The Matrix opening scenes analysis Essay Example For Students

The Matrix opening scenes analysis Essay Most of the diegetic sounds in the film are quite quiet, as they must not overrule the attention of the viewers, as that would not be realistic. Some of the diegetic sounds must be loud and intrusive like the phones ringing. This is sharp and sudden, and it is a very clever way of drawing attention to a certain object, in this case a phone. When the phone rings in the phone box outside the hotel, it triggers two events. Trinity runs to it in attempt to escape and the other is that the driver in the lorry driving past turns into an agent and drives straight towards Trinitys only means of escape. We will write a custom essay on The Matrix opening scenes analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This is a good example of how diegetic sound can be used to trigger events in a film and also a good way of linking scenes and events together. In the opening scenes Extra-Diegetic sound is used quite a lot. At the beginning, the music is quite similar to the noises that a computer makes when it is busy. When the camera zooms through the number 0 in the tracking device the music gets gradually louder, or crescendos This prepares the viewers for the first scene and lets them know when something special is about to start. The music in the first scene is very peculiar and mysterious. It creates an air of suspense, which is good as the first scene has a lot of action in it. The music adds character to the scene, if it wasnt there, the movie would be lifeless. This shows that extra diegetic sound is a vital part of any film. There are many said themes that can be related to The Matrix. The first of which is the second coming of Jesus. Neo, who is The One symbolises Jesus, coming to save the world again. He is the one who will set the people free and let them see the truth. Cypher represents Lucifer, a fallen angel and the rest of the crew on the Nebuchadnezzar are Jesus disciples. Another theme of the film is a stereotypical Man against Machine story. Man is afraid of machine and technology, yet it is man that creates it. The machines that have taken over the world and are blinding the people of the world from the truth are opposed to the crew aboard the Nebuchadnezzar who are trying to set the people free. The love story in The Matrix is very subtle, the first time I watched the movie I barely noticed it. In fact, at the end when Trinity declares her love for Neo, I was a little surprised. But after repeated viewings, Ive come to appreciate the understated way the relationship is shown. Trinitys feelings for Neo are communicated almost entirely through body language, and the meaning is very obvious once you know to look for it. It makes a lot of sense when you consider that both Neo and Trinity are programmers. They are not the type of people who would spend a lot of time talking about their feelings. Also, Trinity has heard the Oracles prophecy that she will meet a man, fall in love, and the man will be the One. So the relationships development is complicated by the fact that Trinity already knows what is going to happen. The vase is going to break theme (where it is ambiguous whether someones knowledge of the Oracles prediction may have caused the prediction to come true) is repeated, not only in Neos choice between Morpheus and himself, but also in Trinitys relationship with Neo. If the Oracle hadnt told her that she would fall in love with The One, and if Morpheus hadnt told Trinity that Neo was the one, she probably wouldnt have even considered him romantically. .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 , .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 .postImageUrl , .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 , .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5:hover , .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5:visited , .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5:active { border:0!important; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5:active , .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5 .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub5a2f4b1ef3594ba8ab742ea1cb4f6f5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Analysis of Sexual Harassment EssayAt the end of the movie, when Trinity kisses Neo and he then returns to life, one interpretation is that her kiss awakens or revives him. This is a restatement of the Sleeping Beauty myth, though with the genders reversed. Symbolically, Trinitys kiss and declaration of love resurrects Neo and transforms him into the One. Trinity: Neo, Im not afraid any more. The Oracle told me that I would fall in love and that man, the man that I loved, would be the One. So you see, you cant be dead. You cant be. Because I love you. You hear me? I love you. The Oracle had told Neo, you got the gift, but it looks like youre waiting for something. In The Matrix as love story, it is Trinity that he was waiting for. She enables him to use his gift. The positioning of the Camera is vital to make a good film. It determines what the audience can see and what they cannot, therefore the camera can hide certain things that the director wants to keep a mystery or they can reveal things that the characters in the film cannot see, therefore giving the audience an advantage over the actual character, this however can make things very predictable for the audience. In the first scene of The Matrix there are many different styles of camera shots, some which are completely unique to The Matrix and have never been used before in any film. A lot of the shots track one certain character, although there are still often montages of many different shots. When the camera tracks a certain character, it is a good way to show how fast they can go, or where they are going. This is shown in The Matrix when the Agent is running after Trinity along the roofs of some warehouses. This scene shows just how fast and stable that the two characters are, and how close they are to each other. Also, this is shown when Trinity and the Agent in the lorry are both heading for the phone box. It shows how close it was to trinity getting killed. In some parts of The Matrix, the special effects team have slowed everything down immensely, even to show the bullets moving through the air. This effect is called bullet time, and it is unique to one film. The Matrix. Bullet time is used during the special fighting moves and for camera effects throughout the film. It is one of the special effects that made The Matrix one of the most famous films in history. The effect is used to aesthetically please the audience and it links in with the films genre, sci-fi because it usually slows down action scenes where the actors are doing something inhumanely possible, showing that the characters are different in some way. Bullet time is first used during the opening scene, when Trinity jumps up to kick a policeman. The camera spins 360 degrees around Trinity, and then speeds up to real-time just in time for her to kick the policeman in his face. Bullet time is used for the viewers to appreciate just how fast these action characters can move, it is also a way of saying Hey! Look at our special effects. Using this special effect early on suggests that the film with be packed with them. Which, of course it is. The Matrix is a film about knowledge and truth, which are two of the most sought after materials in the world. As long as one of them is still in the Matrix, people will still seek for them. By taking the Red Pill, the possibility of finding both of these things is present. Being given such great possibilities, who would even think Why oh why didnt I take the blue pill? Yes there are greater responsibilities involved, but who could turn down the opportunity to know the truth about reality, life, and the world. The red pill is the only way to go. Perhaps ignorance is bliss for some, but a vast majority of people would like to know the answers to lifes most asked questions, and being outside of the Matrix is the only way to get them.

1949 UN Resolution Calling for Referendum on Kashmir

1949 UN Resolution Calling for Referendum on Kashmir Pakistan was carved out of India in 1947 as the Muslim counterweight to Indias Hindu population. Predominantly Muslim Kashmir to the north of both countries was divided between them, with India dominating two-thirds of the region and Pakistan one third. A Muslim-led revolt against the Hindu ruler triggered a build-up of Indian troops and an attempt by India to annex the whole in 1948, provoking a war with Pakistan, which sent troops and Pashtun tribesmen to the region. A UN commission called for the withdrawal of both countries troops in August 1948. The United Nations brokered a cease-fire in 1949, and a five-member commission made up of Argentina, Belgium, Columbia, Czechoslovakia and the United States drew up a resolution calling for a referendum to decide Kashmirs future. The full text of the resolution, which India never allowed to be implemented, follows. Resolution of the Commission of January 5, 1949 The United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan, Having received from the Governments of India and Pakistan, in communications dated 23 December and 25 December 1948, respectively, their acceptance of the following principles which are supplementary to the Commissions Resolution of 13 August 1948: 1. The question of the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan will be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite; 2. A plebiscite will be held when it shall be found by the Commission that the cease-fire and truce arrangements set forth in Parts I and II of the Commissions resolution of 13 August 1948 have been carried out and arrangements for the plebiscite have been completed; 3. (a) The Secretary-General of the United Nations will, in agreement with the Commission, nominate a Plebiscite Administrator who shall be a personality of high international standing and commanding general confidence. He will be formally appointed to office by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.(b) The Plebiscite Administrator shall derive from the State of Jammu and Kashmir the powers he considers necessary for organizing and conducting the plebiscite and for ensuring the freedom and impartiality of the plebiscite.(c) The Plebiscite Administrator shall have authority to appoint such staff of assistants and observes as he may require. 4. (a) After implementation of Parts I and II of the Commissions resolution of 13 August 1948, and when the Commission is satisfied that peaceful conditions have been restored in the State, the Commission and the Plebiscite Administrator will determine, in consultation with the Government of India, the final disposal of Indian and State armed forces, such disposal to be with due regard to the security of the State and the freedom of the plebiscite.(b) As regards the territory referred to in A.2 of Part II of the resolution of 13 August, final disposal of the armed forces in that territory will be determined by the Commission and the Plebiscite Administrator in consultation with the local authorities. 5. All civil and military authorities within the State and the principal political elements of the State will be required to co-operate with the Plebiscite Administrator in the preparation for the holding of the plebiscite. 6. (a) All citizens of the State who have left it on account of the disturbances will be invited and be free to return and to exercise all their rights as such citizens. For the purpose of facilitating repatriation there shall be appointed two Commissions, one composed of nominees of India and the other of nominees of Pakistan. The Commission shall operate under the direction of the Plebiscite Administrator. The Governments of India and Pakistan and all authorities within the State of Jammu and Kashmir will collaborate with the Plebiscite Administrator in putting this provision into effect.(b) All person (other than citizens of the State) who on or since 15 August 1947 have entered it for other than lawful purpose, shall be required to leave the State. 7. All authorities within the State of Jammu and Kashmir will undertake to ensure, in collaboration with the Plebiscite Administrator, that: (a) There is no threat, coercion or intimidation, bribery or other undue influence on the voters in the plebiscite;(b) No restrictions are placed on legitimate political activity throughout the State. All subjects of the State, regardless of creed, caste or party, shall be safe and free in expressing their views and in voting on the question of the accession of the State to India or Pakistan. There shall be freedom of the press, speech and assembly and freedom of travel in the State, including freedom of lawful entry and exit;(c) All political prisoners are released;(d) Minorities in all parts of the State are accorded adequate protection; and(e) There is no victimization. 8. The Plebiscite Administrator may refer to the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan problems on which he may require assistance, and the Commission may in its discretion call upon the Plebiscite Administrator to carry out on its behalf any of the responsibilities with which it has been entrusted; 9. At the conclusion of the plebiscite, the Plebiscite Administrator shall report the result thereof to the Commission and to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. The Commission shall then certify to the Security Council whether the plebiscite has or has not been free and impartial; 10. Upon the signature of the truce agreement the details of the foregoing proposals will be elaborated in the consultations envisaged in Part III of the Commissions resolution of 13 August 1948. The Plebiscite Administrator will be fully associated in these consultations; Commends the Governments of India and Pakistan for their prompt action in ordering a cease-fire to take effect from one minute before midnight of 1 January 1949, pursuant to the agreement arrived at as provided for by the Commissions Resolution of 13 August 1948; and Resolves to return in the immediate future to the Sub-continent to discharge the responsibilities imposed upon it by the Resolution of 13 August 1948 and by the foregoing principles.

Castle Garden Was Americas First Immigration Center

Castle Garden Was America's First Immigration Center Castle Clinton, also referred to as Castle Garden, is a fort and national monument located in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City. The structure has served as a fort, theater, opera house, national immigrant receiving station, and aquarium throughout its long history. Today, Castle Garden is called Castle Clinton National Monument and serves as the ticket center for ferries to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. History of Castle Garden Castle Clinton began its interesting life as a fort built to defend New York Harbor from the British during the War of 1812. Twelve years after the war it was ceded to New York City by the U.S. Army. The former fort reopened in 1824 as Castle Garden, a public cultural center and theatre. Following the passage of the Passenger Act of 3 March 1855, designed to safeguard the health and welfare of immigrant passengers to the U.S., New York passed its own legislation to establish a receiving station for immigrants. Castle Garden was chosen for the site, becoming Americas first immigrant receiving center and welcoming more than 8 million immigrants before it was closed on April 18, 1890. Castle Garden was succeeded by Ellis Island in 1892. In 1896 Castle Garden became the site of the New York City Aquarium, a capacity in which it served until 1946 when plans for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel called for its demolition. The public outcry at the loss of the popular and historic building saved it from destruction, but the aquarium was closed and Castle Garden stood vacant until it was reopened by the National Park Service in 1975. Castle Garden Immigration Station From August 1, 1855 through April 18, 1890, immigrants arriving in the state of New York came through Castle Garden. Americas first official immigrant examining and processing center, Castle Garden welcomed approximately 8Â  million immigrants - most from Germany, Ireland, England, Scotland, Sweden, Italy, Russia, and Denmark. Castle Garden welcomed its last immigrant on April 18, 1890. After the closing of Castle Garden, immigrants were processed at an old barge office in Manhattan until the opening of the Ellis Island Immigration Center on 1 January 1892. More than one in six native-born Americans are descendants of the eight million immigrants who entered the United States through Castle Garden. Researching Castle Garden Immigrants The free CastleGarden.org database, provided online by the New York Battery Conservancy, allows you to search by name and time period for immigrants who arrived in Castle Garden between 1830 and 1890. Digital copies of many of the ship manifests can be accessed through a paid subscription to Ancestry.coms New York Passenger Lists, 1820–1957. Some images are also available for free on FamilySearch. Microfilms of the manifests can also be obtained through your local Family History Center or National Archives (NARA) branches. The CastleGarden database is down somewhat frequently. If you receive an error message, try the alternative search features from Steve Morses Searching the Castle Garden Passenger Lists in One Step. Visiting Castle Garden Located at the southern tip of Manhattan, convenient to NYC bus and subway routes, Castle Clinton National Monument is under the administration of the National Park service and serves as a visitor center for Manhattans national parks. The walls of the original fort remain intact, and park ranger-led and self-guided tours describe the history of Castle Clinton / Castle Garden. Open daily (except Christmas) from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Admission and tours are free.

Compressing the supply chain through E-commerce for the customer Dissertation

Compressing the supply chain through E-commerce for the customer benefit in the fashion industry - Dissertation Example h higher volumes of consumers across the world due to high adoption levels of Internet consumption has reduced dependency on decentralized procurement and distribution systems, allowing them to centralize these functions for efficiency, time, and also cost savings. In Sweden, as one example, 90 percent of consumers use the Internet (Entertainment NewsWeekly 2011). In Singapore, younger consumers are buying fashion products via the Internet at a growth rate of approximately 10 percent annually (Ramchandani 2011). In the United States, e-commerce sales are estimated, currently, at $227.6 billion (Steigrad 2011). It is these growth patterns in online fashion consumption that continue to provide new opportunities to compress traditional supply chains to include more efficiency and replenishment for fashion products that have very limited life cycles. Reducing the dependency on traditional collaborations, the newer, unrestricted geographic boundaries imposed by less efficient procurement and distribution systems and even changing consumer trends for purchasing and demand continue to drive new synergies for using e-commerce as a fashion supply model. Research aims and objectives This research project aims to identify how to achieve maximized customer benefit by using e-commerce as a tool to compress the supply chain. Cost-reduction, improved efficiency, streamlined supply chain processes and fashion replenishment will be examined to determine how to gain outputs that lead to customer benefits. The research objectives are as follows: 1. Determine the nature of consumer fashion market demand driving new e-commerce procurement and distribution models. 2. Identify the current e-commerce supply chain models currently finding success in key fashion markets. 3. Determine how... This research project will tackle the issues of e-commerce within the supply chain under the premise that there is no pre-existing template that provides greater benefit to the customer. Thus, the project will be wholly exploratory in design. The traditional agile supply chain methodology involves demand-driven systems. In such a chain, market data and information are exchanged from the business to all layers of the supply chain process in order to forecast and deliver replenishment to meet consumer demand. However, agile supply networks seem to only have this title for their ability to provide merchandise by moving sourcing closer to specific target consumer markets (Barnes and Lea-Greenwood). Even under agile systems, merchandise planning failures have caused price increases on consumer goods, high levels of excess inventories, and significantly lower margins that come from demand uncertainty and collaborative failures within this vast network of procurement and distribution. Why is this? In the sourcing process, considerable investment is included in testing procedures once the textile raw materials have been purchased. All quality assurance processes are different depending on the fashion merchandiser, however it usually includes quality checks of threads, buttons, zipper durability, and testing fabric swatches/samples against existing quality standards templates. The Hong Kong Clothing Company, as one example, boasts an agile supply chain network that includes rigorous quality checks prior to even distributing the raw materials/textiles to the production floor in-house.

Close reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Close reading - Essay Example Matusky and Sooi (2004) studied the Malaysian dance and commented that the Malaysian musical traditions were always accompanied with dance or dance drama that did not have any dialogue as its essence was to engage the audience to the set act so that they could derive a meaning out of the performance. This acted as an act that included the attributes of the classical or folk music2. As a result, the dance incorporated the use of the body more so the hands and the feet. Thus through their traditional Malay music, the Malay dancer(s) introduced the use of hands as they swayed their hands from side to side or up and down as a form to express emotion and attachment to the song. Malay classical dance history and characteristics The early Malay dances incorporated various dance forms such as mak yong, mek mulung and manohra and these were practiced often in the courts thus their origination. The mak yong comprised of a much dramatized dance act that depicted the stories of the princes and p rincesses. The women who acted as princesses wore royal costumes while the men wore the same costumes and an additional male clown. Their dance was also accompanied by drums, gongs and a serunai. The dance is also related to Puteri, which is an ancient ritual that was believed, that when it was performed by the dancers, it was prone to release supernatural powers and as a result, the kings did not follow much on that, rather they adopted the dance that was related to theatrical performances. This dance involved the simple act of a female and a male at the courts. Manohra also shares some aspects with mak yong such as the dance that consists of the female and the male and it also incorporates more of dance rather than the story that is behind to the dance set being performed. Manohra also served as a traditional and respected ritual and it was also believed to have the aspect of super natural powers. When the dance was performed, it was always accompanied with the serunai, two gedung , two gedumbak, kesi, bamboo or wood clappers and gongs. As of today, there exists only two active manohra groups’ in Malaysia and tey happen to occupy the parts of Kelantan. Mek mulung on the other hand involved a dance drama that depicted a local legend that had happened in the community. As a result this dance also had the same aspects in meaning and body gesture when compared to mak yong and manohra. When the dance was performed, it was always accompanied with the use of the serembong, gong, serunai and ceruk. The oldest surviving Malaysian performance traditions can be dated back to the peoples of the Orang Asli communities of Peninsular Malaysia who are very scarce in numbers in the region. Some of the community sub groups include the Negrito communities that include the Bateq, Jahai, Kensui, Kintak, Lanoh and Mendriq peoples and they are located in the Kelantan, Pahang, Perak and Terengganu regions. The Senoi include the Che Wong, Jahut, Mahmeri, Semai, Semoq Beri and Temiar peoples who are located in Kelantan, Pahang, Perak and Selangor, and the Proto-Malay peoples incorporate the Jakun, Orang Kanaq, Orang Laut, Orang Seletar, Semelai and Temuan) majoritively in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang. The Orang Asli performances involved the incorporation of music, song and dance and they were preformed mainly at social events

missouri compromise :: essays research papers

The forefathers of our country had many ideals on the inherent inalienable rights of man, although this did not hold true for all peoples. Our country practiced slavery of the African. The agricultural economy of the south required the labor of slaves to complete their work. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 outlawed slavery of the current territory of the United States, but after the purchase of the Louisiana Territory and the settlement to come, the question of slavery was once again forced into the political arena of our country.1 The Missouri Compromise would be an effort to once again silence this issue. The articulate speeches of the 16th congress both north and south showed the strong positions held by each side.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The defense of slavery in the 1790 – 1820 period may be characterized generally as being in a state quiescence, only occasionally roused from a passive condition to become articulate. On the other hand, the idea of slavery in the North was just beginning to become formulated, and many northerners were beginning to see slavery as a threat to their institution of government. Thomas Jefferson, a proponent of the natural rights theory, stated that slavery was a â€Å"cruel war against human nature itself violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in persons of a distant land.†2 While the attitudes of northerners and southerners was not completely one for slavery, and on against, the events of the Missouri debates would bring our country into a new era of a widening schism between North and South with slavery as the main cause. Never before had the South so vigorously defended slavery against the onslaught of northern offense. When the bill was first proposed in 1819 the number of free and slave states was equal at 11. When the debate got underway, Taylor and Tallmadge stated the argument strongly for the restricitonists, and Scott, Missouri’s territorial delegate, for the right of unqualified admission. Upon such a controversy, Missouri’s favor was already maintaing slavery in its border and the population warranted statehood. By the compromise of 1787 Missouri would have become a free state because of the majority being North of the Ohio River. Slaveholders, however, were determined to bring slavery into Missouri, and a substantial number of slaveholders settled in Missouri.3 The proponents of the Missouri Bill argued that congress had no right to interfere with the construction of a state constitution except that it be Republican in form.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 18

Eighteen EVERYTHING BECAME FUZZY after that. I had vague impressions of moving in and out of consciousness, of people saying my name, and of being in the air again. Eventually, I woke up in the school's infirmary and found Dr. Olendzki looking down at me. â€Å"Hello, Rose,† she said. She was a middle-aged Moroi and often joked that I was her number one patient. â€Å"How are you feeling?† The details of what had happened came back. The faces. Mason. The other ghosts. The terrible pain in my head. All of it was gone. â€Å"Fine,† I said, half-surprised to be saying those words. For a moment, I wondered if maybe it had all been a dream. Then I looked beyond her and saw Dimitri and Alberta looming nearby. The looks on their faces told me the events on the plane had indeed been real. Alberta cleared her throat, and Dr. Olendzki glanced back. â€Å"May we?† Alberta asked. The doctor nodded, and the other two stepped forward. Dimitri, as always, was a balm to me. No matter what happened, I always felt a little safer in his presence. Yet even he hadn't been able to stop what had happened at the airport. When he looked at me like he was now, with an expression of such tenderness and concern, it triggered mixed feelings. Part of me loved that he cared so much. The other part wanted to be strong for him and didn't want to make him worry. â€Å"Rose†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Alberta uncertainly. I could tell she had no clue how to go about this. What had happened was beyond her realm of experience. Dimitri took over. â€Å"Rose, what happened back there?† Before I could utter a word, he cut me off. â€Å"And do not say it was nothing this time.† Well, if I couldn't fall back on that answer, then I didn't know what to say. Dr. Olendzki pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. â€Å"We only want to help you.† â€Å"I don't need any help,† I said. â€Å"I'm fine.† I sounded just like Brandon and Brett. I was probably only one step away from saying, â€Å"I fell.† Alberta finally regained herself. â€Å"You were fine when we were in the air. When we landed, you were most definitely not fine.† â€Å"I'm fine now,† I replied stonily, not meeting their eyes. â€Å"What happened then?† she asked. â€Å"Why the screaming? What did you mean when you said we needed to make ‘them' go away?† I briefly considered my other fallback answer, the one about stress. That sounded completely stupid now. So, again, I said nothing. To my surprise, I felt tears build up in my eyes. â€Å"Rose,† murmured Dimitri, voice as soft as silk against my skin. â€Å"Please.† Something in that cracked me. It was so hard for me to stand against him. I turned my head and stared at the ceiling. â€Å"Ghosts,† I whispered. â€Å"I saw ghosts.† None of them had expected that, but honestly, how could they have? Heavy silence fell. Finally, Dr. Olendzki spoke in a faltering voice. â€Å"W-what do you mean?† I swallowed. â€Å"He's been following me for the last couple of weeks. Mason. On campus. I know it sounds crazy – but it's him. Or his ghost. That's what happened with Stan. I locked up because Mason was there, and I didn't know what to do. On the plane†¦ I think he was there too †¦ and others. But I couldn't exactly see them when we were in the air. Just glimpses†¦ and the headache. But when we landed in Martinville, he was there in full form. And – and he wasn't alone. There were others with him. Other ghosts.† A tear escaped from my eye, and I hastily wiped at it, hoping none of them had seen it. I waited then, not sure what to expect. Would someone laugh? Tell me I was crazy? Accuse me of lying and demand to know what had really happened? â€Å"Did you know them?† Dimitri asked finally. I turned back and actually met his eyes. They were still serious and concerned, no mockery. â€Å"Yeah †¦ I saw some of Victor's guardians and the people from the massacre. Lissa's†¦Lissa's family was there too.† Nobody said anything after that. They all just sort of exchanged glances, hoping perhaps that one of the others might shed light on all this. Dr. Olendzki sighed. â€Å"Could I speak with the two of you privately?† The three of them stepped out of the examining room, shutting the door behind them. Only it didn't quite catch. Scrambling off the bed, I crossed the room and stood by the door. The tiny crack was just enough for my dhampir hearing to pick up the conversation. I felt bad about eavesdropping, but they were talking about me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that my future was on the line here. † – obvious what's going on,† hissed Dr. Olendzki. It was the first time I'd ever heard her sound so irate. With patients, she was the picture of serenity. It was hard to imagine her angry, but she was clearly pissed off now. â€Å"That poor girl. She's undergoing post-traumatic stress disorder, and it's no wonder after everything that's happened.† â€Å"Are you sure?† asked Alberta. â€Å"Maybe it's something else†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But as her words trailed off, I could tell she didn't really know of anything else that would explain it. â€Å"Look at the facts: a teenage girl who witnessed one of her friends getting killed and then had to kill his killer. You don't think that's traumatic? You don't think that might have had the tiniest effect on her?† â€Å"Tragedy is something all guardians have to deal with,† said Alberta. â€Å"Maybe there's not much to be done for guardians in the field, but Rose is still a student here. There are resources that can help her.† â€Å"Like what?† asked Dimitri. He sounded curious and concerned, not like he was challenging her. â€Å"Counseling. Talking to someone about what happened can do worlds of good. You should have done that as soon as she got back. You should do it for the others who were with her while you're at it. Why doesn't anyone think of these things?† â€Å"It's a good idea,† said Dimitri. I recognized the tone in his voice – his mind was spinning. â€Å"She could do it on her day off.† â€Å"Day off? More like every day. You should pull her from this entire field experience. Fake Strigoi attacks are not the way to recover from a real one.† â€Å"No!† I had pushed open the door before I realized it. They all stared at me, and I immediately felt stupid. I'd just busted myself for spying. â€Å"Rose,† said Dr. Olendzki, returning to her caring (but slightly chastising) doctor mode. â€Å"You should go lie down.† â€Å"I'm fine. And you can't make me quit the field experience. I won't graduate if you do.† â€Å"You aren't well, Rose, and there's nothing to be ashamed of after what's happened to you. Thinking you're seeing the ghost of someone who died isn't too out there when you consider the circumstances.† I started to correct her on the thinking you're seeing part but then bit it off. Arguing that I'd really seen a ghost wasn't probably going to do me any favors, I decided, even if I was starting to believe that was exactly what I was seeing. Frantically, I tried to think of a convincing reason to stay in the field experience. I was usually pretty good at talking myself out of bad situations. â€Å"Unless you're going to put me in counseling 24/7, you're just going to make it worse. I need something to do. Most of my classes are on hold right now. What would I do? Sit around? Think more and more about what happened? I'll go crazy – for real. I don't want to sit on the past forever. I need to get moving with my future.† This threw them into an argument about what to do with me. I listened, biting my tongue, knowing I needed to stay out of it. Finally, with some grumbling from the doctor, they all decided I would go on half-time for the field experience. It proved to be the ideal compromise for everyone – well, except me. I just wanted life to go on exactly as it had. Still, I knew this was probably as good a deal as I'd get. They decided that I'd do three days of field experience a week, with no night duties. During the other days, I'd have to do some training and whatever bookwork they dug up for me. I'd also have to see a counselor, which I wasn't thrilled about. It wasn't that I had anything against counselors. Lissa had been seeing one, and it had been really useful for her. Talking things out helped. It was just†¦well, this was just something I didn't want to talk about. But if it came down to this or being kicked out of the field experience, I was more than happy to go with this. Alberta felt they could still justify passing me on half-time. She also liked the idea of having counseling going on at the same time I was dealing with fake Strigoi attacks – just in case they really were traumatizing. After a bit more examination, Dr. Olendzki gave me a clean bill of health and told me I could go back to my dorm. Alberta left after that, but Dimitri stuck around to walk me back. â€Å"Thanks for thinking of the half-time thing,† I told him. The walkways were wet today because the weather had warmed up after the storm. It wasn't bathing suit weather or anything, but a lot of the ice and snow were melting. Water dripped steadily from trees, and we had to sidestep puddles. Dimitri came to an abrupt stop and turned so that he stood right in front of me, blocking my path. I skidded to a halt, nearly running into him. He reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me closer to him than I would have expected him to do in public. His fingers bit deep into me, but they didn't hurt. â€Å"Rose,† he said, the pain in his voice making my heart stop, â€Å"this shouldn't have been the first time I heard about this! Why didn't you tell me? Do you know what it was like? Do you know it was like for me to see you like that and not know what was happening? Do you know how scared I was?† I was stunned, both from his outburst and our proximity. I swallowed, unable to speak at first. There was so much on his face, so many emotions. I couldn't recall the last time I'd seen that much of him on display. It was wonderful and frightening at the same time. I then said the stupidest thing possible. â€Å"You're not scared of anything.† â€Å"I'm scared of lots of things. I was scared for you.† He released me, and I stepped back. There was still passion and worry written all over him. â€Å"I'm not perfect. I'm not invulnerable.† â€Å"I know, it's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't know what to say. He was right. I always saw Dimitri as larger than life. All-knowing. Invincible. It was hard for me to believe that he could worry about me so much. â€Å"And this has been going on for a long time too,† he added. â€Å"It was going on with Stan, when you were talking to Father Andrew about ghosts – you were dealing with it this whole time! Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell Lissa †¦ or †¦ me?† I stared into those dark, dark eyes, those eyes I loved. â€Å"Would you have believed me?† He frowned. â€Å"Believed what?† â€Å"That I'm seeing ghosts.† â€Å"Well†¦ they aren't ghosts, Rose. You only think they are because – â€Å" â€Å"That's why,† I interrupted. â€Å"That's why I couldn't tell you or anybody. Nobody would believe me, not without thinking I'm crazy.† â€Å"I don't think you're crazy,† he said. â€Å"But I think you've been through a lot.† Adrian had said almost the exact same thing when I asked him how I could tell if I was crazy or not. â€Å"It's more than that,† I said. I started walking again. Without even taking another step, he reached out and grabbed me once more. He pulled me back to him, so that we now stood even closer than before. I glanced uneasily around again, wondering if someone might see us, but the campus was deserted. It was early, not quite sunset, so early that most people probably weren't even up for the school day yet. We wouldn't see activity around here for at least another hour. Still, I was surprised to see Dimitri was still risking it. â€Å"Tell me then,† he said. â€Å"Tell me how it's more than that.† â€Å"You won't believe me,† I said. â€Å"Don't you get it? No one will. Even you †¦ of all people.† Something in that thought made my voice catch. Dimitri understood so much about me. I wanted – needed – him to understand this too. â€Å"I'll†¦try. But I still don't think you really understand what's happening to you.† â€Å"I do,† I said firmly. â€Å"That's what no one realizes. Look, you have to decide once and for all if you really do trust me. If you think I'm a child, too na?ve to get what's going on with her fragile mind, then you should just keep walking. But if you trust me enough to remember that I've seen things and know things that kind of surpass those of others my age†¦well, then you should also realize that I might know a little about what I'm talking about.† A lukewarm breeze, damp with the scent of melted snow, swirled around us. â€Å"I do trust you, Roza. But†¦ I don't believe in ghosts.† The earnestness was there. He did want to reach out to me, to understand†¦but even as he did, it warred with beliefs he wasn't ready to change yet. It was ironic, considering tarot cards apparently spooked him. â€Å"Will you try to?† I asked. â€Å"Or at the very least try not to write this off to some psychosis?† â€Å"Yes. That I can do.† So I told him about my first couple of Mason sightings and how I'd been afraid to explain the Stan incident to anyone. I talked about the shapes I'd seen on the plane and described in more detail what I'd seen on the ground. â€Å"Doesn't it seem kind of, um, specific for a random stress reaction?† I asked when I finished. â€Å"I don't know that you can really expect ‘stress reactions' to be random or specific. They're unpredictable by nature.† He had that thoughtful expression I knew so well, the one that told me he was turning over all sorts of things in his head. I could also tell that he still wasn't buying this as a real ghost story but that he was trying very hard to keep an open mind. He affirmed as much a moment later: â€Å"Why are you so certain these aren't just things you're imagining?† â€Å"Well, at first I thought I was imagining it all. But now †¦ I don't know. There's something about it that feels real†¦ even though I know that isn't actually evidence. But you heard what Father Andrew said – about ghosts sticking around after they die young or violently.† Dimitri actually bit his lip. He'd been about to tell me not to take the priest literally. Instead he asked, â€Å"So you think Mason's back for revenge?† â€Å"I thought that at first, but now I'm not so sure. He's never tried to hurt me. He just seems like he wants something. And then †¦ all those other ghosts seemed to want something too – even the ones I didn't know. Why?† Dimitri gave me a sage look. â€Å"You have a theory.† â€Å"I do. I was thinking about what Victor said. He mentioned that because I'm shadow-kissed – because I died – I have a connection to the world of the dead. That I'll never entirely leave it behind me.† His expression hardened. â€Å"I wouldn't put a lot of stock in what Victor Dashkov tells you.† â€Å"But he knows things! You know he does, no matter how big an asshole he is.† â€Å"Okay, supposing that's true, that being shadow-kissed lets you see ghosts, why is it happening now? Why didn't it happen right after the car accident?† â€Å"I thought of that,† I said eagerly. â€Å"It was something else Victor said – that now that I was dealing in death, I was that much closer to the other side. What if causing someone else's death strengthened my connection and now makes this possible? I just had my first real kill. Kills, even.† â€Å"Why is it so haphazard?† asked Dimitri. â€Å"Why does it occur when it does? Why the airplane? Why not at Court?† My enthusiasm dimmed a little. â€Å"What are you, a lawyer?† I snapped. â€Å"You question everything I'm saying. I thought you were going to have an open mind.† â€Å"I am. But you need to too. Think about it. Why this pattern of sightings?† â€Å"I don't know,† I admitted. I sagged in defeat. â€Å"You still think I'm crazy.† He reached out and cupped my chin, tipping my face up to look at his. â€Å"No. Never. Not one of these theories makes me think you're crazy. But I've always believed the simplest explanation makes sense. Dr. Olendzki's does. The ghost one has holes. But, if you can find out more†¦then we may have something to work with.† â€Å"We?† I asked. â€Å"Of course. I'm not leaving you alone on this, no matter what. You know I'd never abandon you.† There was something very sweet and noble about his words, and I felt the need to return them, though mostly I ended up sounding idiotic. â€Å"And I won't ever abandon you, you know. I mean it†¦ not that this stuff ever happens to you, of course, but if you start seeing ghosts or anything, I'll help you through it.† He gave a small, soft laugh. â€Å"Thanks.† Our hands found each other's, fingers lacing together. We stood like that for almost a full minute, neither of us saying anything. The only place we touched was our hands. The breeze picked up again, and although the temperature was probably only in the forties, it felt like spring to me. I expected flowers to burst into bloom around us. As though sharing the same thought, we released our hands at the same time. We reached my dorm shortly after that, and Dimitri asked if I'd be okay going in on my own. I told him I'd be fine and that he should go do his own thing. He left, but just as I was about to step through the lobby door, I realized my overnight bag was still back at the med clinic. Muttering a few things that would have gotten me a detention, I turned around and hurried back in the direction I'd just come. Dr. Olendzski's receptionist motioned me toward the examining rooms when I told her why I was there. I retrieved the bag from my now-empty room and turned into the hall to leave. Suddenly, in the room opposite mine, I saw someone lying in bed. There was no sign of any of the clinic's staff, and my curiosity – always getting the better of me – made me peek inside. It was Abby Badica, a senior Moroi. Cute and perky were the adjectives that usually came to mind when I described Abby, but this time, she was anything but. She was bruised and scratched up, and when she turned her face to look at me, I saw red welts. â€Å"Let me guess,† I said. â€Å"You fell.† â€Å"W-what?† â€Å"You fell. I hear that's the standard answer: Brandon, Brett, and Dane. But I'll tell you the truth – you guys need to come up with something else. I think the doctor's getting suspicious.† Her eyes went wide. â€Å"You know?† It was then that I realized my mistake with Brandon. I'd come at him demanding answers, which had made him reluctant to share anything. Those who'd questioned Brett and Dane had faced similar results. With Abby, I realized that I just had to act like I already knew the answers, and then she'd give up the information. â€Å"Of course I know. They told me everything.† â€Å"What?† she squeaked. â€Å"They swore not to. It's part of the rules.† Rules? What was she talking about? The royal-bashing vigilante group I'd been picturing didn't really seem like the type to have rules. There was something else going on here. â€Å"Well, they didn't have much of a choice. I don't know why, but I keep finding you guys afterward. I had to help cover for them. I'm telling you, I don't know how much longer this can go on without someone asking more questions.† I spoke like I was a sympathizer, wanting to help if I could. â€Å"I should have been stronger. I tried, but it wasn't enough.† She looked tired – and in pain. â€Å"Just keep quiet until everything's set, okay? Please?† â€Å"Sure,† I said, dying to know what she'd â€Å"tried.† â€Å"I'm not going to drag anyone else in. How'd you even end up here? You're supposed to avoid attracting attention.† Or so I assumed. I was totally making this up as I went along. She grimaced. â€Å"The dorm matron noticed and made me come in. If the rest of the Man? finds out, I'm going to get in trouble.† â€Å"Hopefully the doctor'll send you on your way before any of them find out. She's kind of busy. You've got the same marks as Brett and Brandon, and none of theirs were that serious.† So I hoped. â€Å"The†¦uh, burn marks were a little tricky, but they haven't had any problems.† It was a gamble in my game here. Not only did I have no clue about the specifics of Brett's injuries, I also didn't actually know if those marks Jill had described on him were burns. If they weren't, I might have just blown my insider act. But, she didn't correct me, and her fingers absentmindedly touched one of the welts. â€Å"Yeah, they said the damage wouldn't last. I'll just have to make up something for Olendzki.† A small flicker of hope shone in her eyes. â€Å"They said they wouldn't, but maybe†¦maybe they'll let me try again.† It was at that moment that the good doctor returned. She was surprised to see me still there and told me I needed to get back home and rest. I said goodbye to both of them and trekked back out into the cold. I barely noticed the weather as I walked, though. Finally, finally, I had a clue in this puzzle. Man?.