Plot, Setting, Comparing Themes, Character, Style, Tone, and Mood, Irony, Narrator and Voice Symbolism and Allegory Essay Example

Plot, Setting, Comparing Themes, Character, Style, Tone, and Mood, Irony, Narrator and Voice Symbolism and Allegory Essay Example Plot, Setting, Comparing Themes, Character, Style, Tone, and Mood, Irony, Narrator and Voice Symbolism and Allegory Paper Plot, Setting, Comparing Themes, Character, Style, Tone, and Mood, Irony, Narrator and Voice Symbolism and Allegory Paper Essay Topic: Literature Plot A series of related events in a story, each connected to the next. Sequence The order in which a storys events take place. Exposition The opening of a story, when the characters and their conflicts are introduced. Conflict A struggle between two forces. External Conflict Two characters, character and a group, character and an animal, or character and a force of nature. Internal Conflict A struggle that takes place in the characters mind or heart. Climax The most exciting part of a story; the moment when the outcome of the conflict is determined. (usually at the end of a short story.) A major decision. Resolution (denouement) The very end of the story, when loose ends are tied up. Flashback An action that interrupts the story to introduce an event that took place in the past. Flash-Forward An action that jumps ahead of the story to narrate an event that happens at a later time. Foreshadowing Hints in the story that certain events are going to happen later. Setting The time and place in which the story happens. Atmosphere Mood or feelings brought on by a storys setting. Subject The topic of a work of literature. The subject can usually be started in a single word or phrase. Theme The general idea or insight about human life that a work of literature reveals. The theme can be stated in one or more sentences. Generalization A broad statement that applies to many individuals, experiences, situations, or observations. A kind of conclusion that is drawn after considering as many facts as possible. Themes are expressed as generalizations. Genres The different forms of literature. (Short stories, novels, plays, poems) Universal themes Can be found in literature from different times, countries, and cultures. Universal themes cross genres as well as national boundaries, languages, customs, and historic periods. Characterization The way writers create characters in a story. Direct Characterization The writer tells us directly what a character is like (good or evil or lazy) Indirect Characterization The writer tells us clues in the story to decide what kind of person the character is. Protagonist The main character in a story. Antagonist The character that the main character struggles against. Subordinate Characters Minor characters on the story. Motivations The reasons behind a characters actions and feelings. Flat Characters A character who is not fully developed in the story. A flat character is almost never the main character. Round Character A character who is fully developed, just as a person in actual life. Dynamic Character A character who changes during the story. The change might involve recognition of some truth about life. Static Character A character who does not change during the story. Dialogue The conversations characters have with other characters. First-Person Narration A story told be an I(character) narrator. Style The particular way a writer uses language. (Word choice, sentence structure, and tone.) Diction The writers choice of words- an essential element of a writers style. Connotations Meanings and emotions associated with a word that go beyond its dictionary definition. Figures of Speech Imaginative comparisons in which one thing is described in terms of another. They are not meant to be understood on a literal level. Imagery Language that appeals to one or more of the 5 senses. Tone The writers attitude toward a subject or character, or toward the audience. Mood The overall feeling or atmosphere of a work of literature. Irony The difference between what we expect or what seems suitable and what actually happens. Verbal Irony When someone says something but means the opposite. Situational Irony An event that is contrary to, or the opposite of, what we expected. Dramatic Irony When we know what is going to happen to a character but the character doesnt know. Ambiguity A quality that allows something to be interpreted in several different or conflicting ways. Narrator The teller of a story. Omniscient Point Of View The narrator can tell us everything about the characters, including how they think and feel. First-Person Narrator A character in the story who refers to himself or herself as I or me. It only tells what the narrator know and chooses to reveal. Unreliable May not always tell the truth about characters or events in the story. Diction The writers choice of words. Tone The writers attitude toward the subject of a story, toward a character, or towards the audience. Voice The writers use of language and overall style, created by ton and choice of words. Symbol An object (a person, animal, or event) that stands for something more than itself. Public Symbol A symbol that has become widely recognized, such as the bald eagle (a symbol of the United States) or the olive branch (a symbol of peace). Invented Symbol A symbol invented by the writer, which usually stands for something abstract, such as evil, innocence, or love. Allegory A story which characters and settings stand for something beyond themselves, usually virtues and vices. Sometimes the characters in an allegory are given names that indicate what they stand for.

Old World Monkeys - Cercopithecidae

Old World Monkeys - Cercopithecidae Old World monkeys (Cercopithecidae) are a group of simians native to Old World regions including Africa, India and Southeast Asia. There are 133 species of Old World monkeys. Members of this group include macaques, geunons, talapoins, lutungs, surilis, doucs, snub-nosed monkeys, proboscis monkey, and langurs. Old World monkeys are medium to large in size. Some species are arboreal while others are terrestrial. The largest of all Old World monkeys is the mandrill which can weigh as much as 110 pounds. The smallest Old World monkey is the talapoin which weighs about 3 pounds. Old World monkeys are generally stocky in build and have fore limbs that are in most species shorter than hind limbs. Their skull is heavily ridged and they have a long rostrum. Almost all species are active during the day (diurnal) and are varied in their social behaviors. Many Old World monkey species form small to medium sized groups with complex social structure. The fur of Old World monkeys is often gray or brown in color although a few species have bright markings or more colorful fur. The texture of the fur is not silky nor is it woolly. The palms of the hands and soles of the feet in Old World monkeys are naked. One distinguishing characteristic of Old World monkeys is that most species have tails. This distinguishes them from the apes, who do not have tails. Unlike New World monkeys, the tails of Old World monkeys are not prehensile. There are a number of other characteristics that distinguish Old World monkeys from New World monkeys. Old World monkeys are comparatively larger than the New World monkeys. They have nostrils that are positioned close together and have a downward facing nose. Old World monkeys have two premolars that have sharp cusps. They also have opposable thumbs (similar to the apes) and they have nails on all fingers and toes. New World monkeys have a falt nose (platyrrhine) and nostrils that are positioned far apart and open either side of the nose. They also have three premolars. New World monkeys have thumbs that are in line with their fingers and grip with a scissor-like motion. They do not have fingernails except for some species that have a nail on their largest toe. Reproduction: Old World monkeys have a gestation period of between five and seven months. Young are well developed when they are born and females usually give birth to a single offspring. Old World monkeys reach sexual maturity at about five years of age. The sexes often look quite different (sexual dimorphism). Diet: Most species of Old World monkeys are omnivores although plants form the larger portion of their diet. Some groups are almost entirely vegetarian, living on leaves, fruit and flowers. Old World monkeys also eat insects, terrestrial snails and small vertebrates. Classification: Old World monkeys are a group of primates. There are two subgroups of Old World monkeys, the Cercopithecinae and the Colobinae. The Cercopithecinae include primarily African species, such as mandrills, baboons, white-eyelid mangabeys, crested mangabeys, macaques, guenons, and talapoins. The Colobinae include mostly Asian species (although the group does include a few African species as well) such as black and white colobuses, red colobuses, langurs, lutungs, surilis doucs, and snub-nosed monkeys. Members of the Cercopithecinae have cheek pouches (also known as buccal sacs) that are used to store food. Since their diet is quite varied, Cercopithecinae have non-specialized molars and large incisors. They have simple stomachs. Many species of Cercopithecinae are terrestrial, although a few are arboreal. The facial muscles in Cercopithecinae are well developed and facial expressions are used to communicate social behavior. Members of the Colobinae are folivorous and lack cheek pouches. They have complex stomachs.

Discrimination Against African-Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discrimination Against African-Americans - Essay Example As a result, the lives of the Negros adopted inferiority complex, lower class status, oppression, and lack of basic resources to build their lives. This paper will thus reflect on the topic discrimination against the African- American in this period stipulated in the book, The Souls of Black Folk  by Du Bois, W. E. Burghardt. The paper will reflect and discuss the various forms of discrimination against the Negros as shown in this book. There was utmost discrimination regarding the accordance of education between the African- American youths and the American youths. Indeed, the whites qualified Washington submissions to have a narrow education background. The Negros youths education basis was reliant on industrial training, as they could not access higher education. In light of this, there was steady withdrawal of financial aid meant for higher training of the Negros1. Washington advocates for a common school and industrial training. Actually, Negro- common schools only existed whe re teachers got training from Negro colleges or by their graduates. Similarly, the Negro slaves could not access basic education and would live in separation from their relatives. This is because the whites believed that basic or formal education would help the slaves to know their rights and would possibly revolt or escape. This segregation in the provision of education amounts to discrimination. Where Negros could not access higher education and were only reliant on industrial training, this limited them to normal jobs and provision of hard labor in the white farms. The Negros could not access formal employment since their education background was narrow and not relevant in the white color jobs. This called for provision of education to the youths on basis of ability, common schools, enough well- equipped colleges, and universities. This would enable the adequate training of the Negro youths as teachers, political leaders, and professionals. In absence of this, the Negros would re main in hard labor, low wages, no access to formal jobs and political leadership. Indeed, the denial to equal chances of education is the primary source of all other discriminations on African- Americans. There was discrimination in according the civil rights2. This was evident in the distinct way the whites treated the Negros. The Negro slaves got severe treatments that included capital punishments from their white masters. Indeed civil rights were subject to race, economic class, and political power. Where the Negros suffered civic inferiority, belonged to the lowest economic class, and had no access to political power, their civic rights were subject to jeopardy3. Actually, they faced discrimination in registering for citizenship where stringent measures against them were present and even getting legal representation was still challenging. There was abuse or denial on most of their basic human rights like right to education, equal resources, citizenship, representation, and assoc iation. The rights of the whites were more favored. Hence, they did not enjoy civil equality and thus missed on the equal share of resources. As a result, they lost their self –respect and dignity, were intimidated, could not venture in meaningful opportunities, and got rare representation in the national government. This accordance of civil rights in relation to race and class was the strongest discrimination that

Short essay for college admission Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short for college admission - Essay Example The latest sanctions against Iran were imposed two years ago. The US and the EU are not very much interested in imposing any further bans against Iran; because of the fact that in the light of the previous sanctions, the next sanctions would entail restrictions on buying oil from Iran (Sarukhanyan). The process of institutional secularization is taking place in Iran. These moves came to the fore, in the various reforms to institutions, which took place after the death of Khomeini, in 1989. These reforms have served to strengthen the state, in relation to the religious establishment. This has also been noticed in the Iranian economic and foreign policy. These measures have not been effected at the domestic level, and a rigid Islamic system is strictly enforced, within the country. The political mechanism in Iran, does not accommodate those who oppose the current system; and entities that oppose the system are precluded from participating in the political process (Haugom). This evidences the fact that Iran is a theocratic state. Nuclear empowerment permits Iran to protect itself from external threats. In the absence of nuclear weapons technology, Iran cannot control the malicious efforts of a neighboring country or nuclear power from supporting rebellion. It is perceived by the Iranians that nuclear deterrence will ensure territorial integrity, and establish peace and confidence among its citizens (Habibi).This contention is false and indicates mala fide intent. It has been vehemently claimed by the Iranian officials that their pursuit of nuclear technology, is only for peaceful purposes, like power generation. However, experts on nuclear proliferation are of the opinion that Iran’s fundamental Muslim rulers, could be clandestinely, manufacturing nuclear weapons (Pan). This topic is of great interest to me; because Iran’s actions, in respect of the proliferation of nuclear technology, pose a grave threat

Aspirin Preparation Case Essay Example for Free

Aspirin Preparation Case Essay * How drugs are discovered and developed Pharmacologist along with chemist focus on a specific disease and unmet patient needs in order to discover new drugs. They search for biological targets within the body that play a role in a given disease. Unique molecules are found or created that some day might be medicines. Lead Compound Selection, is the testing of compounds that might undergo the long expensive drug develop process. Random Screening- uses existing library of chemical agents. This is the simplest method but the odds are low and patience is needed. Combinational Chemistry Screening- uses a compound (from existing library) as a base, then randomly adding amino acids or molecule segments of other agents to the base compound in order to enhance the base compounds activity and disease fighting potential. The enhanced compounds are then tested in rapid screening test. However this method is complex and costly but it improves the odds. Target Synthesis- targets the disease for drug intervention. For example High Blood Pressure would be studied in detail. Consequently this method still requires screening of hundreds of compounds and extensive amount of research to understand a particular disease process. Drug Modeling- uses more high technology. This method manipulates chemical structures by computers so that they can attach to, activate or deactivate proteins that interfere with or maintain the bodys normal functioning. The model is used to enhance the properties of the other methods but the cost for designer compounds are significant because of the huge amount of research that is needed to identify biochemical target and establish their molecular structure. * How safety of drugs is checked before being used on the public A drug undergoes 3 clinical phases before being used on the public. PHASE 1 This is designed to determine the safety of the new drug, how best to administer it and the correct dosage- (one that will minimize desirable side effects). 20-30 patients (volunteers) are used to find out how the drug behaves in their body, so their blood and urine will be frequently monitored. Even though drugs in this will have been already tested in a laboratory. PHASE 2 After the correct dosage has been determined in phase1 clinical trial, it can enter phase2. This trial consists of determining the drugs effectiveness in treating a specific disease. Phase2 involves more patients (volunteers) and they are tested for the number of platelets in their blood and take frequent blood samples. If the drug being tested brings a positive change in at least 1/5 of the patients then it can be tested in phase3. However if the drug shows very positive effects in-patients, the Food and Drug Administration also have the option of approving the drug for general use at this point. PHASE 3 This trial involves hundreds of patients and is divided into two groups. The control group receives a standard treatment (placebo) and the treatment groups are given the new drug. Results are then compared from the two groups. Blinded studies are used to prevent biased study results. If the new successfully passes a phase3 trial the FDA will approve the drug for marketing to the general public. Purification -The acetylsalicylic acid is washed with distilled water until all the acetic acid is removed. -It is pressed to be as dry as possible and then dried more by a current of warm air at 60-70 degrees Celsius. The yield of pure acetylsalicylic acid is between 1780-1795kg per batch using this reaction process. * History of Aspirin and its modern development * How aspirin is prepared on the large scale Main reactor for the process- a glass lined 1500 gallon fitted with a water-cooled reflux condenser, thermometers with automatic temperature register and an efficient agitator. The Mother Liquor- 1532kg of acetic anhydride in 1200kg of toluene (this does not get used up.). The reactor is charged up with the mother liquor. 1382kg of salicylic acid is added to the mother liquor. The reaction mixture is heated to between 85-92 degrees Celsius and kept at this temperature for 20 hours. The reaction mixture is transferred into an aluminum-cooling tank and is allowed to cool for 3-4 days. By the end the cool mixture will have reached room temperature 15-25 degrees Celsius. At this point the acetylsalicylic acid has precipitated as large regular crystals. Mother liquor is removed by filtration or centrifuging. Filtrate solution- 180-270kg of UN-precipitated acetyl acid, 510kg of acetic anhydride, 600kg of acetic acid and 1200kg of toluene. The acetic acid is obtained as a by-product of the acetylation step of the process. An well-agitated reactor using a diffusion plate will introduce Ketene gas, to be passed through the recycled filtrate at a temperature between 15-25 degrees Celsius. When a weight increase of 420.5kg of the Ketene gas is observed, the mother liquor contains 180-270kg of UN-precipitated acetyl acid and 1532kg of acetic anhydride in 1200kg of toluene. The Mother liquor is recycled and 1382kg of Salicylic acid is added to continue the reaction cycle BC- the first and most influential physician wrote about the bitter powder extracted from the willow bark that could ease aches and pains and reduce fever. 1700- The scientist Reverend Edmund Stone found out that the part of the willow tree bark that was bitter and good for fever and pain is a chemical known as Salicin. This converts into another chemical called Salicylic acid when eaten. 1829- A pharmacist known as Leroux showed that Salicin is the active willow ingredient and for the first time an Italian chemist Piria used Salicylic acid to treat pain and swelling in diseases such as Arthritis and to treat fever in illnesses like Influenza. The problem was that these chemicals was causing the users upset stomachs. Some people had bleeding in their digestive tracts from high doses needed to control swelling and pain. It was thought that the reason of stomach upsets were because of the acid in the chemical, therefore the compound Salicylic acid went through a couple of chemical reactions that covered up one of the acidic parts with an ACETYL group, converting it to ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID (ASA). It was found that ASA reduced fever and relieve of pain and swelling but also it was much better for the stomach and worked better than Salicylic Acid. 1899- ASA was given the name ASPIRIN- that comes from the plant relative of a rose that makes SALICYLIC ACID (several plants makes this compound not just willow). * How drugs such as aspirin work Prostaglandin is a chemical that is released to make the nerve ending register an even stronger pain to the brain. It is made in working cells of the damaged tissues by using an enzyme called CYCLOOXYGENASE 2 (COX-2). Prostaglandin makes you feel the pain of the damaged area and causes it to swell up (inflammation), to bathe the tissues in fluid from the blood so that it will protect it and help it heal. Pain serves the purpose here to remind you that the damaged area cannot be used, as it is not healed. However sometimes we endure pain when there is no real reason to. For example Period Pains and Arthritis. It can make people feel really uncomfortable and arthritis can damage joints permanently. ASPIRIN works by locking itself to the enzyme that makes the chemical Prostaglandin. The enzyme C0X-2 that is found in normal tissues but mostly in tissues that have been damaged in some way, can no longer convert floating chemicals into Prostaglandin because they are unable to move with the aspirin lock on. Aspirin does not treat the cause of the pain; it just lowers the pain signals getting through your nerves to the brain. * How effective aspirin is New researches suggest that an aspirin a day is a preventive measure against Heart Attacks. However the effectiveness of aspirin has differential effects depending on genetics.

Social Context in the Poetry of John Donne Essay -- Biography Biograph

Social Context in the Poetry of John Donne Contemporary literary theory has thoroughly debunked the traditional view of the artist as a divinely inspired, completely original and creative individual. This view has been replaced with the more apt view of the author as a product of his or her environment and the existing discourses of the society in which he or she lives. In this new attitude toward the writer as a product of society, the author is considered, according to Dr. James E. Porter, as somewhat of a quiltmaker who takes various traces of the existing cultural intertext (the collected writing and debate of a society) and combines them in new ways to create new discourse (34). Differences in these new discourses of various authors are the result of existing debates concerning the dominant ideology of a particular society. While this theory of writing may be recent, it applies to the literature and the writers of all historical periods, including the Seventeenth century. By looking at two poems by John Donne, namely "Th e Canonization" and "The Flea," we can see how existing societal debates and beliefs create literature. At the time of the writing of "The Canonization" and "The Flea," around the turn of the seventeenth century, one of the biggest debates in English society concerned who was responsible for the choice of a mate and what the criteria should be the basis for marriage. Until the beginning of the seventeenth century, it had been traditional for the parents in the upper classes to be the sole source of marital decisions with their child having no say in the selection process and little if any say in the approval of a proposed match (Stone 70). These arranged marriages tended to be based solely on the accu... ...e historical and social context of a poem can one truly see all of the dynamics at work within a poem. These analytical methods may not simplify the process of reading and interpreting literature, but they provide a greater depth of understanding and appreciation that should be of interest to students of literature. Works Cited Donne, John. "The Canonization." The Literature of Renaissance England. Ed. John Hollander and Frank Kermode. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. 526-27. Donne, John. "The Flea." The Literature of Renaissance England. Ed. John Hollander and Frank Kermode. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. 534-35. Porter, James. "Intertextuality and the Discourse Community." Rhetoric Review Fall 1986: 34-47. Stone, Lawrence. The Family, Sex and Marriage In England 1500- 1800. Abr. Ed. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1979.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 11

Simon hadn't had a lot to give me, but just like every other time I'd gotten an energy fix recently, I had the dream. It played out the same as always, starting with the dishes, going all the way up to when my dream-self looked into the living room to smile at the little girl. After a few more moments, my dream-self returned to her dishes. Silently, I screamed at her to look back. I couldn't get enough of the girl. I wanted to drink her in. I could have watched her forever, taking in those long-lashed eyes and wispy curls. Then, as though she could hear me, my dream-self glanced back into the other room. The girl was gone. My dream-self jerked her hands out of the water, just in time to hear a thump and a crash. The sound of crying followed, and then I woke up. It was late morning, and my energy was gone. That honestly didn't surprise me anymore. Coupled with that loss, however, was a new sensation. I felt cold, chilled to the bone. My skin also felt wet, like I'd been submerged in water. When I ran my fingers over my arm, it was perfectly dry. Nonetheless, I put on the heaviest sweater I could find, and eventually the chill abated. Work was busy and not particularly eventful until the end, when Maddie casually reminded me about us hanging out afterward. I nearly walked into a display when she said that. In my haste yesterday, I'd gone ahead and made plans with both Maddie and Seth for after work. I had a tendency to do that kind of thing when I was stressed. I felt so popular. And, as I often did in this kind of situation, I solved it by combining both of my mistakes into one solution. â€Å"Maddie wanted to hang out tonight,† I told Seth. â€Å"I think she's lonely. Mind if I bring her in for the babysitting thing?† â€Å"Sure,† he said, not looking up from his laptop. â€Å"Seth wanted help babysitting tonight,† I told Maddie. â€Å"Do you mind if we sort of make that our evening activity?† Maddie gave the proposition a bit more thought than Seth had. She didn't look upset so much as puzzled. â€Å"I haven't really been around many kids. It's not that I don't like them†¦just that it's always kind of weird.† â€Å"His nieces are great,† I assured her. â€Å"You'll be a convert.† I felt a little bad about strong-arming her into the Mortensen family adventure. She stayed silent for most of the ride up, keeping her thoughts to herself. Seth's family lived up north of the city, in Lake Forest Park. Their house looked exactly like the other ones on the street, but I suspected it was a necessary sacrifice in order to accommodate two adults and five girls. â€Å"Oh my God,† said Maddie when we stepped inside the house. All five Mortensen daughters were there. They ranged in age from four to fourteen, all sharing their mother's blond hair and blue eyes. We seemed to have walked into the middle of an argument. â€Å"Maybe†¦this wasn't such a good idea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I looked around the room. Seth had gotten there earlier, and Terry and Andrea had already left to do their shopping. Fourteen-year-old Brandy tried to make her voice heard over that of Kendall, who was nine and the twins McKenna and Morgan who were six. Only four-year-old Kayla, sitting on the couch beside her uncle, listened quietly. I couldn't even tell what the others were fighting about. â€Å"It can spin webs!† cried Kendall. â€Å"No, it can't. That's just its name.† Brandy looked weary. The others weren't paying attention to her. â€Å"The horn would slice the webs!† cried McKenna. Morgan backed her by making a chopping motion with her hand. â€Å"Not if the monkey trapped it first,† retorted Kendall. â€Å"The unicorn can run fast. The monkey couldn't catch it.† â€Å"Then it's a coward!† Kendall looked triumphant. â€Å"It loses automatically if it doesn't show up for the fight.† Both twins appeared stumped by this bit of logic. â€Å"This is a stupid argument,† said Brandy. â€Å"Unicorns aren't real.† The other three girls turned on her and started shouting their protests. â€Å"HEY!† I yelled over the cacophony. Everyone fell silent and looked at me. I don't think the girls had noticed my arrival. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"A debate over who would win if a unicorn got in a fight with a spider monkey,† said Seth. Beside me, Maddie made a strange noise that sounded suspiciously like a squelched laugh. â€Å"It's been compelling and well thought out,† added Seth, his voice deadpan. Brandy groaned. â€Å"Unicorns aren't real.† â€Å"Spider monkeys aren't real!† McKenna shot back. â€Å"Yes, they are,† said Brandy. â€Å"This is all pointless.† Kendall glared at her. â€Å"It's hypocritical.† â€Å"Hypothetical,† I corrected. â€Å"Don't worry,† Seth told Maddie and me. â€Å"It's downright civil compared to the mermaid-centaur debate.† â€Å"Guys,† I said. â€Å"This is Maddie.† I ticked off the girls' names for her, one by one. â€Å"Hi,† said Maddie nervously. She eyed each girl, then looked at Seth uncertainly. She'd been acting differently around him since the auction, and I made a mental note to harass him about their date. â€Å"This might have been a bad idea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He smiled one of those sweet smiles that could make anyone feel better. She smiled back, relaxing a little. â€Å"Nope. We need all the help we can get around here.† He rose, scooping up Kayla as he rose. â€Å"What I actually need is a distraction while everyone under age nine gets put to bed.† The twins cried out in dismay. I glanced at Brandy and Kendall. â€Å"Sounds easy enough.† â€Å"Don't speak so soon,† warned Brandy. Kendall was already in motion. She tore out of the room and returned with a long cardboard box that she nearly shoved into my face. â€Å"Look what Grandma sent me.† It was a Monopoly game. â€Å"The Industrial Revolution edition?† I asked dumbfounded. â€Å"It's about the only edition they hadn't made yet,† remarked Seth. â€Å"I think they're kind of grasping at straws.† â€Å"You got that for Christmas?† I asked. â€Å"You wanted it for Christmas?† â€Å"I want to be a real estate mongrel when I grow up,† she explained. â€Å"Mogul,† I corrected. â€Å"And I thought you wanted to be a pirate?† She gave me a pitying look. â€Å"They don't have very good health insurance.† I pointed to the box. â€Å"But why the Industrial Revolution? Wouldn't you have rather had, I don't know, the Barbie edition? Or the Sephora edition?† I kind of wanted that last one for myself. â€Å"The Industrial Revolution was an important period in Western Civilization. The developments in production and manufacturing forever changed the face of our culture and socioeconomic status.† She paused. â€Å"You wanna play?† â€Å"Is one of the pieces a spinning jenny?† asked Maddie. Seth laughed. â€Å"Actually, it is.† â€Å"I'm in,† she said. Kayla, who was in Seth's arms, appeared on the verge of falling asleep then and there. Her cuddly form reminded me of the dream girl, and my heart lurched. Suddenly, Monopoly held little appeal. I walked over to Seth. â€Å"Tell you what. You play, and I'll take bedtime duty.† â€Å"You sure?† â€Å"Positive.† He passed her off, and she wrapped her little arms around my neck. With the twins in tow, I left the others to set up the game. Maddie looked distinctly uncomfortable at being abandoned, but I knew she'd do fine. Sometimes being forced to socialize was the best way to learn. The twins were surprisingly easy to put to bed, probably because they slept in the same room. Going to bed wasn't such a big deal when you had a sister to whisper to and giggle with. I supervised the brushing of teeth and putting on of pajamas, then closed them in with warnings that I'd check back. Still balancing Kayla on one hip, I carried her to the room she shared with Kendall. Kayla almost never said anything, so I wasn't particularly surprised when she didn't protest having a pink nightgown pulled over her head and being tucked under the covers. I sat on the edge of her bed and handed her a stuffed unicorn I'd found on the floor. She wrapped it in her arms. â€Å"I think it could take the spider monkey,† I told her. Kayla said nothing but just watched me with those huge blue eyes. They were filled with such trust and sweetness – just like my daughter in the dream. How amazing would it be to do this every night? To tuck someone in and kiss her forehead, then wake up with her each morning? Suddenly, fearing I might cry in front of a four-year-old, I started to rise. To my complete astonishment, she held out her hand and touched my arm. â€Å"Georgina.† Her voice was small and soprano and sweet. I sat back down. â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"Don't leave,† she said. â€Å"Oh, honey. I have to. You need to sleep.† â€Å"Monsters will come.† â€Å"What monsters?† â€Å"The bad ones.† â€Å"Ah. I see. Are they under your bed?† I was pretty sure that's where most monsters lived. Aside from the ones I played poker with and bought Secret Santa presents for. She shook her head and pointed up at the ceiling. â€Å"They live there. In space.† â€Å"Are they aliens?† As much as I hated the thought of her being afraid to go to bed, I was rather enchanted to be having a conversation with her for the first time ever. She was as articulate as all the other girls – not that I should have been surprised by that. â€Å"No. They're monsters. They swoop in the air and go in people's dreams.† I caught on to her reluctance to sleep now. â€Å"Have you been having nightmares?† â€Å"No. But the monsters are there. I feel them.† Something about her words and the serious set of her face sent a chill down my spine. â€Å"You want me to stay until you fall asleep? Will that keep them away?† â€Å"Maybe,† she said. She touched my arm again. â€Å"You're magic.† I wondered then if Kayla might be a psychic in the making, like Erik or Dante. The way she spoke implied more than a childhood belief in magic. There was almost an authority there. She'd be worth keeping an eye on, but I wouldn't pursue anything now. I certainly wasn't going to start quizzing her about auras. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I'll stay.† I lay down beside her, and she studied me in silence. I began humming an old song, which made her smile and close her eyes. When I finished, she opened her eyes again. â€Å"What are the words?† â€Å"Eh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That was hard to answer. It was a song from my mortal life, one that had been composed in an ancient Cyprian dialect no one spoke anymore. My husband used to sing it to me. Knowing I couldn't reproduce the rhymes or any sort of good translation on the spot, I simply sang it to her in the original language. The syllables, familiar yet strange, came awkwardly to my lips. When I finished, Kayla didn't say anything or move. I waited a couple more minutes and slowly got out of the bed. She continued sleeping. Turning off the light, I left the room and returned to the Monopoly players. Seth smiled at my approach and made room for me beside him on the floor. â€Å"Luddites burn your mill. Pay five-hundred dollars.† Brandy grimaced at her Chance card. â€Å"Weak.† â€Å"That's not as much as I had to pay when the Factory Acts cut my child labor force a couple turns ago,† Maddie pointed out. As I'd hoped, she seemed perfectly at ease now. Kendall rolled the dice and moved her miniature pewter Oliver Twist book ahead three spaces. â€Å"I wish I had a job, so I could save capitalism for my investments.† â€Å"Capital,† the rest of us said in unison. Kendall glanced up at me. â€Å"I could work at your bookstore. Under the table.† â€Å"Like stacking books under the table?† asked Brandy. Kendall ignored her. â€Å"Don't you need extra help?† I ruffled her hair. â€Å"Not until you're of age, I'm afraid.† Maddie moved her pewter spinning jenny. â€Å"Yeah, haven't you learned anything from this game? You'd get us shut down. Georgina doesn't need that kind of paperwork.† â€Å"How's your manager job?† asked Brandy. â€Å"Is it harder?† â€Å"Mostly it's†¦different.† Kendall brightened. â€Å"I could have your old job.† â€Å"Sorry. No vacancy. Maddie took my place.† Kendall sighed. Seth landed on a silk mill no one had purchased yet and began rustling up money. â€Å"The girls go to bed okay?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Kayla had a hard time, though. She was worried about nightmares.† He looked up in surprise. â€Å"She told you that? She, like, spoke?† â€Å"Yeah, we had a whole discourse. Laughed, cried, shared our hopes and fears. I think she has an oratorical career ahead of her.† â€Å"What's ‘oratorical' mean?† asked Kendall. â€Å"It refers to speaking in public,† Maddie explained. â€Å"Giving speeches. Talking in front of others.† â€Å"Oh. Uncle Seth doesn't have an oratorical career.† We all laughed. â€Å"No,† agreed Maddie. â€Å"He doesn't. I certainly don't either.† Seth high-fived her. â€Å"Introverts unite.† Brandy picked up another Chance card and groaned. â€Å"Cholera outbreak! Not again!† When the night finally ended and Seth's brother and sister-in-law came home, I was happy to learn that Maddie had had a really good time. â€Å"Kids aren't so bad as long as they're brainiac Mortensen offspring. Terry and Andrea were nice too. Good genes in that group.† â€Å"Yup,† I agreed. Maddie definitely needed more socialization, I decided. She was cheerful and upbeat, her eyes sparkling and excited. This had been a good night. I dropped her off at Doug's and drove back to my apartment. The parking gods weren't with me tonight, and I ended up about five blocks away. As I walked, I passed a newspaper dispenser for the Seattle Times. I usually read the headlines at the store but hadn't today. I paused in front of it, one article catching my eye. It was a weird story about a local man who'd turned delusional. He'd had a dream that if he swam across Puget Sound, it would bring wealth and security to his struggling family. Sadly, he hadn't made it very far before drowning in the freezing waters. The ironic part was that although some might consider the feat suicidal, his massive life insurance policy was going to pay out. His family would get their wealth and security after all. Staring blankly at the paper, I thought about the poor man succumbing and disappearing under the dark waves. I suddenly flashed back to this morning, and it was like I could feel the cold, wet sensation all over again. For half a second, I couldn't breathe. It was as though my lungs were filling with water, suffocating me. I shuddered and absentmindedly ran my hands over my arms, the d? ¦j? ¤ vu nearly overpowering me. Water. Water everywhere. Cold. Black. Smothering†¦ I shivered and finally made myself start walking again, needing to find someplace warm.