Mobile Phones Have Improved Our Lives in Every Way

MOBILE PHONES HAVE IMPROVED OUR LIVES IN EVERY WAY We live in the era of smart phones and not that smart people. Are mobile phones really necessary or are they just toys that think instead of us and help us escape from our boring lives? On one hand mobile phones are very beneficial. Thanks to all intelligent technological tools, you can call or text anyone you want, even if they are not close. You can call the emergency if you are stuck in an accident.In addition, one of the perks is definitely the internet access which you can reach wherever you are. Whether you are waiting for someone to come and are bored, you can listen to music. Nowadays you do not have to carry and agenda with you, because this sophisticated apparatuses remember all the appointments and reminders you might forget. On the other hand, you can easily get distracted by mobile phones, what sometimes can lead to obsessions. Not to mention the radiation and its consequences which cause infertility and many other healt h risks.Is it not sad when you meet and old friends of yours for a coffee and you both end up hanging on the mobile phones and become extremely anti-social? All in all, technological phenomenon of modern time are one of the greatest discoveries so far and our lives would never be the same if they did not exist, because they have made our lives easier in every single way. I believe that the benefits of using mobile phones outweigh the disadvantages, but only if the usage is under control. Therefore, we must not let them use us, we must use them!

Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations Department

An efficient work force is important to the overall success of any organization and this also has implications for the overall success of a country’s economy.Not only do organizations require adequate numbers of workers to fill essential positions, these workers need to be highly productive so that the organization makes optimal use of the capital it invests in labour. It is evident therefore that the overall productivity of the workforce will go a far way in determining the eventual viability of the organization.Analysts have tended to link worker productivity with increased living standards, arguing that increased efficiency leads to increased remuneration which therefore improves individual as well as national living standards (Monthly Labour Review, 2007).The counter to this position is that employees who are producing below a certain minimum standard may affect the productivity of the entire organization, so much so, that organizational productivity decreases over time.In these days of harsh competition, organizations cannot afford to make such grave mistakes when it comes to recruiting new staff members. All current, new and aspiring employees must have in mind the vision and goal of the company and work towards their accomplishment in the most efficient way possible.Seeing the importance of a productive workforce in determining organizational success, it is evident that organizations have to adopt appropriate strategies to attract the best employees to fill all positions within the organization.While it is difficult to predict, at the initial stages, the level at which a potential employee will produce, it is essential that organizations ensure that mechanisms are put in place which ensure that the recruitment and selection process results in the hiring of employees that will contribute to the overall productivity of the firm by bringing to the job high productivity.Recruitment and selection of employees to a firm cannot be a light matter but must be dealt with by individuals who are themselves highly productive and committed to the overall vision and goals of the organization.Recruitment and selection are functions over which the human resource manager has universal control. It is this category of employees in an organization who are closely conversant with the overall goals of the organization and who are in the best position to decide on appropriate candidates for employment.Management is a process of effectively taking advantage of manpower, materials and resources as well as financial power, to realize the aims of an organization. Since the 1990s the science of management control has witnessed significant changes at both the governmental and organizational levels.The society seems now to be evolving from one that has traditionally been hierarchical to one that features plural management. Nowadays various managers function within a single organization to carry out certain specific functions, decentralizing control.Manage ment science as a field of enquiry developed within large corporations. In the western world the management control literature was piloted at the beginning of the 19th century by theorists such as Taylor and Fayol among others (see Taylor, 1911).In this early era control was seen as an essential aspect and function of management. Control primarily involved the management control of activities, cash flows, people, organizational units and managers. However, as time progressed, the concept of Human Resource Management emerged as an improvement on previous management control models.The HR department is the locus through which the organization is able to meet and sustain its employment needs. Continued and improved worker productivity is therefore one of the primary objectives of the HR department.This department needs to be aware of the organization’s employment strategy, in order to assist by looking for the right talents to help this strategy. It is becoming increasingly clear that the job market is much like the market for goods and services. Employee recruitment has therefore become a mechanism whereby potential employees market their capabilities on the one hand and businesses attempt to recruit the best workers in the particular field (Breaugh, 1992).At the same time, it is of outmost importance that the Human Resources are managed in the most effective way possible in order to achieve the final goal of management control.HR management, through processes such as recruitment and selection provides aspects that link its activities with the strategy of the business itself (McKenna & Beech, 1995). Recruitment and selection therefore represents the first step in the management control processes. Although successful recruitment and selection are not hereby means towards achieving successful management control, there must be a good recruitment and selection system in place to contribute towards this end.This dissertation will attempt to address the twin iss ue of recruitment and selection. Taking the form of a Case Study, this paper will explore and discuss the various methods and procedures of recruitment and selection being used in a specific company – the Yintao Golf Club Co., Ltd. located in China.Aspects pertinent to recruitment and selection, including job descriptions and interviewing practices will be examined in this case study. By examining a single, Chinese company, the researcher will be able to broaden understanding of the Chinese characteristics of HR management. The researcher will attempt therefore to produce an understanding of the nature of Chinese management control at a miniscule level.

Intercultural Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Intercultural - Essay Example Interviewee: There are a lot of festivals in Russia but let me single out Maslenitsa. This is the pure Russian holiday which refers you back to the times of pagan. It is celebratory pre-Lenten tradition of Russia and habitually referred to as the pancake week. Every day of pancake week has a customary activity. Kids make themselves busy by playing games while the elders cook huge stacks of pancakes. The festival also consists of snowball fights, riding on swings, masquerades, sledding, and sleigh rides. In the festival, image of Maslenitsa is also burnt to usher in spring and return of the sun. Interviewee: Yes, I do enjoy life in America a lot. Things are just wonderful here. The most attractive part is that America has many diverse groups of people who live happily with one another and they have the right to condemn what is going wrong in government. Interviewee: Americans prefer more personal space as opposed to Russians. Russians like "close talkers" and they cannot move away when you are conversing, you can close in on Russians. Repeating "Im sorry" can make you appear untrusted in Russian culture. Just apologize once and then let actions show you mean it. This is not the case in

Gerrymandering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Gerrymandering - Essay Example Partisan gerrymandering depicts the determination of the various seats that make a delegation different from a national outcome that is distinctive. Partisan gerrymandering presents advantage to a political party whose voters have an equal distribution. In terms of difficulty, bipartisan approach tends to be a complication with comparison to partisan gerrymander. The reason is that bipartisan eliminates bias that the partisan approach brings forth. The partisan approach also utilizes a particular algorithm, the partisan algorithm. The bipartisan gerrymander represents an advantaging to the serving government. The instance is that the bipartisan gerrymander tends to reflect all the affiliations of voters are in alignment with the incumbent’s party. The redistricting game showcases the real issues that the lawmakers experience in their activities. On top of the challenges is the creation of districts that allow the equity of power. The choosing of the best gerrymander avenue to use is also an issue. The reason is that each option presents an unequal creation or redistribution of authority that may face vast

Information Technology Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information Technology Questions - Essay Example The idea of "capital" is a central concept of capitalism, the overwhelmingly dominant economic system in the world today. Q: 2 In the past, people believed that "knowledge is power" and they sometimes used such knowledge to "build empire that resulted in isolated, dysfunctional organizational units. In the new knowledge-sharing environment, illustrate how this tendency to hoard knowledge and expertise could be minimized or eliminated To me our knowledge of the way things work, in society or in nature, comes trailing clouds of vagueness. Vast ills have followed a belief in certainty, whether historic inevitability, grand diplomatic designs, or extreme views on economic policy. When developing policy with wide effects for an individual or society, caution is needed because we cannot predict the consequences. The development of ways to deal with complex systems is now taking place in many disciplines, but slowly and not without controversy. Complexity theories fell into some disrepute when some management "gurus" tried to map complex adaptive system theories onto business management and market trading strategies - with less than successful results for investors. It now seems likely that the level of similarity in adaptation strategies between, say, populations of sharks and populations of stock-market day-traders is less than some have "seen." But the broad outlines of all complex systems appear to be tantalizingly analogous and can give us some clues for new things to try - even if we cannot predict in advance that these things will work just like they do in other systems. REFERNCE Alexander Kouzmin and Alan Jarman, "Crisis Decision Making: Towards a Contingent Decisions Path Perspective," in Uriel Rosenthal, Michael T.Charles, and Paul T. Hart, eds., Coping With Crisis: The Management of Disasters, Riots and Terrorism, Springfield IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers, pp. 397-435 Q: 3 Although it is legal to discover trade secrets through reverse engineering, evaluate whether or not it really should be illegal. ANSWER: Because reverse engineering can be used to reconstruct source code, it walks a fine line in intellectual property law. Many software

Censorship of pornography Speech or Presentation

Censorship of pornography - Speech or Presentation Example In 1973, the Supreme Court tried to define what could be considered as obscene in the case of Miller v. California. It was held in the said case that pornography is obscene if applying community standards and viewing such material as a whole, (1) the "dominant theme taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interest" (2) that it depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way; and (3) that it lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value (Miller v. California 1976). Community standards may have evolved, as more people are becoming more liberated and open-minded. But the average person as a whole still defines what is proper. Pornography injures not just the community but also, the self-respect lost by its subjects. The abuse that it contemplates is not limited to what could be shocking to the conscience of men, but what is proper to humanity. Obscenity is never a matter of individual belief or perception, it is not how one can be impressed or satisfie d by such material, rather, it is the perception of the community as a whole which is genuinely taken. In our modern time where media and the Internet are accessible to every person, even to a child, the State must act upon its authority to provide the sanctity and safety of every individual through regulation.

Children with HIV in the U.S Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Children with HIV in the U.S - Research Proposal Example ed States got the virus through mother to child transmission; through labor, pregnancy, through breastfeeding or during delivery - as opposed to other modes of transmission. The information in this undated source is published by Avert.Org. The source provides general overview of the state of the United States in terms of the number of people, by categories, affected by HIV and AIDS. The statistics in this source are those provided by CDC among other reputable organizations, the data being of more recent years. The source also provides statistics of deaths that have resulted from HIV and AIDS with focus being on the US. This fact sheet, authored by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2006, provides statistics of HIV/AIDS infections although it mainly contains information related to HIV/AIDS infection among women in the United States. This book, published in 1998, gives a detailed discussion of HIV and AIDS. The book provides up-to-date information regarding HIV including its history, mode of transmission, symptoms and the various means that have been applied to control the virus and prevent its attack. To acquire reliable data, an interview with a medical practitioner from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is proposed. CDC, as an institution has the most current data that relates to HIV in the USA as a whole. Such an interview is expected to give insights into the current infection levels among children of various ages, and in different

Organic Farming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Organic Farming - Essay Example The majority of the studies have concluded that organic farming and the food produced this way, providing it is properly monitored, is beneficial to the environment and to the consumer. However, the industry is not experiencing the growth that was forecast in the early days of development. If organic farming is so important, why is it still considered a fad and not become a way of life Is organic farming as important and efficient as its proponents suggest Little research has been directed at this dilemma. The scope of this report is to investigate the nature, structure, business, and legal aspect of Organic Farming, and to ascertain the validity of the claims made as to its importance as a preferable and sustainable source in the food and product chain. The objective is to ascertain why organic farming has not become an important issue to the consumer, and action can be taken to address this situation. To provide an answer to the hypothesis our research focuses on the following areas: - To give a balanced view to our study, we also look at the international aspect of the industry, in terms of its size and market share. Our intention is that this study will complement and add value to the existing research on the subject matter. In an effort to provide a logical ... To provide an answer to the hypothesis our research focuses on the following areas: - The ethics of Organic Farming, to ascertain whether the claims made are valid or not. The industry itself, in an effort to gauge the its marketing effectiveness, how it manages the risk element, and the domestic and international size of the industry. The applicable laws, standards, and labelling requirement imposed upon the industry. How the Organic industry can achieve a more effective program for educating the consumer in relation to the benefits and value of its products. To give a balanced view to our study, we also look at the international aspect of the industry, in terms of its size and market share. Our intention is that this study will complement and add value to the existing research on the subject matter. Overview In an effort to provide a logical progression for the paper, a brief history of the industry and its methods are outlined in chapter two. In the third chapter we concentrate upon the business aspect of the industry and its impact, both national and globally, before we move the to discuss the ethics of organic production in chapter four. The current laws, standards, and labelling upon the producers are reviewed in chapter five before we analyze the methods by which the industry currently educates the industry the consumer, and this leads us to the conclusion of our study in chapter, where appropriate recommendations will be outlined. Chapter 2 Background To provide for an better understanding of the substantial amount of research and debate that surrounds Organic Farming and the content of these papers, it is necessary to understand the origins of the industry, and the methods used and systems of

People grieve over the death of a loved one in different ways Essay

People grieve over the death of a loved one in different ways - Essay Example For most people, when a loved one dies, they definitely feel a deep sense of sadness. The realization that the person will not be with the family anymore makes the living members cry inconsolably. However, they also realize that life has to go on with them. For some, they may try to cope with the pain and loss by denying the death of the loved one. They continue to live their lives as if the dead family member simply went on a long vacation. Some even try to write letters to make them feel that the person they love did not pass away but is just on another side of the globe. Others keep on doing things they enjoyed doing for the person such as cooking their favorite foods on special occasions. Some would keep their favorite things and use the favorite scents of the person they have lost. They want to feel the presence of the dead person by cheating on their perceptions and feelings. This may last for a few weeks, months or even years depending on a person’s ability to accept an d face the truth. On the other hand, a person may feel angry. Sometimes, they do not understand why they feel that way or they do not even know who they are angry at. They just feel indignant because they have lost a person whom they love. Some feel they do not deserve the loss. For instance, a wife who recently got married to the best man she has ever met suddenly losses him in a car accident with a drunk driver who miraculously survives. The circumstances can initially make her angry at the drunk driver. Eventually, she will question why the reckless, wicked drunk driver lived while her wonderful husband died. For those who believe in God, such questioning can turn the hatred toward the supposedly Omnipotent God. This grieving mechanism may not be helpful in the turn of events but it somehow helps the person release the anger and anguish within. In addition, an

Create atmospher Essay Example for Free

Create atmospher Essay The writer creates a tense, aggressive and misleading atmosphere. Miller creates a tense atmosphere as Eddie is attacking Rodolfo with sneery comments to lower his self esteem and make Rodolfo look bad in Catherines eyes. The quote thats why the water front is no place for him (Rodolfo) Eddie is making Rodolfo feel unwanted and like this place is no place for you. Also this could imply that Catherine also no place for him and he needs to back off. In the stage direction Miller make the atmosphere tense by I quote (has has been unconsciously twisting the newspaper into a tight role) and everyone is looking at him and acknowledging him knowing how much Rodolfo annoys him. Then miller writes in the stage direction about the paper suddenly tears in two this doesnt only show eddies frustration and strength but also could symbolise Eddie and Catherines relationship, it shows if Eddie keeps on pushing her and twisting their relationship and eventually it will break and Catherine will have to make a decision and that is exactly what happens later on in the play when Catherine has to chose between staying with Eddie or going with Rodolfo and she finally feels she needs to stand up for herself and grow up so goes with Rodolfo. Eddie then moves on to how Marco and him should go see a fight together, and constantly addressing Marco showing he feels Marco as the only person who can put Rodolfo down a peg or two, he loves the dominance over Rodolfo so then takes advantage of this by always asking for Marcos approval on matters on how Rodolfo has done bad, like when Catherine and Rodolfo were out late at the pictures and Eddie states about how Rodolfo might get picked up if hes out that late and how he dragged Catherine off and shouldnt be out so late with her. Marco asks Eddie what has he done and Eddie tells him about being late In and Marco say to Rodolfo you come home early now Eddie loves how Marco can embarrass and be dominant over Rodolfo. When Eddie is talking about fighting Marco is uneasy because he can see that its not a good idea, but Eddie is making the atmosphere so misleading he is being nice and saying things like you want to come and I treat you and he says Ill buy the tickets at this point the reader is not sure of what is going to happen but we have this thought at the back of our head that its not a good idea and foreshadowing danger. Then the atmosphere turns violent and tense, it starts out Eddie saying about how he could teach Marco how to box, then he turns to Rodolfo and then states well come on, Ill teach you instantly this seems an innocent gesture from anyone else but not Eddie, he knows what he is doing and just wants to get back at Rodolfo. He is saying Ill show you a couple a passes these are all excuses he just wants a chance to inflict pain on Rodolfo. Boxing is another manly sport that feminine Rodolfo cant do, and Eddie knows this so takes advantage of this weakness knowing he wont be able to defend himself so expects Rodolfo to be weak. It then turns out that Rodolfo is very good and both Eddie and Marco are praising him so this all seems like a bit of fun but then Eddie is egging him on to do worse and saying dont pity on methrow it we then get this superstition that its not going to turn out well. Eddie then states you cant hurt me but we know this is not true because Rodolfo has already hurt him but through Catherine instead, Eddie knows this and takes advantage of this all the time making the atmosphere tense and aggressive, Eddie knows he has sort of lost Catherine to Rodolfo and is determined not to lose to Rodolfo at something Eddie is good at. Catherine then becomes scared and is the only one sensing trouble so asks what are they doin? and Beatrice doesnt think anything of it and is happy they are finally getting on and cant see the trouble behind it. Eddie seems fine and happy then all of a sudden fakes a punch and lands his right on Rodolfo, Rodolfo staggers. Marco then rises this shows that Marco is not afraid to stand up for his family and is kind of warning to Eddie. Then Catherine rushes to Rodolfo this will seriously anger Eddie as it seems Catherine has already made the decision to go with Rodolfo instead. Eddie senses Catherine is angry with him so instantly comments on how Rodolfo is fine and saying did I hurt you kid? he is trying to keep the atmosphere neutral and not get on the bad side of Catherine. Beatrice then puts and end to it and says thats enough to Eddie. He then says to Marco Ill teach him again and in the stage directions It states Marco nods dubiously this shows that Marco weary of this. Eddie is made out to be a bully and Rodolfo seems even better in the eyes of Catherine for being so good at boxing and not fighting back to Eddies punch. After the boxing the atmosphere becomes tense again Rodolfo puts on the record paper doll and we know that this record has created quite a tense atmosphere in the past because the lyrics symbolises the love triangle between Eddie, Catherine and Rodolfo. The lyrics state about how Catherine is Rodolfos girl and not Eddies anymore and Its tough to love a doll thats not your own and thats how Eddie feels. We know that this was not a good idea for Rodolfo to do then he asks Catherine to dance. Marco can see that Eddie is uncomfortable with this, so Marco sets him a challenge he places a chair in front of him and asks him to lift the chair by one leg and with one arm behind your back, Marco only demonstrates this though, this may imply that Marco wants to be the dominant one and show Eddie how its done after Eddies pathetic attempt to do it, Eddie then proceeds to accept the challenge it. Eddie cant do it and never faults himself and how its because the chair is on an angle not because he isnt strong enough. This could also symbolise about how Eddie feels his judgments are right about Rodolfo and now Marco needs to show Eddie some dominance and prove Eddie is wrong. Marco then raises the chair exactly how he showed Eddie and he carries on hiring the chair all the way above his head and holding it there. The stage directions state Marco gives of a glare of warning to Eddie all the while still holding the chair over his head, he is stating to Eddie to back off and leave Rodolfo alone before he does something his regrets. His glare then turns into a smile of triumph this shows that he has dominance over Eddie and control. Marco ends the scene as the most powerful man. All the while the atmosphere has a constant theme of tension and aggressiveness. In this extract there is pathos which means you feel sympathy for a someone and this particular person is Eddie. He never seems to get what he wants and has been seen as a bully and not a nice person in everyones eyes. We feel pity for him as Catherine has shown she has chosen Rodolfo over Eddie and now Eddie seems powerless and not the man of the house when Marco shows his act of dominance.

Introduction Of Heritance Kandalama

Introduction Of Heritance Kandalama Heritance Kandalama is being managed by well known Sri Lankan blue chip company, Aitken Spence PLC. The Hospitality Sector is a one out of four operation of Aitken Spences. Services, logistic solution and strategic investment are theirs other operations. Under Services they operate Destination management which enhances dramatically their hotel operations. Destination management providing the entire facilities under one roof needed for the destination travelers. There are range of hotel brands managing by Aitken Spence such as Heritance in Sri Lanka, Adaaran in Maldives and Aitken Spence Hotels in India and Oman. Same time they provide inbound and outbound travels, airlines agencies, conventions and exhibitions, elevator agency, financial services and insurances through out local and international market under their Service sectors. (See Appendix 01) Heritance is the famous brand of Aitken Spences. The meaning of Heritance is the combination of Heritage and Inheritance. Heritance Hotels Resorts are a collection of resorts that are architecturally unique and blend in with their natural environment Quoted from Aitken Spence official web site. http://www.aitkenspence.com, retrieved on 23 February, 2012 Heritance Kandalama is an example of blend of Sri Lankan heritage, inherits and wild life. It is a luxurious 5 star eco friendly hotel, superiorly architected by world famous Geffory Bava. Heritance Kandalma is the first best Eco conceptual hotel in Sri Lanka and only a few in Asia. Heritance Kandalama facilitating with 152 rooms, 3 restaurants with 295 seating capacity including out door places for dinning and chilling out facilities, one banquet hall, 3 unique pools with 2 bars, business center, in door and out door sports, shopping arcade and a fabulous nature garden over looking the Kandalama lake with numerous flora and fauna. (Appendix 02) Kandalama hotel client base is eco friendly travelers who are looking for mouth watering food extravaganza, serene privacy, luxury and unique experiences. It attracts vast and reputed client tail by providing unique splendid luxury facilities and services. It has a wide European market for the majority with guest also visiting from the rest of the world. Nature lovers, eco friendly business travelers, honeymooners, families with kids, adventures, cultural and leisure tourists are main visitors of them. Heritance Kandalama Marketing Strategies Forming the Marketing Strategies for Heritance Kandalama. Heritance Kandalama Hotel strategies formulated on the Aitken Spences corporate and Hotel sector strategies which mainly based on Marketing concept and Societal concept. Heritance brands strategy and market slogan is Where tradition is alive. Heritance Kandalama hotel is been flagship of Sustainable Green Tourism strategies and CSR strategies practices. Figure 2.1: Porter Generic Strategies for Heritance Kandalama Competitive Advantage Competitive Scope Low Cost Higher Cost Broad NarrowOverall Cost Leadership Differentiation-Heritance Kandalama Cost focus Differentiation Focus Source: Porter As you can see in Figure 2.1 Heritance Kandalama is taking competitive advantage under Differentiation strategies by catering to broad market with higher price compared to other eco friendly resorts in Sri Lanka. As you can see in positioning below they have broader market which they cater to each and every type of markets so they can charge premium price as Heritance is and internationally and locally well reputed brand with their unique location, luxury services and facilities, and well established marketing communication strategies. Heritance Kandalama Hotel and Marketing Strategies Though Heritance Kandalama hotel uses Societal and Marketing concept as their marketing concepts still they use other concepts too. Societal Concept Sustainable tourism, CSR practices, Green Auditing Marketing Concept Nature conscious architecture, Heritance ingenious Food Experience As mother company of Heritance Kandalama, Aitken Spence group has been awarded as one of the top ten best corporate citizen in Sri Lanka consecutively for 6 years by taking consideration of their sustainable business strategies. Heritance brand too recognized as one of the best practice hotel chain on sustainability, responsible tourism and eco friendliness. They are pioneer of Setting Standards for Sri Lankan sustainable and green tourism. (See Appendix 01 ) In order to practice Where Tradition is Alive marketing slogan and against to the competitors, Heritance Kandalama differentiates their location, interior and exterior of hotel, products and service, and Green philosophy practices. Positioning Royal Suites with VIP luxury amenities, Wedding package documentation for foreigners, Balloon Rides, Mountain Cave tracking, Targeting Honeymoon Package, Excursions, Cultural Activities Cultural triangle tours, Green philosophy, CSR concern guest Segmentation Eco Nature Lovers, Adventures, Cultural Tourist, Love Romance Responsible TouristsSegmentation, Targeting and Positioning for Heritance Kandalama Heritance Kandalama cater to Eco friendly, sustainable and nature conscious luxury market segments. Their client tails are wild life and nature lovers, love and romance, cultural tourists, leisure and adventure tourists and responsible tourists, who looking for mouth watering food, serene privacy, luxury and unique experience. Kandalama has differentiate target markets according to their own strong marketing mix, such as culture triangle excursions and involving guest in community service to promote responsible tourism. (Appendix ) Kandalama value proposition is Where Tradition is Alive. They positioned their market for High end customers with royal suites and VIP amenities, Honeymooner and Wedding customers with wedding packages and providing documentation facilities for foreigners, Adventure customers with Balloon rides, Night mount hiking and Eco friendly tourists by practicing green philosophy. All the above services and products have been provided by protecting and promoting the traditional Sri Lankan culture. The Heritance Kandalama has well positioned their product to gain best competitive advantages over their competitors. Luxury -Royal suites, Six sense spa. Culture Excursions to Punaragama village and culture triangle. Adventure Excursions of Night mount hiking, Jungle tracking. Love Romance Wedding Package. Family Eco park, Special children menu, In and out door sports. Business Conference facilities, Six sense spa, Serene environment away from busy city. Sustainable and Nature Green philosophy and CSR practices, Promote and buy community products, Green Architecture. Price More Same LessFigure 1.2: Heritance Kandalam product positioning in market More Same Less Benefits Royal Suite, Six sense spa Honeymoon package Restaurant Buffet Balloon rides Cultural triangle excursions Diamond club loyalty card Horse and pony rides Conference facilities Punaragama village tour Source: Author concept Heritance Kandalama is using different pricing strategies according to their product and service to cater different markets and compete with competitors. More-More : Compared to other eco-luxury hotels HK Royal Suites is far more expensive as their services and facilities are of a higher standard. Same-Same: Cultural triangle excursion package and the price is the same as when comparing to the surrounding hotels. Less-Less: Punaragama package is not expensive; with this package you can explore previous traditional village life of Sri Lanka which competitors dont have such facilities. This is a unique market positioning for them. Growth Strategy and Heritance Kandalama Existing Products New Product 5 star luxury rooms and facilities, Honeymoon package, Cultural Triangle excursion Balloon rides, Helicopter rides, Traditional music and cultural events. Family package with kiddies facilities, Adventure packages for corporate company clients. Punaragama package, Green tourists, Community service Existing Market New Market Heritance Kandalama is doing great market penetration. Even though there are 5 star resorts there, they do larger market penetration compare to competitors, as their unique geographical position and superb nature blend architected. They were developed new market for kids to retain parents by introducing new kids menu, kiddies sports, and kids club by creating adventure holidays for kids such as kiddies camping. There was another new market they created Adventure packages for corporate company clients as there new immerge of adventures out door management training program. Heritance Kandalama developed balloon ride and helicopter ride for existing adventure market. Their diversification or unique products are Punaragama Cultural village, Kandalama Ingà ©nues food experience and Cave dining. 7Ps strategies for Heritance Kandalama Product 152 five star luxuries room with 7 categories, 3 unique restaurants, pool bars and Kandalama style cousins, Six sense spa with all beauty treatments, 3 unique pools in and our door sport facilities, Library and bushiness center, Excursions include cultural triangle, Activities such as bird watching, trekking, boat trip, horse and elephant riding. Price Best Available Rates for Bed and Breakfast with tax Superior USD 180 Panoramic USD 201 Luxury USD 250 Deluxe USD 262 Travel Agent Rates Superior USD Panoramic USD Luxury USD Deluxe USD Promotion (See Appendix ) Advertising in News paper, Official World Wide Website, Magazines, Green Philosophy, CSR Activities, Word of Mouth, Blogs, Social Medias such as facebook and twitter, Direct sales promotions, Catering to the international events and providing facilities for international researchers to gain knowledge about sustainable and green tourism practices, Always been under lime light of every global and local green and sustainable awarding. Place 183km away from Sri Lankan Colombo, Katunayaka Bandaranayaka International airport, Located with in UNESCO World Heritage Site and Sri Lankan Cultural triangle, Over looking of 1200 years old Kandalama river, Sigiri and Dambulla citadels. Hotel reservation system, Aitkent Spence destination management, Official website and other reservation websites such as Agoda, Trip advisor, and other travel agencies working as distributions channels of HK. People Corporate and international customer training programs and other trainings for Staff, Staff evaluation and rewards upon their success in customer services such as employee of the month, Training, develop and encourage lower level for higher managerial positions, through community services and CSR build good relationship between guest, staff and local community. Process Awarded with environmental process certifications, CSR and Green Philosophy practices, 8 Rs practices on resources, Hotel Standard guidance book, SLS certifications Physical Evidence Internationally awarded Geffory Bavas architectural design, Eco and Environment conscious landscaping, interiors and exteriors, energy conservations system, Colors and design blend with nature to do minimal impact on environment. Heritance Kandalama Marketing Communication and Public Relation Strategies Heritance Kandalama is having very effective personal and mass communication structure to create new customer bases and retain the existing customers. Promotion and direct meeting from hotel sales and marketing department and Walking guest or over reception counter selling are the some of personal communications. Some of mass communication methods for HK are websites, paper and magazine advertisements, brochures, cut outs and YouTube. DRIP elements for Heritance Kandalama Differentiate Nature blend land mark architecture Heritance = Heritage + Inheritance of Sri Lanka Sustainable tourism practices Nature conscious Green Philosophy with 8Rs practices Remind Unique 5 star Heritance Kandalama service and products Aitken Spencer website with Kandalama media center, blog spots, social media such as facebook, twitter, blogger After sales follow up and guest data base management Influence Through official web site and other websites International and local trade show and conferences Been Hall of Fame in every tourism awarding body in Sri Lanka and internationally Through unique selling products such Kandalama ingenious cooking and Punaragama cultural village Persuade Marketing Slogan: Where Tradition Alive Display Attractive packages and excursion in their websites with details and same time with online reservation CSR system practices and Green philosophy persuade to buy their products Marketing Communication Strategies for Heritance Kandalama Heritance Kandalama is using different market communication strategies aligned with their corporate strategies, such as 3.2.1 Push Strategies Push strategy is one of main communication strategy used by Heritance Kandalama. As intermediates they use their own sister company Aitken Spence Travel and Tours, other local travel agents and tour operators, international travel agents and tour operators such as Kouni, hotel representative at airport, trade show and other travel and tourism conferences. Heritance Kandalama Hotel Aitkent Spence Travel Tours Customer 3.2.2 Pull Strategies The growing and vast potential communication strategy used by Heritance Kandalama is the pull strategy, as there do not need to allocate intermediary commissions, discount or extra payments. This is very profitable for customers as well as to the HK, however Heritance Kandalm a has to are advertising and communications cost. Heritance Kandalama Booking.com, Central Reservation Customer Promotion Mix 3.2.3 Profile Strategies Their some of profile strategies are Heritance News letter, Promotion between other Aitken Spence staffs and suppliers. Marketing Mix for Heritance Kandalama Direct Selling Aitkent Spence Hotel reservation system Personal Selling Heritance Kandalama Sales and Marketing Department Advertising Magazine and Bill board Sales Promotion Seasonal offers, Marketing campaign Sponsorship Donating to local community schools Exhibitions Trade fairs E-communication Official website, Facebook, Twitter Public Relations(PR) CSR practices Public Relation (PR) and Heritance Kandalama Heritance brand is a well known cultural resort brand among Sri Lankans as well as internationally. Heritance Kandalama is playing a major role among Aitkent Spence hotels as well as Heritance brand hotels. It has a reputations the Pioneer of the sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka as well as a role modeler for the world. It is because of their luxuries hotel practices, procedures and policies they follow in sustainable tourism. Their mammoth well planned PR strategies are not second to any other hotel in Sri Lankan accommodation sector. 3.4.1 Public Relationship Strategies using by Heritance Kandalama Press Agencies : Heritance Kandalama has taken full advantages of the PR facilities of their mother company Aitken Spencer which has press release on Aitken Spence websites, National news paper agencies and other public media to promote in Sri Lanka as well as in foreign markets. Product Publicity : Very detailed information of hotel products and services mentioning in their official website www.heritancekandalama.com Public Affairs : They use Green philosophy and CSR as their main weapon through the PR system. Heritance Kandalama public affair system well functions through the protecting environment, waste recycle system and 8Rs practices and minimum impact of tourism activities to the nature, local community and natural resources. Very good Human Resource practices, Promote and protect the Sri Lankan heritage can be taken as PA. Through all these they are able to create a great public image among Sri Lankans and responsible travelers around the world. Lobbying : Donating and helping government schools. Mainly they set the example to the Sri Lankan government to formulate the law, rules and regulation for the sustainable tourism. Investor Relations : Returning maximum profits to the share holders and delivering transparency financial and annual reports. Development : Community services, using local products for hotel operation, promoting the local crafts and goods to the hotel visitors and setting standards for Green Tourism in Sri Lanka Other PR communication channels. News and speeches by executive to the media Executive review in annual reports Written materials Heritance Kandalama hotel broachers, articles Audio visual materials Youtube, Wesite video clips Corporate identity materials Heritance Kanadalama logo in stationaeries, signs, business cards, heritance uniforms, CSR activities, hotel website and social net works. Any how beginning of the HK hotel was not easy task because of Sri Lankan public and local community was against to building it as hotel construction and operation would badly impact on Kandalama reservoir, Kandalama Lake, natural flora and fauna, wild animals and for local community, so from the beginning Heritance Kandalam was acted on well planed PR activities to avoid all those protests. Heritance Kandalma takes maximum opportunities through building better PR around their Location of cultural triangle and wild life, better service and quality product but through practice of Green Philosophy. 3.4.2 Heritance Kandalama PR practices and Sustainable Tourism From the beginning Heritance Kandalma empathies on sustainability through the construction, operation and disposing. Their operating and marketing strategies too build on sustainability. Setting standard for Sri Lankan eco tourism is one of their main objectives according to 2010/2011 annual report. Figure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ : Sustainability of Heritance Kandalma Hotel Source: http://www.ecotoursportugal.com Social: Heritance Kandalma CSR practices, Community services, Donation for local schools Economic: Best Human Resource practices and Hiring local personal such village flute player, Buying and using local products, developed Kandalama ingenious food experience through local products and Encourage tourist to buy local community products. Environment: Green philosophy practices, Minimum impact on environment through green architecture, 8Rs practices (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Reverence, Respect, Responsibility, Rethink and Repair) Brand Brand Strategies of Heritance Kandalama Heritance Kandalma is a five star luxury resort hotel situated over looking of Kandalma Lake and surround by 5 of UNESCO World Heritage sites. There are hundred of luxury resorts in the world wide and same as in Sri Lanka, but however Heritance Kandalma brand is differtiate from its competitors and deliver brand values to its loyal customers. HK hotel extend their services under Heritance brand mean Heritage and Inheritance and their value proposition Where Tradition Alive Brand Attributes of Heritance Kandalma Image: : Heritance brand name, Location of Hotel Design Style : Geffry Bavas Green Concept architecture engraving to rocks, flora fauna with minimum impact on its natural environment Logo : Brownish antique letters give Cultural feeling to the Heritance Kandalma logo Marketing Campaigns: Through promotion mix Printing Media: HK broachers, leaflets and news letters Web site : Official website www.heritancehotels/kandalama Behaviors : Through guest experiences of hotel products and services Brand strategies and Heritance Kandalma Aitken Spence PLC is using umbrella branding strategies up on their main product and services such as Aitken Spence Hotels, Services, Logistic solutions and Strategic investment. Any how under hotel sector they use Multi Branding strategies such as Heritance, Adaaran and Aitken Spence hotel and resorts. Kandalama hotel is under Heritance which combine characteristics of Heritage and Inheritance of Sri Lanka. Heritance Kandalama contribute to the Heritance brand strategies through giving Sri Lankan cultural, nature and genuine hospitality experience to the guest. Heritance Kandalama brand equity is compound with sustainable and nature friendly luxury brand giving unique experience of Sri Lankan culture, tradition, food and foremost thousand years well known Sri Lankan hospitality. Through their equity they gain larger market share and operational profits, numerous international and local awards. Destination Branding and Heritance Kandalama Figure : Segmentation of Tourist Destination Branding for HK Heritance Kandalama has positioned their brand as experience of Sri Lankan heritage and Inheritance, luxuries eco friendly product and services to contribute to Wonder of Asia national brand strategies. Figure 6.3: Perceptual Map of Destination positioning of Heritance Brand Hotels Wildness Heritance Tea Factory Heritance Kandalama HK HTF Monolithic Culture OR Tranquility Intriguing Accessible Culture OR Adventures HA HAMG Heritance Ahungalla Urban OR Sun/Sand/Sea Heritance Maha Gedara Source: author base on www.imagine.com Heritance Kandalama positioning as highly access to the culture, adventure and wildness when other Heritance brand hotels positioning as sea-sand-sun or tranquility such as Heritance Maha Gedara is a ayurvedic beach resort. Customer Relationship Management practices (CRM) and Heritance Kandalama Tools using by HK for effective and efficient CRM, Guest Relationship Department managing by Guest Service manager to attend on the spot guest quarries and to enhance repeat customers. HK has rapport on their guest cocktails, meeting the guest by management and engage the guest with local community. Data Base Management (DBM): Collecting and keep updating guest information upon registration cards and guest special requests to create memorable service for the guest when every time they visit HK. Using DBM keep in touch with existing customers- Sending greeting card on special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. Updating the guest about upcoming events, new offers, HK special packages through emails and news letters. The Diamond Club Loyalty Card For each stay in any Aitken Spence Hotels, guest can earn 100 points upon every thousand rupees spent and points for 10% of the total bill value. Free stay, discount on future booking, room upgrade, gift vouchers, special offers and free Aitken Spence hotels news updating are some of benefits customer get through the this loyalty card system. Networking, E-marketing and Heritance Kandalama HK gaining higher customer retention and new customer bases through networking, e-marketing and relationship marketing. Network Marketing of Heritance Kandalama Through Aitken Spence mother company and other sister companies Aitken Spence word process, media release and corporate marketing Aitken Spence Travel and Tours Other Net work marketing Trip adviser, Booking.com and Agoda booking engines HK is gaining high advantage of Network Marketing tools. Aitken Spence travel and tours giving full force selling and marketing for HK, and as part of Aitken Spence Hotel sector HK gain best marketing advantages through Adaaran and other Aitkent Spence hotel and resorts situated in Maldives, Oman and India. With small charges HK get very good net work marketing through other booking engine and websites where guest always surf to find value added services and share their experience with other travelers such as trip adviser and booking.com. Relationship Marketing and Heritance Kandalama Through Data Base Management system and Customer evaluation, Diamond Club loyalty card system, HK having larger group of retention customers. Such a customers experiences you can read through their official media website of Aitken Spence word process. HK unique products and memorable services, well trained skilled staff and long run marketing strategies foaming and continuing great customer relationship. E-Marketing and Heritance Kandalama They have attractive and informative up to date websites, social net work such facebook and twitter, blogs, virtual e-marketing such video clip in you tube, how ever this is one of marketing tool that still they have not taken fully advantage and there are lots of potential they can explore and use in their marketing mix. In 3 area they can use electronic media for retain existing customer and to attract new customers. E-Business HK is using computerized system to communicate through the interdepartmental as well as with Aitken Spence corporate sector. MS office, Data base management system( Fidelio ), e-recruitments and for other communications E-marketing HK providing information of their services and products, packages, online reservation and customer feedback through their official website, social networks, and other marketing websites. E-commerce HK official website is having online reservations and best available rates, and associated with other booking engines they are having massive markets, such as through Last minute booking.com, Agoda and tripadviser. Figure 7.1: Process of Social net work Communication Strategies of HK 5.3.1 Features of Heritance Kandalama official website Web contents and information: Updated reliable and detailed information provide the knowledge of its products and services. Images gallery and animation of front page attract the audience attention quickly User Friendly navigation: Using simple text terms with drop down menus, that easy to understand and find the information. Categories of rooms, dinning, spa, other facilities, wedding, activities, rates, offers with online hotel reservation system Search engine optimization and link building: Appears in search engine such Google, Firefox and Yahoo. Its appear in first six results of google search engine when search under Dambulla hotels in Sri Lanka, and first to appear when search under Kandalama hotels in Sri Lanka. HK website is registered in Sri Lanka web directory. As web release marketing tool: Hot balloon offers, Honeymoon packages, and connect with Diamond Club loyalty car promotion web site. Link with social net works such as facebook, twitter, flicker and blogger Build awareness: Knowledge of Heritance products and services, news and press release, blog spots and forums through the web links of http://aitkenspence.wordpress.com or http://aitkenspencehotels.typepad.com 5.3.2 Online Advertising In present Heritance Kandalama is using their official website, other booking engine websites (agoda.com, lastminute.com), social media links (facebook, twitter, flicker, blogger), online classified (lakpua travels), and rich media (YouTube), however they can emphasis on more on online advertising as mentioned in recommendations. 5.3.3 Guerilla Marketing of Heritance Kandalama Heritance Kandalama displays a local flute player and his story in their official website as part of CSR practices. Here they use CSR practices as guerilla marketing tool in their website. Green philosophy practices, make us guilty if we not choose their product against to other resorts as they are the pioneer of Green philosophy practices in Sri Lanka. Hotel allows taking as sample model of sustainable, green tourism, green and architechture case studies in locally and internationally. Appear HK advertisement on other travel and tourism websites HK is playing the role of Green tourism standard setter for Sri Lanka and for local government. 5.3.4 Viral Marketing of Heritance Kandalama Social Net works HK has started to build social net work through Facebook, Flicker, Blogger, Twitter, Word of mouth Catering the guest with best luxury products and services, HK has built great customer reputation and they spread the positive image and motivating other clients through web base guest feedback such trip adviser, articles in blogs and personally. Diamond Club loyalty point system encouraging using more and more of Aitken Spence products and Heritance Kandalama service. This is the customer loyalty tools using by HK. Always customers feel they get value for money using the HK products and services. Recommendations Recommendations for Marketing Customer Loyalty Hosting Cultural and Sustainable Tourism programs, competitions and events Calculate and award their guests yearly as Least Carbon Foot Print Guest Use voice text bot through web to answer the guest questions and quarries Build up Story Share link through the HK official website, which guest can post their funny, unforgettable travel experience or asking basic questions from the guest to build up travel story for him with photos; video clips that guest can share with social media, printing or any other media. Use technology to track down the travel information seekers through the search engine and let connect nearest person to the guest who had Heritance Kandalama experience to share their experience with new travelers Use technology to track down the travel information seekers through the search engine and let connect nearest person to the guest who had Heritance Kandalama experience to share their experience with new travelers 6.2 Recommendations and justifying marketing communications strategies Directory marketing such in Yahoo Local, Yellow Page and LinkedIn Promote a access word to search website easily and make it search engine sensitive. Such as Eco friendly hotel in Sri Lanka or Cultural experience hotel. HK need to web tracking by gathering statistic information to measure your website success. Sponsor or be host for International and local Survivor, Travelers programs. Virtual Show round, live show

Reservation Blues Essay -- essays research papers

Hartry 1 Alterations: Comparing the Changes Caused by Marriage of the two Bessie Head Short Stories, â€Å"Life† and â€Å"Snapshots of a Wedding† Marriage is the union of two people, traditionally husband and wife. Traditional also are the roles that women play when confined in a marriage. When a woman has had the opportunity to educate herself pass tradition and has been use to a fast-paced modern lifestyle, this role of the wife might prove to be quite onerous to mold to. Usually a time of joy, celebration, and adulation, marriage may also bring along emotional and physical pain as well as awkward situations, as the woman must alter herself to conform the traditional role of what a wife should be. Bessie Head depicts two modernized, educated women in her short stories of â€Å"Life† and â€Å"Snapshots of a Wedding†. These women are forced to change from the only lives they knew as single women to the new roles they must live up to as wives. Life Morapedi and Neo are both women, who compared to the people of their perspective villages, are highly educated and have transcended the traditional customs of their African villages. Even though they have acquired knowledge beyond others and are able to attain high paying jobs, in certain aspects they are seen as interruption of the normal tradition of the villages. The inhabitants of the villages see these two women as an impediment to the usual occurrences of the villages. Life Morapedi is a vivacious, cordial, fancy woman with an enchanting voice and a tall, well-built body. She brings the intelligence of a big city back to a rural city. Villagers expect her to â€Å"bring a little light† (Head 349) to the slow-moving rural life. She loves to live life, hence her name, and throws parties and spends her never-ending bank account to show this love that she has for life. Before she is married she also engages in the endeavors of sleeping with as many men as she can for business and pleasure, a habit brought back from the city. Neo is a woman who has also excelled in her studies, excelling pass many in her village as well, including her closest family members. Due to the fact that she is smarter than most, she wants everyone to know that she is smarter. Letting everyone know causes her to be labeled a snob. Unlike Life, whose amicable nature e nthralls outsiders towards her, Neo has egocentric qualities that cause the people of her... ...ng it is not something she wants to be. This stereotypic role will probably continue to occur unless the stereotype of what a wife should be takes on yet another change. Hopefully one day an educated, vivacious, well-spoken, working, woman will become the tradition of what a wife epitomizes. +Berg, Christine G. â€Å"Bemused by education: Bessie Head’s ‘Snapshots of a Wedding’.† Exploring Short Stories (1998): Web Luis Literature Resource Center Coleman library, 14 April 2004. Goldstein, Amy. â€Å"Many Wives Have Become Family Breadwinners.† Washington Post (2002) 29 February 2000 Head, Bessie. â€Å"Life.† Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahn, et al. 6th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002. 349-355. Head, Bessie. â€Å"Snapshots of a Wedding.† Unwinding Threads: Writing by Women in Africa. Ed. Charlotte H. Bruner, et al. London: Heinmann Books, 1983. 157-161. Kerschen, Lois. â€Å"Critical Essay on ‘Life’.† Exploring Short Stories for Students 13 (2001): Web Luis Literature Resource Center Coleman library, 14 April 2004. March, Thomas, M. â€Å"Snapshots of a Wedding.† Short Stories for Students (1999) Web Luis Literature Resource Center Coleman library, 12 April 2004.

Free Pride and Prejudice Essays: Life and Love :: Pride Prejudice Essays

Life and Love in Pride and Prejudice How would life be different if you lived in the early 1800s in a small town of England? How did the courtship rituals exist at that time? These questions are the main subjects of the book, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, who wrote the book about the time that these things took place. When you open to the first page and begin reading, the Bennet family is instantly introduced, along with Mr. Bingley. The Bennet family , which is composed of parents who generally have opposite opinions, and four daughters, each with their own special abilities, play the main role, especially the second daughter Elizabeth. The whole story is narrated through her point of view, so the opinions of other people that eventually become your own are taken from whom Elizabeth is close to and whom she dislikes. That brings us to the other characters, namely the Bingley family and Mr. Darcy. The Bingley family represents a very wealthy family, whose son would be a prize for any girl, and who is deeply interested in Jane, the eldest, beautiful Bennet daughter. The family though doesn't believe the Bennet's to be of a high enough standard, and move their brother to London to distract him with Mr. Darcy's sister, who supposedly was as unlikable as Mr. Darcy himself. Disliked by many because of his pompousness and pride, Mr. Darcy ruined his chances with Elizabeth for himself. In his own desire, he would have easily married her, she even hated to dance with the man. This type of love triangle, with one person liking a certain someone, but having to settle with someone else, happens throughout the book, just with different people. Most of the time all the characters were either in the a household or at a formal party where these loves, courtships, and dislikes began. This form of settings in the book I found rather boring, and it made it very difficult for me to continue reading, though I now know it is Jane Austen style to not have much action but to develop more of the character's personalities. This book is a great suggestion if you love to really understand a character and her feelings towards others. The neat idea is what Austen did with the title of the book. With this book, "Pride and

Comparing A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye Essay -- J.D. Sa

Comparing A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye The coming of age novels, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, and A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, both interpret the lives of adolescent boys journeying through their conflicts and inner confusion to reach the level of maturity. Salinger and Knowles both discern the literal ways a typical teenager grows up with the help of literary elements such as plot, setting, character development, conflicts, irony, symobolism, theme, and point of view. In both of the novels, the setting is taken place in an all boys’ school. The all boys’ school in A Separate Peace was named Devon High School, located in New Hampshire and the school in The Catcher in the Rye was named Pencey Prep, located in New York. By having both main characters being raised in a same type setting, they both can experience similarities that they might have to go through. However, each novel was set in a different timeline. A Separate Peace was actually written during the time of World War II, while The Catcher in the Rye was written after World War II. As a result, different time periods probably differentiated their lifestyles, which can produce unlike conflicts that the teenage boys might encounter. The protagonists in A Separate Peace, Gene Forrester, and The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Claufield, make them coming of age novels by the struggles that they come across as they grow up into becoming mature, adult like men. Gene Forrester attains his maturity by dealing through the confusion he has from cooperating with his best friend, Finny, and the guilt he inherits as he blames himself responsible for Finny’s death. On the contrary, Holden Claufield, in The Catcher in the Rye, illustrates his attainment of maturity by growing with the depression he possesses and his alienation from the people in the novel. The battle of Gene with himself and Holden with himself creates the similar major conflicts between the novels. In this case, Holden has it much more difficult in The Catcher in the Rye because he has to struggle with a great depression and he constantly tries to escape it through drinking, sexual intimations, his awful attitude, and attempts of being out going after he leaves Pencey Prep early. The cause of this depression is the death of his younger brother Ally. In the novel, he describes that h... ...p between Gene and Finny. On the other hand, J.D. Salinger’s theme in The Catcher in the Rye was developing through adolescence with depression and confusion in your life. Through the point of view of Holden’s place, his attitude and experience he went through discerned that stress was a big issue to him and struggling through depression as a teen and achieving maturity from it is something the most of us could relate to. Overall, both of the themes in the novels have something to do with social events in our lives and both of the themes became interesting appeals. J.D. Salinger and John Knowles both accomplished their description of their protagonists reaching their level of maturity through literary elements. They provided excellent examples of a teen growing up; and A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye have at least one moral that one can rely on. In conclusion, the conflicts in the stories were things that I could actually relate to and I can expect to experience the same things that the characters experienced. Works Cited Knowles, John. A Separate Peace Holt, Rineheart and Winston, 1960 Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye New York: Bantan books 1951

Prom Nights from Hell Chapter One

Hell on Earth Stephenie Meyer Gabe stared across the dance floor and frowned. He wasn't sure why he'd asked Celeste to the prom, and it was another mystery why she'd said yes. Even more mysterious now, watching her grip Heath McKenzie around the neck so tightly that Heath was probably having trouble breathing. Their bodies flattened into an indivisible mass as they swayed against the beat, ignoring the rhythm of the song thudding through the room. Heath's hands roamed over Celeste's glistening white dress in an intimate way. â€Å"Tough luck, Gabe.† Gabe looked away from the spectacle his date was making to his approaching friend. â€Å"Hey, Bry. Having a nice night?† â€Å"Better than you, man, better than you,† Bryan answered, grinning. He lifted his cup of bilious green punch as if for a toast. Gabe touched his bottled water to Bryan's cup and sighed. â€Å"I had no idea Celeste had a thing for Heath. What is he, her ex or something?† Bryan took a gulp of the sinister-looking drink, made a face, and shook his head. â€Å"Not that I know of. I've never seen them even speak to each other before tonight.† Both of them stared at Celeste, who had apparently lost something she needed deep inside Heath's mouth. â€Å"Huh,† Gabe said. â€Å"It's probably just the punch,† Bryan said in an attempt to be encouraging. â€Å"I don't know how many people spiked it, but ouch. She might not even know that's not you out there.† Bryan took another swig and made another face. â€Å"Why are you drinking that?† Gabe wondered aloud. Bryan shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. Maybe the music will start to sound a little less pathetic after I force a glass of this down.† Gabe nodded. â€Å"My ears may never forgive me. I should have brought my iPod.† â€Å"I wonder where Clara is. Is there some kind of girl-law that demands they spend a certain percentage of every event in the bathroom together?† â€Å"Yes. Stiff penalties for girls who don't meet the quota.† Bryan laughed once, but then his smile faded and he fiddled with his bow tie for a moment. â€Å"About Clara†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began. â€Å"You don't have to say anything,† Gabe assured him. â€Å"She's an amazing girl. And you two are perfect for each other. I would've had to be blind not to see that.† â€Å"You really don't mind?† â€Å"I told you to ask her to the prom, didn't I?† â€Å"Yeah, you did. Sir Galahad makes another match. Seriously, man, do you ever think about yourself?† â€Å"Sure, every hour on the hour. And hey, speaking of Clara†¦ she better have a great time tonight or I'm going to break your nose.† Gabe grinned a wide grin. â€Å"She and I are still good friends-don't think I won't call her to check.† Bryan rolled his eyes, but suddenly found it a little difficult to swallow. If Gabe Christensen wanted to break his nose, he wouldn't have much of a problem doing it-Gabe didn't mind getting his knuckles bruised or his permanent record blemished if it meant righting something that was wrong in his eyes. â€Å"I'll take care of Clara,† Bryan said, wishing that the words didn't sound so much like a vow. There was something about Gabe and his piercing blue eyes that made you feel that way-like doing the best you could at any given task. It got irritating sometimes. With a grimace, Bryan dumped the rest of his punch into the dead moss at the base of a fake ficus tree. â€Å"If she ever leaves the bathroom.† â€Å"Good man,† Gabe said approvingly, but his smile twisted down on one side. Celeste and Heath had disappeared into the crowd. Gabe wasn't sure what the protocol was when you got dumped at the prom. How was he supposed to make sure she got home safe? Was that Heath's job now? Gabe wondered again why he'd asked Celeste to this dance. She was a very pretty girl-pageant pretty. Perfect blond hair-so full it was fluffy-wide-spaced brown eyes, and curvy lips always painted a flattering shade of pink. Her lips weren't the only things that were curvy. She'd all but shut his brain down with the thin, clingy dress she'd worn tonight. Her looks weren't the reason he'd noticed her, though. That reason was something else entirely. It was stupid and embarrassing, really. Gabe would never, ever tell anyone else about this, but every now and then, he got this weird sense that someone needed help. Needed him. He'd gotten that inexplicable pull from Celeste, as if the shapely blonde was hiding a damsel in distress somewhere behind her flawless makeup. Very stupid. And obviously wrong. Celeste didn't seem interested in any help from Gabe right now. He scanned the dance floor again but couldn't pick her golden hair out of the crowd. He sighed. â€Å"Hey, Bry, did you miss me?† Clara, her dark curly hair full of glitter, bounced free from a herd of females and joined them against the wall. The rest of the herd dispersed. â€Å"Hey, Gabe. Where's Celeste?† Bryan put his arm around her shoulders. â€Å"I thought you left. Guess I'll have to cancel the hot plans I just made with-â€Å" Clara's elbow caught Bryan in the solar plexus. â€Å"Mrs. Finkle,† Bryan continued, gasping the words and nodding toward the vice principal glaring from the corner of the room farthest away from the speakers. â€Å"We were going to sort failure notices by candlelight.† â€Å"Well, I wouldn't want you to miss that! I think I saw Coach Lauder by the cookies. Maybe I could talk him into some extra-credit pull-ups.† â€Å"Or maybe we could just dance,† Bryan suggested. â€Å"Sure, I can settle for that.† Laughing, they pressed their way toward the dance floor, Bryan's hands winding around Clara's waist. Gabe was glad Clara hadn't waited for an answer to her question. It was a little embarrassing that he didn't have one. â€Å"Hey, Gabe, where's Celeste?† Gabe grimaced and turned to the sound of Logan's voice. Logan was also solo for the moment. Perhaps it was his date's turn to exhibit girl-herding behavior. â€Å"I couldn't say,† Gabe admitted. â€Å"Have you seen her?† Logan pursed his full lips for a minute, as if debating whether or not to say something. He ran a hand nervously across his springy black hair. â€Å"Well, I thought I did. I'm not exactly sure, though†¦ She's wearing a white dress, right?† â€Å"Yeah-where is she?† â€Å"I think I saw her in the lobby. Can't be positive. Her face was sort of hard to see†¦ David Alvarado's face was all over it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"David Alvarado?† Gabe repeated in surprise. â€Å"Not Heath McKenzie?† â€Å"Heath? Naw. It was definitely David.† Heath was a linebacker, blond and fair. David barely cleared five feet; his coloring was olive and his hair was black. No way to confuse the two. Logan shook his head sadly. â€Å"Sorry, Gabe. That sucks.† â€Å"Don't worry about it.† â€Å"At least you're not in the stag boat alone,† Logan said forlornly. â€Å"Really? What happened to your date?† Logan shrugged. â€Å"She's around here somewhere, glowering at everyone. She doesn't want to dance, she doesn't want to talk, she doesn't want punch, she doesn't want to take pictures, and she doesn't want my company.† He ticked each negative off on his fingers. â€Å"I don't know why she asked me in the first place. Probably just wanted to show off her dress-it is hot, I'll give her that. But she doesn't seem to care about showing anything now†¦ Wish I'd asked someone else.† Logan's eyes lingered wistfully on a group of girls fast dancing in a male-free circle. Gabe thought he saw Logan focus on one girl in particular. â€Å"Why didn't you ask Libby?† Logan sighed. â€Å"I don't know. I think†¦ I think she would have liked it if I'd asked her, though. Oh well.† â€Å"Who's your date?† â€Å"That new girl, Sheba. She's a little intense but really gorgeous, kinda exotic. I was too shocked to say anything but yes when she asked me to go with her. I thought that she, well, that she might be†¦ fun†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Logan finished lamely. What he'd really thought when Sheba had all but commanded him to take her to prom didn't seem entirely appropriate to be spoken aloud, especially to Gabe; lots of things seemed inappropriate around Gabe. It was just the opposite with Sheba. When he'd gotten a look at her mind-blowing red leather dress, his head had been full of ideas that somehow didn't feel in the least bit inappropriate while her deep, dark eyes had been focused on him. â€Å"I don't think I've met her,† Gabe said, interrupting Logan's brief fantasy. â€Å"You'd remember if you had.† Although Sheba had forgotten Logan quickly enough once they were in the door, hadn't she? â€Å"Hey, do you think maybe Libby came alone? I didn't hear about anyone asking her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Er, she came with Dylan.† â€Å"Oh,† Logan said, crestfallen. Then he half-smiled. â€Å"Night's bad enough without getting tortured on top of everything else-weren't they supposed to have a band? This DJ†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know. It's as if we're being punished for our sins,† Gabe said with a laugh. â€Å"Sins? Like you have any, Galahad the Pure.† Prom Nights from Hell Chapter One Kiss and Tell Michele Jaffe Chapter One â€Å"Sorry this wasn't more of a storybook ending,† the man with his hands around her throat said, smiling, holding her eyes with his own as he choked her. â€Å"If you're going to kill me, can't you just get on with it? This is kind of uncomfortable.† â€Å"What, my hands? Or the feeling that you're a failure-â€Å" â€Å"I'm not a failure.† † – again.† She spit in his face. â€Å"Still got some fire. I really admire that about you. I think you and I could have gotten along nicely. Unfortunately, there just isn't time.† She gave one last fight, clawing at his hands around her throat, his forearms, anything, but he didn't even flinch. Her fists fell hopelessly to her sides. He leaned in so close to her face that she could feel him exhale. â€Å"Any last words?† â€Å"Three: Listerine breath strips. You really need them.† He laughed and tightened the hands around her neck until they overlapped. â€Å"Good-bye.† For a second, his eyes burned into hers. Then she heard a sharp crack and felt herself fall to the floor as everything went black. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter One The Corsage Lauren Myracle Readers, beware! The following story was inspired by â€Å"The Monkey's Paw,† first published in 1902 by W. W. Jacobs, which scared the dickens out of me when I was a teenager. Be careful what you wish for, indeed! – LAUREN MYRACLE Outside, the wind whipped around Madame Zanzibar's house, making a loose rain-pipe thump against the siding. The sky was dark, though it was only four o'clock. But within the garishly decorated waiting room, three table lamps shone brightly, each draped with a jewel-toned scarf. Ruby hues lit Yun Sun's round face, while bluish-purple hues gave Will the mottled look of someone freshly dead. â€Å"You look like you've risen from the grave,† I told him. â€Å"Frankie,† Yun Sun scolded. She did a head jerk toward Madame Z's closed office, worried, I suppose, that she might hear and be offended. A red plastic monkey hung from the office doorknob, indicating that Madame Z was with a client. We were up next. Will made his eyes go vacant. â€Å"I am a pod person,† he moaned. He stretched his arms out toward us. â€Å"Please to give me all your hearts and livers.† â€Å"Oh no! The pod person has taken over our beloved Will!† I clutched Yun Sun's arm. â€Å"Quick, give him your hearts and livers, so he'll leave mine alone!† Yun Sun shook free. â€Å"Not amused,† she said in a tone both singsongy and threatening. â€Å"And if you're not nice to me, I will leave.† â€Å"Stop being such a pooter,† I said. â€Å"I will take my thunder thighs and I will march right out of here. Just watch.† Yun Sun was on a my-legs-are-too-fat kick, just because her superslinky prom dress needed a little letting out. At least she had a prom dress. And a for-sure chance to wear it. â€Å"Bleh,† I said. Her grouchiness was endangering our plan, which was the whole reason we were here. The night of the prom was getting dangerously close, and I was not going to be the sad shell of a girl who sat home alone while everyone else went crazy with glitter dust and danced ironically in spectacular three-inch heels. I refused, especially since I knew in my heart of hearts that Will wanted to ask me. He just needed a little encouragement. I lowered my voice, all the while smiling at Will like la la la, just girl talk, nothing important! â€Å"It was both of our idea to do this, Yun Sun. Remember?† â€Å"No, Frankie, it was your idea,† she said. And she did not keep her voice down. â€Å"I've already got my date, even though he's going to be squished to death by my thighs. You're the one hoping for a last-minute miracle.† â€Å"Yun Sun!† I glanced at Will, who turned red. Bad Yun Sun, throwing it out in the open like that. Bad, bad, naughty girl! â€Å"Ow!† she yelped. Because I'd whacked her. â€Å"I am very mad at you,† I said. â€Å"Enough with the coyness. You do want him to ask you, don't you?† â€Å"Ow!† â€Å"Um, you guys?† Will said. He was doing that adorable thing he did when he was nervous, when his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. Although, huh. That was kind of an icky image. It made me think of bobbing for apples, which was only one step away from bobbing for Adam's apples. But. Will was indeed possessed of an Adam's apple, and when it moved up and down in his throat, it was indeed adorable. It made him look so vulnerable. â€Å"She hit me,† Yun Sun tattled. â€Å"She deserved it,† I countered. But I didn't want it to go further, this line of conversation that was already too revealing. So I patted Yun Sun's totally unfat leg and said, â€Å"However, I forgive you. Now shut up.† What Yun Sun failed to get-or more likely, what she totally got and yet failed to appreciate-was that not all things needed to be said aloud. Yes, I wanted Will to ask me to prom, and I wanted him to do it soon, because â€Å"Springtime Is for Lovers† was only two weeks away. And fine, the name of the dance was dorky, but springtime was for lovers. It was an indisputable truth. Just as it was an indisputable truth that Will was my forever boy, if only he could get past his enduring bashfulness and make a frickin' move. Enough chummy shoulder slugs and giggling, snorting tickle wars! Enough clutching each other and shrieking, blaming it on our Netflix copies of The Body Snatchers or They Come from the Hills! Couldn't Will see that I was his for the taking? He'd almost popped the question last weekend, I was ninety-nine-point-five percent sure. We'd been watching Pretty Woman, an overblown romance which never failed to amuse. Yun Sun had disappeared into the kitchen for snacks, leaving the two of us alone. â€Å"Um, Frankie?† Will had said. His foot tap-tap-tapped against the floor, and his fingers flexed on his jeans. â€Å"Can I ask you something?† Any fool would have known what was coming, because if he'd just wanted me to turn up the volume, he'd simply have said, â€Å"Hey, Franks, turn up the volume.† Casual. Straightforward. No need for any preparatory remarks. But since there were preparatory remarks†¦ well, what could he possibly have wanted to ask me besides â€Å"Will you go to prom?† Eternal delight was right there, only seconds away. And then I'd blown it. His palpable nervousness triggered a spaz-out of my own, and instead of letting the moment play out, I'd skittishly changed the subject. BECAUSE I WAS A FREAK. â€Å"Now see, that's the way it's done!† I said, pointing at the TV. Richard Gere was galloping on his white steed, which was really a limo, to Julia Roberts's castle, which was really a crappy third-story apartment. As we watched, Richard Gere climbed out of the sun roof and scaled the fire escape, all to win the affections of his beloved. â€Å"None of this namby-pamby ‘I think you're kinda cute' baloney,† I went on. I was blathering, and I knew it. â€Å"We're talking action, baby. We're talking grand gesture of love.† Will gulped. And said, â€Å"Oh.† And blinked at Richard Gere in a startled-teddy-bear way, thinking, I'm sure, that he could never, ever compare. I stared at the TV, knowing I'd sabotaged my prom night happiness through my own stupidity. I didn't care about â€Å"grand gestures of love†; I just cared about Will. But brilliant me, I'd gone and scared him off. Because in actual real reality, I was an even bigger wimp than he was. But no more-which was why we were here at Madame Zanzibar's. She would tell us our futures, and unless she was a total hack, she would state the obvious as an impartial observer: Will and I were meant for each other. Hearing it spoken so plainly would give Will the guts to try again. He'd ask me to prom, and this time I'd let him, even if it killed me. The plastic monkey twitched on the office doorknob. â€Å"Look, it's moving,† I whispered. â€Å"Oooo,† Will said. A black man with snow-white hair shuffled out of the office. He had no teeth, which made the lower half of his face look puckered, like a prune. â€Å"Children,† he said, tipping his hat. Will stood up and opened the front door, because that's the kind of guy he was. A gust of wind nearly toppled the old man, and Will steadied him. â€Å"Whoa,† Will said. â€Å"Thank you, son,† the old man replied. His words came out mushy, because of the no-teeth thing. â€Å"Reckon I best skedaddle before the storm blows in.† â€Å"I think it already has,† Will said. Past the driveway, tree branches thrashed and creaked. â€Å"This weensy old wind?† the old man said. â€Å"Aw, now, this is just a baby waking up and wanting to be fed. It'll be worse before the night is over, mark my words.† He peered at us. â€Å"In fact, shouldn't you children be home, safe and sound?† It was hard to take offense when a toothless old-timer called you â€Å"children.† But come on, this was the second time in twenty seconds. â€Å"We're juniors in high school,† I said. â€Å"We can take care of ourselves.† His laugh made me think of dead leaves. â€Å"All right, then,† he said. â€Å"I'm sure you know best.† He small-stepped onto the porch, and Will gave a half wave and shut the door. â€Å"Crazy coot,† came a voice from behind us. We turned to see Madame Zanzibar in the office doorway. She wore hot pink Juicy Couture sweatpants with a matching hot pink top, unzipped to her clavicle. Her breasts were round and firm and amazingly perky, given that she didn't seem to be wearing a bra. Her lipstick was bright orange, to match her nails, and so was the end of the cigarette she held between two fingers. â€Å"So, are we coming in or are we staying out here?† she asked the three of us. â€Å"Unveiling life's mysteries or leaving well enough alone?† I rose from my chair and pulled Yun Sun with me. Will followed. Madame Z ushered us into her office, and the three of us scrunched together in an overstuffed armchair. Will realized it was never going to work and lowered himself to the floor. I wiggled to make Yun Sun give me more room. â€Å"See? They're sausages,† she said, referring to her thighs. â€Å"Scooch,† I commanded. â€Å"Now,† Madame Z said, crossing in front of us and sitting behind a table. She puffed on her cigarette. â€Å"What's your business?† I bit my lip. How to put it? â€Å"Well, you're a psychic, right?† Madame Z exhaled a cloud of smoke. â€Å"Gee, Sherlock, the ad in the Yellow Pages tip you off?† I blushed, while at the same time bristling. My question had been a conversation opener. Did she have a problem with conversation openers? Anyway, if she really was a psychic, shouldn't she already know why I was here? â€Å"Uh†¦ okay. Sure, whatever. So I guess I was wondering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah? Out with it.† I gathered my courage. â€Å"Well†¦ I was wondering if a certain special person was going to ask me a certain special question.† I purposefully didn't look at Will, but I heard his spurt of surprise. He hadn't seen this coming. Madame Z pressed two fingers to her forehead and let her eyes go blank. â€Å"Ahem,† she said. â€Å"Hmm, hmm. What I'm getting here is muzzy. There is passion, yes†- Yun Sun giggled; Will swallowed audibly-â€Å"but there are also†¦ how do I say? Complicating factors.† Prom Nights from Hell Chapter One Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper Kim Harrison Chapter One If British general, a damsel in a dress, and a pirate walk into a gym, I thought as I gazed over the bodies moving in a mind-numbing chaos of pent-up, inexperienced, teenage lust. Leave it to Covington High to turn prom into a joke. Not to mention my seventeenth birthday. What was I doing here? Prom was supposed to be real dresses with a live band, not rented costumes with canned music and streamers. And my birthday was supposed to be†¦ anything but this. â€Å"You sure you don't want to dance?† Josh yelled in my ear, sending his sugary breath over me. I tried not to grimace, keeping my gaze fixed on the clock beside the gym's Scoreboard and wondering if an hour was long enough to stay and not get the third degree from my dad. The music was dull-the same rhythmic thump over, and over, and over. Nothing new in the last forty minutes. And the bass was way too loud. â€Å"Yep,† I said, edging away in time with the music when his hand tried to creep to my waist. â€Å"Still don't want to dance.† â€Å"Something to drink?† he tried again, and I cocked my hip, crossing my arms to hide my cleavage. I was still waiting for the boob fairy to show up, but the dress's corset shoved everything up and together to make it look like I had more than I did, making me self-conscious. â€Å"No, thanks,† I said with a sigh. He probably didn't hear me, but he got the gist, seeing as he looked away, watching everyone move. Long ballroom gowns and skimpy barmaid costumes mixed with swashbuckling pirates and sailors. That was the theme of the prom. Pirates. God! I had worked for two months on the prom committee at my old school. It was going to have been freaking fantastic, with a moonlit barge and a real band, but no-o-o-o. Mom had said Dad needed to spend time with me. That he was going through a midlife crisis and had to reconnect with something from his past that didn't involve arguing. I think she just got scared when she caught me sneaking out for a late cappuccino and shipped me back to Dad and Dullsville USA knowing I listened to him more than her. Okay, so it had been after midnight. And I might have been after more than caffeine. And yeah, I'd already been grounded from staying out too late the previous weekend, but that's why I had to sneak out. Running the stiff lace of my colonial dress between my fingers, I wondered if any of these people had a clue what a real party looked like. Maybe they didn't care. Josh was standing a little in front of me, bobbing his head in time with the music and clearly wanting to dance. Nearby at the food table was the guy who had skulked in after us. He was looking my way, and I gave him a stare, wondering if he was after me or Josh. Seeing my attention on him, the guy turned away. My gaze fell back on Josh, who had begun to almost dance halfway between me and the moving people. Actually, I mused as he shifted and bobbed his head to the music, his costume made his thin, awkward height work for him-a traditional British general's red and white, complete with fake sword and epaulets. His father's idea, probably, since he was the VIP of VIPs at the research facility that had kept everyone employed when the military base moved to Arizona, but it did go with the overdone lace-and-corset thing I had on. â€Å"Come on. Everyone else is dancing,† he coaxed when he saw me look at him, and I shook my head, almost feeling sorry for him. He reminded me of the guys in the photography club pretending the darkroom door had locked to try to get a little action. It just wasn't fair. I had spent three years learning how to fit in with the cool chicks, and now I was right back with the nice but unpopular guys, mowing down cupcakes in the gym. And on my birthday, too. â€Å"No,† I said flatly. Translation: Sorry, I'm not interested. You may as well give up. Even thick-headed, awkward, broken-glasses Josh got that one, and he stopped his almost-dancing to fix his blue eyes on me. â€Å"Jesus, you're a bitch, you know that? I only asked you out because my dad made me. If you want to dance, I'll be over there.† My breath caught, and I gaped at him as if he had punched me in the gut. He cockily raised his eyebrows and walked away with his hands in his pockets and his chin raised. Two girls parted so he could walk between them, and they hunched into each other in his wake, gossiping as they glanced at me. Oh my God. I'm a pity date. Blinking fast, I held my breath as I fought to keep the room from going blurry. Crap, not only was I the new girl, but I was a freaking pity date! My dad had made nice to his boss, and he made his son ask me out. â€Å"Son of a dead puppy,† I whispered, wondering if everyone was looking at me or if it was just my imagination. I tucked my short blond hair behind my ear and backed to the wall. Leaning against it with my arms crossed, I tried to pretend Josh had gone to get some pop. Inside, I was dying. I had been dumped. No, I had been dumped by a geek. â€Å"Way to go, Madison,† I said sourly, just imagining the gossip on Monday. I spotted Josh at the food table, pretending to ignore me without being obvious about it. The guy in the sailor outfit who had followed us in was talking to him. I still didn't think he was one of Josh's friends, even though he was jostling his elbow and pointing at the girls dancing in dresses cut too low for the gyrating they were doing. That I didn't recognize him wasn't surprising since I'd been avoiding everyone for the simple reason I wasn't happy being here and I didn't mind anyone knowing it. I wasn't a jock or a nerd-though I had belonged to the photography club back home. Despite my efforts, I apparently didn't fit with the Barbie dolls. And I wasn't a goth, brain, druggie, or one of the kids who wanted to play scientist like their mommies or daddies at the research facility. I didn't fit anywhere. Correction, I thought as Josh and the sailor laughed. I fit with the bitches. The guy followed Josh's attention to another group of girls, who were now giggling at something Josh had said. His brown hair was frizzed out under his sailor's cap, and his crisp white outfit made him look like all the other guys who'd chosen sailor over pirate. He was tall, and there was a smooth grace to his movements that said he'd quit growing. He looked older than me, but he couldn't be too much older. It was the prom. And I don't have to be here, I thought suddenly, shoving myself away from the wall with my elbows. Josh was my ride home, but my dad would pick me up if I called. My motion to weave through the crowd to the double doors slowed in worry. He'd ask why Josh wasn't bringing me home. It would all come out. The lecture to be nice and fit in I could deal with, but the embarrassment†¦ Josh was watching me when I glanced up. The guy with him was trying to get his attention, but Josh's eyes were on mine. Mocking me. That did it. No way was I going to call my dad. And I wasn't getting into a car with Josh, either. I'd walk it. All five miles. In heels. And a long cotton dress. On a damp April night. With my boobs scrunched together. What was the worst that could happen? A runaway cow incident? Crap, I really missed my car. â€Å"Way to go, girl,† I muttered, gathering my resolution along with my dress, head down as my shoulders bumped into dancers on my way to the door. I was so out of here. People were talking, but I didn't care. I didn't need friends. Friends were overrated. The music melted into something fast, and I brought my attention up when the crowd seemed to shift, awkwardly changing rhythm. I jerked to a stop when I realized I was a step away from running into someone. â€Å"Sorry!† I shouted over the music, then froze, staring. Holy crap, Mr. Sexy Pirate Captain. Where had he been the last three weeks, and were there more where he came from? I'd never seen him before. Not in the entire time I'd been stuck in this town. I would have remembered. Maybe exerted myself a little more. Flushing, I dropped my skirt to move my hand to cover my cleavage. God, I felt like a British tart with everything shoved up like that. The guy was dressed in a clingy black pirate costume, a pendant of gray stone lying on his chest. I could see it where the collar parted. A Zorro-style mask hid his upper face. The wide silk tails of it trailed down his back to mix with his luscious wavy black hair. He stood taller than me by about five inches, and as I ran my gaze over his tight figure, I wondered where he'd been keeping himself. Certainly not the band room or Mrs. Fairel's U.S. Government class, I thought as the spinning lights played over him. â€Å"My apologies,† he said, taking my hand, and my breath caught, not because he was touching me, but because his accent wasn't Midwestern. Sort of a slow, soft exhalation laced with a crisp preciseness that told of taste and sophistication. I could almost hear the clink of crystal and soft laughter in it, the comforting sounds that more often than not had lulled me to sleep as the waves pushed on the beach. â€Å"You aren't from around here,† I blurted as I leaned to hear him better. A smile grew, his dusky skin and dark hair almost a balm, so familiar amid the pale faces and light hair of the Midwestern prison I was in. â€Å"I'm here temporarily,† he said. â€Å"An exchange student, in a manner of speaking. Same as you.† He glanced disdainfully at the people moving around us with little rhythm and even less originality. â€Å"There are too many cows here, don't you think?† I laughed, praying I didn't sound like a brainless flake. â€Å"Yes!† I almost shouted, pulling him down to talk into his ear over the noise. â€Å"But I'm not an exchange student. I moved here from Florida. My mom lives out there on the inner coastal, but now I'm stuck here with my dad. I agree. You're right, it's awful. At least you get to go home.† And where is home, Mr. Sexy Pirate? A hint of low tide and canal water drifted to me, rising from him like a memory. And though some might find it unpleasant, tears pricked at my eyes. I missed my old school. I missed my car. I missed my friends. Why had Mom gone so ballistic? â€Å"Home, yes,† he said, and an intoxicating smile showed a hint of tongue when he licked his lips and straightened. â€Å"We should leave the floor. We're in the way of their†¦ dancing.† My heart pounded harder. I didn't want to move. He might go away, or worse, someone might slip their arm into his, claiming him. â€Å"Do you want to dance?† I said, nervous. â€Å"It's not what I'm used to, but it has a good beat.† His smile widened, and relief sent my pulse faster. Oh God. I think he likes me. Letting go of my hand, he nodded, and then dropped back a step and started to move. For a moment, I forgot to follow and just watched him. He wasn't flamboyant. No, he went the other way-his slow movements making far more of an impact than if he had cleared the floor by spinning me around it. Seeing me watching, he smiled from behind his mysterious mask and blue-gray eyes as he held out a hand for me to join him. I took a breath, my fingers slipping into his warm ones, and let him pull me into motion. The music was the framework he moved within, and I lost myself trying to match the pattern of it. Almost swaying, we shifted at every second beat. I let myself relax and just dance, finding it easier if I didn't think about it. I could feel every shift of my hips and roll of my shoulders-and a thrill of something began to grow inside me. While everyone around us continued with sharp, fast motions, we danced slow, the space between us narrowing, our gazes fixing more and more on each other as I became increasingly sure of myself. I let him guide me as the music pulsed and my heart pounded with it. â€Å"Most everyone here calls me Seth,† he said, almost ruining the moment, but then his hand curved lightly about my waist, and I leaned into him. Oh yeah. This was better. â€Å"Madison,† I said, liking how I felt, dancing slower than everyone else. But the music was fast, thumping to make my blood race. The two extremes made it seem all the more daring. â€Å"I haven't seen you around. Are you a senior?† Seth's fingers tightened on the light cotton of my dress, or perhaps he was just drawing me closer. â€Å"I'm top of my class,† he said, leaning so he wouldn't have to shout. The colored lights played upon him, and I felt airy. Josh could suck an egg for all I cared. This was what my prom should be. â€Å"That would explain it,† I said, tilting my head to see his eyes and try to place him. â€Å"I'm a junior.† He smiled with his lips closed, and I felt small and protected. My own smile grew. I could feel people starting to watch us, their dancing slowing as they turned. I hoped Josh was getting a good look. Call me a bitch, would he? I lifted my chin, daring to reach out and pull Seth near, our bodies touching, then moving apart. My heart hammered at what I was doing, but I wanted to hurt Josh. I wanted the gossip tomorrow to be what an idiot he had been to walk away from me. I wanted†¦ something. Seth's hands slid smoothly at my waist, neither imprisoning nor demanding, freeing me to dance as I wanted, and I let myself go, motions turning more sultry than these backwoods bumpkins had seen anywhere but on their TV. My lips twitched when I saw Josh and that sailor kid he'd been talking with all this time. Josh's face was white with anger, and I simpered back. â€Å"You want him to know you aren't with him?† Seth said wistfully, and my gaze jerked to his. â€Å"He hurt you,† Seth said, and his dark hand left tingles where it touched my chin. â€Å"You should show him what he lost.† The moment balanced, and though I knew it was spiteful, I found myself nodding. Seth eased to a halt, pulling me into him with a smooth, unbroken gesture. He was going to kiss me. I knew it. It was in every motion he made. My pulse hammered, and I tilted my head up to meet his lips with my own, feeling my knees lock. Around us, people slowed to watch, some laughing, some envious. My eyes closed, and I shifted my weight so that we were still dancing as we kissed. It was everything I wanted. Heat washed into me where we touched, spilling down through me like layers, each flaring up as his touch grew closer. Never had I been kissed like this, and I couldn't breathe, afraid I'd ruin it. My hands were at his waist, and they held him tighter as he cupped my jaw, holding me as if I might break. He tasted like wood smoke. I wanted more-but boy, did I know better. A low sound lifted from him, softer than distant thunder. His hands tightened, and adrenaline spiked through me. The kiss had shifted. Alarmed, I jerked back, breathless but feeling bright-eyed and exhilarated. Seth's moody eyes were fixed on mine with a light amusement that I had pulled away. â€Å"It's only a game,† he said. â€Å"He's wiser, now. So are you. He's not worth pain.† I blinked as the lights spun madly and the music continued, loud and untouched by our kiss. Everything was different, but only I had changed. I tore my gaze from Seth, my hand still on his waist for balance. There were spots of color on Josh's cheeks, and he looked angry. I raised my eyebrows at him. â€Å"Let's go,† I said, linking my arm with Seth's. I didn't think anyone would show up to challenge my position. Not after that kiss. Confident, I stepped forward with Seth beside me. A path opened, and I felt like a queen. Though the music thumped and blared, everyone watched us make our way unimpeded to the double doors with their brown-paper wrappings decorated to look like the oak doors of a castle. Plebeians, I thought when Seth pushed open the door and the cooler air of the hallway hit me. The door closed behind us, and the music dulled. I slowed to a stop, low heels scuffing on the tile. There was a paper-cloth-covered table against the wall with a tired-looking woman checking tickets. Farther down the hall three kids loitered at the main door. The memory of our kiss rose back through me, making me suddenly nervous. This guy was gorgeous. Why was he with me? â€Å"Thank you,† I mumbled, glancing up and away, then warmed as I wondered if he might think I was talking about the kiss. â€Å"I mean, for getting me out of there with my pride intact,† I added, flushing deeper. â€Å"I saw what he did.† Seth rocked us into motion down the hallway away from everyone and to the parking lot. â€Å"It was either that or you dumping punch on his clothes. And you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated until I looked at him. â€Å"You want your revenge more subtle than that.† A sloppy grin came over me, but I couldn't help it. â€Å"You think?† He inclined his head, acting far older than he should. â€Å"Do you have a ride home?† I jerked to a stop, and he continued a step before turning, his blue-gray eyes wide in alarm. It was cool out here, and I told myself that was why I had a sudden chill. â€Å"I'm†¦ sorry,† he said, blinking and holding himself still. â€Å"I didn't mean†¦ I'll stay with you while you arrange for someone to come. You don't know me from Adam.† â€Å"No, it's not that,† I rushed, embarrassed for my sudden mistrust. I glanced back at the woman by the gym door who was watching us with an idle interest. â€Å"I should call my dad, is all. Let him know what's going on.† Seth smiled, his white teeth showing strongly. â€Å"Of course.† I fumbled for the purse that this dress had come with. He moved away a few feet as I dug out my phone and fidgeted, trying to remember the house's number. There was no answer, and we both turned at the noise of the gym door opening. Josh came out, and my jaw tightened. The answering machine picked up, and in a rush, I blurted, â€Å"Hi, Dad. It's Madison.† Duh. â€Å"I'm getting a ride home with Seth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I looked at him in question for a last name. â€Å"Adamson,† he said softly, his eyes behind his mask fixed on Josh. Damn, he had beautiful eyes. And long, luscious eyelashes. â€Å"Seth Adamson,† I said. â€Å"Josh turned out to be a jerk. I'll be home in a few minutes, okay?† But since no one was really there, there wasn't much my dad could say. I waited as if listening for a moment, then added, â€Å"I'm fi-i-i-ine. He was a jerk, is all. I'll see you in a minute.† Satisfied, I closed the phone and tucked it away, linking my arm through Seth's and turning us to the back doors as Josh caught up, his dress shoes clacking on the tile. â€Å"Madison†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was annoyed, and my satisfaction grew. â€Å"Hi, Josh!† I said brightly, my tension rising as he fell into step on my other side. I didn't look at him, and I felt myself go hot. â€Å"I got a ride home. Thanks.† For nothing, I added in my thoughts, still mad at him. Or my dad, maybe, for setting this up. â€Å"Madison, wait.† He caught my elbow, and I spun to a halt. Josh froze, pulling back and letting go. â€Å"You're a jerk,† I said, eyeing his costume and thinking it looked lame now. â€Å"And I'm no one's pity date. You can just†¦ flip off,† I adlibbed, not wanting Seth to think I swore like a sailor. Reaching, Josh grabbed my wrist and yanked me away. â€Å"Listen to me,† he said, and the fear in his eyes stopped my protest. â€Å"I've never seen this guy before. Don't be stupid. Let me take you home. You can tell your friends whatever you want. I'll go along with it.† I tried to take an insulted breath, but the corset wouldn't let me, so I lifted my chin instead. He knew I didn't have any friends. â€Å"I called my dad. I'll be fine,† I said, glancing over his shoulder to the tall kid in that sailor outfit who had followed Josh out. Still Josh wouldn't let go. Ticked, I twisted my arm, and when I reached to grab his wrist in a self-defense hold, he let go as if knowing it. Eyes wide, he backed up a step. â€Å"I'm going to follow you home then,† he said, eyes flicking to Seth. â€Å"Whatever,† I said as I tossed my hair, secretly glad and wondering if maybe Josh wasn't so bad after all. â€Å"Seth, are you in the back lot?† Seth came forward, a softly moving figure of grace and refinement next to Josh's commonality. â€Å"This way, Madison.† I thought I saw a hint of victory in his eyes as his arm slipped through mine. No wonder. He'd obviously come to the prom by himself, and now Josh would be the one leaving alone. I made sure my heels snapped smartly in a show of confident femininity as we went down the hall to the far set of doors. The dress made me feel elegant, and Seth looked fantastic. Josh and his silent buddy trailed behind like extras in a Hollywood film. Seth held the door open for me, leaving the two guys to handle the swinging door by themselves. The air was chilly, and I wished I'd begged for an extra fifty from my dad to get the matching shawl for this outfit. I wondered if Seth would offer me his coat if I complained. The moon was a hazy smear behind the clouds, and as Seth escorted me down the stairs, I could hear Josh behind me, talking softly to his friend in a low, derisive tone. My jaw clenched, and I followed Seth to a sleek black car parked illegally at the curb. It was a convertible, its top open to the cloudy skies, and I couldn't help but smile even wider. Maybe we could go for a drive before he took me home. Cold or not, I wanted to be seen in this car, sitting next to Seth, the wind in my hair and the music cranked. I bet he had great taste in music. â€Å"Madison†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Seth said in invitation, opening the door for me. Feeling awkward and special all at the same time, I eased into the low front seat, my dress sliding on smooth leather. Seth waited while I got the rest of the skirt inside before gently shutting the door. I put on my belt as he crossed behind the car. The black paint glistened in the low glow of the security lights, and I ran my fingers over the smoothness, smug when I saw Josh jogging to his car. Seth startled me when he slid in behind the wheel; I hadn't even heard the door open. He cranked the engine, and I liked the solid rumble of it. The stereo came on with something aggressive. The vocals weren't English, but that only added to it all. Josh's car's lights flashed on, and we pulled forward, Seth driving with one hand. My pulse quickened as I looked at him across the dull light. The cool air felt thick against my skin, and as we picked up speed, the wind worked its way through my hair. â€Å"I live to the south,† I said when we reached the main road, and he turned the proper way. Josh's headlamps swung in behind us, and I settled myself in the seat, wishing Seth had offered me his coat. But he hadn't said a word or looked at me since I'd gotten in the car. Earlier, he'd been all sly confidence. Now it was†¦ anticipation? And though I didn't know why, a slow feeling of alarm took root. As if sensing it, Seth turned, driving the black road without looking. â€Å"Too late,† he said softly, and I felt my face blank. â€Å"Easy. I told them it would be easy when you were young and stupid. Almost not worth the effort. Certainly not any enjoyment.† My mouth went dry. â€Å"Excuse me?† Seth glanced at the road and back at me. The car started to go faster, and I gripped the door handle, pressing away from him. â€Å"Nothing personal, Madison. You're a name on a list. Or should I say, a soul to be culled. An important name, but a name nonetheless. They said it couldn't be done, and now, you'll be my admission to a higher court, you and your little life that will now not happen.† What the hell? â€Å"Josh,† I said, turning to the lights going distant as Seth picked up speed. â€Å"He's following. My dad knows where I am.† Seth smiled, and I shivered at the moonlight glinting on his teeth. Everything else was lost in hazy moon shadow and the shriek of the wind. â€Å"Like that will make a difference?† Oh my God. I was deep in it. My gut tightened. â€Å"Stop the car,† I said forcefully, one hand on the door, the other holding my whipping hair out of my eyes. â€Å"Stop the car and let me out. You can't do this. People know where I am! Stop the car!† â€Å"Stop the car?† he said, smirking. â€Å"I'll stop the car.† Seth shifted his leg, stomping on the brake and turning the wheel. I screamed, grabbing anything. The world spun. My breath left me in a shriek as the odd feeling of too much noise mixed with the cessation of jostling. We had left the road. Gravity pulled from the wrong way. Panic struck when I realized the car was flipping over. Shit. I was in a convertible. I ducked, hands clasped over the back of my neck, praying. A hard thump shook me and everything went black. My breath was crushed from me by the force of the hit. I think I was upside down. Then I was yanked another way. The sky brightened to gray, and I sucked in the air when the car flipped once more as it rolled down the embankment. Again, the sky went black and the top of the car hit the ground. â€Å"No!† I shrieked, helpless, then groaned when the car slammed to a stop, upright. I was flung against the seat belt, agony stabbing through my back as I was thrown forward. It was quiet. Breathing hurt. Oh God, I hurt all over, and I stared at the shattered windshield as I panted. The new edges of the window glinted dully in the moonlight, and I followed the broken line down the dash to find Seth gone. My insides hurt. I didn't see blood, but I think I broke something inside. I was alive? â€Å"Madison!† came distant over my rasping breath. â€Å"Madison!† It was Josh, and I forced my eyes up to the twin balls of light at the top of the embankment. A shadowy figure was sliding down. Josh. I took a breath to call to him, groaning when someone took my head and turned me away. â€Å"Seth?† I whispered. He looked untouched, standing outside the ruined car at my door in his costume of black pirate silk. The moon caught his eyes and pendant, giving them both a gray sheen. â€Å"Still alive,† he said flatly, and tears started to slip from me. I couldn't move, but everything was a massive ache so I didn't think I was paralyzed. Damn it, this was a sucky birthday. Dad was going to kill me. â€Å"I hurt,† I said, my voice small, then thought, What a stupid thing to say. â€Å"I don't have time for this,† Seth said, clearly bothered. My eyes widened, but I didn't move when he pulled from the folds of his costume a short blade. I tried to cry out, but my breath left me when he pulled his arm back as if to strike me. Moonlight glinted on the blade, red with someone else's blood. Fantabulous. He's a psycho. I left the prom with a knife-wielding psycho. Can I pick 'em, or what? â€Å"No!† I shrieked, managing to get my arms up, but the blade was a whisper of ice passing through me, leaving me unhurt. I stared at my middle, not believing I was uncut. My dress wasn't torn and blood wasn't flowing, but I knew that blade had gone through me. It had gone through me and the car both. Not understanding, I gaped up at Seth, now standing with the blade at rest and watching me. â€Å"What†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I tried to say when I realized nothing hurt anymore. But my voice was utterly absent. He arched his eyebrows in a show of scorn. My expression left me when I felt the first brush of utter nothing, both new and familiar, like a memory long lost. The terrifying absence of everything crept through me, stilling each thought it rolled over. Soft and muzzy, a blanket of nothing started at the edges of my world and moved inward, taking first the moon, then the night, then my body, and finally the car. Josh's cries were swallowed up in a low hush of a thrum, leaving only Seth's silver eyes. And then Seth turned and walked away. â€Å"Madison!† I heard faintly, followed by the briefest touch on my cheek. Then even that melted and there was nothing. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter One The Exterminator's Daughter Meg Cabot Mary The music is pounding in time to my heartbeat. I can feel the bass in my chest-badoom, badoom. It's hard to see across the room of writhing bodies, especially with the fog from the dry ice, and the flickering light show coming down from the club's industrial ceiling overhead. But I know he's here. I can feel him. Which is why I'm grateful for the bodies grinding against one another all around me. They're keeping me hidden from his view-and from his senses. Otherwise he'd have smelled me coming by now. They can detect the scent of fear from yards away. Not that I'm scared. Because I'm not. Well. Maybe a little. But I have my Excalibur Vixen crossbow 285 FPS with me, with a twenty-inch-long Easton XX75 (the tip, formerly gold, now replaced with hand-carved ash) already cocked and ready to be released at the merest pressure from my finger. He'll never know what hit him. And, hopefully, neither will she. The important thing is to get a clean shot-which won't be easy in this crowd-and to make it count. I'll probably only get one chance to shoot. Either I'll hit the target†¦ or he'll hit me. â€Å"Always aim for the chest,† Mom used to say. â€Å"It's the largest part of the body, and the spot you're least likely to miss. Of course, you're more likely to kill than wound if you aim for the chest rather than the thigh or arm†¦ but what do you want to wound for, anyway? The point is to take 'em down.† Which is what I'm here to do tonight. Take ‘im down. Lila will hate me, of course, if she figures out what really happened†¦ and that it was me who did it. But what does she expect? She can't think that I'm just going to sit idly by and watch her throw her life away. â€Å"I met this guy,† she'd gushed at lunch today, while we were standing in line for the salad bar. â€Å"Oh my God, Mary, you wouldn't believe how cute he is. His name's Sebastian. He's got the bluest eyes you've ever seen.† The thing about Lila that a lot of people don't get is that beneath that-let's face it-slutty exterior beats the heart of a truly loyal friend. Unlike the rest of the girls at Saint Eligius, Lila's never pulled an attitude with me about the fact that my dad's not a CEO or plastic surgeon. And yeah, okay, I have to tune out about three-fourths of what she says because most of it is stuff that I have no interest in-like how much she paid for her Prada tote at the end-of-season clearance sale at Saks, and what kind of tramp stamp she's thinking about getting next time she's in Cancn. But this caught my attention. â€Å"Lila,† I said. â€Å"What about Ted?† Because Ted's all Lila has talked about for the past year, ever since he finally got up the guts to ask her out. Well, I mean, all she's talked about besides the Prada sales and back tattoos. â€Å"Oh, that's over,† Lila said, reaching for the lettuce tongs. â€Å"Sebastian's taking me clubbing tonight-at Swig. He says he can get us in-he's on the VIP list.† It wasn't the fact that this guy, whoever he was, claimed to be on the VIP list of the newest and most exclusive club in downtown Manhattan that caused the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. Don't get me wrong-Lila's beautiful. If anyone is going to be approached by a random stranger who happens to be on the most sought-after VIP list in town, it would be Lila. It was the thing about Ted that got to me. Because Lila adores Ted. They're the quintessentially perfect high school couple. She's gorgeous, he's a star athlete†¦ it's a match made in teen heaven. Which is why what she was telling me did not compute. â€Å"Lila, how can you say it's over between you and Ted?† I demanded. â€Å"You two have been going out forever†-or at least since I arrived at Saint Eligius Prep in September, where Lila was the first (and, to date, pretty much the only) girl in any of my classes to actually speak to me-â€Å"and it's the prom this weekend.† â€Å"I know,† Lila said, with a happy sigh. â€Å"Sebastian's taking me.† â€Å"Seb-â€Å" That's when I knew. I mean, really knew. â€Å"Lila,† I said. â€Å"Look at me.† Lila looked down at me-I'm small. But, as Mom used to say, I'm fast-and I saw it at once. What I should have seen from the beginning, that ever-so-slightly glazed expression-the dull eyes†¦ the soft lips-that I've come to know so well over the years. I couldn't believe it. He'd gotten to my best friend. My only friend. Well. What was I supposed to do? Sit back and let him take her? Not this time. You'd think seeing a girl with a crossbow on the dance floor of Manhattan's hottest new club would maybe generate a comment or two. But it is Manhattan, after all. Besides, everyone is having too good a time to notice me. Even- Oh God. It's him. I can't believe I'm finally seeing him in the flesh†¦ Well, his son, anyway. He's more handsome than I ever imagined. Golden-haired and blue-eyed, with movie star-perfect lips and shoulders a mile wide. He's tall, too-although most guys are tall-compared with me. Still, if he is anything like his father, well, then, I get it. I finally get it. I guess. I still don't- Oh God. He's sensed my gaze. He's turning this way- It's now or never. I raise my bow: Good-bye, Sebastian Drake. Good-bye forever. But just as I have the bright white triangle of his shirt front in my scope, something unbelievable happens: A bright bloom of cherry red appears exactly where I've been aiming. Except I haven't pulled the trigger. And his kind doesn't bleed. â€Å"What's that, Sebastian?† Lila shimmies up to him to ask. â€Å"Dammit! Somebody†-and I see Sebastian raise his stunned cerulean gaze from the scarlet stain on his shirt to Lila's face-â€Å"shot me.† It's true. Someone has shot him. Only it wasn't me. And that's not all that doesn't make sense. He's bleeding. Except that's not possible. Not knowing what else to do, I duck behind a nearby pillar, pressing the Vixen to my chest. I need to regroup, figure out my next move. Because none of this can really be happening. I couldn't have been wrong about him. I did the research. It all makes sense†¦ the fact that he's here in Manhattan†¦ the fact that he went after my best friend, of all people†¦ Lila's dazed expression†¦ everything. Everything except what just happened. And I had just stood there, staring. I had had a perfect shot, and I'd blown it. Or had I? If he's bleeding, then that must mean he's human. Doesn't it? Except if he's human, and he's just been shot in the chest, why is he still standing? Oh God. The worst of it is†¦ he saw me. I'm almost sure I felt that reptilian gaze pass over me. What will he do now? Will he come after me? If he does, it's all my own fault. Mom told me never to do this. She always said a hunter never goes out alone. Why didn't I listen? What was I thinking? That's the problem, of course. I hadn't been thinking at all. I'd let my emotions get the better of me. I couldn't let what happened to Mom happen to Lila. And now I'm going to pay for it. Just like Mom. Crouching in agony, I try not to imagine what Dad's going to do when the New York City police ring our doorbell at four in the morning and ask him to come to the morgue to ID his only daughter's body. My throat will be gouged open, and who knows what other atrocities will be done to my broken body. All because I didn't stay home tonight to work on my paper for Mrs. Gregory's fourth-period U.S. History class (topic: the temperance movement in antebellum Civil War America, two thousand words, double-spaced, due Monday), like I was supposed to. The music changes. I hear Lila squeal, â€Å"Where are you going?† Oh God. He's coming.