Obama was right to call for national conversation on race Essay

Obama was right to call for national conversation on race - Essay Example The political leaders in America are at the front line. They are weighed in terms of their political cultures and their takes on racisms as a contentious topic in America. President Obama is no different since racism was among the important aspects that featured during his campaign for presidency. This essay seeks to discuss why president Obama was right to call for a nationwide conversation on race. After Trayvon martin’s fatal death, America witnessed a wave of nationwide demonstrations that pervade the whole country to the Whitehouse. The president in his heartfelt and spontaneous words about the race relations in America featured on the need for everyone to participate in a nationwide debate on race. The president however reiterated that it was not the right time for the politicians to take blame but help initiative this national conversation (Gerson). For this position, the president was right that the issue of racism should be discussed by all the American citizens. This is because all the citizens have a huge role to play in the democratic institutions of America. It is in line with this thought that this dialogue on race will influence other issues affecting the poor communities in America. These include public policy and democracy. This conversation should be contrasted to Clinton’s ideas which bore no fruits. The conversation should be objective driven and purposeful. It should be seeking to find an agenda of democratic transformation that pervades the whole country from a national, state and local level. In the conversation every individual from all walks of life should participate. The leaders are the community leaders, activists and civil rights organizers who would put the framework. These leaders need to have the express purpose of developing public policy solutions. These are issues that affect the employment, public education, healthcare, criminal justice and general life chance in the United States of America. This is in relation to the many decades back where numerous efforts of civil rights activists empowered the whole country to start a conversation on racisms. Clearly, this was a success since all the races in America participated in the conversation to come up with a solution that synthesized all these races into one. This conversation was not simply on racisms but also focused in reforming democracy. Every member of the American society participated in this conversation many decades ago. These include prisoners, politicians, welfare mothers, religious leaders and labour activists. The early conversation involved many aspects including street protests that were often complemented by crisis legislations. The notion for a National Conversation on Race Day is stirred by the joint engagement and action of these people, several of whom turned out in multitudes for the August 28, 1963, Walk on Washington for freedom and Jobs. This walk brought together disparate political ideas into a great and unifying cal l for economic equality, racial justice and multicultural democracy. It was through this event that the cultural, social and political awareness of racial injustice were galvanized. This led to the transformation of public policy guidelines in America to accommodate all races. These were affected through the voting rights act of 1965 and the civil rights act of 1964. This march has reached its 50th

Public opinion on health care reform in the United States Research Paper

Public opinion on health care reform in the United States - Research Paper Example There have been many efforts to impose some kind of health care reform in the United States, and the aim of this essay is to examine the public opinion of the most recent effort by current President, Barack Obama, to change the way the system works in the US. The hypothesis is that most people asked, using a short survey written on the Qualtrics system, would have a favorable opinion of the current reforms suggested, particularly in regards to the reform of the private health insurance market and aiding those with long-term chronic conditions in qualifying for affordable health insurance policies. This topic is particularly important because healthcare is something that is required by every individual at some point in their lives, and thus this issue affects everyone in the United States. It is also particularly timely because of the current economic recession (Blendon and Benson, â€Å"Public Opinion, the Deep Recession†, 2010), meaning that health insurance premiums are out of reach for more people than ever. This is part of the reason why we have hypothesized that the public opinion will be generally positive concerning this issue. Existing research on the topic has suggested that people are of generally mixed views about the reforms. We can see from evidence provided by Zis, Jacobs and Shapiro (1996) that showed public opinion on healthcare before the reforms were suggested that is particularly difficult to find a common ground between politicians and the public on this issue. More recent research suggests that public opinion on the specifics of the healthcare system as proposed by and passed by Obama are mixed (Blendon and Benson, â€Å"Public Opinion at the Time†, 2010). This is also shown in evidence from Gelman, Lee and Ghitza (2010). This article goes on to state that the majority of reform opposition comes from those within a higher income bracket and those over 65. This has led to the formation of the third hypothesis being tested by th is questionnaire. This research proposes that it will in fact be those over the age of 40 that will be more opposed to the healthcare reforms, although the age responses will be grouped to allow us to see if this statement will back up Gelman, Lee and Ghitza (2010). The first hypothesis will be testing the current thought in research that people have mixed views on the topic of healthcare reform. Existing research has also shown that people are in agreement with some of the pieces of the healthcare reform, and it is as a whole that it causes controversy (Brodie et al., 2010). This research covered the topic from a more historical perspective and additionally used information from those leaving the polling stations. This meant that people were more likely to be volatile in the opinions they expressed. The theory put forward by this research is that people are generally happy with certain aspects of the reform, and the questionnaire will question the opinion of people on the specific topic of extending Medicaid coverage to test this theory. Finally, there has been a lot of research on whether the healthcare reforms benefit certain ethnic groups and as such they show a more positive response to the laws, for example the work by Tesler and Sears (2010). This has been widely debated and as such is not a gap in the research and will not be included in the hypotheses. The three testable hypotheses are, then: 1. Individuals questioned will generally express positive views (as indicated by the

Feasibility Study for Fast Food Restaurant

Feasibility Study for Fast Food Restaurant I would first like to thank Mrs Sumaira Hamid for giving us the opportunity to conduct this project which has enabled me to understand fast food restaurants more closely and thus it defiantly increases my knowledge about the subject. I would also like to thank my friends, as without their cooperation this project would not have been completed. Executive summary This project is purely based on economic and financial analysis. Here I have conducted a feasibility study for a fast food restaurant. I have tried to cover all the aspects, economically related and financially related to the proposed project. There are two main parts in this project. first one is the pre-feasibility study and second is feasibility study. In the first part I have analyzed the scenario in the sector and market potential. In the second part I have tried to cover the financially related aspects of the project. Introduction Definition of fast food: Inexpensive food, such as hamburgers and fried chicken, prepared and served quickly. Food prepared and served quickly. A fast food restaurant is the one that after ordering supplies food quickly and with minimum service. Generally all restaurants are characterized as fast food restaurant. The food in these restaurants is pre prepared and kept warm. The food is produced in a huge quantity. There are some fast food restaurants, which even dont provide sitting area to its costumers. Main characteristics of a fast food restaurant The main aim of fast food outlet is to focus on consumer convenience. The increasing number of outlets clearly states the demand of consumer for fast food in the country. The company increases its accessibility by increasing number of outlets. The concept of free home delivery and take away has increased the sales, a major increase has been seen in satellite outlets such as airports, railway stations, gas station etc. The fast food is popular among consumer for several reasons. Some of them are as following; Deliver food to costumer at a low price. Accessibility for consumer. Good reputation for cleanliness. Fast service. Child friendly atmosphere. Break from routine cooking. Another aim of fast food restaurant is to decrease the cost and time consumed for food consumption. The rise in population, employment and increasing work schedule has increased the value of time. Thus our economy is increasingly becoming service oriented. Fast food industry is becoming an important part our life. In these scenarios fast food industry will grow with a moderate speed. Fast food industry is becoming an important part our life. Scrotal analysis Fast food industry is very popular in Pakistan, as many international fast food chains like K.F.C, McDonalds, Pizza-hut, Subway, etc are based here. These international corporations cater to high income segment and modify their menu according to the taste of their potential consumer. These international chains are not the only source of fast food in the country. Many local chains (AFC, Bryani express, cock and bull, Lahore brost) has been developed over time, to give a good competition to these international chains by lowering their prices and hence increasing their sales by catering middle income and low income level consumers. The behavioral change in food consumption among people has attracted many international organizations. Fast food industry in Pakistan insures a promising return. It has shown impressive progress in the past, and will continue in the future. The presence of international organization operating in the region is a clear shade of investment opportunity in the country. The Market of fast food industry in Pakistan has a room for many more. With the little help of government, much more can be done attract more international organization, or to bring up the local ones. Presence of SME Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a pivotal role in giving necessary impetus to  employment generation, GDP growth and poverty alleviation and hence have been recognized  increasingly all over the world. Although the performance of SME sector in Pakistan is quite encouraging, however due to some inherent and structural weaknesses and problems, its access to credit from the formal sector has been inadequate. The analysis of quality of loan portfolio reveals that, the quality of SME loans has improved over the year in this sector. List of some popular fast food restaurants in Pakistan McDonalds Pizza Hut KFC Subway Nandos Al Baik Al-Najam Fried Chicken [50] Arizona Grill Chicken Cottage Ginos Mr. Burger PapaSallis Pizza AW Papa Johns Pizza Express Pizza Next Dominos Dunkin Donuts Investment opportunity As the value of time in Pakistan is increasing day by day due to hectic work schedule, people are trying to save their time from any mean they can, and thus are becoming increasingly service oriented. Fast food industry gives a good opportunity to save their time by providing fast and healthy food to its costumers. The food service industries that offer the highest levels of convenience have, been rewarded with strong sales growth. The value of consumer time, as well as the demand for consistent, high-quality food products, will continue to shape the fast food industry. Fast food is becoming an increasingly significant part of the young generations diet. The role of convenience in this dietary shift cannot be over-emphasized, and the future growth of the rest of the food service industry will be driven in large part by its ability to find new ways to save consumers time. Another important fact is the increase in food consumption due to increase in population. Considering these factors, investment in fast food restaurant is a good opportunity There are some critical important factors, which if acted upon properly will provide a promising investment opportunity. Identify goals and ways to measure them. Adjustments according to change in consumer habits. Implementation system and ensure consistency of operation. Points of difference that enables them to dominant their market nitch. Consistency of quality and service, and operating systems and management procedure. Menu selection and pricing. The specific location within your target area. Conduct market survey. In depth investigation Pakistan, currently ranked as 6th in terms of total population, is characterized by a high  Population growth rate of 1.9% (Pakistan Economic Survey 2005) and is set to take the top  Three positions in terms of total population with already 153.4 Million people registered in  2005. With this, the per capita income has increased to US$ 736 while the productive age  group (15 to 64) years is said to take the major chunk of population (67% of total  population) by 2020. The growth rate in food consumption is also augmented by the rapid increase in the  employment rate for males / female population aging between 20 to 29 years (fast food  goers) hence the greater income contribution to the overall income generated is expected to  be higher. The growth in Risks There are certain risks involved in this sector. Some of them are stated below. Increase in pieces of raw material. Political instability Change of trend in consumption pattern. Required machinery and other equipment The quality of food is highly affected by the technology used in its production. The machinery required for production of fast food products is easily available in international market as well as in local market. It is up to the owner weather to purchase expensive branded ones or the cheaper ones. This decision depends on the question how much importance the owner gives to the quality of food being served to the consumer?. As fast food industry is growing day by day, so is the technology being used in it. Branded equipment (first hand and second hand) is available in the market. The minimum delivery time required is three months, if ordered through an internet vendor. There are also re-conditioned machines available in the market. Some outlets, before closing their business sell their machinery at low cost. Maintenance of machinery is very important for maximum quality and long life of the equipment. The machine requires routine cleaning, maintenance and annual service. We will use new machinery with latest technology in our project. This would help us in producing good quality food products, high efficiency, low labor and operating cost and would reduce human errors. The machinery required for the plant is easily available in local market, so all the purchases will be done locally. Local purchases would help us in clams of default piece, would prevent us from high transportation costs and government taxes and would reduce our time to start the project. Raw material The raw material required for the production in a fast food restaurant is easily available locally. In every city there is a local market from where these material are easily available at cheap prices. Thus the raw material for the proposed project will be purchased from the city local market .the list of raw material is given bellow with their nit prices, total units required and total cost. Items Quantity Per unit or per kilogram price Total price Eggs 100 50 5,000 Sugar 70 30 2,100 Spices 250 300 75,000 Flour for batter 100 70 7,000 Chicken 1000 115 115,000 Meat 400 250 100,000 Beef 400 150 60,000 Cheese 300 250 75,000 Oil 400 100 40,000 Sauces 250 200 50,000 Corn 50 80 4,000 Carrot 50 15 750 Cabbage 60 20 1,200 Tomatoes 70 24 1,680 Onion 100 18 1,8000 Lettuce 60 15 900 Total 539,430 Human resource Hiring right employee for the right job dose not only contributes to your sales but also creates a good image in the sight of consumer. There are several categories of personnel in the restaurant business: manager, cooks, servers and cleaners. The manager is the most important part of any organization. The manager for the proposed project should be skilled, should know about the area, supplies buying sources and most importantly should know about the buying behaviors of customers. At initial stage of a restaurant five people are required to carry out the work at kitchen. Another important part of a restaurant is servers. The servers will have the most interaction with customers, so they need to make a favorable impression, work well under pressure and meeting the demands for customers. Land requirement for the project The outlet of a fast food restaurant should be in such place where the traffic of its potential costumer is maximum. In the distribution of land for different areas in a restaurant, it is recommended that the largest part should be donated to the dining hall and second preference should be given to kitchen. The land requirement in our project is 4475 sq.ft. The area should be populated and should have proper utilities and facilities. The construction cost totally depends on the size of land the amount of work to be done on it. In our project the construction requirement in different parts of the restaurant is different. For example construction cost for kids playing area would be lower than construction cost for waiting area, as less has to be done in waiting area as compared to dining area. Location The location chosen for the required project is JOHER TOWN MAIN BUALIVORD.The traffic of potential costumer is maximum there .the construction of micro shopping mall and Pakistan trade center would bring a huge wave of potential costumers Rent The rent at Johet Town Main Boulevard for a double storied building is 125,000 per month. Plant capacity The area required for this restaurant is 4500 sq feet. The seating arraignment is for 100 people. There are 25 dieing tables, and four people can sit on one table. The total management in the restaurant comprises of 23 people. Ten people can be seated at the waiting lung. Hence in total, the restaurant can shelter up-to 130 to 140 at a time. Utilities Assumptions Rent increases by 5% after every year. Salaries increase by 2% after every year. Residual value is zero. Capital utilization differs in four years, and remains constant afterwards. Debt-equity ratio is 50-50. Straight-line method is used for depreciation. Current interest rate is 20%.. Tax rate is 20%.. 150 people visit the restaurant every day. Average purchase amounts RS.120. Do-ability of the project The proposed project can show high returns. the project perfectly sets to the changing patterns of the country. If the gets good reorganization among its potential costumers, the project can show amazing result, and can prove a good investment for the investor. Comparative advantage As the demand for fast-food increases, the prices increase with it. The only comparative advantage is that, the owner will offer low prices to the costumers. This would increase its sales. ACCABILITY OF THE PROJECT As shown, that the NPVs and IRRs calculated above are negative in most of the cases, except the resource statement. This shows that the project is not acceptable. On the other hand if the revenues assumed above are increased, the returns will increase, and thus will end up with positive NPV. This can be done by proper marketing of the restaurant.

I Didn?t Know My Dad Was A Writer :: essays research papers

I Didn’t Know My Dad was a Writer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It came as a complete shock to me when I read an essay that looked as if it was taken straight from my father’s mouth. My father and the author could have been neighbors if not for the four states between Ohio and Texas. The essay is about the author, Scott Russell Sanders’, attempt to understand what women feel that they are missing; when in his experiences a man life has little if any privileges. I relate in every way with the author’s ideas. There is nothing I can’t connect with because I’ve heard these stories since I was two and see it all in my head. Sanders describes the pain and hardship that husbands and fathers had to endure. He, also, describes the advantages that wives and mothers had. He feels confused when he first is told of women’s oppression. He has never seen women’s work as hard when compared to that of men. Not until later in life does he look back and see, exactly, what women had to withstand. Sanders had never seen â€Å"...what a prison a house could be,† (77), until he took the time to look back in retrospect and see for himself. I agree with Sanders; men did have it much harder, physically, than the women. However, women’s lives were, mentally, just as difficult if not more so. Growing up, hearing stories my whole life of my grandfather working until his hands bled and only coming home, during the day, to bandage them; and my grandmother raising four children and keeping the housework done, the whole time keeping a vegetable garden; I was adjusted to these images. While reading the essay, I saw my grandfather’s â€Å"...hands tattooed with scars,† (Sanders 76), and my grandmother â€Å"...cater all day to the needs of young children,† (Sanders 77). Depending on the way you saw it one had it harder, but still, men and women both had difficult lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sanders has written a compelling essay on his life but not everyone has lived his life. And not everyone has grownup hearing similar stories, so their opinions on the genders’ burdens will inevitably differ.

Decision Making Technique with Internet Reference

The Decision Technique I chose to write about is the â€Å"Six Thinking Hats – Looking at a Decision from all Points of View.† This technique was created by Dr. Edward de Bono. Dr. Bono is regarded as the leading international authority in conceptual and creative thinking and in the teaching of thinking as a skill. Of all the decision making technique I researched, this is the one that I agreed with the most in regards to the situation that I had in mind when researching decision making skills. This technique was very interesting to me because it made you look at a problem from all points of view. You could not be biased on one opinion or force of influence. It forced you to think outside the box. When making a decision, I feel that you must look at the issue from all points of view and not just your own biases or emotions. At times making a decision can be very hard, especially when you are the supervisor and responsible for your department. When both the decision and outcome it may have will ultimately affect you and your department and add the fact that you are the one that has to answer to higher authority. This is why I really think this technique is great because you incorporate how it will affect everyone around you from the employee to higher management. How this decision making technique works is that there are literally six hat you wear and each hat has a different way of thinking. For example: the first hat you wear is the â€Å"White Hat.† This hat allows you to focus on data and/or information. This is where you identify the problem or issue with the information you have by researching the information. The second hat you wear once you have the problem is the â€Å"Red Hat.† This is where you bring in the human in yourself and others. By realizing your intuition, reflex reaction and/or emotions. You also allow others to come in by realizing how they will react to the issue, how they will feel, how they will want to handle it, etc. This is a very important step in decision making because no matter what you chose to do this is the step that will make you or break you, in my opinion. This is where you will get your decision across to others by considering their reaction/emotions as well. The next hat that will be worn will be the â€Å"Black Hat.† Just as the color is stereo typed as â€Å"bad† this is where you think of all the negative reactions and how your decision will not work. This is where you analyze the issue and your decision and see where the mistakes are in your decision. This is also an important step as you consider the impact of your decision and the â€Å"what ifs.† The next hat is the â€Å"Yellow Hat.† Like a beautiful day when the sun is out and the weather is great to be outdoors and it is your day off. This is where you think optimistically and you see the good in your decision, which is a great step from coming out of the â€Å"Black Hat.† The next hat is the â€Å"Green Hat.† This is the step that you take off on. Your have already looked at the bad side and good side of your decision. This is where you get to be creative and brainstorm your decision and/or ideas. You are free at this point to write down all your ideas with no one to stop you. Finally, the last hat is the â€Å"Blue Hat.† Not because you are blue as in sad, because the ideas are not coming out as freely or when there is a back up plan needed. Those you are presenting the decision to usually wear this hat. Blue is neither good nor bad but can lead you back to the green hat or when you need a back-up plan which will send you back to the Black Hat. Because the organization I work for deals a lot with the public investigating, the dress code is an important issue. Recently in our organization this topic came up and it was addressed in a more formal way than usual. What was sent to everyone via the email was an explanation of why a Dress Code was being presented along with a List of What is permissible and not permissible to wear. The reason I feel that the â€Å"Six Hat† Technique would have been very useful in this situation is because I do not think that whomever made the decision of what was allowed to be worn or not considered other's opinions or forces of influence. The list of what is allowed to be worn or not could be based on a person's perception, depending on which side of the fence you were on. They left it open for scrutiny and conflict among employees and supervisors. By using the â€Å"Six Hats Technique, it would of allowed those in command to bring into the decisions making the employees that this issue will affect as well as their perception or biases in regards to the list of clothes. It would of allowed them to think the process more thoroughly as it is very hard to have a dress code with a diverse culture in our organization. To speak on behalf of the Dress Code Committee, it is very hard to try to please everyone. I feel that neither this decision making technique or any other technique used would of produced the perfect Dress Code List that would please everyone. This is one of those situations that you acknowledge you will be open to a lot of criticism. Because there is such diversity in culture, age, religious backgrounds etc., the perfect Dress Code List does not exist. Whatever technique was used in this decision making issue I feel was the best that they could do. Perhaps they should sign up for this course and learn how to frame the problem and learn to use better decision making techniques when making such an important decision that affects so many employees.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 14

Stay here,† Rashel said sharply, but Hannah ran with the rest of them toward the front of the house. She could hear a ferocious snarling and barking outside-a very familiar sort of sound. Nilsson and the other CIA guys were running around. They looked grim and efficient, moving fast but not frantically. Hannah realized that they knew how to do this sort of thing. She didn't see Lupe. The snarling outside got louder, building to a volley of short barks. There was a yelp-and then a scrambling noise. After a moment of silence there came a sound that lifted the hair on Hannah's forearms-a wild and eerie and beautiful sound. A wolf howling. Two other wolf voices joined the first, chording, rising and falling, interweaving with each other. Hannah found herself gasping, her entire skin shivering. Then there was one long sustained note and it was over. â€Å"Wow,† the tiny blond called Gillian whispered. Hannah rubbed her bare arms hard. The front door opened. Hannah felt herself looking toward the ground, but nothing four-legged came in. Instead it was Lupe and two guys, all disheveled, flushed, and grinning. â€Å"It was just some scouts,† Lupe said. â€Å"We ran them off.† â€Å"Scouts from Maya?† Hannah said, feeling a tightness in her stomach. It really was true, then. Maya was trying to storm the house to get to her. Lupe nodded. â€Å"It'll be okay,† she said almost gently. â€Å"But I think all of you better stay inside today. You can watch movies or play games in the game room.† Hannah spent the day talking with the Circle Daybreak members. The more she found out about them, the more she liked them. Only one thing made her uncomfortable. They all seemed to defer to her-as if, somehow, they expected her to be wiser or better because of her former lifetimes. It was embarrassing, because she knew she wasn't. She tried to keep her mind off Thierry†¦ and Maya. But it wasn't easy. That night she found herself walking restlessly through the house. She wound up in a little anteroom on the second floor that looked down on the enormous living room. â€Å"Can't relax?† The lazy murmur came from behind her. Hannah turned to see Ash, his lanky elegant body propped against a wall. His eyes looked silver in the dimly lit room. â€Å"Not really,† Hannah admitted. â€Å"I just wish they'd find Thierry. I've got a bad feeling about it.† They stood for a moment in silence. Then Ash said, â€Å"Yeah, it's hard to be without your soulmate. Once you've found them, I mean.† Hannah looked at him, intrigued. The way he said that†¦ She spoke hesitantly. â€Å"This morning Thea said you were all here because you had human soulmates.† He looked across the room at French doors that led to a balcony. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"And-well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maybe she's dead, Hannah thought suddenly. Maybe I shouldn't ask. â€Å"And you want to know where mine is,† Ash said. â€Å"I didn't mean to pry.† â€Å"No. It's okay.† Ash looked out at the darkness beyond the French doors again. â€Å"She's waiting-I hope. I've got some things to put right before I see her.† He didn't seem scary anymore, no matter how his eyes changed. He seemed-vulnerable. â€Å"I'm sure she is waiting,† Hannah said. â€Å"And I'll bet she'll be glad to see you when you've put things right.† She added quietly, â€Å"I know I'll be glad to see Thierry.† He glanced at her, startled, then smiled. He had a very nice smile. â€Å"That's true, you've been in her shoes, haven't you? And Thierry's certainly tried to make up for his past. I mean, he's been doing good works for centuries. So maybe there's hope for me after all.† He said it almost mockingly, but Hannah caught an odd glistening in his eyes. â€Å"You're like her, you know,† he added abruptly. â€Å"Like my-like Mary-Lynnette. You're both†¦ wise.† Before Hannah could think of something to say to that, he nodded to her, straightened up, and went back into the hallway, whistling softly through his teeth. Hannah stood alone in the dim room. For some reason, she felt better suddenly. More optimistic about the future. I think I'll be able to sleep tonight. And tomorrow, maybe Thierry will be here. She clamped down hard on the rush of hope that filled her at the thought. Hope†¦ and concern. After all she'd said to him, she couldn't be absolutely sure how Thierry would receive her. What if he doesn't want me after all? Don't be silly. Don't think about it. Go outside and get a breath of air, and then go to bed. Later, of course, she realized just how stupid she had been. She should have known that getting a breath of fresh air only led to one thing in her life. But at the moment it seemed like a good idea. Lupe had warned her not to open any outside doors-but the French doors only led to a second-floor balcony overlooking the backyard. Hannah opened them and stepped out. Nice, she thought. The air was just cool enough to be pleasant. From here she could look across dark stretches of grass to flood-lit palm trees and softly splashing fountains. Although she couldn't see Thierry's people, she knew they were out there, stationed around the grounds, watching and waiting. Guarding her. It made her feel safe. Nothing can get to the house with them around it, she thought. I can sleep just fine. She was about to turn and go back inside when she heard the scratching. It came from above her. From the roof. She glanced up and got the shock of this particular lifetime. There was a bat hanging from the roof. A bat. A bat. A huge bat. Upside down. Its leathery black wings were wrapped around it and its small red eyes shone at her with reflected light. Wild thoughts tumbled through Hannah's mind, all in a fraction of an instant. Maybe it's a decoration†¦ no, idiot, it's alive. Maybe it's somebody to guard me. God, maybe it's Thierry†¦. But all the while, she knew. And when the instant of paralysis passed and she could command her body again, she sucked in a deep breath to scream an alarm. She never got the chance to make a sound. With a noise like an umbrella opening, the bat unfolded its wings suddenly, displaying an amazingly large span of black membrane. At the same moment something like sheet lightning seemed to hit Hannah, a blinding surge of pure mental energy. She saw stars, and then everything faded to darkness. Something hurt. My head, Hannah thought slowly. And my back. In fact, she hurt all over. And she was blind-or she had her eyes shut. She tried to open them and nothing changed. She could feel herself blinking, but she could only see one thing. Blackness. Utter, complete blackness. She realized then that she'd never seen real darkness before. In her bedroom at night there was always some diffused light showing at the top of her curtains. Even outdoors there was always moonlight or starlight, or if it were cloudy, the reflection of human lights, however faint. This was different. This was solid darkness. Hannah imagined she could feel it pressing against her face, weighing down on her body. And no matter how wide she opened her eyes or how fixedly she stared, she couldn't see even the slightest glimmer breaking it. I will not panic, she told herself. But it was hard. She was fighting an instinctive fear, hardwired into the brain since before the Stone Age. All humans panicked in complete blackness. Just breathe, she told herself firmly. Breathe. Okay. Now. You've got to get out of here. First things first. Are you hurt? She couldn't tell. She had to shut her eyes in order to sense her own body. As she did, she realized that she was sitting up, instinctively huddling into herself to keep safe from the darkness. Okay. I don't think you're hurt. Let's try standing up. Very slowly. That was when the real shock came. She couldn't stand up. She couldn't. She could move her arms and even her legs. But when she tried to lift her body, even to shift position slightly, something bit into her waist, keeping her immobile. With a crawling feeling of horror, Hannah put her hands to her waist and felt the rough texture of rope. I'm tied. I'm tied†¦. There was something hard against her back. A tree? Her hands flew to feel it. No, not a tree-too regular. Tall, but squarish. A post of some kind. The rope seemed to be wound many times around her waist, tightly enough that it constricted her breathing a little. It bound her securely to the post. And then it fastened above or far behind her somewhere-she couldn't find any knots with her fingers. It felt like very strong, very sturdy rope. Hannah knew without question that she wasn't going to be able to wiggle out of it or untie it. The post seemed very sturdy, too. The ground under Hannah was dirt and rock. I'm alone, she thought slowly. She could hear her own gasping breath. I'm all alone†¦ and I'm tied here in the dark. I can't move. I can't get away. Maya put me here. She left me to die all alone in the dark. For a while, then, Hannah simply lost control. She screamed for help and heard her voice echo oddly. She pulled and twisted at the rope with her fingers until her fingertips were raw. She threw her whole body from one side to the other, trying to loosen the rope or the post, until the pain in her waist made her stop. And finally she gave in to the galloping fear inside her and sobbed out loud. She had never, ever, felt so desolate and alone. In the end, though, she cried herself out. And when she'd gasped to a stop, she found that she could think a little. Listen, girl. You've got to get a grip. You've got to help yourself, because there's nobody else to do it. It wasn't the cool wind voice or even the crystal voice-because they were both just part of her now. It was Hannah's own mental voice. She had accepted all her past selves and their experiences, and in return she felt she could call on at least some of their wisdom. Okay, she thought grimly. No more crying. Think. What can you tell about your situation? I'm not out in the open. I know because there's no light at all and because of the way my voice echoed. I'm in a big†¦ room or something. It's got a high ceiling. And the floor is rock. Good. Okay, do you hear anything else? Hannah listened. It was hard to concentrate on the silence around her-it made her own breathing and heartbeat seem terrifyingly loud. She could feel her nerves stretch and fray†¦ but she held on, ignoring her own noises and trying to reach out into the darkness with her ears. Then she heard it. Very far away, a sound like a faucet dripping slowly. What the hell? I'm in a big black room with a rock floor and a leaky faucet. Shut up. Keep concentrating. What do you smell? Hannah sniffed. That didn't work, so she took long breaths through her nose, ignoring the pain as her midsection pressed against the rope. It's musty in here. Dank. It smells damp and cold. In fact, it was very cold. Her panic had kept her warm before, but now she realized that her fingers were icy and her arms and legs were stiff. Okay, so what have we got? I'm in a big black refrigerated room with a high ceiling and a stone floor. And it's musty and damp. A cellar? A cellar without windows? But she was just fooling herself. She knew. The skin of her face seemed to sense the pressure of tons of rock above her. Her ears told her that that musical dripping was water on rock, very far away. Her nose told her that she wasn't in any building. And her fingers could feel the natural irregularity of the ground underneath her. She didn't want to believe it. But the knowledge crowded in on her, inescapable. I'm in a cave. A cave or a cavern. Anyway, I'm inside the earth. God knows how deep inside. Deep enough and far enough that I can't see any light from an entrance or vent hole. Very deep inside, her heart told her. She was in the loneliest place in the world. And she was going to die here. Hannah had never had claustrophobia before. But now she couldn't help feeling that the mass of rock around and above her was trying to crush her. It could fall in at any minute, she thought. She felt a physical pressure, as if she were at the bottom of the ocean. She began to have trouble breathing. She had to get her mind off it. She refused to turn into that screaming, gibbering thing in the darkness again. Worse than the thought of dying was the thought of going insane down here. Think about Thierry. When he finds out you're missing he'll start looking for you. You know that. And he won't give up until he finds you. But I'll be dead by then, she thought involuntarily. This time, instead of fear, the idea of her death brought a strange poignant loneliness. Another life where I missed him, she thought. She blinked against tears suddenly. Oh, God. Great. It's so hard. So hard to keep hoping that someday it's going to work out. But I'll meet him again in my next life. And maybe I won't be so stupid then; I won't fall for Maya's tricks. It'll be harder for him, I guess. He'll have to wait and get through the years day by day. I'll just go to sleep and eventually wake up somewhere else. And then someday he'll come for me and I'll remember . . . and then we'll start all over. I really did try this time, Thierry. I did my best. I didn't mean to mess things up. Promise me you'll look for me again. Promise you'll find me. I promise I'll wait for you. No matter how long it takes. Hannah shut her eyes, leaning back against the post and almost unconsciously touching the ring he'd given her. Maybe next time she'd remember it. Suddenly she didn't feel sad or afraid anymore. Just very tired. Eyes still shut, she grinned weakly. I feel old. Like Mom's always complaining she feels. Ready to turn this old body in and get a new†¦ The thought broke off and disappeared. Was that a noise? Hannah found herself sitting up, leaning forward as far as the rope would allow, straining her ears. She thought she'd heard†¦ yes. There it was again. A solid echoing sound out in the darkness. It sounded like footsteps. And it was coming closer. Yes, yes. I'm rescued, I'm saved. Hannah's heart was pounding so hard that she could hardly breathe to yell. But at last, just as she saw a bobbing point of light in the blackness, she managed to get out a hoarse squawk. â€Å"Thierry? Hello? I'm over here!† The light kept coming toward her. She could hear the footsteps coming closer. And there was no answer. â€Å"Thierry†¦ ?† Her voice trailed off. Footsteps. The light was big now. It was a beam, a flashlight. Hannah blinked at it. Her heart was slowly sinking, until it seemed to reach stone. And then the flashlight was right in front of her. It shone in her face, dazzling her eyes. Another light snapped on, a small camping lantern. Vision rushed back to Hannah, sending information surging to her brain. But there was no happiness in it. Hannah's entire body was ice cold now, shivering. Because of course it wasn't Thierry. It was Maya. I hope I didn't disturb you,† Maya said. She put down the lantern and what looked like a black backpack. Then she stood with her hands on her hips and looked at Hannah. I will not cry. I won't give her the satisfaction, Hannah thought. â€Å"I didn't know vampires could really change into bats,† she said. Maya laughed. She looked beautiful in the pool of lantern light. Her long black hair fell in waves around her, hanging down her back to her hips. Her skin was milky-pale and her eyes looked dark and mysterious. Her laughing mouth was red. She was wearing designer jeans and high-heeled snakeskin boots. Funny, Hannah had never noticed any of Maya's clothes before. Usually the woman herself was so striking that it was impossible to focus on how she was dressed. â€Å"Not all vampires can shapeshift,† Maya said. â€Å"But, then, I'm not like other vampires. I'm the first, my darling. I'm the original. And I have to say I'm getting really sick of you.† The feeling is mutual, Hannah thought. She said, â€Å"Then why don't you leave me alone? Why don't you leave me and Thierry alone?† â€Å"Because, then, my sweetpea, I wouldn't win. And I have to win.† She looked at Hannah directly, her face oddly serious. â€Å"Don't you understand that yet?† she said softly. â€Å"I have to win-because I've given up too much to lose. It can't all be for nothing. So winning is all there is.†