How jails differ from prisons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How jails differ from prisons - Research Paper Example delivery, possible need for accountability to the funders identifies differences in funding stakeholders in the facilities’ organizational structures. Internal organizational structure of jails also identify sheriff, an elected officer, at the top of a hierarchy structure and subordinate law enforcement officers while the Bureau of Prisons administers prisons (Whitehead, Jones, and Braswell, 2010) and the structure identifies administrative differences between the two facilities. It also important to note that sheriffs, who manage jails, are elected officials and voter power may influence their administrative decisions while Bureau of Prisons director are appointed and even though politics may influence the appointment, a level of administrative expertise is expected (Clark and MacCreaigh, 2006). Another difference is the facilities’ target hosts as prisons are also organized to host people who have been sentenced for felony offences and those serving long period senten ces. Jails are however organized to host people who are yet to be tried or those who have been tried but are yet to be transferred to their designated facilities such as juveniles and those with mental illnesses (Gaines and Miller, 2006). Jails and prisons are facilities in the criminal justice system for holding arrested and convicted people but their organizational and administrative scopes are different. Organizational structure, objectives, types of expertise, sources of funds, and types of people that each of the facilities holds identifies the

Military Dictatorship and Hieratical Political Leaders Essay Example for Free

Military Dictatorship and Hieratical Political Leaders Essay Military dictatorship and hieratical political leaders failed in Bangladesh Military dictatorship and hieratical political leaders failed in Bangladesh to institutionalize democracy and ensure development and liberty for the people. It looks like that we have to restart from the beginning. As early as 1965 the late Akhter hamid Khan of Comilla Academy had a vision to take government to the doorstep of common people through a local government and micro- enterprises under cooperative with management support from a rural based bureaucrats and reduce the revenue urden of the central government a corresponding reduction of members in the centralized bureaucratic administration. To invoke public propositions and opinion in this regard, the following few points have been innumerate to be further developed in future. . Bangladesh was liberated by the toiling masses at great sacrifices primarily by farmers, labors and students, though history did not credit them for their role and instead placed all laurels and benefits of the liberation war to the army, politicians, bureaucrats, greedy elitist and business community to whom all the ealth and privileges and legal concessions of all the Governments have been showered upon. Another liberation war is necessary to liberate real peoples and ensure their development. 2. points were fundamental basis of ensuring all right, entitlement Justice to peoples of a promised Sonar Bangla. On that same basis we have to restructure reform our executive Judicial functions with maximum autonomy power to local government leaving only such functions as National security, Foreign affairs, Currency, reserve bank federal financi al affairs, Planning upport and coordination, One integrated national Industrial corporation for development of Basic large Industries, One integrated R D council for development of Science and technology, with major emphasis on empirical research. One National Multimode integrated Transport Network System, One National IT Centre for networking all ministerial local government functions, archiving and retrieving data and information etc. 3. Democracy, Socialism, non-alignment and secularism were the basis of our constitution which was tempered and tailored many times by all Governments to suit certain specific objective of some leaders and their party. The basic principles of a constitution should be sealed for any amendment except through referendum only. The 1st constitution of Bangladesh had some clauses with embedded party interest such as preventive detention under article 33, unrestricted tenure for PM;s office article 57, Local Govt. structure and power as in article 59 60, blind following of party line as in article 70 and many others. Though all parties derive certain benefits from these, they must be recast to reflect public pinion on them. . The chapters and clauses on part VI Judiciary contains no structural, Judicial and procedural reforms to ensure dispensing timely Justice within affordable cost. The system has become single biggest obstacle towards prevention of vices and chapters and clauses on part IX Services of Bangladesh contains no structural and procedural reforms to convert the servants of the colonial masters to respectable employees of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. Myopic planning, redtapism and fund crumpling are common causes of all or most project failures in Bangladesh. PSC failure to recruit proper personnel on the basis of personnel integrity, meritocracy, accountability and preference to generalist in place of function based specialist are major causes for rise of a elitist, high living and corrupt bureaucrats who hold every thread of power over political government and who will never allow local government function to be within control of elected local government as the same will hamper their financial interest. . Reorganization of Statutory bodies ; state owned enterprise, public undertakings including banking, securities, and non banking inancial enterprises in Bangladesh is essential as they have substantial bearing on our economy caused due to drainage of capital through loans given to be subsequently classified. Project failure and loss of employment, flight of capital and money laundering, low FDI, management failure, undisciplined labor, lack of accountability and transferency etc. 7. Prepare a total guide line proposal for long, medium and short term development plan for developing Bangladesh with a vision to raise it to a modern state with an egalitarian society by dismantling the existing horrible wealth gap between rich and poor.

Edna’s Self Discovery in Chopin’s The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening

Edna’s Self Discovery in Chopin’s The Awakening She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them. The year before they had spent part of the summer with their grandmother Pontellier in Iberville. Feeling secure regarding their happiness and welfare, she did not miss them except with an occasional intense longing. Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which fate had not fitted her. (p. 40) Edna Pontellier is a child discovering her very sense of self. Her attitude toward her own children emphasizes the she is not the typical â€Å"mother-woman† (p. 29). This is one of the key elements in identifying Edna’s â€Å"awakening.† Unlike the other women, such as Madame Ratignolle, she has not accepted her role unquestionably. This passage is an insightful window into the beginnings of Edna’s new thoughts. Edna considers herself â€Å"fond of her children.† This statement alone is strange. Most mothers are enamored of their children, obsessed with their every movement. Even her fondness is considered â€Å"uneven† and â€Å"impulsive.† Edna, beginning to feel as a child herself, is noticing these traits within her. Edna speaks of the summer they spent away â€Å"with their grandmother...in Iberville.† Even in their extended absence she missed them only with â€Å"an occasional intense longing,† perhaps as someone might miss a city, or an old tattered stuffed toy. She seemed to feel towards them more as family, loved and missed, but not intensely as a mother would. Most striking in this passage are the last two sentences. It is in these phrases that Edna begins to demonstrate something important about herself. She feels â€Å"relief† when the children are gone. She feels â€Å"free† of the â€Å"responsibility.† One â€Å"which she had blindly assumed.† Edna had simply accepted the role of motherhood. It was expected, and so she had asked no questions. She is now realizing, however, that she feels this is a position in life â€Å"for which fate had not fitted her.

Investigate a Career: Computer Support Specialist

Kevin Golchin Per. 1 3/21/10 Investigate a Career: Computer Support Specialist After looking at various jobs, I find the computer support specialist position most interesting. There are many reasons why I think this career is most exciting: the computer support specialist provides technical support, assistance, and advice to individuals and organizations that are dependent on information technology. They can also work in organizations that provide computer systems for computer hardware and software vendors or a third party support services on a contractual basis such as help desk companies.There are two groups of computer support specialists; they are the technical support specialist and the help desk specialist. Work takes place at an office or a computer laboratory, although third party computer support specialists can either spend more time at a client’s work location or sometimes from a remote location. The amount of education to get this job can be from some formal colleg e education to a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, or information systems, although some people may only need a computer related associate degree.The position entails some on the job training, which can last anywhere from a week to a whole entire year, but the training is usually about three months. A few years ago in 2008, there were about 565,700 people that held this job. The job outlook for this career is very promising because employment for this job is projected to increase faster than any average job, and the job prospect is good especially with a college degree. About 18% of computer support specialists can find employment in the computer systems design and related services industry.They can also be employed in various industries like administrative and support services companies, financial institutions, insurance companies, government agencies, educational institutions, software publishers, telecommunications organizations, and healthcare o rganizations. The median salary for this job is about 33,680 to 55,990 dollars, the bottom ten percent median salary is about $26,580 and the top ten percent salary is about $70,750. Some related occupations are a customer service representative, who respond to customer inquiries on any computer related issue, a computer software engineer, who create software applications and ystems, and a computer and information systems manager, who oversee all the technical information aspect of a company. My chosen career path of computer support specialist can advance into an information systems managerial position or can lead into a computer engineering or customer service position. I believe that I would enjoy the computer support specialist position because I enjoy working with computers like running diagnostics and resolving problems.I always help my mom whenever she has some problems with our computer at home. Another reason that I like this career path is that I would be continually expos ed to what is the latest in computer technology. I wouldn’t lose interest in the job because I would keep learning new things as information technology is always changing. One quality that I possess that will make me successful in this field is that I am smart, and I believe that I would be able to resolve computer problems even with high degree of complexity.Another quality that would give me an edge in this career path is that I am a hard worker, and I wouldn’t give up easily on any computer challenges that confront me. I also have good social skills and very patient, and these qualities would be helpful in dealing with computer users in a company, clients and customers. I find the computer support specialist most interesting and appealing, and I think that it would be an excellent career choice for me in the field of computer technology.

Hamlet’s Growth Through Soliloquies Essay

Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a story of a man searching for his true identity. Shakespeare uses soliloquies to show the readers and audience the true feelings and emotions of Hamlet. All seven soliloquies, each slightly different, proclaim Hamlet’s inner conflicts and reasons for delaying his revenge. Hamlet is a very complex character. He doesn’t really know who he is, but through his soliloquies we can trace Hamlet’s search for his true identity. In Hamlet’s opening soliloquy he reveals how he feels towards Claudius and his mother. He is disgusted with the circumstances of their marriage. â€Å"With such dexterity to incestuous sheets†, he proclaims in rage. He does not understand why his mother married Claudius in such haste, causing such internal torment for himself. While Hamlet hates Claudius, he loved his father very much, and his death has caused him much sorrow. In the beginning lines of this soliloquy Hamlet has already considered suicide, but he decides to do nothing. His decision not to act starts a trend of procrastination, and these decisions of inactivity will continue to be the main source of his problems throughout his speeches and the play. After talking with his father’s ghost, in the third soliloquy Hamlet is angered by the news that Claudius has murdered his father. Hamlet assures himself that he will think of nothing but revenge. However, he delays his plans, because he is uncertain of the King’s guilt. He finally takes some action when he plans to put on a play that will mirror his father’s murder in order to see the King’s reaction. At the end of the third soliloquy he says, â€Å"The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the consicience of the king.† Even after the Murder of Gonzago is performed, he takes no action. He begins to feel guilty and is ashamed that he has not avenged his father’s death despite being quite sure of Claudius’s guilt. In the fourth soliloquy Hamlet begins to show signs of madness. He again contemplates suicide, and again he takes no action, this time because he is unsure of what occurs after death. Hamlet was very upset with his mother, but he shows that he is not inclined to harm when he says, â€Å"speak daggers to her, but use none†. All these soliloquies show Hamlet as a very passive character who would rather think and talk than fight or kill. In his seventh soliloquy, Hamlet finally gains the courage to avenge his father. It occurs just after a meeting with Fortinbra’s soldiers where he finds out they are going to fight over a worthless peice of land. He feels ashamed that he put off avenging his father’s death for so long. With his newfound determination to he vows, â€Å"O, from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth†. Through Hamlet’s soliloquies we are able to understand his true self, not the false facade he portrays to all that know him. We are able to trace his thoughts and emotions from his first passive act up until he finally avenges his father. Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his inability to act which ultimately leads to the deaths of many characters and lastly himself. Without soliloquies many of Hamlet’s actions, and reasons for not acting, would make very little sense. They help show Hamlet’s true feelings and emotions that would otherwise be hidden.

Image Of Man Essays - Gender, Masculinity, Biology, Free Essays

Image Of Man Essays - Gender, Masculinity, Biology, Free Essays Image Of Man The Image of Man Essay Throughout the past few centuries, man has been notorious for his masculinity. However, masculinity was labeled by the changing societies and ideals, creating different aspects of manliness. By objectifying human nature, people began to stereotype. By stereotyping, it mad it easier for people to understand by perceiving and to a great extent passing judgment on another human being. The stereotype of masculinity seemed to arise somewhere in between the second half of the eighteenth century and the nineteenth century. With the beginning of the modern age, Europe started to enter a more visually oriented age, therefore making the formation of the male body become key. Europeans began to homogenize, or look at man as a type, rather than an individual. They believed that there was no reason for individual change and wanted the men to accept measure up to the ideal of masculinity. Masculinity was strengthened due to the positive stereotyping, however for those that did not conform to this label or fit in with the ideal, were negatively stereotyped. Nationalism and masculinity went hand in hand. As masculinity became adopted as part of the national stereotype, they initiated their growth together. Mass stereotyping was bourgeois orientated. At first, mass stereotyping was for intended purposes of being and open ended process, yet it eventually turned into a distinct a mbition. Women, during this period, projected chastity and innocence. While men and women were thought of as not equal, they were thought as to compliment each other. Racism, especially towards the Jewish and Africans, became clear and developed from the judgment of masculinity. Because the ideal had already been set and put into play, the counter parts, Jewish, Africans, or others, had no room to advance. The ideal of masculinity started to sway as the Enlightenment approached and came. The model was of humanistic spirit, rather than the anatomy and returned to the ideas of socialist men such as Max Alder. However, this shot at changing the normative male stereotype failed. The bourgeois was the main component in shaping the modern man. But, there were previous contributing factors to the molding of this masculine stereotype. Medieval ideals lasted well into modern times. Chivalry was a main factor and to be called a coward was a great insult. The duel had been a ritual since the sixteenth century and was fought for male honor. Aristocratic ideals consisted of the linkage of blood, or lineage and descent. Theses ideals were primarily based on warrior caste. The ingredients in forming this modern masculinity, was through the combination and adjustment of both aristocratic and bourgeois classes. This merging of classes started to reflect in the way society saw man. By the end of the eighteenth century the standard of masculinity was measured by looks, appearance, and behavior. In Germany, the bourgeois male code of honor was used as a status symbol. Jewish people were gradually excluded. And the elite fraternities would have male dueling. In France, the d uel was not to kill, but to display manly qualities. By the end of the nineteenth century, the emphasis was basically pointed at justice and equality. If a man defends his honor for sole purpose of appearing honorable, the honor code ceases to fulfill its original function and becomes a travesty. (20, endnote #21) This justice and equality began when the duelers would handshake at the end of a match. Duels went on and became a form of exercise and meant not only moral toughness, but physical as well. The duels along with other undertakings started to set a standard, which becomes known as the new masculine modern stereotype. The masculine ideal valued the physical, moral, and visual perceptions, and became a symbol of society and nation. The Enlightenment focused on the joining of the body and spirit. Johann Kaspar Lavaters theory comprised of seeing people through their physical, such as their color, nose, eyes, and bodily structure. He stated that the Greeks were more beautiful th an the people of today and if a man could base his beauty on the Greeks then they would attain moral posture. This general principle was derived from actual concrete evidence such as engravings and statues. With the turn

Job Interviewing for English learners

Job Interviewing for English learners Taking a job interview in English can be a challenging task. Its important to use the correct tense to state when and how often you perform duties at your present and past jobs. The first step was writing your resume and cover letter. Learn to use these tenses in these situations and youll be sure to make as good an impression in your job interview as you have with your resume. There are some very important game rules to consider when taking a job interview. The job interview in English requires a very specific kind of vocabulary. It also requires good tense usage as you need to make a clear distinction between past and present responsibilities. Here is a quick overview of the appropriate tenses to use: Tense: Present Simple Example Sentence: I collect data from all of our branches and analyze the information on a weekly basis.Explanation:Â  Use the present simple to describe your daily responsibilities. This is the most common tense to use when speaking about your current position. Tense:Â  Past Simple Example Sentence:Â  I developed an in-house database for the personnel department.Explanation:Â  Use the past simple to describe your daily responsibilities in a former position. This is the most common tense to use when speaking about past jobs. Tense:Â  Present Continuous Example Sentence:Â  Currently, we are expanding our sales division to include South America.Explanation:Â  Use the present continuous to speak about current projects that are happening at that moment in time. These projects are limited in time and should not be confused with daily responsibilities.Example: Currently, I am designing a new layout for our local branch. I am usually responsible for staff organization, but they asked me to help out with design this time. Tense:Â  Present Perfect Example Sentence:Â  Ive researched over 300 cases until now.Explanation:Â  Use the present perfect to generally describe projects or accomplishments that you have made up to the present moment in time. Remember not to include specific past time references which should be used with the past simple.Example: Ive developed a number of databases using Microsoft Access. Just last week I finished a database for our warehouse. Tense:Â  Future Simple Example Sentence:Â  I will be the manager of a medium sized retail outlet.Explanation:Â  Use the future simple to discuss your plans for the future. This tense is only used when the interviewer asks you what you plan to do in the future. There are a number of other tenses that you can use to speak about experience that you have had. However, if you do not feel comfortable using more advanced tenses, these tenses should serve you well in the interview. The Most Important Parts of a Job Interview Work Experience:Â  Work experience is by far the most important part of any job interview in an English speaking country. It is true that education is also important, however, most employers are more impressed by extensive work experience than by university degrees. Employers want to know exactly what you did and how well you accomplished your tasks. This is the part of the interview during which you can make the best impression. Its important to give full, detailed answers. Be confident, and emphasize your accomplishments in past positions. Qualifications:Â  Qualifications include any education from high school through university, as well as any special training you may have had (such as computer courses). Make sure to mention your English studies. This is very important as English is not your first language and the employer may be concerned about this fact. Assure the employer that you are continuing to improve your English skills by any courses you may be taking, or by saying that you study a certain number of hours a week to improve your skills. Talking about Responsibilities:Â  Most importantly, you will need to demonstrate your qualifications and skills which are directly applicable to the job you are applying for. If past job skills were not exactly the same as what you will need on the new job, make sure to detail how they are similar to job skills you will need for the new position. Finding a Job For ESL Learners Finding a Job - Writing a Cover LetterWriting Your ResumeListen to a Typical Job InterviewExample Interview QuestionsUseful Job Interview Vocabulary

3 Cases of Superfluous Semicolons

3 Cases of Superfluous Semicolons 3 Cases of Superfluous Semicolons 3 Cases of Superfluous Semicolons By Mark Nichol Semicolons serve one of two purposes: A semicolon can act as a weak period to separate two independent clauses so closely associated that dividing them into distinct sentences might seem excessive, or it can function as a supercomma in a sentence consisting of a list in which one or more items ordinarily separated by commas themselves include commas. Sometimes, however, employment of a semicolon in one of these roles seems to be merited but is not. The following examples, each followed by a discussion and a revision, illustrate such unnecessary usage. 1. Another factor is the actual speed of disruption; specifically, the ability of organizations to change rapidly. A semicolon used as a weak period must separate two independent clauses. Because the second half of this sentence is a mere subordinate clause, the semicolon is not appropriate. Using a comma in place of a semicolon fails to clarify the hierarchy of the sentence (preceding and following specifically with a comma would at least temporarily obscure whether specifically applies to the clause before it or the one that follows), so a dash is the best alternative: â€Å"Another factor is the actual speed of disruption- specifically, the ability of organizations to change rapidly.† (Parenthesizing the subordinate clause is also an option, but parentheses serve to diminish the impact of additional information, while a dash emphasizes it.) 2. This evaluation should include ascertaining which account balances are touched by the work of the provider; the related internal control assertions; how results are evaluated for reasonableness within established tolerances as dictated by the desired precision of the control activities in question; and whether the provider conforms to the organization’s code of conduct. Most of the list items in this sentence are long, but a semicolon exists to delineate complex phrases that already include commas rather than to set off extensive phrases; the statement is coherent without fortifying the divisions by changing the punctuation from commas to semicolons, so the latter are not necessary: â€Å"This evaluation should include ascertaining which account balances are touched by the work of the provider, the related internal control assertions, how results are evaluated for reasonableness within established tolerances as dictated by the desired precision of the control activities in question, and whether the provider conforms to the organization’s code of conduct.† 3. Soon, it becomes clear that the implications of the change reach farther than the finance and accounting group to impact operations, potentially leading to decisions to restructure customer contracts and pricing models; adjust sales commission and incentive compensation plans; modify debt covenants; assess tax planning strategies; and impact mergers and acquisitions transactions, forecasting reports, executive dashboards, and partnership and joint venture reports. Readers might conceivably be confused by this sentence’s organization because of the complexity of the list item â€Å"impact mergers . . . joint venture reports,† so retaining the semicolons is defensible, but because it is last in the sentence, it is probably safe to simplify punctuation by using commas in place of semicolons: â€Å"Soon, it becomes clear that the implications of the change reach farther than the finance and accounting group to impact operations, potentially leading to decisions to restructure customer contracts and pricing models, adjust sales commission and incentive compensation plans, modify debt covenants, assess tax planning strategies, and impact mergers and acquisitions transactions, forecasting reports, executive dashboards, and partnership and joint venture reports.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcHomogeneous vs. HeterogeneousTypes of Plots

Criminal Activity and Education in The UK Statistics Project

Criminal Activity and Education in The UK - Statistics Project Example From the essay it is clear that that tougher prison sentences reduce crime, particularly burglary. According to the Guardian, research suggests an increase in sentence length for serious offenders can cut burglaries. A research paper on Male unemployment and crimes in England and Wales by Carmichael & Ward indicated that there is a systematic positive relationship between most crime and male unemployment regardless of age. Their results indicated that both the youth and adult male unemployment rates are consistently and significantly positively related to burglary, theft, fraud and forgery and total crime. According to Machin, Marie & Vujić, crime is significantly related to education, especially in the case of property crimes. They find that criminal activity is negatively associated with higher levels of education. Machin, et al research suggests that improving education can yield significant social benefits and can be a key policy tool in the drive to reduce crime. There are m any diagrams in the report which shows that the correlation coefficient value of -0.011 indicates no linear relationship between burglary rate and % of crimes solved. The correlation coefficient value of -0.149 indicates very weak negative linear relationship between burglary rate and average sentence length. The correlation coefficient value of 0.599 indicates strong positive linear relationship between burglary rate and male unemployment rate.

Structural equation modeling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Structural equation modeling - Research Paper Example In addition, the SEM holds the capability to test models with multiple dependent variables. It also holds the capability to model mediators and residuals. It is essential to consider here that since the model and data have been given prior to the assignment, only model testing, results and interpretation shall seek the attention of performance here. The data therefore shall be put in the Amos software and the model shall be tested to obtain the results. The results obtained can be utilized for the modification of the model. However, it is essential to consider here that a change can result in a change in model's meaning. It is therefore essential to consider whether or not the changes hold consistency with the theory. If the results reveal the need for change in the model then it should be done. However, since theory was not provided for the practical assignment, the changes should be performed in the light of cautious steps. The essential task is to find out as to what extent does the independent variable (reputation, skill, information exchange, power and flexibility) predict trust (independent variable). In addition, it is also required to find whether or not trust is a mediator to long-term orientation. It is important to note that all the variables have been presented in an oral shape in the figure above. The oral shape on the variables represents the fact that they are latent variables. Since all the variables were provided in the data set, it can be assumed that these were provided on the basis of factor scores and therefore these variables no longer remains latent variables, but become observed variables. Therefore one should conceptualize them as observable variables from this point of time. The presented model above has no covariance shown between the five independent variables. Since the task of assignment is to specify that the above model is based on covariance, there exists a dominant need to add bi-directional arrows between the five independent variables. It is important to note here that the five independent variables are exogenous because they have no prior casual variable. In addition, it is essential to understand that trust is a mediating variable and is an effect of other five mentioned exogenous variables, and it results in long-term orientation, a dependent variable. It is essential to note here that both trust and long-term orientation are endogenous variables. The model shows no residuals, so they are required to be allocated to endogenous variables. This is because the residuals are unobserved and thus have to be depicted as ovals. Normality and sample size Evaluation of absolute model fit can be done by means of probability of chi-square test. However, it is important to consider here that the probability of chi-square test if highly sensitive to both sample size and non-normality in distribution of variables. It is therefore essential to find out whether or not the variables are distributed in normal patter

Biopsychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biopsychology - Essay Example For they become colourd by reflecting the Light of their own Colours more copiously, and that of all other colors more sparingly." (Opticks, Book I, Part II, Experiment 15)    Generally, colour vision is merely a physical ability of an organism or human being. A colour is perceived by the human eye as a combination of different wavelengths. The ability of humans to distinguish colours is an interesting question, which has been discussed by scientists for many years. Thus, a number of theories have been created. These theories will be discussed in the present paper. According to Peter Gouras â€Å"color vision is an illusion created by the interactions of billions of neurons in our brain. There is no color in the external world; it is created by neural programs and projected onto the outer world we see. It is intimately linked to the perception of form where color facilitates detecting borders of objects† (Gouras , 1969). There are two main theories explaining the ability of humans to distinguish colours: trichromatic colour vision and opponent process theory. The researches devoted to the development of trichomatic colour vision were initiated in 18th century by Thomas Young. This scientist claimed that human vision is caused by interaction of three different kinds of photoreceptor cells. Later on, claims of this scientist were experimentally proven by Hermann von Helmholtz. Therefore it was proven that a human required 3 wavelengths in order to distinguish all colours. More detailed discussion of this theory requires additional facts. There are 3 kinds of cones in the retina of the eye; each of these 3 cones has various photosensitive pigments. Different kind of pigment is sensitive to different light wavelength. Cones are of three different types: long, medium and small, ranging from 560 nm to 420 nm respectively (Dacey,

Aspects of rural nursing and staff retention Essay

Aspects of rural nursing and staff retention - Essay Example While rural is synonymous with poverty in developing countries, it need not be so in the case of developed countries though disadvantages of being rural are universal throughout the world in respect of inaccessibility of health services in rural areas and shortage of rural nurses. Scharff (1998, p 21) says that†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.being rural means being a long way from anywhere and pretty close to no where†. It is a universal phenomenon that nurses are in short supply regardless of being a developed or a developing country. Nurses are difficult to be retained even in urban areas. As such, nurses and nursing services in rural areas are even more problematic. In the first place, nursing is an occupation of sacrifice in that the nurses have to take care of the patients who must be made to feel at home while they are in the hospital. Nurses are therefore expected to be compassionate and loving their fellow human beings while in distress and this should come from a person naturally who c an be called a prospective nurse. Recruitment of nurses right from their nursing education need to be carefully planned by selecting the right candidates for the profession so that they do not find themselves misfit in the mid-path of their career. Assuming that all the nurses are rightly recruited and only the nurses of right aptitude are serving in the profession, there are still problems in their recruitment and retention attributable to the rurality of the areas of their service and inadequate policies of a country’s Government. And these are the aspects that this research aims to go into with reference to the position obtaining in the U.K. Preliminary search in the literature shows that the there are no dedicated studies available pertaining to the U.K’s rural nursing and retention. The available ones deal with the broad category of rural health aspects wherein the nurses are mentioned along side the General practitioners, Pharmacists and allied

Strategic Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Analysis - Research Paper Example The Gulf Region consists of six distinct member countries say Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (International Monetary Fund, 2003). The challenges experienced regarding tools and techniques used for the purpose of evaluation will also be analysed critically. PEST Analysis is a Strategic Management device used for scanning environmental variables in macro level of an economy to examine business prospects of a new organization in the economy or to understand the political, economic, social and technological factors that may influence business operations of an organization (Cullen, 2011). Apart from its stable business in the UK, Costa Coffee has expanded its business in emerging nations such as China, India, Pakistan as well as countries in Gulf Region. In this discussion, how the macroeconomic variables prevailing in the Gulf Region influence the operations of Costa Coffee will be evaluated. Political environment of Gulf Region works towards developing coordination, integration and inter connection among the member countries. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is the regional intergovernmental body for controlling the economic and political matters arising out of those six countries (Enz, 2009). Hence, uniformity in trade regulations and tax structure can be experienced as a result of strict monitoring and control of GCC which helps foreign companies like Costa Coffee to expand their business in this region. In the post reform period, Government has taken the initiative to reduce the direct, indirect and corporate taxation to a great extent. Replacing the old tax structure with modern tax laws have resulted in severe cut down of tax rates from as high as 55% in Kuwait to as low as 10% in Qatar. Corporate tax has also been range bounded between 10% and 20%. Such enhanced fiscal policy taken by Gulf Countries,

Stream Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stream - Lab Report Example Functional characteristics on the other hand measures the services or functions provided by the water ecosystem and are measured by the rate of primary productivity and organic matter decomposition. Structural characteristics of a stream are mainly used in the day to day monitoring of stream health. The biotic factors used mainly include macroinvertebrate diversity. Analyses of macro invertebrates in water is important because they are a link to the aquatic food chain, have diverse sensitivity to pollution and is a relatively cheap method for analysis of the stream quality. Additionally, the macroinvertebrate diversity provides useful information on the long term quality of the stream unlike water analysis which provides information for the sampling time only. These invertebrates have differences in their susceptibility to pollutants in water with some being highly susceptible to pollution while others are moderately susceptible with others being tolerant to different levels of pollu tion. Those organisms which are highly susceptible will not live in polluted waters while the most tolerant can survive. Therefore they measure the levels of pollution in the water and thus by extension the health state of the river. Functional characteristics of an ecosystem when integrated with the structural characteristics help in giving a complete picture of the health state of an ecosystem. This is due to the fact that the ecosystem can respond to human stressors differently including changes to the structure of the ecosystem without changes in functional parameters or changes in the ecosystem function without change in the structure while in some cases there could be both structural and functional changes. The functional characteristics of a water ecosystem can be measured by a number of indicators including the rate of uptake of nutrients, benthic microbial respiration, nitrification, organic matter, invertebrate production and fish production. Abiotic factors are also impor tant in the assessment of the functional characteristics of the water. The concentrations of dissolved oxygen, air and water temperature, conductivity, and the velocity of the water have been shown to affect the health status of a stream or river. This is because the interaction of these abiotic factors with the biotic factors in the water determines the survival and existence of the latter and also the rate of breakdown of organic substances such as leaves in water. The concentration of dissolved oxygen for example is used as a measure of the rate of metabolism in the water ecosystem with water temperature increasing the rate of decomposition. Additionally the increased demands for water for human use have also led to increased abstraction rates of water. This reduction in the water flow due to abstraction has possible impacts on the stream ecosystems (Deswon et al. 2007). 1.2 Main Objective To determine the health states of Molly Ann Brook, Ramapo River and Bear swamp Brook 1.2.1 Specific objectives 1. To determine the structural and functional characteristics of Molly Ann Brook, Ramapo River and Bear Swamp Brook. 2. To determine and compare the health states the Ramapo River upstream and downstream 3. To compare the health state of the Bear Swamp Brook relative to Ramapo River 2.0 STUDY AREA 2.1 Molly Ann Brook The Molly Ann Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River.

Strategic Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Analysis - Research Paper Example The Gulf Region consists of six distinct member countries say Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (International Monetary Fund, 2003). The challenges experienced regarding tools and techniques used for the purpose of evaluation will also be analysed critically. PEST Analysis is a Strategic Management device used for scanning environmental variables in macro level of an economy to examine business prospects of a new organization in the economy or to understand the political, economic, social and technological factors that may influence business operations of an organization (Cullen, 2011). Apart from its stable business in the UK, Costa Coffee has expanded its business in emerging nations such as China, India, Pakistan as well as countries in Gulf Region. In this discussion, how the macroeconomic variables prevailing in the Gulf Region influence the operations of Costa Coffee will be evaluated. Political environment of Gulf Region works towards developing coordination, integration and inter connection among the member countries. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is the regional intergovernmental body for controlling the economic and political matters arising out of those six countries (Enz, 2009). Hence, uniformity in trade regulations and tax structure can be experienced as a result of strict monitoring and control of GCC which helps foreign companies like Costa Coffee to expand their business in this region. In the post reform period, Government has taken the initiative to reduce the direct, indirect and corporate taxation to a great extent. Replacing the old tax structure with modern tax laws have resulted in severe cut down of tax rates from as high as 55% in Kuwait to as low as 10% in Qatar. Corporate tax has also been range bounded between 10% and 20%. Such enhanced fiscal policy taken by Gulf Countries,

Change management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Change management - Assignment Example Convincing them to see the advantages of the technology, especially information technology can be a hard thing for them, unfortunately, for managers it is all about money and they want to know that every investment they make will have a return to the firm in the form of profits (Dawson, 2015). In this regard, it is easier for a proposal to increase the machinery to gain support and financing from the managers than a proposal to create a new IT system. To make the situation even worse, IT projects do not always have a direct return of investment and it is always hard for the return in investment to be measured in terms of economic returns (Calleam.com, 2013). The main returns that can be achieved from IT investments are efficiency, happier customers, better management of information and other related advantages. These are very hard to measure in term of fiscal numbers. Because of this, it becomes very hard to convince the managers that the IT system will be useful to the firm and that it is a worthy investment (ECameron, Inc, 2011). Yet, without the support of the managers both in terms of the financing and the support to have the organization accept the new system, this can be a big barrier to the success of the project. Employees’ resistance is also another thing that has to be considered. This is especially with regard to change. According to Meliorate (2013), many people are afraid of change because they see it as a risk as opposed to seeing it as an opportunity. The fear of change is even more amplified when Information Technology is the one in consideration. Many employees may look at the project as a potential risk to their jobs (Creech, 2011). This will be caused by a number of factors . First, in the past, it has become evident that IT system can and do replace employees. Because of this, employees may feel that they may end up being victimized by being laid

Jefferson Essay Essay Example for Free

Jefferson Essay Essay Thomas Jefferson played a very important role in the history of the United States. Jefferson is most famously known for writing the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson talked many times about African-Americans in America. Where they equal to white people? How were whites and blacks different? What about slavery? Thomas Jefferson had an opinion on all of these subjects, but much of what Thomas Jefferson said was later contradicted with his own words. What did Thomas Jefferson mean when he said that all men were equal? Well, many people would agree with what it means today in modern times. Today the statement, all men are created equal means; all men and women whether black, white, tall, short, fat, or skinny were all created equal. That is not necessarily what it meant in the 1700s. Blacks were enslaved and worked hard while wealthy white men did nothing of the sort. Justice Thurgood Marshall said, â€Å"The blacks were so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect†¦ and that the Negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. This excerpt shows that in that time blacks were not treated the same as whites and clearly did not have the same rights. Conor Cruise O’Brien’s book confirms this belief as he takes a quote from Thomas Jefferson himself: â€Å"It is accepted that the words ‘all men are created equal’ do not, in their literal meaning, apply to women, and were not intended by the Founding Fathers to apply to slaves. † This shows that when Thomas Jefferson talks abo ut all men being created equally he means to say white men. The meaning of the word expatriation is as follows; to leave one’s native country to live elsewhere (Merriam-Webster). Jefferson wanted to send the blacks that were descendent of the original slaves back to Africa. The deal here was Africa was no longer their native country. This act was known as expatriation. The southern courts believed that slavery violated the natural rights of blacks and although slavery was allowed and legal it was immoral and unjust. Thomas Jefferson made it known that he supported the abolishment of slave trading. He said the following to Congress; â€Å"withdraw the citizens of the United States from all further participation in those violations of human rights which have been so long continued on the unoffending inhabitants of Africa. † By this Jefferson means that the people of the United States should stop the enslavement of blacks so that they no longer violate the human rights and stop offending the people of Africa. In this way Jefferson’s reasons for promoting expatriation and understanding for the natural rights of blacks were consistent. He wanted to send the blacks back because he wanted to stop offending the people of Africa. Jefferson believed that blacks and whites were very different. He said that he believed that blacks were originally their own race and became distinct by time and certain circumstances. According to Jefferson blacks came from their own species but were from the same general genus that is the human race. He said that blacks were inferior to whites in mind and body. This can be said to mean that whites were possibly better looking people or that they were more fit. It could have been said to mean that whites were smarter than blacks because they had an education that the blacks did not have. Jefferson did not believe blacks were men. â€Å"Men,† was said to be referred to as only white men. Samuel Eliot Morison says in his book; â€Å"In his views (Jefferson) blacks were not men. † The possession of individual rights was mainly determined by one’s race or skin color. Blacks had no rights early on in the 1700s but began to become free in the early 1800s. A wealthy white male had all rights; he was allowed to do what he wanted so long as it was just. A black man was free and eventually gained simple rights due to the belief that the United States was violating human rights. I do not believe that expatriation could have been a helpful solution to the problem of slavery in America. I believe this because if the slaves would have gone to Africa they would be gone, but there is no saying that the lazy southern farmers would not have brought in slaves from other places. They would have gotten so used to not having to work that they would not be able to start working again. I think that they would possibly keep indentured servants as permanent slaves or enslave poor people. I’m sure that expatriation would not solve the problem of slavery, at least not immediately. As I stated in the beginning, Jefferson’s view changed greatly throughout the course of his lifetime. Later in his life he began to appreciate black people more because of all their hard work. Also, he realized that blacks were the same as whites in that they were to be given human rights and that the people of the United States had been violating their rights from the very beginning. Jefferson also saw that blacks were men, and that really God created all men equal, black and white. Thomas Jefferson certainly lived an intriguing life. He lived during a time where slavery was legal. He lived during a time when slavery began to die out. Jefferson was part of the reason why blacks are free today. Although his beliefs shifted throughout the duration of his life he ended on the good side, the side that was just. He began to believe that all men are created equal with a literal meaning.

Essay on Themes and Themewriting :: Expository Essays

Essay on Themes and Themewriting Writing what I want, how I want. Finding my own voice. I could write forever on things I enjoy writing about, but writing about writing it - that's another story. (did you notice how often I used 'writing or write'? maybe those are the words that will hold my paper together. ah - I don't know if anything will hold this together!) I think I must speak first in defense of themewriting. As someone who has been away from structured writing for more than 20 years, I have to admit I enjoyed doing my first research paper last year. And it wasn't easy for me. It seems everyone else in the class thinks it is simple to slap together a theme paper. But I've been writing off the cuff for years and to actually research something and sound intelligent was a challenge. In high school, I was fortunate enough to have great English teachers who let me use my creativity. In seventh grade, I would write plays, bring them to my teacher, and he would let us act them out. It was like that throughout my high school years. (no - I didn't continue writing plays - we out- grew my princess and dragon fluff by ninth grade!) I'm sure we did some themewriting, but I mainly remember writing 'my stuff'. Having that kind of encouragement, I continued writing in that manner. When I had a column in our local paper, I wrote about what I wanted in the way I wanted to. It was an 'Erma Bombeck' type column and I just wrote whatever came to mind every week. I have a tendency to go for the laughs when I write. This paper is supposed to be my own thoughts, but I don't think it is supposed to be funny. That could be tough for me. Now where was I? Oh yes, I was lost as usual!! Hmmmmm, finding my way, finding my way... I'm really upset with myself. I like to write, but this paper has me befuddled. (isn't that a great word!) I guess I need a direction to be comfortable. It must be old age. A person is frightened when trying something unfamiliar, and doing so in this environment is really frightening. I keep thinking that I've always written in the dramatic style. And yet, I need a focus. Maybe what I used to write wasn't as unstructured as I thought.

Informational Essay about Lille, France -- essays research papers

Lille Lille is a city in the north of France. Once know as the Manchester of France, because of its old textile mills. In the 1950’s it was a big coal-mining district, but recently the mines have dried up. Lille is most famous for its textiles as well but other countries make fabrics cheaper Lille- a short brief And faster. One of Lille’s main businesses is a mail order company. They are the apparently the best in France. Lille now has many advantages, main motorways that lead to other countries and around France, it has the euro star running through the city. Lille is right by the border of Belgium. Which means many people can travel from Belgium to Lille for work. There are no more borders gates now. The E.U took them away so more people can travel to the city. The modernisation of Lille took about  £90 million pounds. The e.u paid about  £5 million for the motorways. CONTENTS – Page 1 – introduction and contents (your reading it) Page 2 – how Lille has changed Page 3 - businesses of Lille Page 4 – canal map Page 5 – table to show how many workers (inaccurate) Page 6 - conclusion Page 2 – how Lille has changed Lille has changed in many ways, new roads, industries, offices and businesses. The whole conversion of Lille has made a big improvement on the place. More people can get work, more tourism and more people coming to life in the city. The city has wacky buildings, modern shopping centres and a new mail order that is the best in France. Which was converted from an old textile mill. First it just did clothes but now it did all. Because of the new motorways, you can get to anyway in France from Lille. Great for the mail order company to deliver in 24 hours! Because Lille is so n... ...rrocans. Many of them are having big trouble finding jobs, some of been waiting years for one. There are plenty of offices but not enough people want to start up their own buissness or they do but they just haven’t got the money. But if Lille did manage to find some more labour then the city would greatly improve by a great deal. But since the 1950’s Lille has become quite modern. Lille has suffered ww1 because its close to flanders, it has suffered ww2 because it was right on the border belguims where the germans invaded first because they could not get past frances east defences so they went in from the top. The city has suffered revolution and many more but the current one of course is not enough jobs. I think Lille is quite a nice city though. If they play their cards right they could be as famous as their capital, Paris. Well not quite but close to it.

Keeping Google Googley

Key factors that were crucial to Google’s early success can be attributed to the following: 1. Partnered with right companies such as AOL & Yahoo spring boarded the company in success with more than 100m search enquiries per day paving the way for subsequent successes. 2. Had the right products such as Adwords, which had 4x more click-Â ­? through rates than competing products. The company followed up with Google toolbar that further penetrated the market and expanded into the right area of search for mobile devices. 3. Quickly expanded relevant services such as Google news, finance, book search, gmail, calendar documents etc. It also includes strategic acquisition of YouTube & Picasa that provided users with majority of Internet services and it increased stickiness to users achieving the results of 62. 4% for searches by December 2007. 4. Mesh organizational structure ensured shares responsibility and teamwork by enabling all parties involved to work together in the case of AdSense. The non-Â ­? departmental segregation increased teamwork and primed the organization for success. 5. Fast expansion outside of US enabled he company to operate in a global scale that in turn boosted its revenue with more than half generated outside US. About 40% of total headcount was outside US indicating aggressive expansion plans. 6. Googleplex promoted community building and was a platform for people from various business units to meet and mingle. This encouraged cross-Â ­? pollination of ideas and more importantly fulfilled the purpose of providing social interaction and intimacy that would make working with someone you already knew easier. 7. Operate as market-Â ­? based company that listened o the needs of users. This is manifested in the number 1 of Google’s ‘Ten things’-Â ­? ‘Focus on users and all else will follow’. Beta test versions allowed feedback from public that enhanced features before general release. 8. Decision based on consensus ensured that all opinions are equally respected and taken into consideration before a decision is made. A consensus meant everyone understood and agreed with the best decision, which reduces resistance later in the project. 9. New hires provided with training and induction into the company that bolstered their apabilities and reduced their learning curves, enabling them to hit the ground running at the shorted possible time. As evidenced by the above, the 5 Words to describe Google’s culture are: (1) Fast-Â ­? moving environment (2) Community environ ment (3) Innovative spirit (4) Training as a way of continuous improvement and (5) Consensus-Â ­? based decision making process. To effectively retain the Google culture, I would suggest the following: 1. Continue to employ people with the culture and values close to the company’s values. Alternatively, take in young graduates s interns to spruce idea generation in the company. 2. In tackling geographical expansion, Google can promote externships that encourage employee exchange to other locations. This will aid them in meeting colleagues from other parts of the world; promote cross-Â ­? border learning and import good practices to their local offices. 3. Continuously develop new products and services that perpetuate innovative spirit. Having more products and services gives employees variety of thought that could ensure continuous flow of ideas that can be self-Â ­? reinforcing.

Factors Affect Supply and Demand of Acuvue Essay

This report’s focus is on analyzing the factors that affect the supply and demand of the products. There are several variables that can affect the supply and demand of a product, including consumers’ income, prices of substitute products, costs of inputs and so on. The product discussed for this report is Acuvue, I will analysis how the factors affect the supply and demand of Acuvue. Acuvue is Johnson & Johnson’s Vision Care Product. It is one of the most popular eye contact lenses products for nearsighted correction and eye color alteration. Acuvue has a serial of products that depend on different replacement schedule, such as daily disposable, two weeks disposable, colors and so on. All ranges of the lenses of Johnson & Johnson’s are regarded as comfortable, convenient and good eye health product. (Johnson & Johnson, 2008 )1 In 2007, as a leader and pioneer of eye contact lens producer, there was a sales increase by 17. 6% prior to 2006. The annual expense for normal glasses is $200 dollars but the Acuvue daily disposable is about $480. Take China for example, the GDP of 2007 increased 11. 4% (Wiki, 2008)1, people earned more than before. When people’s income increased, those who could not afford to buy the Acuvue in the past can had enough money to afford it. Moreover, as income increased, people tend to replace their contact lenses much more frequently than before, and the demand of Acuvue increased accordingly. Also, nearsighted people may have much higher requirement for their life quality; so, for those who are tired of wearing glasses or who seek convenience by wearing eye contacts may try to change to use eye contact lenses, therefore, demand for the eye contact lenses will increase. Consumer Preferences Consumer preference is a significant factor which affects the demand of the Acuvue. People have different preference for lenses for nearsightedness correction, such as replacement schedule, material (hard/ soft), and safety. Some people prefer Acuvue Daily for its convenience, and it has no daily maintenance like other types of contact; the user can just throw it away after one day. (Bausch & Lomb, 2008) For some people, they prefer soft contact lenses to hard lenses. In addition, many people care about the safety of eye contact lenses, and daily contact lenses are regarded as the safest and healthiest way, so those people may choose the Acuvue Daily, and thus, the demand of the Acuvue increases. On the contrary, people who are afraid of getting keratitis (wiki, 2008)2 by wearing contacts will buy the glass, and then the demand of the Acuvue will decrease. Moreover, if the nearsightedness’ preference is more favorable to Acuvue, which probably means they have more loyalty to the products, so the existing consumers will seldom change to alternatives and more and more people will buy Acuvue. Price of Substitutes The Substitutes of Acuvue eye contact lenses are glasses and surgery. As compared before, wearing glasses is a more economical way to correct nearsightedness, and there will be lower risk of being involved in keratitis(wiki,2008)2 or other eye problems. Moreover, in the recent years, correcting nearsightedness by taking an eye operation became more popular in many countries. The costs for the surgery are high, and the average for getting the LASIK nearsightedness correction surgery is $2105 in 2008. (All about Vision, 2008) If the price of the surgery decreases, there will be more people choosing eye surgery instead of wearing inconvenient glasses or eye contact lenses; so, there will be less demand of Acuvue. Price of Complementary Goods If the complementary goods of Acuvue increase, the price of the Acuvue will increase accordingly. Complementary goods for Acuvue are the solution of the eye contact lenses or drops for eyes. For the past two years, with the rapid economic growth in China, people have more money to purchase eye contact lens, but if the average prices of the solutions increased dramatically, people who could afford to buy the lenses felt burdened to buy the solution. Advertising Promotion Advertising is a way of communication, Johnson & Johnson get more advertising is to try to persuade potential customers and consumer to purchase more Acuvue(wiki, 2008)3. Johnson & Johnson has released a series of advisements and promotions for Acuvue. They provide free trial pairs of eye contact lens for the potential consumers who can just fill a Free Trial Pair Certificate (Vision Care Inc. , 2008) from the Acuvue official website. In addition, when the â€Å"Acuvue 2 colours† entered the mainland China market, they chose an unknown model to perform the advertisement first, and the sales for the Acuvue 2 was unfavourable. However, then the Johnson & Johnson invite Chinese pop singer Angela Zhang for promotion on TV, then, this product became familiar with lots of youth in China, and more and more people known about the Acuvue and bought it. Consumer Expectations Johnson & Johnson is a well known and trusted company by millions of consumers all around the world. It pays much attention to the safety of their products. So consumers are confident with the Acuvue and more and more people buy it. When the AMO Complete Moisture Plus Muti-Purpose Solution (Anapol Schwartz, 2008) was recalled in May, 2007, people were concerned about the eye safety. From that time, people tented to buy less and use less eye contact lens in order to avoid infection. Number of Buyers If there are more and more potential consumers of Acuvue, demand for Acuvue will increase. For recent years, more and more people in the world have access the computer, and they use computers much more frequently and longer than the past. People are more prone to get nearsightedness. From Johnson & Johnson’s research, there are about 3 million new eye contact wearers in the US every year (Vision Care Inc. )2, so the number of potential buyers is increasing for consuming eye contact lenses year by year. In addition, with the development of technology, the material of contact lenses is getting better and safer, so more people will be confident with the eye-contact lenses so more potential buyers will buy the Acuvue, then the demand for buyers will increase. But if there is new technology that can take place of eye contacts lenses, the nearsighted may give up wearing contacts, so the number of potential buyers decrease which indicates the demand of Acuvue will decrease. Variables of Supply Costs of Inputs The world economy was very unstable since last year, and the price of raw materials kept on rising. Fortunately, there is no news about the raw material price fluctuation for eye contact lenses. If the price of storing contact lenses increases, the Acuvue’s producer Johnson & Johnson must find ways to control the production costs. The company may choose to reduce the production volume of the product and wait for producing that good when the price goes down, therefore the supply of Acuvue will decrease. However when the materials for making the eye contact lenses decreases, Johnson & Johnson will have more capacity to produce more eye contact lenses to increase its supply. Number of competitors The more competitors there are, the less the supply. Due to the property of the vision care industry, the requirement for entering this business field is fairly high. For the current market, there are four main producers and other several smaller producers which produce eye contact lenses. Johnson & Johnson is the largest eye contact lens producer in the world, making sales of $2. billion around the world (Johnson & Johnson, 2008) 3. In China, eye contact lens manufactures are increasing in the market, competition became fierce, raw material for making the contact lenses increased, and the market share became dilute, so although sales of Acuvue increase in China very year, the growth is not as large as expected. New Technology As we know Johnson & Johnson Vision Care first introduced the soft disposable eye contact lens for the world (Wiki, 2008), and this revolutionary product helped the Johnson & Johnson opened a new product field and access to expand their market to over 50 countries in the world. If there is new cheaper material for producing Acuvue, Johnson and Johnson will be capable of producing more Acuvue by the same investment as in the past, which means the supply of the Acuvue will increase. However, in the future, with the development in technology, some existing materials for making eye contact lensse may have potential risks for our eyes. When the Johnson & Johnson found that potential risks really do exist, in order to guarantee the product safety, they had to pay more for preventing the risks harmful to contacts wearer, or even reduce the supply of those products. Suppliers Expect that Future Sales Prices In recently years, there is a trend that more and more reports show that wearing daily disposable eye contact lens is much more comfortable, healthier and safer, because daily replacement lenses are healthier than other replacement schedule. With the expectation, the market for the Acuvue Daily disposable has much more potential than other Acuvue disposable lenses, and Johnson & Johnson will decide to produce more Acuvue Daily in according with the potential increase of the demand for Acuvue. Conclusion To sum up, those variables discussed above with the supply and demand of Acuvue finally affect the price of the Acuvue. As we know, the market price is the equivalent of the supply and demand. It is determined by an â€Å"invisible hand’ of both supply and demand. Therefore, it is impossible for those factors discussed before to singly handedly affect the supply and demand, because the market is complex, all those variables together contributed to our market price.

Twilight 24. AN IMPASSE

24. AN IMPASSE My eyes opened to a bright, white light. I was in an unfamiliar room, a white room. The wall beside me was covered in long vertical blinds; over my head, the glaring lights blinded me. I was propped up on a hard, uneven bed – a bed with rails. The pillows were flat and lumpy. There was an annoying beeping sound somewhere close by. I hoped that meant I was still alive. Death shouldn't be this uncomfortable. My hands were all twisted up with clear tubes, and something was taped across my face, under my nose. I lifted my hand to rip it off. â€Å"No, you don't.† And cool fingers caught my hand. â€Å"Edward?† I turned my head slightly, and his exquisite face was just inches from mine, his chin resting on the edge of my pillow. I realized again that I was alive, this time with gratitude and elation. â€Å"Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry!† â€Å"Shhhh,† he shushed me. â€Å"Everything's all right now.† â€Å"What happened?† I couldn't remember clearly, and my mind rebelled against me as I tried to recall. â€Å"I was almost too late. I could have been too late,† he whispered, his voice tormented. â€Å"I was so stupid, Edward. I thought he had my mom.† â€Å"He tricked us all.† â€Å"I need to call Charlie and my mom,† I realized through the haze. â€Å"Alice called them. Ren? ¦e is here – well, here in the hospital. She's getting something to eat right now.† â€Å"She's here?† I tried to sit up, but the spinning in my head accelerated, and his hand pushed me gently down onto the pillows. â€Å"She'll be back soon,† he promised. â€Å"And you need to stay still.† â€Å"But what did you tell her?† I panicked. I had no interest in being soothed. My mom was here and I was recovering from a vampire attack. â€Å"Why did you tell her I'm here?† â€Å"You fell down two flights of stairs and through a window.† He paused. â€Å"You have to admit, it could happen.† I sighed, and it hurt. I stared down at my body under the sheet, the huge lump that was my leg. â€Å"How bad am I?† I asked. â€Å"You have a broken leg, four broken ribs, some cracks in your skull, bruises covering every inch of your skin, and you've lost a lot of blood. They gave you a few transfusions. I didn't like it – it made you smell all wrong for a while.† â€Å"That must have been a nice change for you.† â€Å"No, I like how you smell.† â€Å"How did you do it?† I asked quietly. He knew what I meant at once. â€Å"I'm not sure.† He looked away from my wondering eyes, lifting my gauze-wrapped hand from the bed and holding it gently in his, careful not to disrupt the wire connecting me to one of the monitors. I waited patiently for the rest. He sighed without returning my gaze. â€Å"It was impossible†¦ to stop,† he whispered. â€Å"Impossible. But I did.† He looked up finally, with half a smile. â€Å"I must love you.† â€Å"Don't I taste as good as I smell?† I smiled in response. That hurt my face. â€Å"Even better – better than I'd imagined.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I apologized. He raised his eyes to the ceiling. â€Å"Of all the things to apologize for.† â€Å"What should I apologize for?† â€Å"For very nearly taking yourself away from me forever.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I apologized again. â€Å"I know why you did it.† His voice was comforting. â€Å"It was still irrational, of course. You should have waited for me, you should have told me.† â€Å"You wouldn't have let me go.† â€Å"No,† he agreed in a grim tone, â€Å"I wouldn't.† Some very unpleasant memories were beginning to come back to me. I shuddered, and then winced. He was instantly anxious. â€Å"Bella, what's wrong?† â€Å"What happened to James?† â€Å"After I pulled him off you, Emmett and Jasper took care of him.† There was a fierce note of regret in his voice. This confused me. â€Å"I didn't see Emmett and Jasper there.† â€Å"They had to leave the room†¦ there was a lot of blood.† â€Å"But you stayed.† â€Å"Yes, I stayed.† â€Å"And Alice, and Carlisle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said in wonder. â€Å"They love you, too, you know.† A flash of painful images from the last time I'd seen Alice reminded me of something. â€Å"Did Alice see the tape?† I asked anxiously. â€Å"Yes.† A new sound darkened his voice, a tone of sheer hatred. â€Å"She was always in the dark, that's why she didn't remember.† â€Å"I know. She understands now.† His voice was even, but his face was black with fury. I tried to reach his face with my free hand, but something stopped me. I glanced down to see the IV pulling at my hand. â€Å"Ugh.† I winced. â€Å"What is it?† he asked anxiously – distracted, but not enough. The bleakness did not entirely leave his eyes. â€Å"Needles,† I explained, looking away from the one in my hand. I concentrated on a warped ceiling tile and tried to breathe deeply despite the ache in my ribs. â€Å"Afraid of a needle,† he muttered to himself under his breath, shaking his head. â€Å"Oh, a sadistic vampire, intent on torturing her to death, sure, no problem, she runs off to meet him. An IV, on the other hand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I rolled my eyes. I was pleased to discover that this reaction, at least, was pain-free. I decided to change the subject. â€Å"Why are you here?† I asked. He stared at me, first confusion and then hurt touching his eyes. His brows pulled together as he frowned. â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† â€Å"No!† I protested, horrified by the thought. â€Å"No, I meant, why does my mother think you're here? I need to have my story straight before she gets back.† â€Å"Oh,† he said, and his forehead smoothed back into marble. â€Å"I came to Phoenix to talk some sense into you, to convince you to come back to Forks.† His wide eyes were so earnest and sincere, I almost believed him myself. â€Å"You agreed to see me, and you drove out to the hotel where I was staying with Carlisle and Alice – of course I was here with parental supervision,† he inserted virtuously, â€Å"but you tripped on the stairs on the way to my room and†¦ well, you know the rest. You don't need to remember any details, though; you have a good excuse to be a little muddled about the finer points.† I thought about it for a moment. â€Å"There are a few flaws with that story. Like no broken windows.† â€Å"Not really,† he said. â€Å"Alice had a little bit too much fun fabricating evidence. It's all been taken care of very convincingly – you could probably sue the hotel if you wanted to. You have nothing to worry about,† he promised, stroking my cheek with the lightest of touches. â€Å"Your only job now is to heal.† I wasn't so lost to the soreness or the fog of medication that I didn't respond to his touch. The beeping of the monitor jumped around erratically – now he wasn't the only one who could hear my heart misbehave. â€Å"That's going to be embarrassing,† I muttered to myself. He chuckled, and a speculative look came into his eye. â€Å"Hmm, I wonder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He leaned in slowly; the beeping noise accelerated wildly before his lips even touched me. But when they did, though with the most gentle of pressure, the beeping stopped altogether. He pulled back abruptly, his anxious expression turning to relief as the monitor reported the restarting of my heart. â€Å"It seems that I'm going to have to be even more careful with you than usual.† He frowned. â€Å"I was not finished kissing you,† I complained. â€Å"Don't make me come over there.† He grinned, and bent to press his lips lightly to mine. The monitor went wild. But then his lips were taut. He pulled away. â€Å"I think I hear your mother,† he said, grinning again. â€Å"Don't leave me,† I cried, an irrational surge of panic flooding through me. I couldn't let him go – he might disappear from me again. He read the terror in my eyes for a short second. â€Å"I won't,† he promised solemnly, and then he smiled. â€Å"I'll take a nap.† He moved from the hard plastic chair by my side to the turquoise faux-leather recliner at the foot of my bed, leaning it all the way back, and closing his eyes. He was perfectly still. â€Å"Don't forget to breathe,† I whispered sarcastically. He took a deep breath, his eyes still closed. I could hear my mother now. She was talking to someone, maybe a nurse, and she sounded tired and upset. I wanted to jump out of the bed and run to her, to calm her, promise that everything was fine. But I wasn't in any sort of shape for jumping, so I waited impatiently. The door opened a crack, and she peeked through. â€Å"Mom!† I whispered, my voice full of love and relief. She took in Edward's still form on the recliner, and tiptoed to my bedside. â€Å"He never leaves, does he?† she mumbled to herself. â€Å"Mom, I'm so glad to see you!† She bent down to hug me gently, and I felt warm tears falling on my cheeks. â€Å"Bella, I was so upset!† â€Å"I'm sorry, Mom. But everything's fine now, it's okay,† I comforted her. â€Å"I'm just glad to finally see your eyes open.† She sat on the edge of my bed. I suddenly realized I didn't have any idea when it was. â€Å"How long have they been closed?† â€Å"It's Friday, hon, you've been out for a while.† â€Å"Friday?† I was shocked. I tried to remember what day it had been when†¦ but I didn't want to think about that. â€Å"They had to keep you sedated for a while, honey – you've got a lot of injuries.† â€Å"I know.† I could feel them. â€Å"You're lucky Dr. Cullen was there. He's such a nice man†¦ very young, though. And he looks more like a model than a doctor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You met Carlisle?† â€Å"And Edward's sister Alice. She's a lovely girl.† â€Å"She is,† I agreed wholeheartedly. She glanced over her shoulder at Edward, lying with his eyes closed in the chair. â€Å"You didn't tell me you had such good friends in Forks.† I cringed, and then moaned. â€Å"What hurts?† she demanded anxiously, turning back to me. Edward's eyes flashed to my face. â€Å"It's fine,† I assured them. â€Å"I just have to remember not to move.† He lapsed back into his phony slumber. I took advantage of my mother's momentary distraction to keep the subject from returning to my less-than-candid behavior. â€Å"Where's Phil?† I asked quickly. â€Å"Florida – oh, Bella! You'll never guess! Just when we were about to leave, the best news!† â€Å"Phil got signed?† I guessed. â€Å"Yes! How did you guess! The Suns, can you believe it?† â€Å"That's great, Mom,† I said as enthusiastically as I could manage, though I had little idea what that meant. â€Å"And you'll like Jacksonville so much,† she gushed while I stared at her vacantly. â€Å"I was a little bit worried when Phil started talking about Akron, what with the snow and everything, because you know how I hate the cold, but now Jacksonville! It's always sunny, and the humidity really isn't that bad. We found the cutest house, yellow, with white trim, and a porch just like in an old movie, and this huge oak tree, and it's just a few minutes from the ocean, and you'll have your own bathroom -â€Å" â€Å"Wait, Mom!† I interrupted. Edward still had his eyes closed, but he looked too tense to pass as asleep. â€Å"What are you talking about? I'm not going to Florida. I live in Forks.† â€Å"But you don't have to anymore, silly,† she laughed. â€Å"Phil will be able to be around so much more now†¦ we've talked about it a lot, and what I'm going to do is trade off on the away games, half the time with you, half the time with him.† â€Å"Mom.† I hesitated, wondering how best to be diplomatic about this. â€Å"I want to live in Forks. I'm already settled in at school, and I have a couple of girlfriends† – she glanced toward Edward again when I reminded her of friends, so I tried another direction – â€Å"and Charlie needs me. He's just all alone up there, and he can't cook at all.† â€Å"You want to stay in Forks?† she asked, bewildered. The idea was inconceivable to her. And then her eyes flickered back toward Edward. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I told you – school, Charlie – ouch!† I'd shrugged. Not a good idea. Her hands fluttered helplessly over me, trying to find a safe place to pat. She made do with my forehead; it was unbandaged. â€Å"Bella, honey, you hate Forks,† she reminded me. â€Å"It's not so bad.† She frowned and looked back and forth between Edward and me, this time very deliberately. â€Å"Is it this boy?† she whispered. I opened my mouth to lie, but her eyes were scrutinizing my face, and I knew she would see through that. â€Å"He's part of it,† I admitted. No need to confess how big a part. â€Å"So, have you had a chance to talk with Edward?† I asked. â€Å"Yes.† She hesitated, looking at his perfectly still form. â€Å"And I want to talk to you about that.† Uh-oh. â€Å"What about?† I asked. â€Å"I think that boy is in love with you,† she accused, keeping her voice low. â€Å"I think so, too,† I confided. â€Å"And how do you feel about him?† She only poorly concealed the raging curiosity in her voice. I sighed, looking away. As much as I loved my mom, this was not a conversation I wanted to have with her. â€Å"I'm pretty crazy about him.† There – that sounded like something a teenager with her first boyfriend might say. â€Å"Well, he seems very nice, and, my goodness, he's incredibly good-looking, but you're so young, Bella†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice was unsure; as far as I could remember, this was the first time since I was eight that she'd come close to trying to sound like a parental authority. I recognized the reasonable-but-firm tone of voice from talks I'd had with her about men. â€Å"I know that, Mom. Don't worry about it. It's just a crush,† I soothed her. â€Å"That's right,† she agreed, easily pleased. Then she sighed and glanced guiltily over her shoulder at the big, round clock on the wall. â€Å"Do you need to go?† She bit her lip. â€Å"Phil's supposed to call in a little while†¦ I didn't know you were going to wake up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No problem, Mom.† I tried to tone down the relief so she wouldn't get her feelings hurt. â€Å"I won't be alone.† â€Å"I'll be back soon. I've been sleeping here, you know,† she announced, proud of herself. â€Å"Oh, Mom, you don't have to do that! You can sleep at home – I'll never notice.† The swirl of painkillers in my brain was making it hard to concentrate even now, though, apparently, I'd been sleeping for days. â€Å"I was too nervous,† she admitted sheepishly. â€Å"There's been some crime in the neighborhood, and I don't like being there alone.† â€Å"Crime?† I asked in alarm. â€Å"Someone broke into that dance studio around the corner from the house and burned it to the ground – there's nothing left at all! And they left a stolen car right out front. Do you remember when you used to dance there, honey?† â€Å"I remember.† I shivered, and winced. â€Å"I can stay, baby, if you need me.† â€Å"No, Mom, I'll be fine. Edward will be with me.† She looked like that might be why she wanted to stay. â€Å"I'll be back tonight.† It sounded as much like a warning as it sounded like a promise, and she glanced at Edward again as she said it. â€Å"I love you, Mom.† â€Å"I love you, too, Bella. Try to be more careful when you walk, honey, I don't want to lose you.† Edward's eyes stayed closed, but a wide grin flashed across his face. A nurse came bustling in then to check all my tubes and wires. My mother kissed my forehead, patted my gauze-wrapped hand, and left. The nurse was checking the paper readout on my heart monitor. â€Å"Are you feeling anxious, honey? Your heart rate got a little high there.† â€Å"I'm fine,† I assured her. â€Å"I'll tell your RN that you're awake. She'll be in to see you in a minute.† As soon as she closed the door, Edward was at my side. â€Å"You stole a car?† I raised my eyebrows. He smiled, unrepentant. â€Å"It was a good car, very fast.† â€Å"How was your nap?† I asked. â€Å"Interesting.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"What?† He looked down while he answered. â€Å"I'm surprised. I thought Florida†¦ and your mother†¦ well, I thought that's what you would want.† I stared at him uncomprehendingly. â€Å"But you'd be stuck inside all day in Florida. You'd only be able to come out at night, just like a real vampire.† He almost smiled, but not quite. And then his face was grave. â€Å"I would stay in Forks, Bella. Or somewhere like it,† he explained. â€Å"Someplace where I couldn't hurt you anymore.† It didn't sink in at first. I continued to stare at him blankly as the words one by one clicked into place in my head like a ghastly puzzle. I was barely conscious of the sound of my heart accelerating, though, as my breathing became hyperventilation, I was aware of the sharp aching in my protesting ribs. He didn't say anything; he watched my face warily as the pain that had nothing to do with broken bones, pain that was infinitely worse, threatened to crush me. And then another nurse walked purposefully into the room. Edward sat still as stone as she took in my expression with a practiced eye before turning to the monitors. â€Å"Time for more pain meds, sweetheart?† she asked kindly, tapping the IV feed. â€Å"No, no,† I mumbled, trying to keep the agony out of my voice. â€Å"I don't need anything.† I couldn't afford to close my eyes now. â€Å"No need to be brave, honey. It's better if you don't get too stressed out; you need to rest.† She waited, but I just shook my head. â€Å"Okay,† she sighed. â€Å"Hit the call button when you're ready.† She gave Edward a stern look, and threw one more anxious glance at the machinery, before leaving. His cool hands were on my face; I stared at him with wild eyes. â€Å"Shhh, Bella, calm down.† â€Å"Don't leave me,† I begged in a broken voice. â€Å"I won't,† he promised. â€Å"Now relax before I call the nurse back to sedate you.† But my heart couldn't slow. â€Å"Bella.† He stroked my face anxiously. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here as long as you need me.† â€Å"Do you swear you won't leave me?† I whispered. I tried to control the gasping, at least. My ribs were throbbing. He put his hands on either side of my face and brought his face close to mine. His eyes were wide and serious. â€Å"I swear.† The smell of his breath was soothing. It seemed to ease the ache of my breathing. He continued to hold my gaze while my body slowly relaxed and the beeping returned to a normal pace. His eyes were dark, closer to black than gold today. â€Å"Better?† he asked. â€Å"Yes,† I said cautiously. He shook his head and muttered something unintelligible. I thought I picked out the word â€Å"overreaction.† â€Å"Why did you say that?† I whispered, trying to keep my voice from shaking. â€Å"Are you tired of having to save me all the time? Do you want me to go away?† â€Å"No, I don't want to be without you, Bella, of course not. Be rational. And I have no problem with saving you, either – if it weren't for the fact that I was the one putting you in danger†¦ that I'm the reason that you're here.† â€Å"Yes, you are the reason.† I frowned. â€Å"The reason I'm here – alive.† â€Å"Barely.† His voice was just a whisper. â€Å"Covered in gauze and plaster and hardly able to move.† â€Å"I wasn't referring to my most recent near-death experience,† I said, growing irritated. â€Å"I was thinking of the others – you can take your pick. If it weren't for you, I would be rotting away in the Forks cemetery.† He winced at my words, but the haunted look didn't leave his eyes. â€Å"That's not the worst part, though,† he continued to whisper. He acted as if I hadn't spoken. â€Å"Not seeing you there on the floor†¦ crumpled and broken.† His voice was choked. â€Å"Not thinking I was too late. Not even hearing you scream in pain – all those unbearable memories that I'll carry with me for the rest of eternity. No, the very worst was feeling†¦ knowing that I couldn't stop. Believing that I was going to kill you myself.† â€Å"But you didn't.† â€Å"I could have. So easily.† I knew I needed to stay calm†¦ but he was trying to talk himself into leaving me, and the panic fluttered in my lungs, trying to get out. â€Å"Promise me,† I whispered. â€Å"What?† â€Å"You know what.† I was starting to get angry now. He was so stubbornly determined to dwell on the negative. He heard the change in my tone. His eyes tightened. â€Å"I don't seem to be strong enough to stay away from you, so I suppose that you'll get your way†¦ whether it kills you or not,† he added roughly. â€Å"Good.† He hadn't promised, though – a fact that I had not missed. The panic was only barely contained; I had no strength left to control the anger. â€Å"You told me how you stopped†¦ now I want to know why,† I demanded. â€Å"Why?† he repeated warily. â€Å"Why you did it. Why didn't you just let the venom spread? By now I would be just like you.† Edward's eyes seemed to turn flat black, and I remembered that this was something he'd never intended me to know. Alice must have been preoccupied by the things she'd learned about herself†¦ or she'd been very careful with her thoughts around him – clearly, he'd had no idea that she'd filled me in on the mechanics of vampire conversions. He was surprised, and infuriated. His nostrils flared, his mouth looked as if it was chiseled from stone. He wasn't going to answer, that much was clear. â€Å"I'll be the first to admit that I have no experience with relationships,† I said. â€Å"But it just seems logical†¦ a man and woman have to be somewhat equal†¦ as in, one of them can't always be swooping in and saving the other one. They have to save each other equally.† He folded his arms on the side of my bed and rested his chin on his arms. His expression was smooth, the anger reined in. Evidently he'd decided he wasn't angry with me. I hoped I'd get a chance to warn Alice before he caught up with her. â€Å"You have saved me,† he said quietly. â€Å"I can't always be Lois Lane,† I insisted. â€Å"I want to be Superman, too.† â€Å"You don't know what you're asking.† His voice was soft; he stared intently at the edge of the pillowcase. â€Å"I think I do.† â€Å"Bella, you don't know. I've had almost ninety years to think about this, and I'm still not sure.† â€Å"Do you wish that Carlisle hadn't saved you?† â€Å"No, I don't wish that.† He paused before continuing. â€Å"But my life was over. I wasn't giving anything up.† â€Å"You are my life. You're the only thing it would hurt me to lose.† I was getting better at this. It was easy to admit how much I needed him. He was very calm, though. Decided. â€Å"I can't do it, Bella. I won't do that to you.† â€Å"Why not?† My throat rasped and the words weren't as loud as I'd meant them to be. â€Å"Don't tell me it's too hard! After today, or I guess it was a few days ago†¦ anyway, after that, it should be nothing.† He glared at me. â€Å"And the pain?† he asked. I blanched. I couldn't help it. But I tried to keep my expression from showing how clearly I remembered the feeling†¦ the fire in my veins. â€Å"That's my problem,† I said. â€Å"I can handle it.† â€Å"It's possible to take bravery to the point where it becomes insanity.† â€Å"It's not an issue. Three days. Big deal.† Edward grimaced again as my words reminded him that I was more informed than he had ever intended me to be. I watched him repress the anger, watched as his eyes grew speculative. â€Å"Charlie?† he asked curtly. â€Å"Ren? ¦e?† Minutes passed in silence as I struggled to answer his question. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I closed it again. He waited, and his expression became triumphant because he knew I had no true answer. â€Å"Look, that's not an issue either,† I finally muttered; my voice was as unconvincing as it always was when I lied. â€Å"Ren? ¦e has always made the choices that work for her – she'd want me to do the same. And Charlie's resilient, he's used to being on his own. I can't take care of them forever. I have my own life to live.† â€Å"Exactly,† he snapped. â€Å"And I won't end it for you.† â€Å"If you're waiting for me to be on my deathbed, I've got news for you! I was just there!† â€Å"You're going to recover,† he reminded me. I took a deep breath to calm myself, ignoring the spasm of pain it triggered. I stared at him, and he stared back. There was no compromise in his face. â€Å"No,† I said slowly. â€Å"I'm not.† His forehead creased. â€Å"Of course you are. You may have a scar or two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're wrong,† I insisted. â€Å"I'm going to die.† â€Å"Really, Bella.† He was anxious now. â€Å"You'll be out of here in a few days. Two week at most.† I glared at him. â€Å"I may not die now†¦ but I'm going to die sometime. Every minute of the day, I get closer. And I'm going to get old.† He frowned as what I was saying sunk in, pressing his long fingers to his temples and closing his eyes. â€Å"That's how it's supposed to happen. How it should happen. How it would have happened if I didn't exist – and I shouldn't exist.† I snorted. He opened his eyes in surprise. â€Å"That's stupid. That's like going to someone who's just won the lottery, taking their money, and saying, ‘Look, let's just go back to how things should be. It's better that way.' And I'm not buying it.† â€Å"I'm hardly a lottery prize,† he growled. â€Å"That's right. You're much better.† He rolled his eyes and set his lips. â€Å"Bella, we're not having this discussion anymore. I refuse to damn you to an eternity of night and that's the end of it.† â€Å"If you think that's the end, then you don't know me very well,† I warned him. â€Å"You're not the only vampire I know.† His eyes went black again. â€Å"Alice wouldn't dare.† And for a moment he looked so frightening that I couldn't help but believe it – I couldn't imagine someone brave enough to cross him. â€Å"Alice already saw it, didn't she?† I guessed. â€Å"That's why the things she says upset you. She knows I'm going to be like you†¦ someday.† â€Å"She's wrong. She also saw you dead, but that didn't happen, either.† â€Å"You'll never catch me betting against Alice.† We stared at each other for a very long time. It was quiet except for the whirring of the machines, the beeping, the dripping, the ticking of the big clock on the wall. Finally, his expression softened. â€Å"So where does that leave us?† I wondered. He chuckled humorlessly. â€Å"I believe it's called an impasse.† I sighed. â€Å"Ouch,† I muttered. â€Å"How are you feeling?† he asked, eyeing the button for the nurse. â€Å"I'm fine,† I lied. â€Å"I don't believe you,† he said gently. â€Å"I'm not going back to sleep.† â€Å"You need rest. All this arguing isn't good for you.† â€Å"So give in,† I hinted. â€Å"Nice try.† He reached for the button. â€Å"No!† He ignored me. â€Å"Yes?† the speaker on the wall squawked. â€Å"I think we're ready for more pain medication,† he said calmly, ignoring my furious expression. â€Å"I'll send in the nurse.† The voice sounded very bored. â€Å"I won't take it,† I promised. He looked toward the sack of fluids hanging beside my bed. â€Å"I don't think they're going to ask you to swallow anything.† My heart rate started to climb. He read the fear in my eyes, and sighed in frustration. â€Å"Bella, you're in pain. You need to relax so you can heal. Why are you being so difficult? They're not going to put any more needles in you now.† â€Å"I'm not afraid of the needles,† I mumbled. â€Å"I'm afraid to close my eyes.† Then he smiled his crooked smile, and took my face between his hands. â€Å"I told you I'm not going anywhere. Don't be afraid. As long as it makes you happy, I'll be here.† I smiled back, ignoring the ache in my cheeks. â€Å"You're talking about forever, you know.† â€Å"Oh, you'll get over it – it's just a crush.† I shook my head in disbelief- it made me dizzy. â€Å"I was shocked when Ren? ¦e swallowed that one. I know you know better.† â€Å"That's the beautiful thing about being human,† he told me. â€Å"Things change.† My eyes narrowed. â€Å"Don't hold your breath.† He was laughing when the nurse came in, brandishing a syringe. â€Å"Excuse me,† she said brusquely to Edward. He got up and crossed to the end of the small room, leaning against the wall. He folded his arms and waited. I kept my eyes on him, still apprehensive. He met my gaze calmly. â€Å"Here you go, honey.† The nurse smiled as she injected the medicine into my tube. â€Å"You'll feel better now.† â€Å"Thanks,† I mumbled, unenthusiastic. It didn't take long. I could feel the drowsiness trickling through my bloodstream almost immediately. â€Å"That ought to do it,† she muttered as my eyelids drooped. She must have left the room, because something cold and smooth touched my face. â€Å"Stay.† The word was slurred. â€Å"I will,† he promised. His voice was beautiful, like a lullaby. â€Å"Like I said, as long as it makes you happy†¦ as long as it's what's best for you.† I tried to shake my head, but it was too heavy. â€Å"‘S not the same thing,† I mumbled. He laughed. â€Å"Don't worry about that now, Bella. You can argue with me when you wake up.† I think I smiled. ‘†Kay.† I could feel his lips at my ear. â€Å"I love you,† he whispered. â€Å"Me, too.† â€Å"I know,† he laughed quietly. I turned my head slightly†¦ searching. He knew what I was after. His lips touched mine gently. â€Å"Thanks,† I sighed. â€Å"Anytime.† I wasn't really there at all anymore. But I fought against the stupor weakly. There was just one more thing I wanted to tell him. â€Å"Edward?† I struggled to pronounce his name clearly. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I'm betting on Alice,† I mumbled. And then the night closed over me. EPILOGUE:AN OCCASION Edward helped me into his car, being very careful of the wisps of silk and chiffon, the flowers he'd just pinned into my elaborately styled curls, and my bulky walking cast. He ignored the angry set of my mouth. When he had me settled, he got in the driver's seat and headed back out the long, narrow drive. â€Å"At what point exactly are you going to tell me what's going on?† I asked grumpily. I really hated surprises. And he knew that. â€Å"I'm shocked that you haven't figured it out yet.† He threw a mocking smile in my direction, and my breath caught in my throat. Would I ever get used to his perfection? â€Å"I did mention that you looked very nice, didn't I?† I verified. â€Å"Yes.† He grinned again. I'd never seen him dress in black before, and, with the contrast against his pale skin, his beauty was absolutely surreal. That much I couldn't deny, even if the fact that he was wearing a tuxedo made me very nervous. Not quite as nervous as the dress. Or the shoe. Only one shoe, as my other foot was still securely encased in plaster. But the stiletto heel, held on only by satin ribbons, certainly wasn't going to help me as I tried to hobble around. â€Å"I'm not coming over anymore if Alice is going to treat me like Guinea Pig Barbie when I do,† I griped. I'd spent the better part of the day in Alice's staggeringly vast bathroom, a helpless victim as she played hairdresser and cosmetician. Whenever I fidgeted or complained, she reminded me that she didn't have any memories of being human, and asked me not to ruin her vicarious fun. Then she'd dressed me in the most ridiculous dress – deep blue, frilly and off the shoulders, with French tags I couldn't read – a dress more suitable for a runway than Forks. Nothing good could come of our formal attire, of that I was sure. Unless†¦ but I was afraid to put my suspicions into words, even in my own head. I was distracted then by the sound of a phone ringing. Edward pulled his cell phone from a pocket inside his jacket, looking briefly at the caller ID before answering. â€Å"Hello, Charlie,† he said warily. â€Å"Charlie?† I frowned. Charlie had been†¦ difficult since my return to Forks. He had compartmentalized my bad experience into two defined reactions. Toward Carlisle he was almost worshipfully grateful. On the other hand, he was stubbornly convinced that Edward was at fault – because, if not for him, I wouldn't have left home in the first place. And Edward was far from disagreeing with him. These days I had rules that hadn't existed before: curfews†¦ visiting hours. Something Charlie was saying made Edward's eyes widen in disbelief, and then a grin spread across his face. â€Å"You're kidding!† He laughed. â€Å"What is it?† I demanded. He ignored me. â€Å"Why don't you let me talk to him?† Edward suggested with evident pleasure. He waited for a few seconds. â€Å"Hello, Tyler, this is Edward Cullen.† His voice was very friendly, on the surface. I knew it well enough to catch the soft edge of menace. What was Tyler doing at my house? The awful truth began to dawn on me. I looked again at the inappropriate dress Alice had forced me into. â€Å"I'm sorry if there's been some kind of miscommunication, but Bella is unavailable tonight.† Edward's tone changed, and the threat in his voice was suddenly much more evident as he continued. â€Å"To be perfectly honest, she'll be unavailable every night, as far as anyone besides myself is concerned. No offense. And I'm sorry about your evening.† He didn't sound sorry at all. And then he snapped the phone shut, a huge smirk on his face. My face and neck flushed crimson with anger. I could feel the rage-induced tears starting to fill my eyes. He looked at me in surprise. â€Å"Was that last part a bit too much? I didn't mean to offend you.† I ignored that. â€Å"You're taking me to the prom!† I yelled. It was embarrassingly obvious now. If I'd been paying any attention at all, I'm sure I would have noticed the date on the posters that decorated the school buildings. But I'd never dreamed he was thinking of subjecting me to this. Didn't he know me at all? He wasn't expecting the force of my reaction, that was clear. He pressed his lips together and his eyes narrowed. â€Å"Don't be difficult, Bella.† My eyes flashed to the window; we were halfway to the school already. â€Å"Why are you doing this to me?† I demanded in horror. He gestured to his tuxedo. â€Å"Honestly, Bella, what did you think we were doing?† I was mortified. First, because I'd missed the obvious. And also because the vague suspicions – expectations, really – that I'd been forming all day, as Alice tried to transform me into a beauty queen, were so far wide of the mark. My half-fearful hopes seemed very silly now. I'd guessed there was some kind of occasion brewing. But prom! That was the furthest thing from my mind. The angry tears rolled over my cheeks. I remembered with dismay that I was very uncharacteristically wearing mascara. I wiped quickly under my eyes to prevent any smudges. My hand was unblackened when I pulled it away; maybe Alice had known I would need waterproof makeup. â€Å"This is completely ridiculous. Why are you crying?† he demanded in frustration. â€Å"Because I'm mad!† â€Å"Bella.† He turned the full force of his scorching golden eyes on me. â€Å"What?† I muttered, distracted. â€Å"Humor me,† he insisted. His eyes were melting all my fury. It was impossible to fight with him when he cheated like that. I gave in with poor grace. â€Å"Fine,† I pouted, unable to glare as effectively as I would have liked. â€Å"I'll go quietly. But you'll see. I'm way overdue for more bad luck. I'll probably break my other leg. Look at this shoe! It's a death trap!† I held out my good leg as evidence. â€Å"Hmmm.† He stared at my leg longer than was necessary. â€Å"Remind me to thank Alice for that tonight.† â€Å"Alice is going to be there?† That comforted me slightly. â€Å"With Jasper, and Emmett†¦ and Rosalie,† he admitted. The feeling of comfort disappeared. There had been no progress with Rosalie, though I was on quite good terms with her sometimes-husband. Emmett enjoyed having me around – he thought my bizarre human reactions were hilarious†¦ or maybe it was just the fact that I fell down a lot that he found so funny. Rosalie acted as if I didn't exist. While I shook my head to dispel the direction my thoughts had taken, I thought of something else. â€Å"Is Charlie in on this?† I asked, suddenly suspicious. â€Å"Of course.† He grinned, and then chuckled. â€Å"Apparently Tyler wasn't, though.† I gritted my teeth. How Tyler could be so delusional, I couldn't imagine. At school, where Charlie couldn't interfere, Edward and I were inseparable – except for those rare sunny days. We were at the school now; Rosalie's red convertible was conspicuous in the parking lot. The clouds were thin today, a few streaks of sunlight escaping through far away in the west. He got out and walked around the car to open my door. He held out his hand. I sat stubbornly in my seat, arms folded, feeling a secret twinge of smugness. The lot was crowded with people in formal dress: witnesses. He couldn't remove me forcibly from the car as he might have if we'd been alone. He sighed. â€Å"When someone wants to kill you, you're brave as a lion – and then when someone mentions dancing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. I gulped. Dancing. â€Å"Bella, I won't let anything hurt you – not even yourself. I won't let go of you once, I promise.† I thought about that and suddenly felt much better. He could see that in my face. â€Å"There, now,† he said gently, â€Å"it won't be so bad.† He leaned down and wrapped one arm around my waist. I took his other hand and let him lift me from the car. He kept his arm tightly around me, supporting me as I limped toward the school. In Phoenix, they held proms in hotel ballrooms. This dance was in the gym, of course. It was probably the only room in town big enough for a dance. When we got inside, I giggled. There were actual balloon arches and twisted garlands of pastel crepe paper festooning the walls. â€Å"This looks like a horror movie waiting to happen,† I snickered. â€Å"Well,† he muttered as we slowly approached the ticket table – he was carrying most of my weight, but I still had to shuffle and wobble my feet forward – â€Å"there are more than enough vampires present.† I looked at the dance floor; a wide gap had formed in the center of the floor, where two couples whirled gracefully. The other dancers pressed to the sides of the room to give them space – no one wanted to stand in contrast with such radiance. Emmett and Jasper were intimidating and flawless in classic tuxedos. Alice was striking in a black satin dress with geometric cutouts that bared large triangles of her snowy white skin. And Rosalie was†¦ well, Rosalie. She was beyond belief. Her vivid scarlet dress was backless, tight to her calves where it flared into a wide ruffled train, with a neckline that plunged to her waist. I pitied every girl in the room, myself included. â€Å"Do you want me to bolt the doors so you can massacre the unsuspecting townsfolk?† I whispered conspiratorially. â€Å"And where do you fit into that scheme?† He glared. â€Å"Oh, I'm with the vampires, of course.† He smiled reluctantly. â€Å"Anything to get out of dancing.† â€Å"Anything.† He bought our tickets, then turned me toward the dance floor. I cringed against his arm and dragged my feet. â€Å"I've got all night,† he warned. Eventually he towed me out to where his family was twirling elegantly – if in a style totally unsuitable to the present time and music. I watched in horror. â€Å"Edward.† My throat was so dry I could only manage a whisper. â€Å"I honestly can't dance!† I could feel the panic bubbling up inside my chest. â€Å"Don't worry, silly,† he whispered back. â€Å"I can.† He put my arms around his neck and lifted me to slide his feet under mine. And then we were whirling, too. â€Å"I feel like I'm five years old,† I laughed after a few minutes of effortless waltzing. â€Å"You don't look five,† he murmured, pulling me closer for a second, so that my feet were briefly a foot from the ground. Alice caught my eye on a turn and smiled in encouragement – I smiled back. I was surprised to realize that I was actually enjoying myself†¦ a little. â€Å"Okay, this isn't half bad,† I admitted. But Edward was staring toward the doors, and his face was angry. â€Å"What is it?† I wondered aloud. I followed his gaze, disoriented by the spinning, but finally I could see what was bothering him. Jacob Black, not in a tux, but in a long-sleeved white shirt and tie, his hair smoothed back into his usual ponytail, was crossing the floor toward us. After the first shock of recognition, I couldn't help but feel bad for Jacob. He was clearly uncomfortable – excruciatingly so. His face was apologetic as his eyes met mine. Edward snarled very quietly. â€Å"Behave!† I hissed. Edward's voice was scathing. â€Å"He wants to chat with you.† Jacob reached us then, the embarrassment and apology even more evident on his face. â€Å"Hey, Bella, I was hoping you would be here.† Jacob sounded like he'd been hoping the exact opposite. But his smile was just as warm as ever. â€Å"Hi, Jacob.† I smiled back. â€Å"What's up?† â€Å"Can I cut in?† he asked tentatively, glancing at Edward for the first time. I was shocked to notice that Jacob didn't have to look up. He must have grown half a foot since the first time I'd seen him. Edward's face was composed, his expression blank. His only answer was to set me carefully on my feet, and take a step back. â€Å"Thanks,† Jacob said amiably. Edward just nodded, looking at me intently before he turned to walk away. Jacob put his hands on my waist, and I reached up to put my hands on his shoulders. â€Å"Wow, Jake, how tall are you now?† He was smug. â€Å"Six-two.† We weren't really dancing – my leg made that impossible. Instead we swayed awkwardly from side to side without moving our feet. It was just as well; the recent growth spurt had left him looking gangly and uncoordinated, he was probably no better a dancer than I was. â€Å"So, how did you end up here tonight?† I asked without true curiosity. Considering Edward's reaction, I could guess. â€Å"Can you believe my dad paid me twenty bucks to come to your prom?† he admitted, slightly ashamed. â€Å"Yes, I can,† I muttered. â€Å"Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself, at least. Seen anything you like?† I teased, nodding toward a group of girls lined up against the wall like pastel confections. â€Å"Yeah,† he sighed. â€Å"But she's taken.† He glanced down to meet my curious gaze for just a second – then we both looked away, embarrassed. â€Å"You look really pretty, by the way,† he added shyly. â€Å"Um, thanks. So why did Billy pay you to come here?† I asked quickly, though I knew the answer. Jacob didn't seem grateful for the subject change; he looked away, uncomfortable again. â€Å"He said it was a ‘safe' place to talk to you. I swear the old man is losing his mind.† I joined in his laughter weakly. â€Å"Anyway, he said that if I told you something, he would get me that master cylinder I need,† he confessed with a sheepish grin. â€Å"Tell me, then. I want you to get your car finished.† I grinned back. At least Jacob didn't believe any of this. It made the situation a bit easier. Against the wall, Edward was watching my face, his own face expressionless. I saw a sophomore in a pink dress eyeing him with timid speculation, but he didn't seem to be aware of her. Jacob looked away again, ashamed. â€Å"Don't get mad, okay?† â€Å"There's no way I'll be mad at you, Jacob,† I assured him. â€Å"I won't even be mad at Billy. Just say what you have to.† â€Å"Well – this is so stupid, I'm sorry, Bella – he wants you to break up with your boyfriend. He asked me to tell you ‘please.'† He shook his head in disgust. â€Å"He's still superstitious, eh?† â€Å"Yeah. He was†¦ kind of over the top when you got hurt down in Phoenix. He didn't believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Jacob trailed off self-consciously. My eyes narrowed. â€Å"I fell.† â€Å"I know that,† Jacob said quickly. â€Å"He thinks Edward had something to do with me getting hurt.† It wasn't a question, and despite my promise, I was angry. Jacob wouldn't meet my eyes. We weren't even bothering to sway to the music, though his hands were still on my waist, and mine around his neck. â€Å"Look, Jacob, I know Billy probably won't believe this, but just so you know† – he looked at me now, responding to the new earnestness in my voice – â€Å"Edward really did save my life. If it weren't for Edward and his father, I'd be dead.† â€Å"I know,† he claimed, but he sounded like my sincere words had affected him some. Maybe he'd be able to convince Billy of this much, at least. â€Å"Hey, I'm sorry you had to come do this, Jacob,† I apologized. â€Å"At any rate, you get your parts, right?† â€Å"Yeah,† he muttered. He was still looking awkward†¦ upset. â€Å"There's more?† I asked in disbelief. â€Å"Forget it,† he mumbled, â€Å"I'll get a job and save the money myself.† I glared at him until he met my gaze. â€Å"Just spit it out, Jacob.† â€Å"It's so bad.† â€Å"I don't care. Tell me,† I insisted. â€Å"Okay†¦ but, geez, this sounds bad.† He shook his head. â€Å"He said to tell you, no, to warn you, that – and this is his plural, not mine† – he lifted one hand from my waist and made little quotations marks in the air – ‘†We'll be watching.'† He watched warily for my reaction. It sounded like something from a mafia movie. I laughed out loud. â€Å"Sorry you had to do this, Jake,† I snickered. â€Å"I don't mind that much.† He grinned in relief. His eyes were appraising as they raked quickly over my dress. â€Å"So, should I tell him you said to butt the hell out?† he asked hopefully. â€Å"No,† I sighed. â€Å"Tell him I said thanks. I know he means well.† The song ended, and I dropped my arms. His hands hesitated at my waist, and he glanced at my bum leg. â€Å"Do you want to dance again? Or can I help you get somewhere?† Edward answered for me. â€Å"That's all right, Jacob. I'll take it from here.† Jacob flinched, and stared wide-eyed at Edward, who stood just beside us. â€Å"Hey, I didn't see you there,† he mumbled. â€Å"I guess I'll see you around, Bella.† He stepped back, waving halfheartedly. I smiled. â€Å"Yeah, I'll see you later.† â€Å"Sorry,† he said again before he turned for the door. Edward's arms wound around me as the next song started. It was a little up-tempo for slow dancing, but that didn't seem to concern him. I leaned my head against his chest, content. â€Å"Feeling better?† I teased. â€Å"Not really,† he said tersely. â€Å"Don't be mad at Billy,† I sighed. â€Å"He just worries about me for Charlie's sake. It's nothing personal.† â€Å"I'm not mad at Billy,† he corrected in a clipped voice. â€Å"But his son is irritating me.† I pulled back to look at him. His face was very serious. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"First of all, he made me break my promise.† I stared at him in confusion. He half-smiled. â€Å"I promised I wouldn't let go of you tonight,† he explained. â€Å"Oh. Well, I forgive you.† â€Å"Thanks. But there's something else.† Edward frowned. I waited patiently. â€Å"He called you pretty,† he finally continued, his frown deepening. â€Å"That's practically an insult, the way you look right now. You're much more than beautiful.† I laughed. â€Å"You might be a little biased.† â€Å"I don't think that's it. Besides, I have excellent eyesight.† We were twirling again, my feet on his as he held me close. â€Å"So are you going to explain the reason for all of this?† I wondered. He looked down at me, confused, and I glared meaningfully at the crepe paper. He considered for a moment, and then changed direction, spinning me through the crowd to the back door of the gym. I caught a glimpse of Jessica and Mike dancing, staring at me curiously. Jessica waved, and I smiled back quickly. Angela was there, too, looking blissfully happy in the arms of little Ben Cheney; she didn't look up from his eyes, a head lower than hers. Lee and Samantha, Lauren, glaring toward us, with Conner; I could name every face that spiraled past me. And then we were outdoors, in the cool, dim light of a fading sunset. As soon as we were alone, he swung me up into his arms, and carried me across the dark grounds till he reached the bench beneath the shadow of the madrone trees. He sat there, keeping me cradled against his chest. The moon was already up, visible through the gauzy clouds, and his face glowed pale in the white light. His mouth was hard, his eyes troubled. â€Å"The point?† I prompted softly. He ignored me, staring up at the moon. â€Å"Twilight, again,† he murmured. â€Å"Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end.† â€Å"Some things don't have to end,† I muttered through my teeth, instantly tense. He sighed. â€Å"I brought you to the prom,† he said slowly, finally answering my question, â€Å"because I don't want you to miss anything. I don't want my presence to take anything away from you, if I can help it. I want you to be human. I want your life to continue as it would have if I'd died in nineteen-eighteen like I should have.† I shuddered at his words, and then shook my head angrily. â€Å"In what strange parallel dimension would I ever have gone to prom of my own free will? If you weren't a thousand times stronger than me, I would never have let you get away with this.† He smiled briefly, but it didn't touch his eyes. â€Å"It wasn't so bad, you said so yourself.† â€Å"That's because I was with you.† We were quiet for a minute; he stared at the moon and I stared at him. I wished there was some way to explain how very uninterested I was in a normal human life. â€Å"Will you tell me something?† he asked, glancing down at me with a slight smile. â€Å"Don't I always?† â€Å"Just promise you'll tell me,† he insisted, grinning. I knew I was going to regret this almost instantly. â€Å"Fine.† â€Å"You seemed honestly surprised when you figured out that I was taking you here,† he began. â€Å"I was,† I interjected. â€Å"Exactly,† he agreed. â€Å"But you must have had some other theory†¦ I'm curious – what did you think I was dressing you up for?† Yes, instant regret. I pursed my lips, hesitating. â€Å"I don't want to tell you.† â€Å"You promised,† he objected. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"What's the problem?† I knew he thought it was mere embarrassment holding me back. â€Å"I think it will make you mad – or sad.† His brows pulled together over his eyes as he thought that through. â€Å"I still want to know. Please?† I sighed. He waited. â€Å"Well†¦ I assumed it was some kind of†¦ occasion. But I didn't think it would be some trite human thing†¦ prom!† I scoffed. â€Å"Human?† he asked flatly. He'd picked up on the key word. I looked down at my dress, fidgeting with a stray piece of chiffon. He waited in silence. â€Å"Okay,† I confessed in a rush. â€Å"So I was hoping that you might have changed your mind†¦ that you were going to change me, after all.† A dozen emotions played across his face. Some I recognized: anger†¦ pain†¦ and then he seemed to collect himself and his expression became amused. â€Å"You thought that would be a black tie occasion, did you?† he teased, touching the lapel of his tuxedo jacket. I scowled to hide my embarrassment. â€Å"I don't know how these things work. To me, at least, it seems more rational than prom does.† He was still grinning. â€Å"It's not funny,† I said. â€Å"No, you're right, it's not,† he agreed, his smile fading. â€Å"I'd rather treat it like a joke, though, than believe you're serious.† â€Å"But I am serious.† He sighed deeply. â€Å"I know. And you're really that willing?† The pain was back in his eyes. I bit my lip and nodded. â€Å"So ready for this to be the end,† he murmured, almost to himself, â€Å"for this to be the twilight of your life, though your life has barely started. You're ready to give up everything.† â€Å"It's not the end, it's the beginning,† I disagreed under my breath. â€Å"I'm not worth it,† he said sadly. â€Å"Do you remember when you told me that I didn't see myself very clearly?† I asked, raising my eyebrows. â€Å"You obviously have the same blindness.† â€Å"I know what I am.† I sighed. But his mercurial mood shifted on me. He pursed his lips, and his eyes were probing. He examined my face for a long moment. â€Å"You're ready now, then?† he asked. â€Å"Um.† I gulped. â€Å"Yes?† He smiled, and inclined his head slowly until his cold lips brushed against the skin just under the corner of my jaw. â€Å"Right now?† he whispered, his breath blowing cool on my neck. I shivered involuntarily. â€Å"Yes,† I whispered, so my voice wouldn't have a chance to break. If he thought I was bluffing, he was going to be disappointed. I'd already made this decision, and I was sure. It didn't matter that my body was rigid as a plank, my hands balled into fists, my breathing erratic†¦ He chuckled darkly, and leaned away. His face did look disappointed. â€Å"You can't really believe that I would give in so easily,† he said with a sour edge to his mocking tone. â€Å"A girl can dream.† His eyebrows rose. â€Å"Is that what you dream about? Being a monster?† â€Å"Not exactly,† I said, frowning at his word choice. Monster, indeed. â€Å"Mostly I dream about being with you forever.† His expression changed, softened and saddened by the subtle ache in my voice. â€Å"Bella.† His fingers lightly traced the shape of my lips. â€Å"I will stay with you – isn't that enough?† I smiled under his fingertips. â€Å"Enough for now.† He frowned at my tenacity. No one was going to surrender tonight. He exhaled, and the sound was practically a growl. I touched his face. â€Å"Look,† I said. â€Å"I love you more than everything else in the world combined. Isn't that enough?† â€Å"Yes, it is enough,† he answered, smiling. â€Å"Enough for forever.† And he leaned down to press his cold lips once more to my throat.