History 1010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History 1010 - Essay Example The 1866 Congressional elections allowed these Republicans to take control of the Congress and continue the process of reconstruction in the south (Henretta, and Brody). This process became known as Radical Reconstruction and began the process of freeing and emancipating black Americans. After gaining control in 1866, the new Radical Republican Congress began instituting new policies that not only hindered the power of President Andrew Johnson but also helped reconstruct the south so that black Americans could gain freedom. In order to establish their plan, Radical Republicans had to work with their moderate Republicans to gain enough power in both the House of Representatives and Senate that President Andrew Johnson could not veto aspects of their plan (Henretta, and Brody). The plan started with the First Reconstruction Act of 1867. This first act named the seceded states as territory that could be controlled by the military under marital law. The troops kept peace in the region and protected the former slaves while Congress compelled the southern states to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment in order to reintegrate with the Union states. This amendment provided blacks with the rights to vote, but in order to guarantee their suffrage, Congress passed the Second Recons truction Act that put the military in charge of voter registration. In order to establish order in the South, Congress used the military to enforce the previously desired reconstructive techniques. Although they were unpopular with the people, they proved to be effective because by 1870 all the states were reabsorbed by the Union (Henretta, and Brody). The effect of the new legislation is, however, debatable. Nevertheless, Congressional Radical Revolution did not necessarily change the way black Americans were treated by society. The institution of the First and Second Reconstruction Acts, with the help of the

Personal values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal values - Essay Example This is of specific reference for me as I believe that the advantages of a diversified workforce can provide various benefits to an organization as a whole. This is due to the fact that each culture has its own positive input into the business mix, if managed correctly. This appears to be the case, as the performance appraisals reveal that a more nurturing and encouraging environment is evident from the analyses of these appraisals. The entire customer service ethos within Kudler is remarkable, as this is revealed in the mission statement of the company. Issues such as professional courtesy are of specific relevance, in terms of their customer care. In my appreciation of these factors, I am in total agreement of the customer service aspect as the correct treatment of the customer can, and normally does contribute to the business’ success and overall profit. Incorporated in the consumer care, Kudler continues to strive for additional choices of products for the customer, and although at times this may prove to be expensive in terms of the cost of holding the inventory, it will rather encourage the repeat customer as well as the addition of new customer seeking such a large variety in terms of their shopping requirements. The fact that the Kudler organization is a small business and is poised for growth, contributes to my personal value of growth. This represents an opportunity for growth and advancement within the business, as it expands and opens more stores across California and further when they decide to expand beyond the Californian borders. This in turn will offer the opportunity of progressing from a junor management role into a more senior management position as the company expands. This ties in with my personal value of personal growth, which can be applied as the organization grows into a larger and more expansive retail operation, as it grows towards the planned San Francisco store and expansion. Additionally

Types Of Trade Unions Commerce Essay

Types Of Trade Unions Commerce Essay A trade union is an organization of employees formed on a continuous basis for the purpose of securing diverse range of benefits. It is a continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining and improving the conditions of their working lives. Trade union means combination, whether temporary or permanent, formed (i) primarily for the purpose of regulating the relation between (a) workmen and employers, or (b) between workmen and workmen, or (c) between employers and employers, or (ii) for imposing restrictive conditions and the conduct of any trade or business, and includes any federation of two or more trade unions. TYPES OF TRADE UNIONS Since the growth of unions are spontaneous and automatic there is no definite classification that is followed all over the country. However for clear gaps of differentiation the unions have been classified into the following categories. Industrial unions Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union-regardless of skill or trade-thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations. For example:- FireBrigadeUnion the National Union of Miners (N.U.M), covering workers at all levels in the hierarchy b) General unions. A General Union is a trade union which represents workers from all industries and companies, rather than just one organization or a particular sector, as in a craft union or industrial union For example:- Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) cleaners, clerical staff, transport workers C) Craft unions. Craft unionism refers to organizing a labor union in a manner that seeks to unify workers in a particular industry along the lines of the particular craft or trade that they work in by class or skill level. It contrasts with industrial unionism, in which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union, regardless of differences in skill. For example: Musician Unions D) White Collars Union : These are for white-collar (or professional) workers who perform the same or similar tasks in different industries. It represents office workers For example:. National Union of Teachers HISTORY The seeds for the development of trade union in India were sown with the growth of industrialization. As the humanitarian movement came to India in the 19th century, worker groups made several attempts to improve their working conditions. The British introduced this movement in India to divide Indian employers and employees and beat local competition. Attempts were also made to eradicate child labour in India. The British Government was finally compelled to pass a resolution against employing children between the ages of seven to twelve for more than nine hours a day. The trade unionism in India developed quite slowly as compared to the western nations. So far as the question of formation and development of Trade Unions in India is concerned, its necessity was realised from 1875 onwards by philanthropists, social workers like Shri Soirabji Shapaji Bengalle and Shri N.M. Lokhandey. Indian Trade Union movement can be divided into three phases. The First Phase (1850 to1900) During this phase the inception of trade unions took place. During this period, the working and living conditions of the labour were poor and their working hours were long. Capitalists were only interested in their productivity and profitability. In addition, the wages were also low and general economic conditions were poor in industries. Efforts towards organizing the workers were made during the early period of industrial development on humanitarian grounds.In order to regulate the working hours and other service conditions of the Indian textile labourers; the Indian Factories Act was enacted in 1881. As a result, employment of child labour was prohibited. The growth of trade union movement was slow in this phase and later on the Indian Factory Act of 1881 was amended in 1891. Many strikes took place in the two decades following 1880 in all industrial cities. These strikes taught workers to understand the power of united action even though there was no union in real terms. Small associations like Bombay Mill-Hands Association came up by this time. The Second Phase (1900 to 1946) This phase was characterized by the development of organized trade unions and political movements of the working class. A few trade unions like The Printers Union, Calcutta (1905) the Bombay Postal Union (1907) etc were formed. Between 1918 and 1923, many unions came into existence in the country. At Ahmedabad, under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, occupational unions like spinners unions and weavers unions were formed. A strike was launched by these unions under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi who turned it into a satyagrah. These unions federated into industrial union known as Textile Labour Association in 1920. In 1920, the First National Trade union organization (The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)) was established. Many of the leaders of this organization were leaders of the national Movement. In 1926, Trade union law came up with the efforts of Mr. N.M Joshi that became operative from 1927. During 1928, All India Trade Union Federation (AITUF) was formed. Besides Gandhi , the Whitly Commission on Labour in India (1929-31) had also pointed out that the Modem industrialism is itself of western importation and the difficulties which it creates for labour in India are similar to the difficulties it has created elsewhere. In these conditions the Commission realised that it is power to combine that labour has the only effective safeguard against exploitation and the only lasting security against inhuman conditions. Moreover the Commission did not find an evidence of any alternative remedy that is likely to prove effective. So it emphasised that the need of organisation among Indian workmen is great and it further recommended that nothing but a strong Trade Union movement will give the Indian working class adequate protection. The Third Phase (After 1947) The third phase began with the emergence of independent India (in 1947). The partition of country affected the trade union movement particularly Bengal and Punjab. The Planning Commission drafted its first five year plan, setting therein necessary targets of production industrial as well as agricultural to be achieved during the next five years. For having industrial advancement, Industrial Policy Resolution in 1948, was also prepared. As the economic progress is bound up with the Industrial peace so for the successful implementation of the plans, particularly in the economy organised for planned production and distribution, the co-operation from Trade Unions was considered absolutely essential at different stages of the execution of the plans. Accordingly, it was realised that the question of maintenance of smooth industrial relations was not a matter between employers and employees alone. But it was a vital concern of the community. Therefore their relationship has to be of a par tnership in this constructive endeavour. This was the reason why it was provided in the first five year plan that the dignity of labour must be recognised so that the workers who on account of hardships of illiteracy and ignorance and lack of opportunities have not been able to play as effective a role in the working of industry as they should, could understand and carry out their responsibility and could take an increasing share in the industry. Accordingly the workers right of association, organisation and collective bargaining was accepted and it was laid down in this plan that they (Trade unions) should be welcomed and helped to function as part and parcel of the industrial system. The necessity of Trade Unions was so much considered that no difference between the workers working in privately owned industries or in publicly owned industries was made. By 1949, four central trade union organizations were functioning in the country The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) The Hindu Mazdoor Sangh (HMS) The United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) The working class movement was also politicized along the lines of political parties. For instance Indian national trade Union Congress (INTUC) is the trade union arm of the Congress Party. The AITUC is the trade union arm of the Communist Party of India. Besides workers, white-collar employees, supervisors and managers are also organized by the trade unions, as for example in the Banking, Insurance and Petroleum industries. OBJECTIVE The objectives of the trade unions generally are: I . They strive for achieving higher wages and better conditions for the members. 2. They not only minimize the helplessness of the individual workers by making them stand collectively and increasing their resistance power through collective bargaining but also protect their member against victimization or injustice of the employers. 3. They provide the worker self confidence and a feeling that they are not simply a log in the machine. 4. They imbibe a spirit of sincerity and discipline in the workers 5. They also take up welfare measures for improving the morale of the workers. 6. They demand an increasing share for workers in the management of industrial enterprises. They help in raising the status of workers as partners of Industry and as citizens of the society. This is another important area, which has a great impact on the industrial relations system. Labour legislation has been instrumental in shaping the course of industrial relations in India. Establishment of social justice has been the principle, which has guided the origin and development of labour legislation in India. The setting up of the International Labour Organization gave an impetus to the consideration of welfare and working conditions of the workers all over the world and also led to the growth of labour laws in all parts of the world, including 1ndia4. Some of the other factors which gave impetus to the development of labour laws in India were the Swaraj Movement of 192 1 -24 and the appointment of the Royal Commission on Labour in 1929. The labour laws regulate not only the conditions of work of industrial establishments, but also industrial relations, payment of wages, registration of trade unions, certification of standing orders etc. In addition, they provide social se curity measures for workers. They desire legal rights and obligations of employees and employers and also provide guidelines for their relationship. In India, all laws emanate from the constitution of India. Under the constitution, Labour is a concurrent subject, i..e., both the central and state governments can enact labour legislation, with the clause that the state legislature cannot enact a law which is repugnant to the central law. A rough estimate places the total number of enactments in India to be around 160. Workers Participation With the outbreak of First World War, countries like England, France, West Germany and USA experienced an industrial unrest largely because labor was regarded as a commodity of commerce which was exploited to its maximum. Because of the unrest they recognized the fact that labor is not a commodity to be sold at a price, but should be treated as human beings having capacity to grow and accept responsibility as citizens. A worker wants to participate in the affairs of the industry and contribute to the effectiveness of the co-operative enterprise to which he belongs. The human relations philosophy popularized by Elton Mayo gave the importance of human factor in the organization. Man is not purely an economic animal but a member of the group sharing its norms and goals. Workers participation aimed at giving the workers a feeling of having a place of their own in the social structure of the country, ultimately providing a social base. The humanitarian approach to labor brought about a new set of values, both for the workers and employers; power has been replaced by persuasion, authoritarianism by democracy and compulsion by co-operation. It is quite logical that people have right to choose their own government, has right to choose the management of the enterprise to which they belong. It rests on fundamental premise that the worker is not a slave who has no rights at all, he is a citizen employed in an industry and has opinions of his own which should be taken into account while formulating the policies and making decisions. The factory is not a mechanical entity which is governed by mechanical principles and economic laws, but a social system which is subject to democratic rights of those who are involved in it. In India, Mahatma Gandhi had already launched the idea of trusteeship after the First World War, and some experiments had followed in the Ahmedabad textile mills. After independence, the Government of India consolidated tripartism and created consultative forums. The various types of involvement with employees varied greatly, though, as several organizations established different practices in India. Information-sharing, suggestion schemes, consultation and, only in a few cases, co-determination or participation in its true sense, exist in many organizations. Issues The issues on which workers or employees are to be consulted have also varied widely. Broadly speaking, the range of issues in any enterprise on which decisions need to be taken from time to time can be classified under five major heads: Safety and Welfare issues; Work-Related issues (production on the shop floor, quality, machine maintenance); Sharing of gains (wages, incentives, allowances); Production-related issues (product-mix, plant production targets, technology) and; Business policy (expansion, contraction, pricing). Workers participation is system of communication and consultation, either formal or informal, by which employees of an organization are kept informed about affairs of the undertaking and through which they express their opinion and contribute to management decisions. It is based on the principles of equity, equality and voluntarism. It gives employees representatives the right to criticize, to offer constructive suggestions, and to become aware of various delicate issues involved in decision-making. The participation enhances employees ability to influence, decision-making at different levels of the organizational hierarchy with assumption of responsibility. Participation Refers to mental emotional involvement of Workers in unions activities it is more behaviorist rather than an attitudinal concept. Indicators of participations 1-participation in unions elections 2-membership enrolment subscription 3-membership on union committees 4-Attending unions meetings 5-Involvement in unions welfare social responsibility functions. Factors influencing WP in Unions 1-The type of leadership is available in unions 2-the history of labour management relations in a plant 3-the age, experience, skills educations, caste, employment of workers. 4- the style of supervision, motivation, morale, wage structure in the industry. 5-Welfare measures fringe benefits available to workers. Advantages of W.P in Unions 1-W.P in unions activities gives solidarity strength to the unions. 2-It helps in developing leadership from the rank ensures a strong bargaining power. 3- it checks the tendency on the part of selected leaders to become all powerful by a vigilant participative membership. 4-It is essential not only from the viewpoint of betterment of unions leaders but for the very success of trade unionism. Employers Associations Effectiveness of any industrial relations system whether based on legislation or voluntary arrangements, depends to a great extent on the attitude that unions and employers organizations adopt towards each other. The intention in covering employers organizations under the Trade unions Act, 1926 was to place both workers and employers organizations on a par in matters of rights and responsibilities. the principal of giving equal representation to capital and labour on all consultative bodies like the Indian Labour Conference, Standing Labour Committee and industrial committees recognizes this basic tenet in the employer- employee relationship. Functions Communication Advisory Functions Educational Efforts Representational Functions Functions of Social Responsibilities TRADE UNION ACT, 1926 The Trade Unions Act was passed in 1926 under the title of the Indian Trade unions Act and was brought into effect from 1st June 1927. The act was amended in 1947, 1960 and 1962. Subsequently, the word Indian was deleted from the amended Act of 1964, which came into force from 1st April 1965. Objectives of Act Terms and conditions required for trade unions to become officially registered. Responsibilities expected from a registered trade union. Rights and liabilities of registered trade unions Applicability of the Act The Act extends to the whole of India. The act was extended to Jammu Kashmir by the Central Labour Laws Act 1970 with effect from 1st September 1971. The Act applies not only to the unions of workers but also to the associations of employers. The Act is a central legislation, but it is administered and enforced mostly by state governments. For the purpose of this act, the Central government handles the cases of only those unions whose activities are not confined to one state. All other unions are the concern of state governments. The registrars of trade unions are appointed both by the central and state governments. They can also appoint additional or Deputy Registrars who may exercise the powers and functions of the Registrars, as they think fit so as to obviate delays in the disposal of applications for the registration of trade unions. Scope (a) Only persons engaged in Trade or Business (which includes an Industry) can form a trade union or become members of the trade union. As such persons employed in Raj Bhawan for domestic and other duties cannot form a trade union. Likewise, the government servants engaged in the task of sovereign and legal functions are not entitled to the registration of a trade union. (b) The Trade Unions Act 1926 applies to the whole of Indian Union. (c) Any person who has attained the age of 15 years may become the member of a registered trade union. Functions of Unions The functions of unions include intramural, extramural and political. Intramural functions are those activities which are at the betterment of needs of workers in relation to their employment such as ensuring adequate wages, securing better conditions of work, rest interval, continuity of employment etc. Extramural activities are those which perform to help the workers in times of need and improve their efficiency. They also include welfare measures and conduct recreational functions for the workers. The history of trade unionism in the country records profound effects of political leaders. The route of action, the concentration of work moves from workers to a more universal area- politics. In India most of the unions are politically affiliated or have strong support of leading political parties of the country. Thus the trade unions use their franchise to capture the government which indirectly results in acquiring stronger hold of power through political influence for their trade union. Penalties A. Failure to submit returns (Section 31): Section 31 of The Trade Union Act, 1926 states about the penalties on failure to submit returns by registered Trade Union. It contains, (1) If default is made on the part of any registered Trade Union in giving any notice or sending any statement or other document as required by or under any provision of this Act, every (office-bearer) or other person bound by the rules of the Trade Union to give or send the same . Again, if there is no such or person, every member of the executive of the Trade Union, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five rupees and in the case of a continuing default, with an additional fine which may extend to five rupees for each week after the first during which the default continues and provided that the aggregate fine shall not exceed fifty rupees. (2) Any person who willfully makes, or causes to be made, any false entry in, or any omission from the general statement required by section 28, or in or form any copy of rules or of alterations of rules sent to the Registrar under that Section, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. B. Supplying false information regarding Trade Union (Section 32): Any person who, wit intent to deceive, gives to any member of a registered Trade Union or to any document purporting or applying to become a member of such Trade Union, any document purporting to be a copy of the rules of the Trade Union or of any alterations to the same which he knows, or has reason to believe, is not a correct copy of such rules or alterations as are for the time being in force. On the other hand, any person who, with the like intent gives a copy of any rules of an unregistered Trade Union to any person on the pretence that such rules are the rules of a registered Trade Union, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees. C. Cognizance of offence (Section 33): (1) No court inferior to that of a Presidency Magistrate or a Magistrate of the first class shall try any offence under this Act. (2) No court shall take cognizance of any offence under this Act unless complaint thereof has been made by or with the previous sanction 32, by the person to whom the copy was given, within six months of the date on which the offence is alleged to have been committed. Provisions of the Act The main provisions of the act relate to 1. Definition 2. Registration of trade unions 3. Duties and liabilities of registered trade unions 4. Rights and privileges of registered trade unions. 5. Amalgamation and dissolution of trade unions. 6. Submission of returns 7. Penalties and fines. 8. Power to make regulations. Registration Application Application Any seven or more members of a Trade union may, by subscribing their names to the rules of the trade union and by otherwise complying with the provisions of this Act with respect to registration, apply for registration of the trade union under this Act. Registration Every application for registration of a Trade union shall be made to the Registrar, and shall be accompanied by copy of the rules of the trade union and a statement of the following particulars namely; (a) The names, occupations and addresses of the members making the application (b) The name of the trade union and the address of its Head Office and (c) The titles, names, ages, addresses and occupations of the office bearers of the trade union. The Trade Unions Act Does Not Affect 1. Any agreement between partners as to their own business 2. Any agreement between an employer and those employed by him as to such employment; or 3. Any agreement in consideration of the sale of the goodwill of a business or of instruction in any profession, trade or handicraft. EXISTING TRADE UNIONS At present there are 10 Central Trade Union Organizations in India: All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) It was established in 1920 as a result of a resolution passed by the organized workers of Bombay and the delegates which met in a conference on 31 October 1920. It was attended by such first rank political leaders as Motilal Nehru, MA Jinnae, Mrs. Annie Besant and Vallabhai Patel and Col. Wedgewood on behalf of the British Trade Union Congress. The first president was Lala Lajpat Rai. Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) This union has been the outcome of the decision taken by the Jana Sangh in its convention at Bhopal on 23rd July, 1954. Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) This was formed in 1970 when as a result of the rift in the AITUC; some members of the Communist Party seceded. Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) When the Socialists separated from the Congress, those who were dissatisfied with the pro-Communist policies of the INTUC formed a new organization, the Hind Mazdoor panchayat, which was merged with the Indian Federation of Labour in 1948 under the name of the Hind Mazdoor Sabha. It is an organ of the Praja Socialist Party. Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) The INTUC came into existence on 4th May, 1948, as a result of the resolution passed on 17th November 1947, by the United Board of the Hindustan Mazdoor Sevak Sangh, which was a labour organisation working under the direction of National Congress-minded labour leaders on the Gandhian Philosophy of Sarvodaya. Since AITUC was under the stronghold of the Communists, the Congress labour leaders thought of forming a new central trade union organization. To give effect to this idea, a conference was held at New Delhi under the chairman ship of Sardar Vallabhai Patel. It was inaugurated by Shri Acharya J.B. Kripalani (on May 3, 1947) and was attended by eminent nationalist and socialist leaders. National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU) This union was founded in 1967, with the claim that this is the only trade union in India which is not controlled by any of the political parties, employers or government. National Labor Organization (NLO) Trade Unions Co-ordination Centre (TUCC) Trade Union Coordination Committee is a central trade union federation in India. TUCC is politically attached to All India Forward Bloc. According to provisional statistics from the Ministry of Labour, TUCC had a membership of 732760 in 2002. The general secretary is Nripendra Kumar Mahto. United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) Some trade union leaders of the socialist bent met together in December 1948 to form a new central organisation of labour, called Hind Mazdoor Sabha. Some of the leaders did not agree with the principles and objectives of the Sabha and they therefore, again met at Calcutta on December 27, 1948, and decided to call upon a conference of trade union leaders to form a united Trade Union Committee. This Committee called for a meeting of the various leaders at Calcutta on April 30, 1949 and formed a new union under the name of United Trade Union Congress. United Trade Union Congress Lenin Sarani (UTUC LS) It is a Central Trade Union Organisation in India and the labour wing of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist). Presently its activities are spread over 19 states. The organisation claims to have 600 affiliated unions, comprising an individual membership of over two million. It is the 6th largest trade union in India. According to provisional statistics from the Ministry of Labour, UTUC-LS had a membership of 1,368,535 in 2002. AFFILIATED ORGANISATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) 5,788,822 Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) 8,200,000 Origin: Came into existence on 4th May 1948,as a result of the resolution passed on 17th November 1947,by the central board of the Hindustan Mazdoor Sevak Sangh. Objectives: It aims at the sarvodaya ideal and stands for gradual transformation of the existing social order. It aims at establishing a socialist state in India. It aims at placing industry under national ownership and control in a suitable form in order to realise the desired order of society. Methods Used: These strike is like a Brahmastra and is not to be resorted to in a light-hearted manner and made cheap and blunt. Political Affiliation: Affiliated with the Indian Natinal Congress (the ruling party). Its relations with the government are based on the mutuality. Self-Employed Womens Association (SEWA) 1,325,752 STRUCTURE The structure of unions refers to the basis on which unions are organised (i.e., whether they are organised on craft or industrial or general union basis) and to the pattern whereby the plant unions are linked to regional level or national level federations or unions. Unions in India are largely organised by industry rather than craft. Although industrial unionism has been the general trend, craft unions have also emerged here and there; primarily, they exist among non-manual workers like administrative staff, professionals, technicians, etc. Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association is the sole example of craft union of manual workers. Another aspect of the structure of unions in India relates to their pattern of relationship between national level, regional level, local level and plant level unions. Let us see how they are related in India. Plant level Unions The first level in the structure from below is the plant level union. This comprises the unions in one organisation or factory. Please note that only seven members are required to form a union. This has lead to multiple unions in one factory Local Level federations. This is the second level in the structure from below. The local trade union federation holds together the plant level unions at the local level in a particular craft and industry. These local level federations might be affiliated to either some regional level or national level federation or these may be independent. Regional level federations These are the organisations of all the constituent unions in a particular state or region. The importance of such federations cannot be exaggerated. In a country like India, conditions vary from region to region. The style of living, languages, customs, traditions, conditions, etc. are different. Therefore, it is better that workers are organised at regional or state level. These regional federations may have members of two kinds: (1) The plant level unions affiliating themselves to these directly and (2) The local federations. In the second case, plant level unions become the members of regional federation indirectly through the local federations. It may be noted that the regional federations may be independent or they may get affiliated to some national federation. National federations. These are national level bodies to which plant level unions, local unions or regional level unions may get affiliated. These are the apex bodies at the top of the structure. They act as coordinating bodies. Th

How Holography Works :: Holography Holograms Physics

To develop and understanding of how holograms work, one first needs a basic understanding of light and its wave-like properties. First, we will consider investigate the concepts of diffraction and an interference pattern. Consider, for a moment, a person threw a rock into a pond. At the point where the rock hit the water, waves would form and would move away from the source of the wave (the rock) in a spherical shape. This is what a wave looks like when the wave is being emitted from a single point. Now, consider a water wave that is traveling through a small slit in a wall. The waves would emerge form that slit like it would from a point source (the rock). The waves travel through the slit and emerge in a spherical pattern. Now, lets take the next step. Lets say instead of just one slit, two slits were put in the wall. Waves would emerge from each point in a spherical pattern. But this time, the system is more complicated. Because the waves are emerging in spherical patterns, the waves begin to intersect with each other and form an interference pattern. Every wave has crests and troughs. A crest can be thought of as the high point of a wave and a trough can be thought of as the low point of a wave. Every wave can be expressed a sin function, that is, it is periodic. These crests and troughs occur at regular intervals in the wave. So, when these waves from the two slits in the wall start intersecting, the crests and troughs start intersecting with each other; this is known as an interference pattern. If the periods of the waves are lined up, or rather the waves are in phase with each other, the crests and troughs of the two waves overlap and reinforce each other. That is, it looks like there is a wave that is twice as large as one of the original waves at a particular point of intersection; this is known as constructive interference. Now, lets consider a point of intersection where the crest of one wave is present where the trough of the other wave is present. These two waves at this point are out of phase and are experiencing destructive interference. The water would actually look calm at this point, because the waves, in a sense, cancel each other out.

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.

Alliances of Ww1

Intro- Throughout history there has been many conflicts between groups of people that have threatened peace in many nations and regions. One of these conflicts was world war 1 which involved many countries that sided with one another against each other. There were many causes to this conflict that started all the fighting between the nations. Each country has their own view on who's fault it was and if it was handled correctly. This war only caused many casualties and economic problems for countries which could of easily been avoided. 1st paragraph –Alliances were a major cause of the conflicts between countries in WW1 The original disagreement was between Serbia and Austria-Hungry over the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand. A Serb terrorist group were the ones to kill Ferdinand even though Austria-Hungry assumed it was the Serbian government who did the assassination. Austria asked Germany if they would back then up in a war if they fought Serbia. This was the start to all of the alliances in Europe. Then Russia told Serbia that they would back them up in war which now 4 countries are involved in the war.The sides ended up with Austria, Germany, and Italy called that central powers. Then they were fighting against the allied powers formed of Great Britain, France, Russia, And the U. S. All of the alliances ended up making this war bigger then many excepted it to be. Also have a reason for countries to build up their army so that they will win the war. Great Britain said that they would make their navy two times stronger then any navy in the world. At the same time the Germans were building up their own army on land. Once they started the war it was almost forgotten what had started the war and why they were fighting.Countries that had nothing to do with Austria and Serbia's disagreement were joining the war just for the chance if winning and gaining more colonies. If the battle only stayed between the Austrians and the Serbs much of this could have been avoided. 2nd paragraph There are many was that you can look at how the the war was played out. One view point of the war was Germany's and its strange how they thought about the war. At the end of the war the Germans were obviously loosing and there was no way of getting out of it. Although at the same time Woodrow Wilson had thought up the 14 points.These were rules / laws to what would happen once the war was over. Some of it stated that no one would be called the â€Å"loser† of the war. Germany was obviously happy with this because now they just got out of loosing a war badly. Also it stated everyone would lose their colonies and no one would have anymore. This was also great for Germany because they were going to lose their colonies either way, but now that other countries lose them also thats a little better. All the countries got together to discuss about the 14 points and other things forming the treaty of Versailles.Once they started discussing about the tr eaty it did not look good for Germany. In the treat it says Germany will get its colonies taken away and given to France and Great Britain. They were unhappy cause the 14 points said no one has colonies. The treaty also made Germany pay war reparations to many of the countries with great loss. The Germans did not have much money after the war to begin with and now are forced to pay money to nations who fought against them. Finally Germany had to take blame for all of WW1 which was a bit extreme the Germans thought.There are many countries that contributed to WW1 and to put all the blame on Germany's shoulders did not seem right to them. That was the biggest upset to the Germans that they were blamed for the war even though they did the same thing as the other countries in the war. 3rd paragraph – In war there are 2 different stories to the side of the war. Great Britain in the war was going against the Germans and their view point was different. Britain were the ones winning the war before it was ended. The U. S. joined in at the end securing the victory for the allied powers.Woodrow Wilson brought his idea of the 14 points to Europe which Great Britain disliked. They did not like the 14 points because they would not be given credit for wining the war. Great Britain believed that since they won the war the credit should go to them, it would only be fair. Under the 14 points it also say's that there will be no more colonies. Great Britain was excepting more colonies for them since they had won the war. This is a surprise to Britain and did not like the ideas that Woodrow Wilson had came up with.When they treaty of versailles was composed the laws were very different. Germany was blamed for the war which was implying that Germany were the losers of the war. The treaty was also intended to take away colonies except Great Britain and France were able to keep their own. This was because they were the ones composing the treaty and made it good for themselves. It turned out that since Great Britain was such a major power in Europe that they made the rules. They were the ones making the decisions at the resolution of WW1. 4th-pargraphAt the end of WW1 many countries were still uneasy with the outcome of the war. The treat to end the war was called the treaty of Versailles and this decided how the end of the war would be concluded. The conflict between the countries was definitely not resolved, there were many countries dissatisfied after the war ended. Many of these countries were upset because of how the treaty of Versailles was made up. The only two countries satisfied with the treaty were Great Britain and France because they decided what would be in it.For a fair treaty you should have all of the countries that would be involved in the meeting. Leaving nations such as Germany out of the meeting causes them to get angry and most likely disobey the treaty. If all countries were allowed to attend the meeting and speak their own opinion. This war could have been settled in a more organized fashion that would have avoid any countries being agervated. I do not think this war was resolved, but easily could have if the right choices were made during makeing the treaty of Versailles.Conclusion – History has had its many conflicts between groups of people that have disagreed with each other . The conflicts of world war 1 which we're mainly caused by alliances nations made with one another. Many reasons lead to the fighting of world war 1 . At the end of the war if the treaty that settled the fighting was fair less countries would still be unhappy . Once World War 1 ended the death and destruction that came about was incredible , all could have been avoided with more precautions.