Sunday, December 15, 2019
The Vampire Diaries Dark Reunion Chapter Fifteen Free Essays
string(21) " she could say that\." Klaus screamed, a scream that reminded Bonnie of ancient predators, of the sabertooth cat and the bull mammoth. Blood frothed out of his mouth along with the scream, turning that handsome face into a twisted mask of fury. His hands scrabbled at his back, trying to get a grip on the white ash stake and pull it out. We will write a custom essay sample on The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Fifteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now But it was buried too deep. The throw had been a good one. ââ¬Å"Damon,â⬠Bonnie whispered. He was standing at the edge of the clearing, framed by oak trees. As she watched, he took a step toward Klaus, and then another; lithe stalking steps filled with deadly purpose. And he was angry. Bonnie would have run from the look on his face if her muscles hadnââ¬â¢t been frozen. She had never seen such menace so barely held in check. ââ¬Å"Getâ⬠¦ awayâ⬠¦ from my brother,â⬠he said, almost breathing it, with his eyes never leaving Klausââ¬â¢s as he took another step. Klaus screamed again, but his hands stopped their frantic scrabbling. ââ¬Å"You idiot! We donââ¬â¢t have to fight! I told you that at the house! We can ignore each other!â⬠Damonââ¬â¢s voice was no louder than before. ââ¬Å"Get away from my brother.â⬠Bonnie could feel it inside him, a swell of Power like a tsunami. He continued, so softly that Bonnie had to strain to hear him, ââ¬Å"Before I tear your heart out.â⬠Bonnie could move after all. She stepped backward. ââ¬Å"I told you!â⬠screamed Klaus, frothing. Damon didnââ¬â¢t acknowledge the words in any way. His whole being seemed focused on Klausââ¬â¢s throat, on his chest, on the beating heart inside that he was going to tear out. Klaus picked up the unbroken lance and rushed him. In spite of all the blood, the blond man seemed to have plenty of strength left. The rush was sudden, violent, and almost inescapable. Bonnie saw him thrust the lance at Damon and shut her eyes involuntarily, and then opened them an instant later as she heard the flurry of wings. Klaus had plunged right through the spot where Damon had been, and a black crow was soaring upward while a single feather floated down. As Bonnie stared, Klausââ¬â¢s rush took him into the darkness beyond the clearing and he disappeared. Dead silence fell in the wood. Bonnieââ¬â¢s paralysis broke slowly, and she first stepped, and then ran to where Stefan lay. He didnââ¬â¢t open his eyes at her approach; he seemed unconscious. She knelt beside him. And then she felt a sort of horrible calm creep over her, like someone who has been swimming in ice water and at last feels the first undeniable signs of hypothermia. If she hadnââ¬â¢t had so many successive shocks already, she might have fled screaming or dissolved into hysterics. But as it was, this was simply the last step, the last little slide into unreality. Into a world that couldnââ¬â¢t be, but was. Sheââ¬â¢d never seen anybody hurt like this. Not even Mr. Tanner, and he had died of his wounds. Nothing Mary had ever said could help fix this. Even if theyââ¬â¢d had Stefan on a stretcher outside an operating room, it wouldnââ¬â¢t have been enough. In that state of dreadful calm she looked up to see a flutter of wings blur and shimmer in the moonlight. Damon stood beside her, and she spoke quite collectedly and rationally. ââ¬Å"Will giving him blood help?â⬠He didnââ¬â¢t seem to hear her. His eyes were all black, all pupil. That barely leashed violence, that sense of ferocious energy held back, was gone. He knelt and touched the dark head on the ground. ââ¬Å"Stefan?â⬠Bonnie shut her eyes. Damonââ¬â¢s scared, she thought. Damonââ¬â¢s scared-Damon!-and oh, God, I donââ¬â¢t know what to do. Thereââ¬â¢s nothing to do-and itââ¬â¢s all over and weââ¬â¢re all lost and Damon is scared for Stefan. He isnââ¬â¢t going to take care of things and he hasnââ¬â¢t got a solution and somebodyââ¬â¢s got to fix this. And oh, God, please help me because Iââ¬â¢m so frightened and Stefanââ¬â¢s dying and Meredith and Matt are hurt and Klaus is going to come back. She opened her eyes to look at Damon. He was white, his face looking terrifyingly young at that moment, with those dilated black eyes. ââ¬Å"Klaus is coming back,â⬠Bonnie said quietly. She wasnââ¬â¢t afraid of him anymore. They werenââ¬â¢t a centuries-old hunter and a seventeen-year-old human girl, sitting here at the edge of the world. They were just two people, Damon and Bonnie, who had to do the best they could. ââ¬Å"I know,â⬠Damon said. He was holding Stefanââ¬â¢s hand, looking completely unembarrassed about it, and it seemed quite logical and sensible. Bonnie could feel him sending Power into Stefan, could also feel that it wasnââ¬â¢t enough. ââ¬Å"Would blood help him?â⬠ââ¬Å"Not much. A little, maybe.â⬠ââ¬Å"Anything that helps at all weââ¬â¢ve got to try.â⬠Stefan whispered, ââ¬Å"No.â⬠Bonnie was surprised. Sheââ¬â¢d thought he was unconscious. But his eyes were open now, open and alert and smoldering green. They were the only alive thing about him. ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t be stupid,â⬠Damon said, his voice hardening. He was gripping Stefanââ¬â¢s hand until his knuckles whitened. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re badly hurt.â⬠ââ¬Å"I wonââ¬â¢t break my promise.â⬠That immovable stubbornness was in Stefanââ¬â¢s voice, in his pale face. And when Damon opened his mouth again, undoubtedly to say that Stefan would break it and like it or Damon would break his neck, Stefan added, ââ¬Å"Especially when it wonââ¬â¢t do any good.â⬠Only the truth would do. And Stefan was telling the truth. He was still looking at his brother, who was looking back, all that fierce, furious attention focused on Stefan as it had been focused on Klaus earlier. As if somehow that would help. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m not badly hurt, Iââ¬â¢m dead,â⬠Stefan said brutally, his eyes locked on Damonââ¬â¢s. Their last and greatest struggle of wills, Bonnie thought. ââ¬Å"And you need to get Bonnie and the others out of here.â⬠ââ¬Å"We wonââ¬â¢t leave you,â⬠Bonnie intervened. That was the truth; she could say that. You read "The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Fifteen" in category "Essay examples" ââ¬Å"You have to!â⬠Stefan didnââ¬â¢t glance aside, didnââ¬â¢t look away from his brother. ââ¬Å"Damon, you know Iââ¬â¢m right. Klaus will be here any minute. Donââ¬â¢t throw your life away. Donââ¬â¢t throw their lives away.â⬠ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t give a damn about their lives,â⬠Damon hissed. The truth also, Bonnie thought, curiously unoffended. There was only one life Damon cared about here, and it wasnââ¬â¢t his own. ââ¬Å"Yes, you do!â⬠Stefan flared back. He was hanging on to Damonââ¬â¢s hand with just as fierce a grip, as if this was a contest and he could force Damon to concede that way. ââ¬Å"Elena had a last request; well, this is mine. You have Power, Damon. I want you to use it to help them.â⬠ââ¬Å"Stefanâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Bonnie whispered helplessly. ââ¬Å"Promise me,â⬠Stefan said to Damon, and then a spasm of pain twisted his face. For uncountable seconds Damon simply looked down at him. Then he said, ââ¬Å"I promise,â⬠quick and sharp as the stroke of a dagger. He let go of Stefanââ¬â¢s hand and stood, turning to Bonnie. ââ¬Å"Come on.â⬠ââ¬Å"We canââ¬â¢t leave himâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"Yes, we can.â⬠There was nothing young about Damonââ¬â¢s face now. Nothing vulnerable. ââ¬Å"You and your human friends are leaving here, permanently. I am coming back.â⬠Bonnie shook her head. She knew, dimly, that Damon wasnââ¬â¢t betraying Stefan, that it was some case of Damon putting Stefanââ¬â¢s ideals above Stefanââ¬â¢s life, but it was all too abstruse and incomprehensible to her. She didnââ¬â¢t understand it and she didnââ¬â¢t want to. All she knew was that Stefan couldnââ¬â¢t be left lying there. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re coming now,â⬠Damon said, reaching for her, the steely ring back in his voice. Bonnie prepared herself for a fight, and then something happened that made all their debating meaningless. There was a crack like a giant whip and a flash like daylight, and Bonnie was blinded. When she could see through the afterimage, her eyes flew to the flames that were licking up from a newly blackened hole at the base of a tree. Bonnieââ¬â¢s eye darted to him next, as the only other thing moving in the clearing. He was waving the bloody white ash stake heââ¬â¢d pulled out of his own back like a gory trophy. Lightning rod, thought Bonnie illogically, and then there was another crash. It stabbed down from an empty sky, in huge blue-white forks that lit everything like the sun at noon. Bonnie watched as one tree and then another was hit, each one closer than the last. Flames licked up like hungry red goblins among the leaves. Two trees on either side of Bonnie exploded, with cracks so loud that she felt rather than heard it, a piercing pain in her eardrums. Damon, whose eyes were more sensitive, threw up a hand to protect them. Then he shouted ââ¬Å"Klaus!â⬠and sprang toward the blond man. He wasnââ¬â¢t stalking now; this was the deadly race of attack. The burst of killing speed of the hunting cat or the wolf. Lightning caught him in midspring. Bonnie screamed as she saw it, jumping to her feet. There was a blue flash of superheated gases and a smell of burning, and then Damon was down, lying motionless on his face. Bonnie could see tiny wisps of smoke rise from him, just as they did from the trees. Speechless with horror, she looked at Klaus. He was swaggering through the clearing, holding his bloody stick like a golf club. He bent down over Damon as he passed, and smiled. Bonnie wanted to scream again, but she didnââ¬â¢t have the breath. There didnââ¬â¢t seem to be any air left to breathe. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ll deal with you later,â⬠Klaus told the unconscious Damon. Then his face tipped up toward Bonnie. ââ¬Å"You,â⬠he said, ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m going to deal with right now.â⬠It was an instant before she realized he was looking at Stefan, and not her. Those electric blue eyes were fixed on Stefanââ¬â¢s face. They moved to Stefanââ¬â¢s bloody middle. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m going to eat you now, Salvatore.â⬠Bonnie was all alone. The only one left standing. And she was afraid. But she knew what she had to do. She let her knees collapse again, dropping to the ground beside Stefan. And this is how it ends, she thought. You kneel beside your knight and then you face the enemy. She looked at Klaus and moved so that she was shielding Stefan. He seemed to notice her for the first time, and frowned as if heââ¬â¢d found a spider in his salad. Firelight flickered orange-red on his face. ââ¬Å"No.â⬠And this is how the ending starts. Like this, so simply, with one word, and youââ¬â¢re going to die on a summer night. A summer night when the moon and stars are shining and bonfires burn like the flames the Druids used to summon the dead. ââ¬Å"Bonnie, go,â⬠Stefan said painfully. ââ¬Å"Get out while you can.â⬠ââ¬Å"No,â⬠Bonnie said. Iââ¬â¢m sorry, Elena, she thought. I canââ¬â¢t save him. This is all I can do. ââ¬Å"Get out of the way,â⬠Klaus said through his teeth. ââ¬Å"No.â⬠She could wait and let Stefan die this way, instead of with Klausââ¬â¢s teeth in his throat. It might not seem like much of a difference, but it was the most she could offer. ââ¬Å"Bonnieâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Stefan whispered. ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t you know who I am, girl? Iââ¬â¢ve walked with the devil. If you move, Iââ¬â¢ll let you die quickly.â⬠Bonnieââ¬â¢s voice had given out. She shook her head. Klaus threw back his own head and laughed. A little more blood trickled out, too. ââ¬Å"All right,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Have it your own way. Both of you go together.â⬠Summer night, Bonnie thought. The solstice eve. When the line between worlds is so thin. ââ¬Å"Say good night, sweetheart.â⬠No time to trance, no time for anything. Nothing except one desperate appeal. ââ¬Å"Elena!â⬠Bonnie screamed. ââ¬Å"Elena! Elena!â⬠Klaus recoiled. For an instant, it seemed as if the name alone had the power to alarm him. Or as if he expected something to respond to Bonnieââ¬â¢s cry. He stood, listening. Bonnie drew on her powers, putting everything she had into it, throwing her need and her call out into the void. And feltâ⬠¦ nothing. Nothing disturbed the summer night except the crackling sound of flames. Klaus turned back to Bonnie and Stefan, and grinned. Then Bonnie saw the mist creeping along the ground. No-it couldnââ¬â¢t be mist. It must be smoke from the fire. But it didnââ¬â¢t behave like either. It was swirling, rising in the air like a tiny whirlwind or dust devil. It was gathering into a shape roughly the size of a man. Mist was flowing out of the ground, between the trees. Pools of it, each separate and distinct. Bonnie, staring mutely, could see through each patch, could see the flames, the oak trees, the bricks of the chimney. Klaus had stopped smiling, stopped moving, and was watching too. Bonnie turned to Stefan, unable to even frame the question. ââ¬Å"Unquiet spirits,â⬠he whispered huskily, his green eyes intent. ââ¬Å"The solstice.â⬠And then Bonnie understood. They were coming. From across the river, where the old cemetery lay. From the woods, where countless makeshift graves had been dug to dump bodies in before they rotted. The unquiet spirits, the soldiers who had fought here and died during the Civil War. A supernatural host answering the call for help. They were forming all around. There were hundreds of them. Bonnie could actually see faces now. The misty outlines were filling in with pale hues like so many runny watercolors. She saw a flash of blue, a glimmer of gray. Both Union and Confederate troops. Bonnie glimpsed a pistol thrust into a belt, the glint of an ornamented sword. Chevrons on a sleeve. A bushy dark beard; a long, well-tended white one. A small figure, child size, with dark holes for eyes and a drum hanging at thigh level. ââ¬Å"Oh, my God,â⬠she whispered. ââ¬Å"Oh, God.â⬠It wasnââ¬â¢t swearing. It was something like a prayer. Not that she wasnââ¬â¢t frightened of them, because she was. It was every nightmare sheââ¬â¢d ever had about the cemetery come true. Like her first dream about Elena, when things came crawling out of the black pits in the earth; only these things werenââ¬â¢t crawling, they were flying, skimming and floating until they swirled into human form. Everything that Bonnie had ever felt about the old graveyard-that it was alive and full of watching eyes, that there was some Power lurking behind its waiting stillness -was proving true. The earth of Fellââ¬â¢s Church was giving up its bloody memories. The spirits of those whoââ¬â¢d died here were walking again. And Bonnie could feel their anger. It frightened her, but another emotion was waking up inside her, making her catch her breath and clench tighter on Stefanââ¬â¢s hand. Because the misty army had a leader. One figure was floating in front of the others, closest to the place where Klaus stood. It had no shape or definition as yet, but it glowed and scintillated with the pale golden light of a candle flame. Then, before Bonnieââ¬â¢s eyes, it seemed to take on substance from the air, shining brighter and brighter every minute with an unearthly light. It was brighter than the circle of fire. It was so bright that Klaus leaned back from it and Bonnie blinked, but when she turned at a low sound, she saw Stefan staring straight into it, fearlessly, with wide-open eyes. And smiling, so faintly, as if glad to have this be the last thing he saw. Klaus dropped the stake. He had turned away from Bonnie and Stefan to face the being of light that hung in the clearing like an avenging angel. Golden hair streaming back in an invisible wind, Elena looked down on him. ââ¬Å"She came,â⬠Bonnie whispered. ââ¬Å"You asked her to,â⬠Stefan murmured. His voice trailed off into a labored breath, but he was still smiling. His eyes were serene. ââ¬Å"Stand away from them,â⬠Elena said, her voice coming simultaneously to Bonnieââ¬â¢s ears and her mind. It was like the chiming of dozens of bells, distant and close up at once. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s over now, Klaus.â⬠But Klaus rallied quickly. Bonnie saw his shoulders swell with a breath, noticed for the first time the hole in the back of the tan raincoat where the white ash stake had pierced him. It was stained dull red, and new blood was flowing now as Klaus flung out his arms. ââ¬Å"You think Iââ¬â¢m afraid of you?â⬠he shouted. He spun around, laughing at all the pallid forms. ââ¬Å"You think Iââ¬â¢m afraid of any of you? Youââ¬â¢re dead! Dust on the wind! You canââ¬â¢t touch me!â⬠ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re wrong,â⬠Elena said in her wind-chime voice. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m one of the Old Ones! An Original! Do you know what that means?â⬠Klaus turned again, addressing all of them, his unnaturally blue eyes seeming to catch some of the red glow of the fire. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ve never died. Every one of you has died, you gallery of spooks! But not me. Death canââ¬â¢t touch me. I am invincible!â⬠The last word came in a shout so loud it echoed among the trees. Invincibleâ⬠¦ invincibleâ⬠¦ invincible. Bonnie heard it fading into the hungry sound of the fire. Elena waited until the last echo had died. Then she said, very simply, ââ¬Å"Not quite.â⬠She turned to look at the misty shapes around her. ââ¬Å"He wants to spill more blood here.â⬠A new voice spoke up, a hollow voice that ran like a trickle of cold water down Bonnieââ¬â¢s spine. ââ¬Å"Thereââ¬â¢s been enough killing, I say.â⬠It was a Union soldier with a double row of buttons on his jacket. ââ¬Å"More than enough,â⬠said another voice, like the boom of a faraway drum. A Confederate holding a bayonet. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s time somebody stopped itâ⬠-an old man in home-dyed butternut cloth. ââ¬Å"We canââ¬â¢t let it go onâ⬠-the drummer boy with the black holes for eyes. ââ¬Å"No more blood spilled!â⬠Several voices took it up at once. ââ¬Å"No more killing!â⬠The cry passed from one to another, until the swell of sound was louder than the roar of the fire. ââ¬Å"No more blood!â⬠ââ¬Å"You canââ¬â¢t touch me! You canââ¬â¢t kill me!â⬠ââ¬Å"Letââ¬â¢s take ââ¬Ëim, boys!â⬠ââ¬Å"You canââ¬â¢t kill me! Iââ¬â¢m immortal!â⬠The tornado swept away into the darkness beyond Bonnieââ¬â¢s sight. Following it was a trail of ghosts like a cometââ¬â¢s tail, shooting off into the night sky. ââ¬Å"Where are they taking him?â⬠Bonnie didnââ¬â¢t mean to say it aloud; she just blurted it out before she thought. But Elena heard. ââ¬Å"Where he wonââ¬â¢t do any harm,â⬠she said, and the look on her face stopped Bonnie from asking any other questions. There was a squealing, bleating sound from the other side of the clearing. Bonnie turned and saw Tyler, in his terrible part-human, part-animal shape, on his feet. There was no need for Carolineââ¬â¢s club. He was staring at Elena and the few remaining ghostly figures and gibbering. ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t let them take me! Donââ¬â¢t let them take me too!â⬠Before Elena could speak, he had spun around. He regarded the fire, which was higher than his own head, for an instant, then plunged right through it, crashing into the forest beyond. Through a parting of the flames, Bonnie saw him drop to the ground, beating out flames on himself, then rise and run again. Then the fire flared up and she couldnââ¬â¢t see anything more. But sheââ¬â¢d remembered something: Meredith-and Matt. Meredith was lying propped up, her head in Carolineââ¬â¢s lap, watching. Matt was still on his back. Hurt, but not so badly hurt as Stefan. ââ¬Å"Elena,â⬠Bonnie said, catching the bright figureââ¬â¢s attention, and then she simply looked at him. The brightness came closer. Stefan didnââ¬â¢t blink. He looked into the heart of the light and smiled. ââ¬Å"Heââ¬â¢s been stopped now. Thanks to you.â⬠ââ¬Å"It was Bonnie who called us. And she couldnââ¬â¢t have done it at the right place and the right time without you and the others.â⬠ââ¬Å"I tried to keep my promise.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know, Stefan.â⬠Bonnie didnââ¬â¢t like the sound of this at all. It sounded too much like a farewell-a permanent one. Her own words floated back to her: He might go to another place or-or just go out. And she didnââ¬â¢t want Stefan to go anywhere. Surely anyone who looked that much like an angelâ⬠¦ ââ¬Å"Elena,â⬠she said, ââ¬Å"canââ¬â¢t you-do something? Canââ¬â¢t you help him?â⬠Her voice was shaking. ââ¬Å"I can do something,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"But I donââ¬â¢t know if itââ¬â¢s the kind of help he wants.â⬠She turned back to Stefan. ââ¬Å"Stefan, I can cure what Klaus did. Tonight I have that much Power. But I canââ¬â¢t cure what Katherine did.â⬠Bonnieââ¬â¢s numbed brain struggled with this for a while. What Katherine did-but Stefan had recovered months ago from Katherineââ¬â¢s torture in the crypt. Then she understood. What Katherine had done was make Stefan a vampire. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s been too long,â⬠Stefan was saying to Elena. ââ¬Å"If you did cure it, Iââ¬â¢d be a pile of dust.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes.â⬠Elena didnââ¬â¢t smile, just went on looking at him steadily. ââ¬Å"Do you want my help, Stefan?â⬠ââ¬Å"To go on living in this world in the shadowsâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Stefanââ¬â¢s voice was a whisper now, his green eyes distant. Bonnie wanted to shake him. Live, she thought to him, but she didnââ¬â¢t dare say it for fear sheââ¬â¢d make him decide just the opposite. Then she thought of something else. ââ¬Å"To go on trying,â⬠she said, and both of them looked at her. She looked back, chin thrust out, and saw the beginning of a smile on Elenaââ¬â¢s bright lips. Elena turned to Stefan, and that tiny hint of a smile passed to him. ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠he said quietly, and then, to Elena, ââ¬Å"I want your help.â⬠She bent and kissed him. Bonnie saw the brightness flow from her to Stefan, like a river of sparkling light engulfing him. It flooded over him the way the dark mist had surrounded Klaus, like a cascade of diamonds, until his entire body glowed like Elenaââ¬â¢s. For an instant Bonnie imagined she could see the blood inside him turned molten, flowing out to each vein, each capillary, healing everything it touched. Then the glow faded to a golden aura, soaking back into Stefanââ¬â¢s skin. His shirt was still demolished, but underneath the flesh was smooth and firm. Bonnie, feeling her own eyes wide with wonder, couldnââ¬â¢t help reaching out to touch. It felt just like any skin. The horrible wounds were gone. She laughed aloud with sheer excitement, and then looked up, sobering. ââ¬Å"Elena- thereââ¬â¢s Meredith, too-ââ¬Å" The bright being that was Elena was already moving across the clearing. Meredith looked up at her from Carolineââ¬â¢s lap. ââ¬Å"Hello, Elena,â⬠she said, almost normally, except that her voice was so weak. Elena bent and kissed her. The brightness flowed again, encompassing Meredith. And when it faded, Meredith stood up on her own two feet. Then she went to Damon. He was still lying where he had fallen. The ghosts had passed over him, taking no notice of him. Elenaââ¬â¢s brightness hovered over him, one shining hand reaching to touch his hair. Then she bent and kissed the dark head on the ground. As the sparkling light faded, Damon sat up and shook his head. He saw Elena and went still, then, every movement careful and self-contained, stood up. He didnââ¬â¢t say anything, only looked as Elena turned back to Stefan. He was silhouetted against the fire. Bonnie had scarcely noticed how the red glow had grown so that it almost eclipsed Elenaââ¬â¢s gold. But now she saw it and felt a thrill of alarm. ââ¬Å"My last gift to you,â⬠Elena said, and it began to rain. Not a thunder-and-lightning storm, but a thorough pattering rain that soaked everything-Bonnie included-and doused the fire. It was fresh and cool, and it seemed to wash all the horror of the last hours away, cleansing the glade of everything that had happened there. Bonnie tilted her face up to it, shutting her eyes, wanting to stretch out her arms and embrace it. At last it slackened and she looked again at Elena. Elena was looking at Stefan, and there was no smile on her lips now. The wordless sorrow was back in her face. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s midnight,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"And I have to go.â⬠Bonnie knew instantly, at the sound of it, that ââ¬Å"goâ⬠didnââ¬â¢t just mean for the moment. ââ¬Å"Goâ⬠meant forever. Elena was going somewhere that no trance or dream could reach. And Stefan knew it too. ââ¬Å"Just a few more minutes,â⬠he said, reaching for her. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m sorry-ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Elena, wait-I need to tell you-ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"I canââ¬â¢t!â⬠For the first time the serenity of that bright face was destroyed, showing not only gentle sadness but tearing grief. ââ¬Å"Stefan, I canââ¬â¢t wait. Iââ¬â¢m so sorry.â⬠It was as if she were being pulled backward, retreating from them into some dimension that Bonnie could not see. Maybe the same place Honoria went when her task was finished, Bonnie thought. To be at peace. But Elenaââ¬â¢s eyes didnââ¬â¢t look as if she were at peace. They clung to Stefan, and she reached out her hand toward his, hopelessly. They didnââ¬â¢t touch. Wherever Elena was being pulled was too far away. ââ¬Å"Elena-please!â⬠It was the voice Stefan had called her with in his room. As if his heart was breaking. ââ¬Å"Stefan,â⬠Elena called again, but her voice came as if from a long distance. The brightness was almost gone. Then, as Bonnie stared through helpless tears, it winked out. Leaving the clearing silent once again. They were all gone, the ghosts of Fellââ¬â¢s Church who had walked for one night to keep more blood from being spilled. The bright spirit that had led them had vanished without a trace, and even the moon and stars were covered by clouds. Bonnie knew that the wetness on Stefanââ¬â¢s face wasnââ¬â¢t due to the rain that was still splashing down. He was standing, chest heaving, looking at the last place where Elenaââ¬â¢s brightness had been seen. And all the longing and the pain Bonnie had glimpsed on his face at times before was nothing to what she saw now. ââ¬Å"It isnââ¬â¢t fair,â⬠she whispered. Then she shouted it to the sky, not caring who she was addressing. ââ¬Å"It isnââ¬â¢t fair!â⬠Stefan had been breathing more and more quickly. Now he lifted his face too, not in anger but in unbearable pain. His eyes were searching the clouds as if he might find some last trace of golden light, some flicker of brightness there. He couldnââ¬â¢t. Bonnie saw the spasm go through him, like the agony of Klausââ¬â¢s stake. And the cry that burst out of him was the most terrible thing sheââ¬â¢d ever heard. ââ¬Å"Elena!â⬠How to cite The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Fifteen, Essay examples
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Beyond Suffrage A Book Review Essay Example For Students
Beyond Suffrage: A Book Review Essay The book, Beyond Suffrage; Women in the New Deal, presents the role of women in the 1930s in a much different light than many people think of it. The goal of this book is to enlighten the reader as to what role women played in politics during the New Deal. Because of its broad view I have taken several specific examples from the book and elaborated on them in order to give you a better understanding. The author, Susan Ware, begins by laying the groundwork for the womens network. During the 1930s, many different organizations began to evolve to include women in their decision-making. The backbone to this movement seems to lie deep within the White House. The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, held a great deal of influence in decisions regarding women and their role. Ware writes of Mrs. Roosevelt as the foremost member of the womens network in the 1930s, and throughout the book Roosevelts influence seems to be everywhere. Moving on, the twenty-eight women discussed in this book are all linked through a complex network, which made them very strong in a time where women had no real strength. Almost all of them held top federal jobs in Washington DC. They were all educated women, born in the same generation. A sisterhood, supporting each other and encouraging each other after every victory, no matter how small, linked them very closely. These women gave each other the moral support and mentorship that seems absent in todays society. Another part of the book, discusses the role of Molly Dewson, head of Womens Division of the Democratic Party in recruiting and retaining women to the party. Dewsons attitude was often misunderstood as she overlooked minor jobs such as secretaries and stenographers, in order to focus on the big picture of women being involved in New Deal programs. Dewsons role in keeping the women of the Democratic party pacified by small jobs and honorary positions kept these womens spirits strong. By keeping these spirits strong, women were better prepared to get involved with the areas of social reform that they truly cared about. Throughout the New Deal, there were many areas regarding social welfare that women were involved and played a critical role in. One specific leap for women was their involvement in the National Recovery Administration. It seems that, there was a wide variety in the roles women played in the NRA. Rose Schneiderman served on the Labor Advisory Board, and by doing so opened many doors to work with other womens organizations in efforts to sway the legislation towards womens rights.Eventually their hard work contributed to improved labor standards and higher minimum wages for women in the workplace. Although the role of women in the NRA was a major part of their involvement in the New Deal, these women were also involved in many other areas such as social security, the Civil Works Administration, and the Consumers League. Winding down, Beyond Suffrage, explains the eventual decline of the womens movement at the end of the 1930s. As the depression lifted a chain reaction began. Soon the programs of the New Deal were no longer needed and because most of the positions that women held were in the New Deal programs, many women were displaced or else their advancement became stagnant. As the focus on the social programs of the New Deal waned, so did the communication and zest that the womens network previously had. This coupled with the eventual retirement of the originators of the network all contributed to the stagnation of the womens movement of the 1930s. One part of this book that I was pleasantly surprised to read was Wares description of how women viewed themselves and their goals during this time. It seems that even today the word feminist is looked upon negatively. .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de , .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de .postImageUrl , .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de , .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de:hover , .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de:visited , .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de:active { border:0!important; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de { 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; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de:active , .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de .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; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9651ebc0fd83f5b9c34a519514bf70de:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Woodrow Wilson Argumentative Essay However, Ware explains that these women were only feminist by default. They werent the Fem-Nazi, combat boot wearing women that we often associate with feminism today. Instead these women were merely focusing on a fundamental purpose, that women should have equal opportunity and equal rights with every other citizen. They fought primarily for social reform and equality for everyone, with the fight for womens rights being only a small part. Overall, I enjoyed this book. Although our class readings and lectures teach us some things about the role of women during this time period, it would be difficult to go into all of the areas that Beyond Suffrage did. Ware does a good job explaining the significance of women during this era, even though she does place an emphasis on details. I would see the major fault of this book being that it is too broad. I found that by the time I thought I had one of the twenty eight women straight I would just confuse them all over again. Thankfully, with the help of my notes I was able to straighten things out on paper. Words/ Pages : 867 / 24
Friday, November 29, 2019
Weight Loss Essays - Obesity, Diets, Dietetics,
Weight Loss About one-third of Americans are extremely over-weight, which may be why crash dieting is beginning to plague America. It's estimated that Americans alone spend 80-100 billion dollars on weight loss tactics. People go on these diets to get quick results but are these results hurting them more than helping? The answer is Yes! The only way to safely and effectively lose weight is through old-fashioned exercise and the right diet. You cannot successfully lose weight by simply cutting food from your diet or taking some pills, it is necessary to work for your results. Without depriving your body of necessary nutrients through dieting, you can lose fat and get the body you've always dreamed of, or at least one you're more comfortable with. The quote "The effects of the current obsession with dieting can be devastating", said by Mr. Woodworth, a long time exercise and nutrition expert, summarizes the dangers of dieting. The many dangerous methods of losing weight: so called "dieting" or starvation/fad diets, pills and drugs, over-exercising, surgery, and eating disorders, have taken many casualties. Many people go on "diets", a word so commonly misused, to get quick results of weight loss. Perhaps the most common is minor starvation and fad dieting. This method is when people become over concerned with calorie intake. Many deaths have been associated with low calorie diets. By trying to shed pounds simply by cutting all fat from the diet greatly increases the risk of getting cancer, heart disease, and other health problems. That "low-fat" trap gets people hooked on reduced-fat snacks or possibly not eating at all. So now the body is being deprived of necessary nutrients not available in any pill or liquid form. Yes cutting fat and cholesterol reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, but nutrient poor diets have an even larger risk of getting those diseases along with many others. Of course a large percent of dieters will lose weight but they will feel depressed afterward and gain back even more than before they started the diet. The reason why is because they are losing "healthy" weight along with the fat they were hoping to rid of. In an infomercial with Tony Little, he showed a graph of what the body loses when someone goes on a diet. By cutting back on foods, the body becomes deprived of very important nutrients. Then when it seems you are losing weight, what you are actually losing is fat AND MUSCLE. Many times, more lean muscle than fat will be lost. And although they may look slimmer because their size is smaller, they are actually weaker and more susceptible to injuries due to losing "healthy" weight. Healthy weight is muscle and bone weight, the things that support your structure and enable you to perform rigorous activities. A lot of the time "healthy" weight is misinterpreted, especially in females. Which leads to an amazing fact that 62% of women and 44% of men that are dieting aren't even overweight! But they are misled when they step on the bathroom scale and "My God" look what it says! They are not realizing that muscle outweighs fat over 2:1. Therefor, many people may think they are fat even though they may be healthy. I myself am an example of that. On a height and age chart it says my ideal weight for my height is 155 pounds. I am 168, so does that mean that I am overweight? Not necessarily. Charts and stuff are made for averages and trends because when doing a body fat testing I had only 10.8% body fat which is below the average for people my age and size. So the bathroom scale scares many people into believing that they need to lose weight when it may not be necessary. On top of overweight people dieting we also have healthy people dieting, both of which are extremely dangerous. Thus, the fad diet/starvation method should be completely avoided because simple "dieting" is just a stepping stone that may lead to much more serious things that become life changing or life threatening.. What started as a simple "diet" may have progressed into another dangerous way of losing weight through pills or drugs and eating disorders. How wonderful it would be if we could all take a couple of pills a day and not worry what else we may eat all while obtaining that body we yearn for. Unfortunately, we don't have that pill and probably never will so avoid the dangerous imitations out there. What is not told
Monday, November 25, 2019
Hydropower essays
Hydropower essays With the earths precious natural resources being used up and the pollution from our great use of fossil fuels, many nations and communities have turned to the use of an alternative energy sources. Among those alternative energy sources is the use of tidal waves and currents to generate electricity. This source is known as offshore hydropower. Believe it or not, hydropower is the most common source of renewable electricity in the United States. Though hydropower is a fairly new source for energy, it is definitely possible to be used on a large scale. Seventy-five percent of our earth is made up of water, so the lack of the resource should never be a problem. Most large scale hydro-facilities come from the development of dams and reservoirs. Many large-scale dam projects have been criticized for blocking fish migration, shifting wildlife habitats, and affecting the quality of the water and the way it flows. Though dams and reservoirs may not be ideal for a long-term, large-scale use, tidal and wave energy is definitely one. Tidal and wave energy is a great source to use on a large scale because it produces a lot of energy with only a little amount of negative impact. A single turbine has the ability to provide an efficient amount of electricity for up to seventy-five homes at a time. Tidal energy is already used on a large scale in countries such as China, Japan, and the United States. Of course, each project for harnessing energy has its drawbacks as to why it would be hard to use on a large scale and among those for tidal power is the loss of a marine habitat. The marine life is a very precious one that it rather delicate to changes around it and with the placing of these massive turbines in the water it causes a disruption in their habitat. Many fish have the possibility of swimming into the currents that go through a turbine and getting killed by the rotation of the blade. With the problem of over-harvesting already, pe...
Friday, November 22, 2019
Jean Rouch and David MacDougall Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Jean Rouch and David MacDougall - Assignment Example Despite Rouch and MacDougall being both proficient filmmakers, whose work is highly valued in the cinema industry, their styles in making the film are divergent and variant. Firstly, Rouch employeeââ¬â¢s a filmmaking style known as, ethnic-fiction, in making his films. Rouch style of filmmaking was influenced by the unearthing of surrealism. In these films, there is a thin line between fiction and documentary. In comparison, MacDougall ethnographies were purely documentaries. Secondly, David often used handheld cameras to capture his films while Rouch used light handheld cameras in his direct cinemas. Rouch used Pilot-tone connected to a 16mm camera using a prototype of Nagra III to shoot, Chronicle of a summer, in 1960. This was used in place of the heavy sound recording machinery that was very unreliable. Before the pilot-tone, the documentary sound was recorded before, during interviews or much later on location. The sounds that were recorded were later synchronized during soun d editing hence providing the documentary with sound. In conclusion, it is clear that there different approaches in filmmaking considering Rouch and MacDougall main difference is in the style of making the film. Rouch focuses on fiction films while MacDougall shoot documentaries. It is also clear that the advances in the film industry have been greatly contributed by technology. For example, in this day and age it is possible to shoot videos and record quality sound at the same time. In, as much as, Rouch and MacDougall differ in the choice of cinematic styles, they uphold a number of common aspects. The first one is that both of their cinematic styles incorporated aesthetic art. Aestheticism is an art movement supporting art nature and beauty values more than social-political themes portrayed in a film.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Extra credit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Extra credit - Essay Example This essay is going to examine the life experience of a schizophrenic patient as she narrated her ordeal through a book. Lori Schiller suffered from schizophrenia at a young age but it was only in her adult life when the disease became excessive. Eventually she underwent medical and rehabilitation and got well, after that she wrote a book titled, ââ¬Å"Theà Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness.â⬠This book reveals the ordeal she underwent while she was suffering from schizophrenia and the book was assembled with the help of her doctor, family and friends. The story of Lori Schiller begins when she was a young girl growing up in a well to do family. Her sickness began at the age of seventeen when she was working as a camp counselor. Her sickness as is described in the book began with little voices inside her head. At first she never talked about the voices and suppressed what she felt. She went on to graduate from college and thereafter proceed to college. During her initial period of being sick, Lori did not believe that she was sick and neither did she know what she was sufferi ng from (Schiller, 1994). Lori did indeed suffer from schizoaffective since was bi-polar and at the same time schizophrenic. She also started experiencing hallucinations and this did affect her grades when she was in college. Her condition continued to worsen and she started having episodes of hallucinations making her to withdraw socially. Her social life was affected tremendously as witnessed by her testimony, ââ¬Å"I was afraid they had heard the Voices and now knew the terrible secrets about me that they were revealing.â⬠This shows that she avoided people and found it difficult to talk of her disease. Schizophrenic patients suffer from delusions and in most cases they are afraid to tell anyone about their problems. This is witnessed in Loriââ¬â¢s case when she talks of ââ¬Å"Dr. Diane Fischer, my
Monday, November 18, 2019
Current event write up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Current event write up - Essay Example Perhaps this is because the couples are law enforcers: in the Orange County city of Yorba Linda. As the chief of Orange Countys Human Relations Commission, Kennedy tracks crimes touching the Black people who makeup only 2 % of the countys populace, "but they are the most frequently targeted victims, year after year after year," (Banks, par 4). The story of the Yorba Linda folks hints on an unknown truth. With the intention of not showing the case on hate crime list, shows that the police had handled case as a normal harm. (Banks, par 6). What followed was the formation of small circles by black people who shared their personal stories of discrimination and the pains they went through. Most of the stories were about problems and the brutality they had with the police. Remember, these are the people they expect to protect them from harm. For instance, Bettys grandson for skateboarding in an empty parking lot was detained by the police. A police officer who said, ââ¬Å"I have not seen you around here before," blocked a man new to Brea near his home. Jona Knight-Hall said she was pulled more than three times in 2007, in her new Mercedes. It was always something like ââ¬Å"Your passenger is not wearing her seat belt properly. She rarely stopped in her old car. Nevertheless, you cannot think of driving an expensive car. People look at you like What is she doing with that? "(Banks, par 13). "I felt totally helpless," she said. She once attempted to file a grievance, which was alleging racial profiling. "However there is nothing that you can about it. People act as if you are imagining things that do not happen in the real world. There have been a lot reported cases on police brutality particularly to black guerilla family gangs. These gangs by no means should not be tolerated. The gangs are made up young black American boys who are very young. The issue is the way police treat the gang members when they catch them. Most of the gang members die in
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