals like that is ethical. Not to mention, his dad is a well-known hunter and his only friends are bullies who exploit him and haze him.
Dorothy
Dorothy is Palmer's first real friend, a childhood girl-next-door who hangs out with Palmer sometimes, going on walks or little adventures. She helps him try to save his pet pigeon, but even with her best efforts, the bird is caught and returned to the town for the local pigeon-hunting fest. She also supports Palmer's decision to be non-violent, but sometimes, he treats her like the bullies treat him.
The bullies
The bullies are Beans, Mutto, and Henry. They attack people sometimes, and they often use fear and threat to make people do what they want. Palmer finds himself on their radar, and before long, he is recruited to their group, and in order to fit in, he has to be willing to be cruel like they are. They love wringing the birds to death, and Palmer fears their influence on his behavior.
