diff --git a/modules/parser/src/main/scala/ava/parser/CharacterReader.scala b/modules/parser/src/main/scala/ava/parser/CharacterReader.scala
index 3928286..1c20aa8 100644
--- a/modules/parser/src/main/scala/ava/parser/CharacterReader.scala
+++ b/modules/parser/src/main/scala/ava/parser/CharacterReader.scala
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 package ava.parser
 
 import java.io.BufferedReader
+import java.io.FileReader
+import java.io.InputStream
+import java.io.InputStreamReader
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets
+import java.nio.file.Path
 
 /** Used to consume characters from the input stream.
   *
@@ -41,38 +46,43 @@ class CharacterReader(
     * accordingly.
     */
   private def fillBuffer(): Unit =
-    // TODO: Short circuit on EOF!
-    var numberOfCharacters = 0
-    if peekedAhead then
-      buffer(0) = lookAhead
-      numberOfCharacters = input.read(buffer, 1, Capacity - 1)
-    else numberOfCharacters = input.read(buffer, 0, Capacity)
+    if eof then ()
+    else
+      var numberOfCharacters = 0
+      if peekedAhead then
+        // Account for the case where we were forced to look ahead of the
+        // current stream and consume a character. This means we have to set
+        // that consumed character as the first element of the buffer.
+        buffer(0) = lookAhead
+        numberOfCharacters = input.read(buffer, 1, Capacity - 1)
+      else numberOfCharacters = input.read(buffer, 0, Capacity)
 
-    // Record the number of characters ACTUALLY consumed by the stream.
-    // This is our working buffer size.
-    length = numberOfCharacters
+      // Record the number of characters ACTUALLY consumed by the stream.
+      // This is our working buffer size.
+      length = numberOfCharacters
 
-    // If no characters could be read, we're done.
-    // EDGE CASE: If we peeked ahead to the last character, we still technically
-    // have a valid buffer of length 1.
-    val _ =
-      if numberOfCharacters <= 0 && peekedAhead then
-        // Edge case: buffer of size 1.
-        length = 1
-      else if length <= 0 then
-        // EOF case: no characters remain.
-        length = 0
-        setEof()
-        input.close()
-      else
-        // Normal case: we read some number of characters.
-        length = numberOfCharacters + (if peekedAhead then 1 else 0)
+      // If no characters could be read, we're done.
+      /* EDGE CASE: If we peeked ahead to the last character, we still
+       * technically */
+      // have a valid buffer of length 1.
+      val _ =
+        if numberOfCharacters <= 0 && peekedAhead then
+          // Edge case: buffer of size 1.
+          length = 1
+        else if length <= 0 then
+          // EOF case: no characters remain.
+          length = 0
+          setEof()
+          input.close()
+        else
+          // Normal case: we read some number of characters.
+          length = numberOfCharacters + (if peekedAhead then 1 else 0)
 
-    // Reset the peeked state -- we already consumed it.
-    peekedAhead = false
+      // Reset the peeked state -- we already consumed it.
+      peekedAhead = false
 
-    // Reset the index position to start iterating through the buffer again.
-    index = 0
+      // Reset the index position to start iterating through the buffer again.
+      index = 0
 
   /** Observe, but do not consume, the next character in the stream. Note that
     * if the buffer is fully consumed, this function must read the underlying
@@ -85,7 +95,9 @@ class CharacterReader(
   def peek(): Option[Char] =
     if eof then None
     else if index == length then
-      // Special case -- try to read one.
+      // Special case -- we have exhausted the buffer and still want to peek.
+      // In this case, we consume exactly one character (if possible) and set
+      // the peek state.
       peekedAhead = true
       lookAhead = input.read().toChar
       if lookAhead < 0 then
@@ -97,18 +109,29 @@ class CharacterReader(
   def consume(): Option[Char] =
     if eof then None
     else if peekedAhead then
+      // If we are in the "peeked ahead" state, we know that we were forced to
+      // consume the stream to peek. Fill the buffer accordingly.
       fillBuffer()
-      lastChars.push(lookAhead)
-      Some(lookAhead)
+
+      // buffer(0) contains what we need, but it's ALSO in lookAhead. Take it,
+      // increment the index (to 1), and return the correct value.
+      val selectedChar = buffer(0)
+      lastChars.push(selectedChar)
+      index = index + 1
+      Some(selectedChar)
     else if index == length then
+      // The buffer has been exhausted. Refill it.
       fillBuffer()
       if eof then None
       else
+        // At this point, 'index' should be 0.
         val pos = index
         index = index + 1
         lastChars.push(buffer(pos))
         Some(buffer(pos))
     else
+      // Regular case -- the buffer is not exhausted and contains data. Get the
+      // data at the current position and move our pointer.
       val pos = index
       index = index + 1
       lastChars.push(buffer(pos))
@@ -126,3 +149,41 @@ class CharacterReader(
     */
   def isEof(): Boolean =
     eof
+
+  def getLastChar(): Char = lastChars.newest()
+
+  def getLookback(): Array[Char] = lastChars.newestToOldest()
+
+object CharacterReader:
+
+  /** Initialize a [[CharacterReader]] for the the given file, using the UTF-8
+    * character set.
+    *
+    * @param path
+    *   The path to the file.
+    * @return
+    *   The new [[CharacterReader]].
+    */
+  def forPath(path: Path): CharacterReader =
+    new CharacterReader(
+      new BufferedReader(
+        new FileReader(path.toFile(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)
+      )
+    )
+
+  /** Initialize a [[CharacterReader]] for the given input stream, using the
+    * UTF-8 character set.
+    *
+    * @param inputStream
+    *   The input stream.
+    * @return
+    *   The new [[CharacterReader]].
+    */
+  def forInputStream(inputStream: InputStream): CharacterReader =
+    new CharacterReader(
+      new BufferedReader(
+        new InputStreamReader(inputStream, StandardCharsets.UTF_8)
+      )
+    )
+
+end CharacterReader