Biopsychosocial Assessment of Dr. A. Elizabeth “Bessie” Delany Essay Example for Free

Biopsychosocial Assessment of Dr. A. Elizabeth â€Å"Bessie† Delany Essay The following information for this biopsychosocial assessment of Dra. Annie Elizabeth â€Å"Bessie† Delany was found from the autobiography of Bessie and her sister, Sadie (Delany, Delany, Hearth, 1993). Bessie Delany was born in 1891, she is the third daughter of Henry and Nanny Delany. she studied at Columbia University and she became the second female dentists in New York. In that time the segregation, violence, and discrimination took a big part of Delany family, and her parent had a very difficult time raising their family. Bessie and her parents were involved in politics social activism known as the civil movement. Bessie’s parents were an example of life for their children and others in their community. By being a family who succeeded in life. In those days, white people thought that the success for black was waste of time since at that time it was unusual for black people to become successful in their life’s. sheets (Delaney, Delaney, Hill Hearth, 1993). In the book, â€Å"Having Our Say†, Bessie and Sadie Delany reflect on their personal, professional, and social experiences. Both Bessie and Sadie would be considered in Older Adulthood as defined by Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2010). At the time that the book was written, Bessie was criticizing the positive and negative. She often got upset as she sees that people were doing the right things. Bessie was the younger of the two sisters, she was a leader, her personality showed anger comparing to her sister that she was very calm. Bessie was reliant on her sister Sadie. For example, Bessie didn’t have a pension and depended upon Sadie’s Board of Education pension to live throughout retirement. (Delaney, Delaney, Hill Hearth, 1993). Biological Issues During the adulthood stage, people have many biological issues like when a person reaches this point in life they begin to face aging problems. One of those issues is the senescence that an individual is affected in different parts of the body, at various rates due to some parts of the body being stronger and resist aging. Older people regularly suffer the most visible effects of physical appearances, like shakiness of the hands and legs. Problems with bodily coordination, shoulder struggles, reduced agility, an increase in wrinkles of the skin, and the slowdown of the Psychomotor skills all occur currently (Zastrow Kirst-Ashman, 2010, pg. 588-589-590 According to the textbook, Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment, the slowdown of the Psychomotor skill specifies that the central nervous system is slowing down the information processing. Older people may come across problems such as difficulty remembering things as well as learning or retaining new information from memory. Problems can arise in certain activities such as driving a car. This can cause an increase in the risk of accidents while they drive. Even in older adulthood, however, if an individual has a healthy physical and mental state, Psychomotor skills can be highly functioning, and the person doesn’t have to have these challenges. Not everyone ages at the same rate, this is true for biological functioning (Zastrow Kirst-Ashman, 2010, pp. 588-590). Bessie Delany’s Biological Development Based on descriptions of Bessie in the book, there are a few of examples that may show signs of aging in her adult biological development. Bessie was walking along with her sister and mother when a boy called them â€Å"grandmas† because of their grey hair, slow movements, and wrinkles (Delaney, Delaney, Hill Hearth, 1993, p. 250). Her body showed her that her youth was gone because they were walking slowly as elders do. Bessie stopped driving a vehicle because of her body changes as her hand movements are diminished, reflexes are different from when she was young. Because of her age, Bessie had also stopped cutting her trees. She did not feel confident to be climbing a ladder and utilized sheets (Delaney, Delaney, Hill Hearth, 1993, pg. 297). Assess Bessie’s Development Normal or Healthy? Yes, Bessie’s biological development was healthy because she still functioned at a high level. She always ate healthily, ate different vegetables every day, and they also included fruits and vitamins. Usually, in her daily routine, she took Vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E, as well as minerals and zinc. Bessie participated in exercises such as yoga, and she also enjoyed cultivating their garden that helped to maintain mental and active physical conditions. Identified Biological Strengths. Bessie had many strengths, despite her age, and she did not lose her vision. She was very independent, motivates her father to become a professional. Her professional goal became a dentist. (Delaney, Delaney, Hill Hearth, 1993, pg. 297). She decides to be a professional instead of being a mother. She had a very strong character, where she didn’t like what she sees, she will protest, especially when she suffered racial attacks. She had a great memory. As she could remember her early childhood. (Delaney, Delaney, Hill Hearth, 1993, pg. 289). Bessie’s Biological Needs Bessie did not have any outstanding biologicals needs, she was healthy at the age of 101 years old. Reference Delaney, Sarah L., Delaney, Annie Elizabeth, Hill-Hearth, Amy (1993). Having our Say. The Delany Sister’ First 100 years. N. Y. New York. Dell Publishing a Division of Random House, Inc. Zastrow, Charles H. Kirst-Ashman Karen, K. (2010). Understanding Human Behavior and Social Environment. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning

E Commerce Also Called Electronic Commerce Information Technology Essay

E Commerce Also Called Electronic Commerce Information Technology Essay E-commerce, also called electronic commerce is use of the Internet and to transact the business. More formally, we must focus on the digital enabled commercial transactions between and among the organization and the individuals. Each of these components is very important in the e-commerce. The digitally enabled transactions are include all the transactions that mediated by the digital technology. These means the transactions will occur over the Internet and the Web. Besides that, the commercial transactions are involved with the exchange of the value such as money across the organizational or the individual boundaries in return for the services and the products. The exchange of the value is very important for understanding the limits of the e-commerce because without an exchange of the value, there will not have the commerce occurs. Other than that, e-commerce can do different types of the business activity such as online shopping, electronic payments, online auctions, internet banki ng, online ticketing and others. The online shopping is the people can buy or selling the goods through the Internet. The electronic payments are when the people buy the goods at the e-commerce website, they will be use the electronic payments to pay the fee and this also can reduce the inefficiency and associated with writing or mailing the checks. The internet banking is the people can do the banking operations through the banks website and no need to visit to the bank, so it will save our time. The online ticketing is the people can book the tickets such as train tickets, movie tickets, air tickets and other tickets through the online, so the people no need to queue up at the ticket counters. Moreover, there have the seven unique features of the e-commerce technology, which are ubiquity, global reach, universal standards, richness, interactivity, information density and personalization/ customization. So, the e-commerce website that I choose is the eBay.com. 3.0 Answer of Question 1: The eBay website is the website that allow the people sales or purchase the goods. The people can register the account of this website to get more clearly information and easily to sales your goods on this website or purchase the goods on this website. When people have the account, the website wills automatic record the history that they selling and purchasing and the people also can send the message to merchant to get more clearly information about the goods. 3.1 Seven Unique Features of E-commerce Besides that, there are the seven unique features of e-commerce technology inside this website and have one feature is implementing well and one is implementing poorly. 3.1.1 Ubiquity Ubiquity means that the commercial transaction or any activities that related with the e-commerce is available at everywhere such as at workplaces, at homes and even on the mobile devices and also can sign in to the e-commerce websites anytime. The ubiquity of e-commerce website can help the consumers reduces the transaction costs that the costs of participating in the market. In additional, the consumers no need to spend the time to go market to make a purchase. During this time, the people will always choose the path that requiring the least effort and can make them more convenient, so the e-commerce website is more suitable to them. For example, the eBay website is not only in Malaysia but also in United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada, China, Korea, Singapore and other country. So, the consumers can purchase the goods from other country. In addition, this website also can stay connected to Facebook, Google+, Twitter and eBay mobile. 3.1.2 Global Reach Global reach means that the e-commerce technology is permits the commercial transaction to cross the national boundaries and make it more conveniently. So, they have many e-commerce merchants will create an e-commerce website to make it become a potential market and famous in the world. The total number of the users or consumers in the e-commerce business can obtain is a measure of its reach. For example, eBay website is the ubiquity website, so people in the whole world can go through this website to do the goods sales or purchases. It also can let people do the commercial transaction between each nation. 3.1.3 Universal Standards A universal standard means the standards that are shared by all nations around the world. The universal technical standards of the e-commerce are a greatly lower market entry cost, which means the merchants must pay the costs of the goods that they bring to the market. Besides that, for the consumers, the universal standards will reduce the search costs, which means the effort required to find the suitable products. Furthermore, to create the one-world marketspace, where the prices and product descriptions must be inexpensively displayed for all people to see and the price discovery must becomes faster, simpler and more accurate. For example, eBay website has the universal standard that can share by all nations which have this website. The entire eBay website will have free cost of visit this website for users and users can register the account to get more details information of the products. 3.1.4 Richness Richness means the complexity and content of a message. Back to the early days, the traditional markets have a great richness; they are able to provide the personal, face-to-face services using an aural and visual cue when they do the selling with consumers. So, the richness of the traditional markets makes them have a powerful selling or commercial environment. The e-commerce technologies have changed the traditional trade-off between the richness and reach, the larger the people reached, the less rich the message. For example, the eBay website will deliver the full descriptions or details of each product. So, it will let the consumers know the feature of each product and decide whether want to buy the product or not. Besides that, eBay website provide the community to let the seller communicate with the consumers to promote and explain the products to them. 3.1.5 Interactivity Interactivity means the technology that allows for two-way of communication between the merchant and consumer. The interactivity is works through the interaction with the people. Moreover, the interactivity is allows the online merchant to attract the consumer in the ways similar to the face-to-face experience and it is more massive and global scale. For example, the eBay website has provided a community to allow everyone do any announcement, enquiry and discussion between each and other. So that, the buyer and consumers which are stay at different nation also can do the commercial transaction. They can communication at the eBay website or change the e-mail each other for more detail asking. 3.1.6 Information Density Information Density means the total amount and the quality of information are available to all market participants. It is reduce the information costs and increases the quality of the information to making it more useful and important. For example, the eBay website is full of the information such as the detail information of the goods with the picture. So that, the consumers no need to pay any costs for searching the details information and the information that provide by eBay website is accurate and useful. 3.1.7 Personalization/Customization Personalization means the merchants can target their marketing messages to the specific individuals by adjusting the message to the persons name, last purchases and interests. For example, eBay website will send the different marketing messages to the different consumers which are already register and have the record in their system. The customization means the users can change the delivered goods or service based on their own preferences or prior behaviour. For example, eBay website allows the consumers do the wish list that is which products that you want to deliver first or which service you want to the seller to do. 3.2 Implement Well and Implement Poorly The ubiquity is implementing well in the eBay website because there are many country have this official website, so the people can sales or purchase the goods from different country. So, consumers can do the comparison of products between different country and choose the suitable products that they need. The interactivity is implementing poorly in the eBay website because it is not a real time chat. They just provided the community to allow everyone do any announcement, enquiry and discussion between each and other. If the consumers do the announcement, they must wait for the seller do the reply and this is inconvenience. In my opinion, I suggest the eBay website must add the real time chat like the Facebooks real time chat because it let the consumers and seller can communicate to each other, so can easily do the commercial transaction. This method can increase the interactivity between the seller and consumer and can make eBay website more famous. 4.0 Conclusion of Question 1: In the conclusion, there have many advantages of the online purchase. The first advantages are lower price. The goods are usually cheaper on the website because the warehouse and staff costs are lower and the e-commerce website want to attract and keep the customers. The second advantages are convenience. People can access the e-commerce website through the internet and they can do it at anywhere such as home and it also can save their time. The third advantages are wide choice. There have many e-commerce website around the world, so it will give more choices to the people to choose the good and famous website. The last advantages are quick delivery. Most of the e-commerce website will deliver the goods to consumer within a few days. So, the e-commerce website gives many benefits to the people. 5.0 Introduction of Question 2: During this technology generation, there have many people are using the computer through online to visit the e-commerce website to do online shopping. This means the online purchase has gained immense popularity and famous in todays times. What is means of the online shopping? Online shopping is the process that the sellers will sales the goods to the e-commerce website or the buyers purchase the goods through the e-commerce website. The sellers and buyers will interact and negotiate through the e-mail messages, chat, or video call by using the VoIP (Voice-over Internet Protocol) service providers. Some of the e-commerce website can stay connected to the Facebook, Twitter or Google+ like the eBay website, and then the sellers and buyers also can do interact in these few website. Besides that, there are some several names that we can find pertaining to the online shopping itself such as e-store, e-shop, web store, web shop, virtual store and online store. In addition, there also have the advantages and disadvantages of the online purchase. 6.0 Answer of Question 2: 6.1 Buying Products through Online I have chosen to buy the product through online and didnt buy from the physical shop because it is more convenience. I can just order the product that I need at home or anywhere through the internet and no need to go to the physical shop or shopping mall to purchase the product. After do the order, I just need to wait for the product that delivers to my home. Besides that, I not have my own vehicle so cannot always go out to the physical shop to purchase the product and it is give the inconvenience to me. So, that is why I have chosen to buy the product through online. In addition, it also can save my time because I no need to spent time to go the physical shop and I can use that time to do my own work. Furthermore, I can do the comparison of the products such as the features and prices of the products and it can help me to do the deciding to purchase which products better. 6.2 Advantages of Online Purchase There are many advantages of the online purchase such as convenience, research capabilities, infinite choice and no pressure sales. 6.2.1 Convenience The first advantages of the online purchase are convenience. All the e-commerce websites are allow the people to purchase the products in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So people can visit the websites anytime and can do online purchase at their leisure or regardless of their time zone. Besides that, people also can do the online purchase at everywhere such as their home or office and no need to go the physical shop to purchase the products. This is especially useful for mothers that want to take care for the small children. By purchasing through online, people no need worry about the inclement weather or havent vehicles to go to the physical shop. So, the online purchase is making us more convenience. 6.2.2 Research Capabilities The second advantages of the online purchase are research capabilities. There are many e-commerce website in internet to allow people purchase the product. So, people can easily do the comparison of the features and prices of the products that they want. It can let the people can purchase the good products and also can save their money. Besides that, the online merchants can provide more detail information about their product that they sales on the website and this can help them save the cost of print catalog. They also can share the products information and reviews to some website to let people interest to the product. 6.2.3 Infinite Choices The third advantages of the online purchase are infinite choices. There are many e-commerce website and people can choose the website that they think is good. There are some famous e-commerce websites such as eBay.com, Amazon.com and Mudah.com. There are many products sales in the e-commerce website such as cloths, mobile phones, computer, jewellery and vehicles. So, people have the infinite choices to choose the products that have the good quality, features and lower prices. Other than that, because have the infinite choices of the products, people can easily to do the comparison of the products. For example, people can do the comparison between the own country products and other country products to know about which country products are the best. 6.2.4 No Pressure Sales The last advantages of the online purchase are no pressure sales. When we are go to the shopping mall, must have the aggressive salesman often pressurize us to test their products and then call us to buy their products. This action will make us feel troublesome and dont want to go there again. On the contrary, the online shopping will not have this kind problem and we also can keeps annoying salesman at bay. The e-commerce website will not force people to purchase anything and they just allow them to visit their website with no cost entering. 6.3 Disadvantages of Online Purchase There are many disadvantages of the online purchase such as cannot physically see the products, must wait the products arrive, delivery risks and online security. 6.3.1 Cannot Physically See the Products The first disadvantages of the online purchase are cannot physically see the products. Normally, when we are going to the physical shop, we at least can see the model of products and we can choose the size and colour of the products. On the contrary, when we are purchase the products through online, we just only can see the picture of the products and cannot to see the physical products, so that we cannot touch and try out the products to estimate the qualities of the products. Some people are like to try the products before do the payment, but this feature is cannot find in the online purchase. 6.3.2 Wait the Products Arrive The second disadvantages of the online purchase are must wait for the products to arrive. When we are purchase the products through the e-commerce website, we must take the few days to wait the products to arrive and during the times to wait for the products, it can be make us quite frustrating. If we are purchase the products from other country like United States, so we must take a long time to wait for the products because the distance is too far. On the contrary, if we are purchase the products at the physical shop, we can get it after make a payment and no need to wait for long times. 6.3.3 Delivery Risks The third disadvantages of the online purchase are delivery risks. When we are doing the online purchase, we must be wait deliver to us. What if the products that we are expecting are never arrives at long time, we will worry about is the seller scam us or the courier company didnt deliver the products to us. Besides that, what if the courier company is deliver the products to us during the time we are not at the home, is the courier company leaves the products on the door and the passer will steal it when see the products at the outside of door. In addition, what if the shipping company is broke our products and we are realizing it after opening the products when the courier man has already gone away. Then, when we are doing the feedback to the seller, the seller might claim that is our broking it and cannot make the amends. 6.3.4 Online Security The last disadvantages of the online purchase are online security. During the recent survey showed that the majority of the online shoppers were not aware of the various phishing scams, hacker attacks, and how it will affected to them. Furthermore, we are making the payments through online is usually safe but not always. There may have some of the e-commerce website are not secure because they do not encrypt our personal credit card data, so if the hacker is breaks their system, our personal data will be compromised. 7.0 Conclusion of Question 2: In the conclusion, there are many advantages and disadvantages of the online purchasing. The introduction of the e-commerce give the convenience to the people such as people can purchase the products that needs through online and no need to go to the physical shop and this help the people save for their time to do other important work. On the contrary, the convenience of the e-commerce maybe will make the people become lazy because they always dependent to the e-commerce website and dont want go out to the physical shop. So that, if you think the e-commerce give you more advantages, then it will good for you.

Desperation By Stephen King :: essays research papers

Desperation, a recent Stephen King novel, is not just a book, but an experience that leaves the reader frightened, paranoid, and questioning his moral beliefs. Picture, if you will, a lone, crazed Nevada policeman who pulls over vehicles on a lonely desert highway and forcefully takes away their occupants. Whichever of them he doesn’t kill immediately, he locks up in the jail of the small desolate town of Desperation. Among those captured are the vacationing Carver family, whose RV is sabotaged on its way to Arizona. Already incarcerated is Tom Billingsley, a once well-known member of the now slaughtered community of Desperation. They are soon joined by formerly famous, currently old and overweight writer, Johnny Marinville, who is riding across the country on his Harley-Davidson gathering material for a book of short stories. How to escape Desperation isn’t the only unanswered question, though. How could and why would one man single-handedly murder the population of an entire town? How does he have such control over the minds of the animals? Why are they locked up when he could have killed them like every one else? Whatever it is that possesses the body of officer Collie Entraigan can’t last forever, though. After several days his body is falling apart at the seams, and he is bleeding from every orifice. Weirder yet, he is growing several inches a day and is bound to burst soon. Will he? Or are the occupants of the local Desperation jail just backup bodies that the possessor will use when it wears out its current one? If so then what is it? More importantly, who’s next?An intriguing aspect of this book is that there is no real protagonist. King leaves the reader in constant suspense. Frequently changing views, the story follows one character or group of characters for one chapter and then in the next chapter, follows another, often intertwining the time sequences. The overlapping action is interrupted only by flashbacks that allow the reader to sympathize with a particular character’s actions or feelings. These flashbacks are so intricate that it is difficult to believe they are fictional at all. They go into such detail of the life-altering experiences of everyone involved that the reader gets a sixth sense as to how the characters will react to certain situations. Telling the story in this manner allows the reader to see why every character acts the way that he does.

American Drug Laws- Do They He :: essays research papers fc

American Drug Laws: Do They Help or Hurt? I believe the drug laws are in serious need of reform. We tend to forget that alcohol is a drug and that at one time it was prohibited without success. Also, I believe that a civil body of government rather than a criminal one should regulate drug use. It is a social problem, not a criminal one. As a largely victimless crime they should not have their civil rights taken away just because they like to take drugs which we have arbitrarily made illegal. Drugs are very expensive because they are illegal. Their procurement and use fuel crime and violence, which could be largely eliminated if organized crime did not have a monopoly and the free enterprise system could control the market. Potency regulated by licensed drug companies would prevent unusually pure substances from causing accidental overdose. There is an epidemic of unnecessary deaths from this cause. This problem is exacerbated by the fear users and bystanders have of seeking a highly effective antidote for drug poisoning that is universally available at hospitals. The U.S. drug laws violate our right to privacy, cost millions in tax revenue, overloads the criminal justice system, and are ineffective as a deterrent to drug use and trafficking. Laws that govern drug use are patently arbitrary and have their bases in racial prejudice and the comfort index of old male legislators. The first opium regulatory laws were enacted in San Francisco in response to Asian immigrants entertaining married white women in opium dens (Hamowy). The American and European tolerance for tobacco and alcohol use while fearing "counter-culture" marijuana, cocaine, and heroin is a strong prejudice based on ignorance of the comparative human misery caused by the inevitable misuse of mind-altering substances. Alcohol and tobacco cause more illness and death each year than all the illicit drugs combined. Legislative attempts to curb alcohol and tobacco use by children makes some of these very vulnerable people desire their use, but the age-restrictive and the accompanying time-of-purchase limits on widely abused drugs are the best that society has devised. Our knowledge of education techniques to encourage abstinence or moderate use of drugs is extremely inadequate. Laws for prevention of illegal drug use are wildly unsuccessful and have resulted in making drug-related criminals the majority of incarcerated offenders in U.S. prisons. The result of illegalizing use, and not necessarily abuse at all, is a 100% increase in drug criminals in the last ten years (Hamowy) for use of substances which have no more, and probably less, intrinsic potential for abuse.

Expression of Renaissance Ideals throught the Art of the Period :: European Europe History

Expression of Renaissance Ideals throught the Art of the Period The humanist and secularist beliefs of religion, individuality, and antiquity were evident in the style and illustration of Italian paintings and sculptures in the High Renaissance era. A deep sense of piety, Greek and Roman philosophy, and secularism, can be found in nearly all Renaissance paintings and sculptures, and the school of thought in Renaissance society that regarded the artist as genius contributed to all of these items. Historically, religion is the defining factor of nearly all paintings in modern and medieval European history. The Last Supper by Leonardo, The School of Athens by Raphael, Michelangelo's huge sculpture of the ancient Hebrew king David, Giotto's paintings of the Virgin Mary and Saint Francis of Assisi, and Masaccio's The Holy Trinity serve as an infinitesimally small sample of the vast selection of religiously inspired paintings, frescos, sculptures, and architectural endeavors created by Renaissance artists. The School of Athens by Raphael is an artistic representation of the beliefs and interpretations of the Renaissance humanist philosophers such as Petrarch and Drusus. Great classical mathematicians such as Pythagoras stand under the statue of the Greek goddess of reason, Athena, while intellectuals such as Socrates teach on the right, under the statue of the Greek patron of poetry, Apollo. This fresco also illustrates the existence of an intellectual community of painters, sculptors, and leaders such as Michelangelo and Leonardo, who exist in the painting as Greek philosopher Heraclitus and Plato, respectively. This select group of individuals was in fact the majority of the thinking power of the Italian Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci represents most strongly the secularist style in Renaissance art. His painting of The Last Supper shows the very strained emotions of Jesus' apostles when he informs them that he is to be betrayed. The lines of emotion and the expressions on the apostle's faces clearly depict the secularist real, the non-exaggerative, worldly style of secularism exhibited through the writings of Boccaccio and Lorenzo Valla. Michelangelo's dome for Saint Peter's Basilica and the roof of the Sistine Chapel display the secularist attitude the Roman Catholic Church adopted in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The fact that the Catholic Church, the wealthiest institution in the world, sponsored this art shows the elitist status that artists must have assumed in the Renaissance, and how the church supported the belief that the hand of God worked through the hands of the artists.

Dower and Dowry Confusion

Dower and dowry confusion The dower is a sum of money or other property which becomes payable by the husband to the wife as an effect of marriage[1]. On the other hand, Dowry is a transaction between two parties involving cash, or other valuable articles such as precious metals, gems, clothing, appliances, real estate, or goods for entertainment, made as a condition for entering a marriage contract[2]. The dowry system is not recognised in the religion or the law of the Muslim societies but has spread into it. 3] Conversely, Islamic law provides dower to enhance the status of women[4]. It is important to note that until now authors confuse dower with dowry. Perhaps the aspect of women's property or stridhanam in Hindu law and dower as the exclusive property of the wife are seen as synonymous. When dowry is regarded as stridhanam or pre-mortem inheritance for women, contradictions arise and the equation of dowry with stridhanam has been disputed by several authors.They argue that the situation is absolutely reverse, as dowry is not a gift to the wife or her exclusive property but the property of her in-laws. [5] Islam has legislated the giving of the dower by the husband to the wife in order to please the woman’s heart and to honour her. It is also meant to bring an end to what was done in the Days of Ignorance wherein she was wronged, exploited, despised and robbed of her wealth. The dower is a right exclusively for the wife. It is her possession and none of her guardians or relatives may share any part of it[6].No one has any power over her concerning how she wishes to dispose of it, as long as she does so in a legally acceptable manner. She may give it away as a gift, she may lend it to others or she may give it in charity or do any other permissible acts she wishes with it[7]. But dowry is totally different. At times people think that dower is some sort of acronym of dowry, which is literally incorrect. Dower is the money paid by the groom to his brid e while dowry is trousseau, gift of money or valuables given by the bride's father to the groom at the time of the marriage.It is important to understand that there is absolutely no similarity between dower and dowry; with the former being a legal right and the latter being a tradition[8]. Dowry is predominantly a Hindu tradition carried on after the people of the subcontinent embraced Islam. Women are given the right of inheritance but there is no concept of dowry in Islam. If it was a part of our religion, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) must have granted valuables to his only daughter Fatima on her marriage to Ali. Instead, Ali had to pay for the valima by selling his armour[9].This problem has intensified to the extent that women in both India and Pakistan commit suicide considering themselves burden on their families as they can't afford to give heavy dowry or entertain the in-laws years after marriage. At times the girl's family pays part of the dowry at the time of the marriage, prom ising to pay the rest after the marriage. This stipulation causes a lot of grief and mistreatment to the girl and her family especially if the ‘payment' is delayed[10]. ———————– 1]Monsoor, Taslima: â€Å"Gender Equity and Economic Empowerment: Family Law and Women in Bangladesh†. Dhaka, p. 22 2 http://www. indiatogether. org/women/dowry/pledge. htm 3 Sivaramayya, B. : Inequalities and the law. New Delhi 1984, p. 66 4 Monsoor, Taslima: â€Å"Gender Equity and Economic Empowerment: Family Law and Women in Bangladesh†. Dhaka, p. 47 5 Ibid [2] http://www. islamweb. net/emainpage/index. php? page=articles&id=97117 [3] Ibid [4] http://jang. com. pk/thenews/feb2007-weekly/you-20-02-2007/ [5] Ibid [6] Ibid

Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Six

â€Å"Sheba,† she said, her dark eyes widening. â€Å"Sheba†¦ Smith.† â€Å"Well, would you like to dance then, Sheba Smith? If you feel well enough.† â€Å"Yes,† she breathed, half to herself. â€Å"Yes, why not?† Her eyes never left his. Not moving from where they were, Gabe and Sheba began swaying to the rhythm of yet another wretched song. This time, the horrid music didn't offend Gabe as much. Gabe put it together then. New girl. Amazing dress. Sheba. This was Logan's date, the one who'd asked him to the prom and then wanted nothing more to do with him. For a half second, Gabe worried if it was wrong for him to infringe on his friend's date. But the worry passed quickly. For one thing, Logan was happy with Libby. There was no sense in interrupting something that was clearly meant to be. For another, Sheba and Logan were clearly not meant to be. Gabe had always had a good instinct for that-for the personalities that belonged together, for compatible natures that would pull together harmoniously. He'd been the butt of many jokes about matchmaking, but he didn't mind. Gabe liked people to be happy. And this intense girl with the deep pools in her eyes-Sheba-did not belong with Logan. That desperate sense of need had calmed when he'd touched her. Gabe felt much better with her in his arms-holding her seemed to soothe the strange call. She was safe here, no longer drowning, no longer lost. Gabe was afraid to let her go, worried that the burning need would return. It was an odd first for Gabe, this feeling of being in exactly the right place, of being the only one that belonged here. It wasn't that he'd never had a girlfriend before-girls liked Gabe, and he'd had many casual relationships. But they never lasted. There was always someone else they belonged with. None of them really needed Gabe, except as a friend. And they'd always stayed good friends. It had never been like this. Was this where Gabe belonged? Shielding this slender girl, holding her safe in his arms? It was silly to think so fatalistically. Gabe tried hard to act normal. â€Å"You're new at Reed River, aren't you?† he asked her. â€Å"I've only been here a few weeks,† she confirmed. â€Å"I don't think we have any classes together.† â€Å"No, I would have remembered if I'd been close to you before.† It was an odd way of phrasing it. She stared into his eyes, her hands clinging gently to his shoulders. Instinctively, he pulled her a little closer. â€Å"Are you having a good time tonight?† he asked. She sighed, a deep sigh from the center of her being. â€Å"I am now,† she said, oddly rueful. â€Å"A very good time.† Trapped! Like an idiot, like a new-spawned whelp, a novice, a rookie! Sheba leaned into Gabe, unable to resist. Unable to want to resist. She stared into his heavenly eyes and had the most ridiculous urge to sigh. How had she not seen the signs? The way goodness itself surrounded him like a shield. The way her suggestions bounced right off him harmlessly. The way the only ones safe from her evil tonight-those little bubbles of happiness outside of her control-were the people he'd touched and interacted with, his friends. The eyes alone should have been warning enough! Celeste was smarter than Sheba. At least her instincts had kept her away from this dangerous boy. Once she was free of his piercing gaze, she'd kept a safe distance between them. Why hadn't Sheba understood the reason behind this? And the reason Gabe had chosen Celeste in the first place. Of course he'd been drawn to Celeste! It all made sense now. Sheba swayed to the beat that rumbled through the air, feeling the security of his body around her, protecting her. Tiny, unfamiliar tendrils of happiness twisted their way through her empty core. No-not that! Not happiness! If she was already feeling happy, then better things couldn't be too far behind. Was there no way to avoid the horrible wonder of love? That wasn't very likely when you were in an angel's arms. Not a true angel. Gabe didn't have wings, he'd never had them-he wasn't one of those sappy birdbrains who'd traded feathers and eternity for human love. But one of his parents had done just that. Gabe was fully half-angel-though he didn't have a clue about his nature. If he'd had any idea, Sheba would have heard that in his mind and escaped this divine horror. Now it was only too obvious to Sheba-this close, she could smell the scent of asphodel clinging to his skin. And, clearly, he'd inherited his angel-parent's eyes. The heaven-blue eyes that should have been a dead giveaway, if Sheba hadn't been so wrapped up in her evil plotting. There was a reason even experienced demons like Jezebel were wary of angels. If it was hazardous for a human to stare into a demon's eyes, it was doubly so for a demon to get locked into an angel's. If ever a demon met an angel's gaze for too long, pfffffft! – out went the fires of hell and the demon was trapped until the angel gave up on saving him. Because that's what angels did. They saved. Sheba was an eternal being, and she was trapped for however long Gabe decided to keep her. A full angel would have known what Sheba was at once, and driven her out if he were strong enough, or given her a wide berth if he wasn't. But Sheba could imagine what her presence would feel like to someone with Gabe's instinct to save. Innocent of the knowledge he needed to understand, Sheba's damned state must have been like a siren's call. She stared helplessly into Gabe's beautiful face, her body filling with happiness, and wondered how long the torture would last. Already too long to save her perfect prom. Without her hellfire, Sheba had no influence over the mortals here. But she was still fully aware, watching helpless and disgustingly blissful, as it all fell apart. Cooper Silverdale gasped in horror as he looked at the gun glistening in his shaking hand. What was he thinking? He shoved the weapon back into its hiding place and half ran to the bathroom, where he violently vomited the punch into the sink. Cooper's stomach problems interrupted Matt and Derek's fistfight, which was just warming up in the men's room. The two friends squinted through their swollen eyes at each other. Why were they fighting? Over a girl that neither of them even liked? How stupid! Suddenly, they were interrupting each other in their urgent need to apologize. With smiles on split lips and arms around shoulders, they headed back to the ballroom. David Alvarado had given up his plans to jump Heath after the dance, because Evie had forgiven him for disappearing with Celeste. Her cheek was soft and warm against his now as they swayed to the slow music, and there was no way he would hurt her by disappearing again, not for any reason. David was not the only one who felt that way. As if the new song was magical rather than insipid, the dancers in the big ballroom each moved instinctively toward the person they should have come with in the first place, the one that would transform the night's misery into happiness. Coach Lauder, lonely and depressed, looked up from the unappetizing cookies straight into Vice Principal Finkle's sad eyes. She looked lonely, too. The coach walked toward her, smiling hesitantly. Shaking her head and blinking her eyes like someone trying to escape a nightmare, Melissa Harris pulled away from Tyson and ran for the exit. She would find the concierge and get a cab†¦ Like a rubber band that had been stretched too far, the atmosphere at Reed River's prom now snapped back with a vengeance. If Sheba had been herself, she would have pulled that rubber band until it exploded into pieces. But now all the misery and wrath and hate vanished. The human minds had been stuck in their grip too long. With relief, everyone at the prom relaxed into happiness, grasped at love with two hands. Even Celeste was tired of the mayhem. She stayed in Rob's arms, shuddering slightly at the memory of those perfect blue eyes, as one slow song melted into the next. Neither Sheba nor Gabe even noticed the song change. All her delicious pain and misery destroyed! Even if she did get free, Sheba was destined for middle school now. Where was the injustice?! And Jezebel! Had she planned this? Tried to distract Sheba from the fact that a dangerous half-angel was here tonight? Or would she be disappointed? Was she really there in encouragement? Sheba had no way to find out. She wouldn't even be able to see Jezebel now-whether the horned demoness was laughing or chagrined-with her fires extinguished. Disgusted with herself, Sheba sighed in happiness. Gabe was just so good. And, in his arms, she felt good, too. She felt wonderful. Sheba simply had to get free before happiness and love ruined her! Would she be trapped with some feather-back's heavenly offspring forever? Gabe smiled at her, and she sighed again. Sheba knew what Gabe would be feeling now. Angels were never happier than when they were making someone else happy, and the bigger the lift in that other person's spirit, the more ecstatic the angel. As perfectly miserable and damned as Sheba had been, Gabe must be flying now-it would be almost as good as having wings. He would never want to let her go. There was just one chance left for Sheba, just one way back to her wretched, miserable, burning, stinking home. Gabe had to order her there. Thinking of this chance, Sheba felt much worse, felt a welcome wave of her former misery. Gabe tightened his hold on her as he sensed her slipping down, and the misery was drowned in contentment, but Sheba remained hopeful. She stared up into his love-filled angel-eyes and smiled dreamily. You're evil incarnate, Sheba told herself. You have a true talent for misery. You know suffering inside and out. You can get yourself out of this trap and everything will be like it used to be. After all, with as much pain and havoc as Sheba was capable of causing, how hard could it possibly be to get this angelic boy to tell her to go to hell? Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Six â€Å"Put them up,† Glasses Geek said. â€Å"I mean your arms. Miranda did what he said because his hands were shaking so much she was afraid he'd shoot her by accident. â€Å"Who are you? What are you doing here?† he demanded in a voice that shook almost as much as his hands. â€Å"I just wanted to get a glimpse of Her,† she said, hoping she made it sound right. He narrowed his eyes. â€Å"How did you know She was here?† â€Å"The Gardener told me, but I didn't know where She was being kept so I climbed up that tree to look.† â€Å"Which affiliate are you with?† I knew this would end in tears. What now, smarty pants? Miranda raised an eyebrow and said, â€Å"Which affiliate are you with?† Adding for good measure, â€Å"I mean, I would remember a guy like you if I'd seen you before.† It worked! She saw him swallow hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. She would never doubt How to Get-And Kiss-Your Guy again! He said, â€Å"I'd remember you, too.† She hit him with a dose of Winsome Smile and saw the Adam's apple do some more moving. She said, â€Å"If I give you my hand to shake, will you shoot me?† He chortled and put down the gun. â€Å"No,† still chortling. Holding out his hand now. â€Å"I'm Craig.† â€Å"Hi, Craig, I'm Miranda,† she said, taking it. Then flipped him onto his back and knocked him out cold in a single silent move. She looked at her hand for a second in shock. She'd definitely never done that before. That had been very cool. If you're going to be an idiot and risk everything, you might as well do what you came for. You know, instead of just staring at the guy you knocked out? She bent to whisper, â€Å"Sorry. Take three aspirin for your head when you wake up and you'll feel better,† in his ear, and moved around the edge of the safe house. There must have been an open window because she could hear voices here, the man who had been outside before now saying to someone, â€Å"Are you comfortable?† And Sibby answering, â€Å"No. I don't like this couch. I can't believe this is the nicest room in the house. It looks like a place for a grandma.† Heh! Miranda followed the sound of Sibby's voice and found herself standing in front of one of the street-facing plate-glass windows, looking through a gap in dark blue drapes into a living room. There was a spindly-looking couch, chair, and coffee table. Sibby was in the chair, her profile to Miranda, with a plate of Oreos in front of her. She looked fine. The man was perched on the couch, smiling at Sibby, saying, â€Å"So, where are we supposed to drop you?† Sibby took the top cookie off the Oreo and ate it. â€Å"I'll tell you later.† The man kept smiling. â€Å"I'd like to know so I can plan the route. We can't be too careful.† â€Å"Oh my gods, there's like hours before we go. I want to watch some TV.† Miranda heard the man's heart speed up and saw his hand flex but he kept his tone light when he said, â€Å"Of course.† Then added, â€Å"As soon as you tell me where we're taking you.† Sibby frowned at him. â€Å"Are you deaf or something? I said I'd tell you later.† â€Å"It's in your best interest to talk to me. Otherwise I'm afraid I'll have to bring in someone else. Someone a bit more†¦ forceful.† â€Å"Fine. But while I'm waiting, can I please watch TV? Tell me you get cable. Oh gods, if you don't have MTV, I'm going to be really pissed.† The man stood up with an expression on his face like he wanted to break something, then abruptly turned to face the door. Miranda heard footsteps coming toward the room from the hallway, and with them a familiar cha-cha heartbeat. Two seconds later Deputy Sergeant Caleb Reynolds burst through the door. See? Sibby's in no danger. The police are here. Scram. Deputy Reynolds said to the man, â€Å"What's taking so long?† â€Å"She won't talk.† â€Å"I'm sure she'll change her mind.† His heartbeat picked up. Sibby glanced at him. â€Å"Who are you?† Caleb said, â€Å"I'm the Gardener.† This was extremely not good, Miranda decided. â€Å"I wasn't very impressed with the front lawn,† Sibby told him. â€Å"I'm not that kind of Gardener. It's a nickname. They call me that because-â€Å" â€Å"Actually, I'm not even vaguely interested. I don't know what you're planning, Plant Boy-â€Å" â€Å"Gardener,† he corrected, going a touch red. † – but if you need to know where I'm supposed to be picked up by the Overseer, then you have to keep me alive, right? So you can't exactly threaten me with death.† â€Å"Not death, no. But pain.† He addressed the man. â€Å"Go get me my tools, Byron.† As the man left the room, Sibby said, â€Å"I'm not going to tell you anything.† Deputy Reynolds circled around so he was leaning over her chair, his back to the window. â€Å"Listen to me-† he said, his heartbeat slowing down suddenly. Miranda did a round-off, smashing through the window feet first, then knocked him unconscious with a side kick to the neck before he could turn around. She bent to whisper, â€Å"Sorry,† in his ear, decided as punishment not to tell him about the aspirins, grabbed Sibby, sprinted to the car, and stepped on the gas. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Six Yun Sun's voice grew sharp. â€Å"Frankie, no!† â€Å"I'm such an idiot-why didn't I think of it before?† â€Å"Wait. Don't do it, don't make the-† She broke off. I heard a â€Å"whoops,† followed by drunken apologies and someone saying, â€Å"Oh, I love your dress!† It sounded like everyone was having fun. I'd soon be having fun with them. I made it to the den and approached the bookshelf where I'd left the corsage. I patted the tops of the books and then the space behind them. My fingers found softness, like petals of skin. â€Å"I'm back,† Yun Sun said. The background sounds had diminished, suggesting she'd stepped outside. â€Å"And, Frankie, I know you're hurting. I know that. But what happened to Will was just a coincidence. A terrible, terrible coincidence.† â€Å"Call it what you want,† I said. â€Å"I'm making my second wish.† I plucked the corsage from behind the books. Yun Sun's anxiety intensified. â€Å"Frankie, no, you can't!† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"He fell from three hundred feet! His body was†¦ they said he was mangled beyond†¦ that's why they had a closed casket, remember?† â€Å"So?† â€Å"He's been rotting in a coffin for thirteen days!† she cried. â€Å"Yun Sun, that is a tasteless thing to say. Honestly, if it were Jeremy being brought back to life, would we even be having this conversation?† I drew the flowers to my face, lightly touching the petals with my lips. â€Å"Listen, I've got to go. But save some punch for me! And Will! Ooo, make that lots of punch for Will-I bet he'll be absolutely crazed with thirst!† I flipped my phone shut. I held the corsage aloft. â€Å"I wish for Will to be alive again!† I cried exultantly. The stench of decay thickened the air. The corsage curled, as if the petals were shrinking in on themselves. I flung it away on autopilot, just as I'd shake off an earwig that chanced to light on my hand. But whatever. The corsage wasn't important. What was important was Will. Where was he? I glanced around, ridiculously expecting him to be sitting on the sofa, looking at me like You're scared of a bunch of dried flowers? Pitiful! The sofa was empty, a gloomy, looming shape by the wall. I darted to the window and peered out. Nothing. Just the wind, fluttering the leaves on the trees. â€Å"Will?† I said. Again nothing. A tremendous well of disappointment opened inside me, and I sank into my father's leather armchair. Stupid Frankie. Stupid, foolish, pathetic me. Time passed. Cicadas chirped. Stupid cicadas. And then, so faint, a thud. And then another. I straightened my spine. Gravel popped on the road†¦ or maybe the driveway? The thuds came closer. They were labored and with the odd offbeat of a limp, or of something being dragged. I strained to hear. There-a thump, ten feet away on the porch. A thump that was distinctly inhuman. My throat closed as Yun Sun's words wormed back to me. Mangled, she'd said. Rotting. I wasn't paying attention before. Now it was too late. What had I done? I jumped out of the chair and fled to the entry hall, safe from the eyes of anyone-or anything-who might choose to peer through the den's wide windows. What, exactly, had I brought back to life? A knock echoed through the house. I whimpered, then clapped my hand over my mouth. â€Å"Frankie?† a voice called. â€Å"I'm, uh†¦ yikes. I'm kind of a mess.† He laughed his self-deprecating laugh. â€Å"But I'm here. That's the important thing. I'm here to take you to prom!† â€Å"We don't have to go to prom,† I said. Was that me sounding so shrill? â€Å"Who needs prom? I mean, seriously!† â€Å"Yeah, sure, this from the girl who would kill for the perfect romantic evening.† The knob rattled. â€Å"Aren't you going to let me in?† I hyperventilated. There was a series of plops, like overripe strawberries being dropped into the trash, and then, â€Å"Aw, dude. Not good.† â€Å"Will?† I whispered. â€Å"This is so uncool†¦ but do you have any stain remover?† Holy crap. Holy, holy, holy crap. â€Å"You're not mad, are you?† Will asked. He sounded worried. â€Å"I came as fast as I could. But it was so frickin' weird, Frankie. Because, like†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My mind flew to airless caskets, deep in the ground. Please, no, I thought. â€Å"Forget it. It was weird-let's leave it at that.† He tried to lighten things up. â€Å"Now are you going to let me in, or what? I'm falling to pieces out here!† I pressed my body against the hall wall. My knees buckled, I wasn't doing too well with muscle control, but I reminded myself that I was safe behind the solid front door. Whatever else he was, Will was still flesh and bones. Well, partially. But not yet a ghost who could move through walls. â€Å"Will, you've got to go,† I said. â€Å"I made a mistake, okay?† â€Å"A mistake? What do you mean?† His confusion broke my heart. â€Å"It's just†¦ oh God.† I started crying. â€Å"We're not right for each other anymore. You understand, don't you?† â€Å"No, I don't. You wanted me to ask you to prom, so I asked you to prom. And now for no good reason†¦ ohhh! I get it!† â€Å"You do?† â€Å"You don't want me to see you! That's it, isn't it? You're nervous about how you look!† â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Should I run with this? Should I say yes just so he would leave? â€Å"Frankie. Dude. You have nothing to worry about.† He laughed. â€Å"One, you're beautiful; and two, compared to me, there's no way you won't look like†¦ I don't know, an angel from heaven.† He sounded relieved, as if he'd had a niggling sense of something being off, but couldn't quite place his finger on it. But now he knew: It was Frankie having self-esteem issues, that's all! Silly Frankie! I heard a shuffling, and then the bump of a small wooden lid. My body tensed, because I knew that bump. The milk box-crap. He'd remembered the key in the milk box. â€Å"I'm letting myself in,† he called, slump-thumping back to the front door.† ‘Kay, Franks? ‘Cause all of a sudden I'm, like, dying to see you!† He laughed, jubilant. â€Å"I mean, wait, that came out wrong†¦ but, heck, guess that's the theme of the night. Everything's coming out wrong-and I do mean everything!† I fled to the den, where I got on my hands and knees and frantically patted the floor. If only it weren't so dark! The deadbolt stuck, and Will jangled the key. His breathing was clotted. â€Å"I'm coming, Frankie!† he called. Jangle, jangle. â€Å"I'm coming as fast as I can!† My fear ratcheted so high that I was thrown into an altered state of reality. I was gasping and crying out, I could hear myself, and my hands were blind feelers, pawing and slapping as I crawled. With a thunk, the bolt slid home. â€Å"Yes,† Will crowed. The door swished over the frayed carpet at the exact instant my fingers closed on the crumbling corsage. â€Å"Frankie? Why is it so dark? And why aren't you-â€Å" I squeezed my eyes shut and spoke my final wish. All sounds ceased, save for the rustle of wind in the leaves. The door, continuing its slow trajectory, bumped against the doorjamb. I stayed where I was on the floor. I sobbed, because my heart was breaking. No, my heart was broken. After several moments, the cicadas once again took up their yearning chorus. I rose to my feet, stumbled across the room, and stood, shivering, in the open doorway. Outside, a pale shaft of moonlight shone on the deserted road. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Six I'm too stunned to do anything to stop him, really. Well, okay, as the initial shock of it is wearing off, I find I don't want to stop him. I'm stunned to realize that†¦ well, I like how it feels, being in Adam's arms. It feels good. It feels safe. It feels warm. It feels†¦ well, almost as if I were a normal girl, for a change. Not the new girl. Not the exterminator's daughter. Just†¦ me. Mary. It's a feeling I could get used to. â€Å"Mary,† Adam says. He's so much taller than me that his breath tickles the tendrils that have fallen from the updo that I've twisted my hair into. I don't mind, though, because his breath smells good. I look up at him dreamily. I can't believe I never noticed-really noticed-how handsome he is before now. Well, last night, actually. Or maybe I noticed, but it never really registered, because what would a guy like him ever see in a girl like me? In a million years, I never thought I'd end up at the prom with Adam Blum†¦ And okay, sure, he only asked me because he obviously feels sorry for me, on account of my mother being a vampire and all. But still. â€Å"Hmmm?† I say, smiling up at him. â€Å"Uh.† Adam seems uncomfortable, for some reason. â€Å"I was wondering if-you know, when this is all over, and you've dusted Drake, and Lila and Ted are back together-you'd want to, um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Oh God. What's happening? Is he†¦ is he about to ask me out?. Like on a real date? One that doesn't include sharp, pointy objects? No. This isn't happening. This is a dream or something. In a minute, I'm going to wake up, and it's all going to go away. Because how could such a thing even be possible? I can't breathe, I'm so sure I'll break whatever spell we're both under if I do†¦ â€Å"Yes, Adam?† I ask. â€Å"Well.† He can't seem to make eye contact anymore. â€Å"Just if you'd want to, you know, maybe hang out-â€Å" â€Å"Excuse me.† The deep voice that interrupts Adam then is all too familiar. â€Å"But may I have this dance?† I close my eyes in frustration. I cannot believe this. I am never going to get a guy I actually like to ask me out at this rate. Never. Never. Never. I am going to stay a freak-the product of similar freaks-for the rest of my life. Why would a guy like Adam Blum ever want to go out with me in the first place? The child of a vampire and a mad scientist? Let's face it. Not going to happen. And I've had it. I've had it up to here. â€Å"Listen, you,† I say, whirling around to face Sebastian Drake, whose blue eyes widen a little at the fire in mine. â€Å"How dare you come oozing around†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But then my voice trails off. Because suddenly all I can see are those eyes†¦ †¦ those hypnotically blue eyes, which suddenly make me feel like I could dive into them, letting their warmth wash over me in sweet, soft waves†¦ It's true he's no Adam Blum. But he's looking at me in a way that makes it clear he knows that, and that he's sorry for it, and that he's going to do everything he can to make it up to me†¦ more than make it up to me, even†¦ And the next thing I know, Sebastian Drake is taking me into his arms-gently, so gently-and leading me from the dance floor toward a set of French doors through which I can see a night-darkened garden, bathed in twinkling fairy lights and moonlight†¦ just the kind of place to which you'd expect to be led by the golden-haired descendant of a Transylvanian count. â€Å"I'm so glad we finally have the chance to meet,† Sebastian is saying to me in a voice that seems to caress me like a feather-soft touch. Everyone and everything we've left behind us-the other couples; Adam; a stunned Lila, staring after us jealously; Ted, staring jealously at her; even the streamers and rosettes-seems to melt away as if all that exists in the world is me, the garden that I find myself in, and Sebastian Drake. Who is reaching up to smooth some loose tendrils away from my face. In a dim, inner recess of my mind, I remember that I'm supposed to be afraid of him†¦ to hate him, even. Only I can't think why. How could I possibly hate someone as handsome and sweet and gentle as he is? He wants to make me feel better. He wants to help me. â€Å"You see?† Sebastian Drake is saying, as he lifts one of my hands and presses it, softly, against his lips. â€Å"I'm not so terrifying, am I? I'm just like you, actually. Just the child of-let's face it-a very formidable person, who's trying to figure out his own place in the world. We have our burdens, do we not, you and I, Mary? Your mother says hello, by the way.† â€Å"M-my mother?† My brain seems to be as filled with fog as this garden we're standing in. Because while I can picture my mother's face, I can't remember how Sebastian Drake could possibly know her. â€Å"Yes,† Sebastian says, his lips now moving from my hand and up toward the crook of my elbow. His mouth feels like liquid fire against my skin. â€Å"She misses you, you know. She doesn't understand why you won't join her. She's so happy now†¦ she doesn't know the pain of illness†¦ or the indignity of aging†¦ or the heartbreak of loneliness.† His lips are on my bare shoulder now. I'm having trouble breathing. But in a good way. â€Å"She is surrounded by beauty and love†¦ just like you could be, Mary.† His lips are by my throat. His breath, so warm, has seemed to cause my spine to go limp. But it's all right, because one of his strong arms has gone around my waist, and he's holding me up, even as my body, as if of its own volition, is arching backward, allowing him an unobstructed view of my bare throat. â€Å"Mary,† he whispers against my neck. And I feel so peaceful, so serene-something I haven't felt in years, not since Mom left-that my eyelids drift closed†¦ And the next thing I know, something cold and wet hits me in the neck. â€Å"Ow,† I say, opening my eyes and slapping a hand there†¦ then pulling it away to find my fingers slick with some kind of clear moisture. â€Å"Sorry,† Adam calls from where he's standing a few feet away, his arms stretched out in front of him, the mouth of his Beretta 9mm water pistol aimed right at me. â€Å"I missed.† A second later, I am gasping for air as a thick cloud of acrid, burning smoke hits me in the face. Coughing, I stagger away from the man who, just seconds before, had been holding me so tenderly, but is now clutching at his smoldering chest. â€Å"Wha-† Sebastian Drake gasps, pounding at the flames leaping from his chest. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"Just a little holy water, dude,† Adam says, as he continues pumping away at Drake's chest. â€Å"Shouldn't bother you. Unless, of course, you're a member of the undead. Which, unfortunately for you, it appears you are.† And a second later, I've come back to my senses and am reaching beneath my skirt for my stake. â€Å"Sebastian Drake,† I hiss, as he sinks to his knees before me, howling in pain. And rage. â€Å"This is for my mother.† And I plunge the hand-carved piece of ash deep into the place where his heart would have been. If he'd had one. â€Å"Ted,† Lila says, in a syrupy voice, as her boyfriend lies across the contoured plastic bench with his head in her lap. â€Å"Yes?† Ted asks, looking up at her adoringly. â€Å"No,† Lila says. â€Å"That's what I'm getting for my tattoo next time I'm in Cancn. Across the small of my back. The word Ted. So from now on, everyone will know I belong to you.† â€Å"Oh, honey,† Ted says. And pulls her head down so he can stick his tongue in her mouth. â€Å"Oh my God,† I say, looking away. â€Å"I know.† Adam's returned from throwing a glow-in-the-dark twelve-pound bowling ball down the disco-lit lane. â€Å"I almost liked her better when she was under Drake's spell. But I guess it works out better this way. Ted'll hurt a lot less than Sebastian. That was a strike, by the way. In case you missed it.† He slides onto the bench beside me and looks down at the scoring sheet in the glow of the lamp just above my head. â€Å"Well, what do you know? I'm winning.† â€Å"Don't get cocky,† I say. Although I have to admit, he has a lot to brag about. Not just winning at Night Strike bowling, either. â€Å"Just tell me,† I say as he reaches up and finally pulls off his bow tie. Even in the weird disco lights of Bowlmor Lanes-the bowling alley where we'd retreated for our post-prom activities, a mere nine-dollar cab ride from the Waldorf-Adam still looks obscenely handsome. â€Å"Where'd you get the holy water?† â€Å"You gave a bunch of it to Ted,† Adam says, looking down at me in some surprise. â€Å"Remember?† â€Å"But how'd you get the idea to put it in the water gun?† I demand. I'm still reeling from the evening's earlier activities. Midnight bowling is fun and all. But nothing can really compare with slaying a two-hundred-year-old vampire at the prom. Too bad he'd fizzled into ash out in the garden, where no one but Adam and I could see it. We'd have been voted prom king and queen for sure, instead of Lila and Ted, who are both still wearing their crowns†¦ although they've tilted a little rakishly, due to all the kissing. â€Å"I don't know, Mare,† Adam says, filling in his own score. â€Å"It just seemed like a good idea at the time.† Mare. No one has ever called me Mare before. â€Å"But how did you know?† I ask. â€Å"I mean, that Drake had-well, whatever? I mean, how could you tell that I wasn't faking it? To lull him into a false sense of security?† â€Å"You mean besides the fact that he was about to bite you on the neck?† Adam raises a single dark brow. â€Å"And that you weren't doing a damned thing to stop him? Yeah, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on.† â€Å"I'd have snapped out of it,† I assure him, with a confidence I most definitely do not feel, â€Å"as soon as I felt his teeth.† â€Å"No,† Adam says. Now he's grinning down at me, his face illuminated by the light from the scoring desk's single lamp. The rest of the bowling alley is in darkness, except for the balls and pins, which glow with an eerie fluorescence. â€Å"You wouldn't have. Admit it, Mary. You needed me back there.† His face is so close to mine-closer than Sebastian Drake's ever got. Only instead of feeling as if I could dive into his gaze, I feel as if I'm about to melt under it. My heartbeat staggers. â€Å"Yeah,† I say, unable to keep my gaze from drifting toward his lips. â€Å"I guess I kinda did.† â€Å"We make a good team,† Adam says. His own gaze, I can't help noticing, isn't straying far from my mouth, either. â€Å"Wouldn't you say? I mean, especially in light of the coming apocalyptic event? When Drake's dad finds out what we did tonight?† I can't help gasping a little at that. â€Å"That's right,† I cry. â€Å"Oh, Adam! He's not just going to come after me. He's going to come after you, too!† â€Å"You know,† Adam says. And now his gaze has drifted from my mouth, and downward. â€Å"I really do like that dress. It goes great with bowling shoes.† â€Å"Adam,† I say. â€Å"This is serious! Dracula could be getting ready to descend upon Manhattan at any moment, and we're wasting time bowling! We've got to start getting ready! We need to prepare a counterattack. We need to-â€Å" â€Å"Mary,† Adam says. â€Å"Dracula can wait.† â€Å"But-â€Å" â€Å"Mary,† Adam says. â€Å"Shut up.† And I do. Because I'm too busy kissing him back to do anything else. Besides, he's right. Dracula can wait.