diff --git a/src/ARE/Actions.pm b/src/ARE/Actions.pm
index 5cbf1d2..a82db2f 100644
--- a/src/ARE/Actions.pm
+++ b/src/ARE/Actions.pm
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ method quantified_atom($/) {
 }
 
 method atom($/) {
-    my $past := PAST::Regex.new( ~$/, :pasttype<literal>, :node($/) );
+    my $past := $<metachar>
+                ?? $<metachar>.ast
+                !! PAST::Regex.new( ~$/, :pasttype<literal>, :node($/) );
     make $past;
 }
 
@@ -64,6 +66,10 @@ method quantifier:sym<?>($/) {
     make PAST::Regex.new( :pasttype<quant>, :min(0), :max(1), :node($/) );
 }
 
+method metachar:sym<.>($/) {
+    make PAST::Regex.new( :pasttype<charclass>, :subtype<.>, :node($/) );
+}
+
 
 sub buildsub($rpast, $block = PAST::Block.new() ) {
     $rpast := PAST::Regex.new(
diff --git a/src/ARE/Grammar.pm b/src/ARE/Grammar.pm
index d9e60ac..3678142 100644
--- a/src/ARE/Grammar.pm
+++ b/src/ARE/Grammar.pm
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ token quantified_atom {
 token atom {
     [
     | \w [ \w+! <?before \w> ]?
-#    | <metachar>
+    | <metachar>
     ]
 }
 
@@ -29,4 +29,10 @@ token quantifier:sym<*> { <sym> }
 token quantifier:sym<+> { <sym> }
 token quantifier:sym<?> { <sym> }
 
+proto token metachar { <...> }
+token metachar:sym<.> { <sym> }
+token metachar:sym<back> { \\ <backslash> }
+
+proto token backslash { <...> }
+token backslash:sym<w> { $<sym>=[<[dswnDSWN]>] }