When Peter and Lola first meet, they are so different that it seems they will never be able to relate to each other.

They have been bound, blindfolded, and taken from an orphanage to this maze for no apparent reason. Peter is submissive when his blindfold and ropes are taken off. To escape from the reality of the nightmarish stairs and his own fears and inadequacies, he lapses into a daydream. When Peter comes out of his dream, Lola is there. Her rough voice, tough talk, and tomboy ways lead Peter to believe at first that she is a boy. She is more aggressive than Peter is, but she shares his confusion about why they have been brought to the house of stairs.

Despite her confusion, Lola refuses to be passive about her predicament.

Blossom, the next character introduced, is fat, selfish, and spoiled...