Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Four

Avery was a spirit user. â€Å"Oh shit.† I sat back down on the bed, my mind reeling. I'd never seen it coming. Hell, no one had. Avery had made a good show of being an air user. Each Moroi had a very low level of control in each element. She'd just barely done enough with air to make it seem like that was her specialization. No one had questioned her further because honestly, who would have ever expected another spirit user around? And since she was out of school, she had no reason to be tested anymore or forced to demonstrate her ability. No one was there to call her on it. The more I thought about it, the more the little signs were there. The charming personality, the way she could talk people into anything. How many of her interactions were spirit controlled? And was it possible†¦ was it possible that Adrian's attraction had been compulsion on her part? I had no reason to feel happy about that, but†¦ well, I did. More to the point, what did Avery want with Lissa? Avery compelling Adrian into liking her wasn't too out there. He was good-looking and came from an important family. He was the queen's great-nephew, and although family members of the current monarch could never inherit the throne immediately afterward, he'd have a good future, one that would always keep him in the highest circles of society. But Lissa? What was Avery's game there? What did she have to gain? Lissa's behavior all made sense now-the uncharacteristic partying, weird moods, jealousy, fights with Christian†¦ Avery was pushing Lissa over the edge, causing her to make horrible choices. Avery was using some sort of compulsion to spin Lissa out of control, alienating her and putting her life in danger. Why? What did Avery want? It didn't matter. The why wasn't important. The how was, as in how I was going to get out of here and back to my best friend. I looked down at myself, at the delicate silk dress I wore. Suddenly, I hated it. It was a sign of how I'd been, weak and useless. I hastily took it off and ransacked my closet. They'd taken away my jeans and T-shirt, but I'd at least been allowed to keep my hoodie. I put on the green sweater dress, seeing as it was the sturdiest thing I had, feeling moderately more capable. I slipped the hoodie on over it. It hardly made me feel like a badass warrior, but I did feel more competent. Sufficiently dressed for action, I returned to the living room and started that pacing that tended to help me think better-not that I had any reason to believe I was going to come up with new ideas. I'd been trying to for days and days with no luck. Nothing was going to change. â€Å"Damn it!† I yelled, feeling better with the outburst. Angry, I flounced into the desk chair, amazed that I hadn't simply thrown it against the wall in my frustration. The chair wobbled, ever so slightly. Frowning, I stood up and looked at it. Everything else in this place was state-of-the-art. Odd that I'd have a faulty chair. I knelt down and examined it more closely. There, on one of the legs, was a crack near where the leg joined with the seat. I stared. All of the furniture here was industrial strength, with no obvious joints. I should know, seeing how long I'd beat this chair against the wall when I first arrived. I hadn't even dented it. Where had this crack come from? Slamming it over and over had done nothing. But I hadn't been the only one to hit it. That very first day, I'd fought with Dimitri and come after him with the chair. He'd taken it from me and thrown it against the wall. I'd never paid attention to it again, having given up on breaking it. When I'd later tried cracking the window, I'd used an end table because it was heavier. My strength hadn't been able to damage the chair-but his had. I picked up the chair and immediately slammed it into that diamond-hard window, half-hoping I might kill two birds with one stone. Nope. Both remained intact. So I did it again. And again. I lost track of how many times I slammed that chair into the glass. My hands hurt, and I knew despite my recovery, I still wasn't at full strength. It was infuriating. Finally, on what felt like my gazillionth try, I looked at the chair and saw the crack had grown bigger. The progress renewed my will and strength. I hit and hit, ignoring the pain as the wood bit into my hands. At long last, I heard a crack, and the leg broke off. I picked it up and stared in amazement. The break hadn't been clean. It was splintered and sharp. Sharp enough to be a stake? I wasn't sure. But I knew for a fact that wood was hard, and if I used enough force, I might be able to hit a Strigoi's heart. It wouldn't kill one, but the blow would stun. I didn't know if it'd be enough to get me out of here, but it was all I had now. And it was a hell of a lot more than I'd had one hour ago. I sat back on the bed, recovering from my battle with the chair and tossing the makeshift stake back and forth. Okay. I had a weapon now. But what could I do with it? Dimitri's face flashed in my mind's eye. Damn it. There was no question about it. He was the obvious target, the one I'd have to deal with first. The door suddenly clicked open, and I looked up with alarm. Quickly, I shoved the chair into a dark corner as panic raced through me. No, no. I wasn't ready. I hadn't fully convinced myself to stake him. It was Inna. She carried a tray but didn't wear her usual subservient expression. The brief look she gave me was filled with hate. I didn't know what she had to be pissed off about. It wasn't like I'd caused her any damage. Yet. I strode over like I was going to examine the tray. Lifting the lid, I saw a ham sandwich and french fries. It looked good-I hadn't eaten in a while -but the adrenaline running through me had shoved any appetite I might have to the background. I glanced back up at her, smiling sweetly. She shot me daggers. Don't hesitate, Dimitri had always said. I didn't. I jumped at Inna, throwing her so hard against the floor that her head slammed back. She looked dazed, but quickly recovered and tried to fight back. I wasn't drugged up this time-well, not much-and my years of training and natural strength finally showed themselves again. I pressed my body against her, keeping her firmly in place. Then, I produced the stake I'd had concealed and pressed those sharp points against her neck. It was like being back in the days of pinning Strigoi in alleys. She couldn't see that my weapon was a chair leg, but the sharp points got her attention as I dug them into her throat. â€Å"The code,† I said. â€Å"What is the code?† Her only response was a string of obscenities in Russian. Okay, not a surprise, considering she probably didn't understand me. I flipped through the meager Russian-English dictionary in my head. I'd been in the country long enough to pick up some vocabulary. Admittedly, it was equivalent to a two-year-old's, but even they could communicate. â€Å"Numbers,† I said in Russian. â€Å"Door.† At least, that's what I hoped I said. She said more impolite things to me, her expression defiant. It really was the Strigoi interrogation all over. My stake bit harder, drawing blood, and I forcibly restrained myself. I might question whether I had the strength to pierce a Strigoi heart with this, but severing a human's vein? Cake. She faltered a little, apparently realizing the same thing. Again, I attempted my broken Russian. â€Å"Kill you. No Nathan. Never†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What was the word? The church service came back to me, and I hoped I had it right. â€Å"Never eternal life.† It got her attention. Nathan and eternal life. The things most important to her. She bit her lip, still angry, but her tirade had stopped. â€Å"Numbers. Door,† I repeated. I pushed the stake in harder, and she cried out in pain. At last she spoke, rattling off a series of digits. Russian numbers were something I had memorized pretty solidly, at least. They were essential for addresses and phone numbers. She cited seven numbers. â€Å"Again,† I said. I made her say it three times and hoped I had it. But there was more. I was pretty sure the outer door had a different code. â€Å"Numbers. Door. Two.† I felt like a caveman. Inna stared, not quite getting it. â€Å"Door. Two.† Understanding glinted in her eyes, and she looked mad. I think she'd hoped I wouldn't realize the other door had its own code. More cutting with the stake made her scream seven more numbers. Again, I made her repeat them, realizing I had no way to know if she was telling me the truth at least until I tried the numbers. For that reason, I decided to keep her around. I felt guilty about what I did next, but these were desperate times. In guardian training, I'd been taught both to kill and to incapacitate. I did the latter this time, slamming her head back against the floor and rendering her unconscious. Her expression went slack, her eyelids drooping. Damn. I was reduced to hurting teenage humans. Standing up, I moved to the door and punched in the first set of numbers, hoping I had them right. To my complete and utter astonishment, I did. The electronic lock clicked, but before I could open the door, I just barely made out another click. Someone had unlocked the outer door. â€Å"Shit,† I muttered. I pulled away from the door immediately, picked up Inna's unconscious body, and hurried to the bathroom. I set her in the tub as gently as possible and had just shut the bathroom door when I heard the main door open. I felt the telltale nausea that signaled a Strigoi was nearby. I knew one of the Strigoi could smell a human, and I hoped shutting her away would be enough to mute Inna's scent. I emerged from the hall and found Dimitri in the living room. I grinned at him and ran into his arms. â€Å"You're back,† I said happily. He held me briefly and then stepped back. â€Å"Yes.† He seemed slightly pleased at the greeting, but soon his face was all business. â€Å"Have you made your decision?† No hello. No how are you feeling? My heart sank. This wasn't Dimitri. â€Å"I have more questions.† I went over to the bed and lay down in a casual way, just like we always did. He followed a few moments later and sat on the edge, looking down at me. â€Å"How long will it take?† I asked. â€Å"When you awaken me? Is it instantaneous?† Once more, I launched into an interrogation session. Honestly, I was running out of questions, and at this point, I didn't really want to know the intricacies of becoming Strigoi. I was becoming more and more agitated with each passing moment. I had to act. I had to make use of my fleeting opportunity here. And yet†¦ before I could act, I had to reassure myself that this really wasn't Dimitri. It was stupid. I should know by now. I could see the physical changes. I'd seen his coldness, the brutality. I'd seen him come fresh from a kill. This wasn't the man I'd loved. And yet†¦ for that one fleeting moment earlier†¦ With a sigh, Dimitri stretched out beside me. â€Å"Rose,† he interrupted, â€Å"if I didn't know better, I'd say you were stalling for time.† Yeah, even as a Strigoi, Dimitri knew how I thought and schemed. I realized if I was going to be convincing, I had to stop playing dumb and remember to be Rose Hathaway. I put on a look of outrage. â€Å"Of course I am! This is a big deal. I came here to kill you, and now you're asking me to join you. You think this is easy for me to do?† â€Å"Do you think it's been easy for me to wait this long?† he asked. â€Å"The only ones who get choices are Moroi who willingly kill, like the Ozeras. No one else gets a choice. I didn't get a choice.† â€Å"And don't you regret that?† â€Å"No, not now. Now that I'm who I was meant to be.† He frowned. â€Å"The only thing hurt is my pride-that Nathan forced me and that he acts as though I'm indebted to him. Which is why I'm being kind enough to give you the choice now, for the sake of your pride.† Kind, huh? I looked at him and felt my heart breaking all over again. It was like hearing the news of his death once more. I suddenly grew afraid I might cry. No. No tears. Dimitri always talked about prey and predators. I had to be the predator. â€Å"You're sweating,† he said suddenly. â€Å"Why?† Damn, damn, damn. Of course I was sweating. I was contemplating staking the man I loved-or thought I'd loved. And along with sweat, I was sure I was giving off pheromones of my agitation. Strigoi could smell all of those things, too. â€Å"Because I'm scared,† I whispered. I propped myself up and stroked the edge of his face, trying to memorize all of his features. The eyes. The hair. The shape of his cheekbones. In my imagination, I overlaid the things I remembered. Dark eyes. Tanned skin. Sweet smile. â€Å"I†¦ I think I'm ready, but it's†¦ I don't know. It's such a big thing.† â€Å"It'll be the best decision of your life, Roza.† My breathing was growing rapid, and I prayed he'd think it was because of my fear of being turned. â€Å"Tell me again. One more time. Why do you want to awaken me so badly?† A slightly weary look crossed his face. â€Å"Because I want you. I've always wanted you.† And that's when I knew. I finally realized the problem. He'd given that same answer over and over, and each time, something about it had bothered me. I'd never been able to pinpoint it, though. Now I could. He wanted me. Wanted me in the way people wanted possessions or collectibles. The Dimitri I'd known†¦ the one I'd fallen for and slept with†¦ that Dimitri would have said he wanted us to be together because he loved me. There was no love here. I smiled at him. Leaning down, I kissed him gently. He probably thought I was doing it for the reasons I always did, out of attraction and desire. In truth, it was a goodbye kiss. His mouth answered mine, his lips warm and eager. I held out the kiss a little longer, both to fight back the tears leaking out of my eyes and to lull him into an unsuspecting state. My hand closed around the chair leg, which I'd hidden in my hoodie pocket. I would never forget Dimitri, not for the rest of my life. And this time, I wouldn't forget his lessons. With a speed he wasn't ready for, I struck out and plunged the stake through his chest. My strength was there-sliding the stake past the ribs and straight into his heart. And as I did it, it was like piercing my own heart at the same time.

The Amish Community: the Effects of Subsistence on Aspects

The Amish Community: The Effects of Subsistence on Aspects of a Culture Tristin Bovee ANT 101 Ilda Jimenez y West October 29, 2012 The Amish Community: The Effects of Subsistence on Aspects of a Culture Any person who observes an Amish community may catch a glimpse of a lifestyle that looks as if it adheres to no modicum of logic. Why would a whole group of people choose to live without the technology that makes life so much easier? The answer is simple and uncomplicated; cultural preservation.The Amish are culturally aware of themselves, and as such have put forth the effort to sustain their traditions and way of life for hundreds of years (Kraybill, 2001). The further technology advances in the world outside of the Amish community, the broader the Amish lifestyle becomes from the modern American culture amongst which they live. However, if the Amish belief system is viewed from an anthropological perspective, their values and reasoning is much more understandable to modern thinkers . There are many different sects of the Amish belief system but for the sake of simplicity, this paper will concentrate on the Old Order Amish.The Amish faith sprung out of traditional Protestantism in the sixteenth century. Then referred to as Anabaptists, the Amish believed that baptism should not occur in children or infants, but only in adults that can make the decision for themselves (Kraybill, 2001). They also called for a separation between church and state, and a return to literal interpretation of the bible. Suffering extreme persecution for their beliefs, the Amish fled to northern Europe to escape harsh treatment from authorities and religious leaders alike (Fischetti, 1997).While living in these remote regions, the Amish grew dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture has been the primary mode of Amish life ever since. Many Amish beliefs today are stemmed from their subsistence strategy of emerging agriculture. Body The most widely known belief of the Ami sh community involves the refusal to use electricity or modern technology, such as television, in their homes. The Amish belief system is centered around family and community values and as such, they hold a strong conviction that modern technology shatters those relationships (Fischetti, 1997).The use of electricity opens the doors for mass media influence which holds the possibility of fracturing Amish traditional values. The very values that the Amish hold are a result of their emerging agricultural subsistence. When livelihood depends on bringing in crops and dairying, community and family are the primary modes of labor, and cooperation is of the utmost importance in order to maintain their way of life. Some analysts argue that the individualism seen in modern cultures is caused primarily by industrialization (Kraybill, 2001).By avoiding modern technology and said industrialization, the Amish believe they are maintaining their closely knit communities. From the etic perspective, this may seem to limit the quality of life that the Amish live, especially their youth, but from an emic perspective, this is the lifestyle that they know works for them and does not challenge what they believe. Amish adults are only looking out for the wellbeing of their children on a spiritual level. Like band societies, the Amish do not believe in accumulating wealth; they believe in having what one needs to survive.Beyond enduring, what is important to them is helping each other, which is an aspect in most cultures that grow or forage for their own food (Marlow, 1996). Amish and band societies have much in common, such as their reciprocal economic system of general reciprocity. A reciprocal economic system is a variety of trade between family members (Nowak & Laird, 2010). General reciprocity is an exchange without an instant return or a determined value of the trade (Nowak & Laird, 2010); this is what the Amish community practices between members.Within the Amish, assistance or supplies are given freely to those who are in need of it; the provider knows that anyone in their society would do the same for them under similar circumstances. Due to their belief in self-sufficiency within their community, the Amish do not believe in government assistance. Coupled with the collective Amish decline of private health care, one may wonder how they pay for medical expenses; their church and community. The Amish church picks up most medical costs, and what it does not cover is picked up by the individual family and community.The Amish lifestyle is based upon the literal interpretation of the Christian bible, as well as a set of unwritten, adaptable guidelines called the Amish Ordnung. The Amish Ordnung provides the Amish community with cultural capital, or awareness of the morals, principles, convictions and responsibilities of Amish life (Kraybill, 2001). It outlines correct behavior, clothing choice and technologies that are deemed acceptable for use without fear o f destroying the family (Donnermeyer & Friedrich, 2002). The guidelines that the Amish Ordnung outlines are changeable.This is to better facilitate solutions toward the difficulties of living in contemporary society while maintaining their cultural heritage and beliefs (Donnermeyer & Friedrich, 2002). While many people living in modern society have faith of some kind, the Amish live their faith every day. Every aspect of their life is centered around their biblical interpretations and beliefs. Family and community are a huge part of the Amish belief system which is evident by the way their kinship systems work and live together. The Amish are a patriarchal society.Men are the breadwinners and thus the head of the household; women ensure the upkeep of the home and the upbringing of the children (Donnermeyer & Friedrich, 2002). These gender roles begin at a very young age. In some societies, such as pastoralist societies, this division of labor via gender creates an environment of ine quality in favor of male family members (Nowak & Laird, 2010). This is not the case in an Amish household; each family member is respected and valued for the person they are, and also for the work they accomplish.The strong nuclear family and the division of labor being gender-based provide the Amish with a strategy to impress upon their children the importance of their beliefs (Donnermeyer & Friedrich, 2002). Young members of an Amish community are not required to be baptized into their faith until eighteen years of age (Kraybill, 2001). Eighteen years living within an Amish community results in these kids knowing nothing else and it is often easy for them to make the decision to continue living their experienced lifestyle. However, should anAmish child refuse, they would be shunned. Shunning is the practice within the Amish community of excommunicating members who do not hold to the community beliefs. Most parents would like to keep their children as close as possible, which is ju st another motivation for immersing their children in the Amish world in order to keep them from being shunned. Often, two or three generations of extended families live in neighboring homes and work the same farmland. This is because a large part of who makes up an Amish community is determined by geographic proximity (Kraybill, 2001).Amish grandparents will often retire to a home on the farm referred to as a dowdy house (Donnermeyer & Friedrich, 2002). These practices demonstrate the provision of a support system through all stages of life. Societies which practice agriculture for subsistence often establish large families to assist with the amount of labor required for farming (Nowak & Laird, 2010). This is demonstrated in Amish families, which on average produce six children per nuclear family (Kraybill, 2001). However, agriculture is becoming less common amongst Amish communities as there is little farmland large enough to accommodate them.This has led many Amish families to re cognize the importance of family planning, since little farming requires less farm labor and family assistance with farm chores (Donnermeyer & Friedrich, 2002). In addition, many Amish families have turned to selling crafted items to supplement the income lost from the declining amounts of agriculture. In the book, Riddle of Amish Culture, author Donald Kraybill (2001) states that â€Å"the hallmark of Amish society has been a close-knit, highly integrated community where the threads of social life are woven into a single fabric that stretches from cradle to grave† (pg. 19, para. 4).This quote emphasizes the Amish social life centering on family, community and church from birth to death. Social activity in the Amish community can be described in three words; family, community, and church. Amish society is organized into three basic social units. The first unit, the settlement, consists of Amish families living within a common location and typically ranges in size from a dozen families to several thousand. The second unit, the district, is the organizational unit above the family and refers to the church. One church district usually includes twenty-five to thirty-five families within the immediate area.The third unit, affiliation, is the collection of church districts that hold similar religious practices and cooperate with each other (Kraybill, 2001). Amish children are taught in parochial schools, in which the highest level of education achieved is the eighth grade (Kraybill, 2001). The Amish believe that their way of life does not require more than an eighth grade education; most Amish children know how to run a household well before they finish their schooling. Conclusion If it weren’t for their way of life, they would have been acclimated to societal norms long ago.However, the Amish people are capable of seeing the world from an emic and etic perspective, ostensibly at the same time. Because of this awareness, they are able to take the corre ct steps to ensuring the survival of their cultural and spiritual beliefs. REFERENCES: Donnermeyer, J. F. , & Friedrich, L. (2002). Amish society? : An overview reconsidered. Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health, 8(3), 14. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/220297959? accountid=32521 Fischetti, P. R. (1997). The Amish. Washington, United States: Educational Extension Systems. Retrieved from http://search. roquest. com/docview/189310852? accountid=32521 Kraybill, D. B. (2001). Riddle of Amish Culture (Revised Ed. ). Baltimore, MD, USA: John Hopkins Univeristy Press. Retrieved from http://site. ebrary. com/lib/ashford/docDetail. action? docID=10021650&ppg=2 Marlow, E. (1996). Teaching about another culture? : The Old Order Amish. The Social Studies, 87(4), 161. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/274834778? accountid=32521 Nowak, B. , & Laird, P. (2010). Cultural Anthropology. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://conte nt. ashford. edu/books/AUANT101. 10. 2/sections/ch00

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Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example This book shows that how the activities like peer coaching, discussion among colleagues, reflective learning, and experience based recollection can help in staff development, and hence, human resource development. The book helps the reader to understand that the staffs in an organization have tremendous ability and potential to learn and grow if they reflectively interact among themselves. In this journal article, the importance of Resource-Based View (R-BV) in relation to strategy and analysis methods in an organization has been explained. The core competencies of human resource in an organization are identified as critical catalysts in the process of obtaining a competitive advantage. The article explores the role of human resource development in properly utilizing the technique of R-BV in deciding organizational strategy. In the book, the authors put forward the idea that employee behavior is crucial in assessing, implementing, designing, and evaluating the human resource development programs. Further, the book focuses on the techniques of employee orientation and socialization, coaching, training, and counseling. Importance of career management and development has also been explained from the employees’ perspective. The book serves as a valuable resource for designing employee training and development programs. This book has been written to elucidate certain critical ideas in relation to training and development processes. Training programs are crucial in human resource development, and hence the trainers should be properly guided and groomed. In this book, the writer has explained the utilization of performance gap analysis, which can help the trainers to ascertain the difference between actual and potential performances of their trainees. Hence, they would be able to contribute more analytically in the human resource development process. In today’s competitive and global environment, strategic analysis, implementation, and

Qualitative & Quantitative Designs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Qualitative & Quantitative Designs - Essay Example Both research designs are suitable for establishing how lack of communication is increasingly becoming a business problem within non-profit organizations. However, each approach has inherent strengths and weaknesses that make them suitable or not to solve the business problem. Establishing the issue of miscommunication in non-profit organizations can be successful due to the strengths associated with the qualitative research design. Such a design gives insight and explores the significance of miscommunication as a business problem. For example, the article uses the grounded theory approach, which is a qualitative research design. It is evident that qualitative research design is holistic as it approaches the issue right from its stem to its effect on business performance. It involves interviewing and reviewing the records held by the non-profit organization. The results are supported by the data obtained from interviews and observations. However, the method is quite broad. It covers a wide area and even includes items that have not been affected by the business problem. It takes a lot of time to research the issue at hand because the researcher had to formulate, test, and establish propositions until the problem is established. On the other hand, the quantitative research design successfully establishes the problem and dissects is cause and effect relationship. In addition, the method allows relationships to be tested, hence it is objective. The method is time saving or reductionistic as it only test items that are affected. The aspects of business performance affected by miscommunication include high staff turnover and reduced corporate social responsibility functions. The method tests theories and employs statistical analysis of figures. However, the method is limited by the fact that it generalizes items in an attempt to establish the cause and effect relationship. It might not be