The Wonderful Wizard of Oz free essay sample

Scarecrow, has a silly head ,he want to improve himself,so want to find the witch to make a wish. Tin Woodman, He is not flexible, so he want to improve it .Therefore,he want ro find the witch. This book is talk about a gril,who called Dorothy,lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmers wife. Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner.One day, whan they saw the sky, they saw a cyclone is coming. We will write a custom essay sample on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They ran and ran .However,Dorothy and her dog Toto cant ran away,they fly to sky by cyclone.Thay saw a lot of animals .Finally, They saw their family again, and they were happy. I like Dorothy very much,because she is very brave and helpful.And the ending is very warm too , I like it very much.The story is very famous and excited,and I learn a lot from this book.For example,I learn we should be brave when there is dangerous in there. My favourite part of this book is Dorothy how to solve the proplem .She is so clever and helpful .When she saw a lion , She hasn t ran away, She is so brave,and she helped the lion to solve proplem.I think i should learn from her, learn how to be a brave, helpful and kind people too!

Its New Feature December, And CoSchedule Has Launched 4 So Far

Its New Feature December, And Has Launched 4 So Far We want to make 2014 your best year of blogging yet, so were putting a bow on some of our most requested features and releasing them before years end. Its a little something that weve been calling New Feature December. Its a lot like no-shave November, but way less itchy. Its New Feature December for the @#editorialcalendar make 2014 your yearHere is a roundup of the features we have launched so far. Awesome Link Previews Now, for each social media message that you create, will provide you with a preview of the link information that will be sent to sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+. Not only are you able to preview the links (and delete them), but you are also able to customize them–including the image, title, and link description. LinkedIn Company Pages Connect your LinkedIn company pages to ! This makes for a completed roundup with LinkedIn. We fully support personal profiles, company pages and groups. Cool. Referral Program Share with your friends and get credit for doing it with our new referral program. With each friend that makes a purchase, you will receive 10% off of your subscription for the life of their account.  Easy, right?

ECONOMICS 1. The Managerial theories of the firm seek to provide Essay

ECONOMICS 1. The Managerial theories of the firm seek to provide models characterised by realism in motivation, whilst recognising the continued importance of profit in the corporate environment - Essay Example As income taxes have risen over the past historical era, the outright impact of salary or bonus increases has been moderated somewhat. The incremental tax on income in the UK and the US is at about 50%, when all local and national income taxes are taken into account. Thus the standard supply and demand relationship demonstrates a curve, as shown below. Since taxes climb with income, the curve's change in slope is more pronounced: As compared to the turn of the last century, when income taxes were less than 10%, the total impact of increases in wages has therefore moderated. The second influence on this moderation has been the increase on the value of leisure time (Kokoski 1987). As the value of leisure hours has increased, the amount which needs to be paid to offset the value of leisure time has also increased, all else being equal. Group incentives can take the form of income increases (salary and bonus) or non-monetary rewards, such as additional vacation days. From a microeconomics standpoint, there is no difference between group pay incentives and individual pay incentives. There are psychological differences which can be substantial, however, depending on the type of performance being rewarded. An extreme example of the point above is an individual whose personal rewards far exceed those of the group, and in achieving his goals may actually be a detriment to the shareholders. An example of this might be Robert Eaton, who was the Chairman of the Chrysler Corporation at the time that his company was approached by Daimler-Benz. Eaton agreed to a plan whereby Daimler-Benz would merge with Chrysler, and he sold the Board of Directors and employees' unions on the plan. What he didn't reveal was that he stood to gain over $100 million personally if the deal went through. The resulting hue and cry was that Eaton "sold out" Chrysler, which was borne out by subsequent events. Chrysler's largest shareholder at the time, the Tracinda Corporation1, sued Daimler-Chrysler for over $8 billion for erasing nearly $38 billion of market capitalization due to the transaction (CNN 2000). Figure 2: Reduction in share price since merger (CNN 2000) Thus a personal incentive (for Eaton) was in direct opposition to the interests of the shareholders. Stock Options Stock options have the advantage of better alignment with shareholder expectations. The theory is that managers are

Corporate Social Responsibilities report Assignment

Corporate Social Responsibilities report - Assignment Example The company ensures environmental sustainability through incorporating best practices which reduces impact on environment. Wendy is more concerned about people and believes in giving something extra to stakeholders apart from offering superior quality food choices. This organization serves local communities and takes active measures to minimize any form of societal issues. On the contrary, the Subway system is inclined towards providing healthier and tasty food choices. The company attempts to reduce environmental impact and structures effective programs for local communities. Sustainable sourcing is one of the corporate social responsibility activities undertaken by the company. It maintains a strict code for vendors and streamlines supply chain activities. Safety standards and high food quality are maintained by the organization and they are involved in reducing water conservation, energy utilization, etc. They even serve local communities through large number of donations and spon sorships. Subway is an active participant in context of extending support to educational institutions and local charities. Wendy’s and Subway forms a major part of the food industry. The companies are actively involved in providing superior quality foods to customers. Nutrition and health standards are taken into consideration while manufacturing food products. Environmental sustainability is a common approach adopted by both the companies. There are different practices adopted by the firms in order to enhance environmental sustainability. Environmental friendly practices are common for both the organizations. They are actively indulged in reducing level of water or energy conservation. This is an important corporate social responsibility approach and it needs to be focused on by all companies. However both the companies have initiated different programs so as to ensure that their

Role Of Language In Identity Formation Cultural Studies Essay

Role Of Language In Identity Formation Cultural Studies Essay People that have multilingual background face complex issues in adapting and assimilating their language to cultural identity that they want to be identified with. People create their linguistic structure so as to bear a resemblance to those of the group with which from time to time they wish to identify. Cultural identity is defined as the product of social and historical background that is constructed when an individual categorize themselves a group, in addition to social context and ethnically accustomed communicative structures in a particular society (Jung and Lee,2004). Language serves as a tool that embraces ones identity and operates as a mean of uniting a cultural community that share the same collective identity. In the process of identity formation, language functions as a tool that holds the cultural identity that the language resembles. Professor Ngugi Wa Thiongo, an African scholar and Kenyan author claims that language is a carrier of culture (cited in Kaili and Kaili). He explains that the distinctiveness qualities that a culture possessed for example, its own value, custom, principles, faith, ideologies and the ways of life are embed in its own language. Kaili and Kaili (1998) gives an example about the relationship between language and identity that is embedded in a culture of fakaapaapa to the variety of status in Tongan social hierarchy; this cultural customs is conceded in the Tongan language of respect. A Tongan speaker will utilize variety form of Tongan speech to express the level of fakaapaapa that is ethnically suitable for the person ones is speaking to. This illustration demonstrate the role that language play in the process of identity formation. Lanehart (1996) in her article alleges that language is a part of ones culture and identity. In the article, Laneheart explains the connection between language and identity and how they are related with each other. She claims that our identities emerge from our transaction which is develop within a culture, whither language is essential. Lanehart relates language and identity through the concept of language goals where people construct their language structure so as to bear similitude with the cluster they want to identify with and want to become. As an African American, she gives her view based on her social experience where she explains the dilemma that African Americans face when they try to incorporate their language to cultural identity that they want to identified with. Social perception that equates the choice to speak Standard English as trying to be White creates a dilemma in most people that have multilingual background. This perception and situation demonstrate that there is a significant connection between language and identity formation. However, the role as a cultural identity that the language play is debatable because there are some cases when the individuals does not identify themselves as a group in particular ethnic even though they master the language of that ethnic. Jung and Lee (2004) in their study about the ethnic identities of Korean American students found that most of their research subjects identify themselves as a person that has a strong Korean background although they are fluent in English and were born in U.S. They identify themselves as either Korean American or Korean, but not American. This is the outcome of strong influence of Korean community that is ethnically oriented. In this context, we can see two forces that drive the changes and divergences identity formation: structures and agency. Structure is the forces beyond our control which shape our identities while agency is the degree control which we ourselves can exert who we are (The Open University, 2010). Ones cannot choose the language t hat they are born with because of the structure forces; however, as time goes by, identities changes as a result of agency factor such as media, environment and social pressure and this induce a person to make changes in which language and cultural identities they want to identify with. Open University (2010) asserts that identities are not fixed and constant; they change too. It can be concludes that language is not the only tools that embrace identity; there are some other external factors that helps the process of identity formation. Language also works as a mean of connecting a cultural community that share the same collective identity. Collective identity refers to sense of belonging when an individual identify themselves to a group or nation (Open University, 2010). Kaili and Kaili (1998) claims that when an individual speak their mother tongue language with their peers, they are a sense of relationship, unity and bond that make the cultural community more connected with each other. Research that was conducted by Jung and Lee (2004) found out that Korean language is the agent that unites the Korean Americans cultural community. Even though there is a type of student whom did not really engage with Korean cultural activities, this type of students still typically hangs out with Korean peers because they feel cultural disparity when they communicate with American peers. Ghose (2010) supports the idea of unity that language plays in identity formation in his article and he stresses that language serves as a mean of unifying the country. If the role of language in uniting a cultural community is analyzed in a different perspective, language can act as a tool that divides the people in a cultural community. Goose (2010), Lanehart (1996) and Kaili and Kaili (1998) share the same opinion about this idea. They critique the society obsession with Standard English and how English have eroded the cultural identity of their culture. For example, many Tongans see the Tongan language as an obstruction to their academic and economic development; they favored English language more than the Tongan language. Freire and Macedo (1987, 128) highlight that language should never be understood as a mere tool of communication (cited in Lanehart). Without doubt, language plays a significant role in the formation of cultural identity. It also acts as tool to unite the people in one cultural community that share the same collective identity. We often do not realize how much language has impacted our life. So, it is important for us to value our language because it carries our cultural, historical and social identity. Without a language, ones will lose its own identity.

Choose one case study and write an academic essay Essay

PART A = Identify the educational needs of the class/training group. Use these educational needs as the basis (headings) for outlining classroom practice, including strategies, in order to accommodate the diverse learning needs of the entire class/training group. Strategies are to be of a detailed, practical and realistic nature. PART B = Name the Education Queensland (or relevant educational body) policies, frameworks, statements and directives that will have implications for this class/training group (include website address). Note how these policies will support your planning that you have written about in part A. Due Date: 20th January, 2014 Course: Education Specialization: Early Childhood Lecturer/Course Examiner: Noah Mbano Word Count: 2380 This assignment will identify and address the educational needs present in the early childhood case study. The educational needs being addressed will be the basis for Part A, which are, English as a second language (ESL), cultural diversity, social skills, intellectual disabilities and behaviour management. Pedagogical practices and strategies will be suggested to cater for the diverse learning needs of all children attending the service. The focus will be on the delivery of learning opportunities, according to need, to maximise students’ learning capacity and not to label the children. Part B will support the pedagogical response and planning ideas outlined in Part A, by the relevant policies, frameworks, statements and directives from Educational government bodies that implicate the service. PART A English as a Second Language (ESL)/cultural diversity The case study states that the centre has a number of children with different cultural backgrounds. The first educational need relates to ESL and cultural diversity. Educators must respect the diverse cultural backgrounds and ensure equity, so children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities (DEEWR, 2009). A positive sense of self is fostered when children are supported in their environment to feel safe, secure and supported (DEEWR, 2009). Early childhood educators should support students for whom English is a second language to develop their English language skills, empowering them to communicate and engage within their new environment. From the start of their enrolment, students and their families should be welcomed and feel a sense of belonging at the service. The centre’s philosophy should be based on an understanding that parents should be recognised as the child’s first and most influential educator, whilst supporting the National Childcare Accreditation Council’s quality area two ‘Partnerships with families’ (NCAC, 2005). In practice it has been found that, to support a smooth transition parents and child should be encouraged to have a settling in period, which can be used to share knowledge about the center; it’s curriculum and cultural background. Educators should exchange this information verbally as well as in a written form. During the settling-in period the child has the chance to meet new friends and to become more familiar in their new environment, whilst in the comfort of their parents. Enrolment strategies are to understand, support the child, his/her families and caregivers and to differentiate your program to support all cultures. Educators should build an understanding of individual culture including â€Å"norms, values, beliefs, languages, traditions, behaviours, symbols, activities, achievement, and possessions† (Ashman & Elkins, 2012). Educators can familiarised themselves with the families’ beliefs and values by providing the parents with English-language programs or translators, helping by collaborating and giving continuing support. Using these strategies to encourage family participation within the centre will support cultural diversity and an understanding of the world we live in. Example of  this would be celebrating cultural days, such as Naidoc week within the Aboriginal culture. Workers in the industry report that ways in showing a cultural understanding is to ask families to bring in family photos for display, to provide familiar words from their native language or invite them to talk about their culture or share a special dish are other possibilities. This will help ease the child into the classroom environment. To support the child, strategies such as simplifying language, making instructions clear, breaking down the steps, providing multiple technology devices of communication and observations to recognise confidence could be used. Have classroom routines and consistent expectations to help the child understand what they are expected to do. Educators should ensure individual expectations are clear and understood by children to reduce frustration and barriers from being formed (Ashman & Elkins, 2012). Social Skills The second educational need is the inclusion of social skills. Educators have the responsibility to provide a welcoming and safe environment, where children feel accepted and part of a group. Through social interactions children can share knowledge and develop confident self-identities (DEEWR, 2009). Educators should identify each student’s positive characteristics then use them to establish an understanding of interests to keep them engaged. This helps move towards an inclusive environment. An inclusive classroom should provide a safe, flexible learning environment where all students have sufficient support to achieve outcomes consistent with their capabilities, become willing to take risks, and construct knowledge that is personally relevant and meaningful. Differentiating the program experiences and assessment by taking on an individualised approach aims to promote success and self-esteem (Ashman & Elkins, 2012). It cannot be assumed that social inclusion will occur automatically to new students (Ashman & Elkins, 2012). Strategies to encourage social inclusion are to ensure all students are actively involved in the organisation of the classroom; the educator thus needs to build a positive relationship with the student, providing opportunities for social interaction in group work, games and activities. Educators are qualified enough to support students’ friendships and ensure that their classroom is socially responsive. Following up on these aspects should be done promptly with regular observation and review on progression  in social skills from the child. Through anecdotal evidence, documenting these observations have shown to support the reflection process and assist in justifying and preparing plans for the child’s individual needs, interests, strengths and weaknesses (Churchill et al, 2013). Intellectual disability The third educational need is the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities. All schools aspire to have collaborative, school-based terms that are organised to develop supportive networks for students, including the intellectually disabled. Educators should recognise strengths and capabilities and not make assumptions about the students’ ability based on their diagnostic label. Reasonable steps should be taken to ensure students with disabilities are given multiple means for participating in learning. These would involve learning through multiple, examples, media and formats, choice of context and tools, opportunities for demonstration and level of challenges. Give students plenty of options for expressing what they know, and provide models, feedback and support for their different levels of proficiency (CAST, 2012). Multiple strategies can be guided by the principles from the ‘Universal Design for learning’, which is a framework that shifts educators’ understanding of learner differences. It challenges them to rethink the nature of curriculum materials and endow them with the inherent flexibility necessary to serve diverse learning needs (Wright, 2006, as cited in Module 4, 2014). Strategies that also facilitate this include, varying the type of activities or the method of instruction, providing additional human and technical resources, giving extra support, modifying the ways in which the student will respond, or changing the classroom environment. These variations should be designed in such a way that the student with a disability is able to participate in the learning experiences on the same basis as a student without a disability, and without experiencing discrimination. There is anecdotal evidence that contemporary approaches to intellectual disability emphasise equal ac cess, participation, and recognition that a person’s level of functioning will improve if appropriate, individualise and supports are provided. Behaviour management The fourth educational need is behaviour management. Before considering specific learning issues, there are a number of factors outside of the school that influence school behaviour issues; family, socio-economics, culture, religion and race; and socio-political factors. Educators should agree that it is important to establish a cohesive understanding of socio-culturally acceptable behaviours when addressing behaviour management. Strategies to encourage positive behaviour rely on a pedagogical approach that sees the educator making adaptations, so the students can work effectively. In practice is has been found that students with behaviour problems often learn best when tactile and kinaesthetic strategies are presented. According to Early Childhood Australia (2013) the two main reasons misbehaviour usually occurs is when, children are expressing their feelings and children who have not yet learnt how to do what is expected. Strategies aimed at preventing misbehaviour include setting clear limits with input from the children and teaching the children what behaviour is appropriate and what is not (Early Childhood Australia, 2013). A critical aspect of maintaining students with behaviour problems in an inclusive classroom is the recognition of the learning difficulties that students face (Mooney, Epstein, Reid, and Nelson, 2003, as cited in Ashman & Elkins, 2012). One of the most important strategies for any teacher is to be a role model and to create a supportive and welcoming classroom. This will encourage all students to persist and work together more inclusively. To encourage appropriate behaviour, staff to child ratios should be obeyed at all times. This will ensure adequate care is been given to each child. Routines to be followed, keeping mealtimes regular and not too late, as some children will be hungry and this can lead to misbehaviour due to irritability. This can be changed by being responsive, flexible and adopting an individualised approach to routines. However sometimes circumstances change suddenly and this can result in routines been disturbed, for example, changes at home and the circumstances affecting behaviour is out of your control. The main idea is to facilitate individuals in developing his or her authentic self, through fostering student’s knowledge in a number of different genres, within a school, family or social environment. As a result of the diverse economic, social, spiritual, cultural, and political realities of our individual lives, a single aim of education wouldn’t suit  everyone’s needs. Therefore we need to create opportunities that will lead a student to their own success, a success defined by the individual. After all research has shown that â€Å"the way children learn, is as unique as their fingerprints† (CAST, 2012). Including students with educational learning needs in the regular classroom will provide the children with opportunities to interact with more able peers. By interacting in small groups, students learn to listen to what others have to say, understand that they may have different perspectives, share information and ideas and express different points of view in socially acceptable ways. Although it may appear that time and considerable organisation is focused on children with educational needs, it will have a positive impact on the delivery of the curriculum. The strategies outlined can be used not only for the child in need but all other children in the class will benefit from the additional strategies that will in turn cater for the multiple ways of learning throughout the class. PART B The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is Australia’s first national framework, which forms an important written guideline for the unity of care and practices ensuring all children involved in early childhood education settings experience quality teaching (AGDEEWR, 2009). The EYLF’s curriculum supports children’s learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school. Part A mentions strategies that relate to the EYLF’s curriculum The ‘Being, Becoming and Belonging: The Early Years Learning Framework is the document used in all services implementing the National Quality Standard. It consists of a set of principals, practices and outcomes that advise educators that children have a strong sense of identity, children are connected with and contribute to their world, children have a strong sense of wellbeing, children are confident and involved learners and children are effective communicators. Strategies suggested in Part A directly relate to these outcomes from the EYLF by advocating play-based learning while recognising the importance of communication, language, social and emotional development (ACECQA, 2009). All elements are fundamental to curriculum making decisions and pedagogy in an early childhood setting. The National Quality Framework (NQF) is a tool to assist childcare providers to improve their services in the areas that  impact on a child’s development and empower families to make informed choices about which service is best for their child. The NQF has many implications for the centre, including a national legislative framework that consists of the Education and Care Services National Law and Education and Care Services National regulations, a National Quality Standard (NQS), an assessment and rating system, a regulatory authority and ACECQA. ‘The Guide to the National Quality Framework’ directs centres in implementing the framework. The National Quality Standard is responsible for administering, including approving, monitoring, and quality assessing and rating. Services are assessed and rated against the Seven Quality Areas; this ensures the organisation and its educator’s are meeting the standards and providing high-quality educational programs. The Seven Quality Areas that relate to all practices outlined in Part A, are; Educational program and practice, Children’s health and safety, Physical environment, Collaborative partnerships with families and communities, Staffing arrangements, Relationships with children, Leadership and service management. Education and Care Services National Law (Queensland) Act 2011 outlines the legislation that has implications for the service. It outlines regulations regarding inclusion and provisions. The National law establishes the ACECQA, which is responsible for ensuring that the NQF that is implemented consistently across all states and territories. The Child Care Regulation 2003 directs policies and outlines the lawful standards that implicate the service. These regulations implicate all practices and strategies outlined in Part A, by providing a directive for compliance. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sets out rights in 54 Articles and is guided by four fundamental principles. The articles are about how adults and governments should work together to make sure that all children get all their rights. The four fundamental principles are, non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, survival, development and protection and participation. These protocols have implications for the service with its outline of the basic human rights that children everywhere have. This is put in place to ensure that services are meeting the basic needs of ch ildren, to help them reach their fullest potential. Many of the rights support planning strategies outlined in part A including the right to his or her own name and identity, the right to an education, the right to be  protected from abuse or exploitation, the right to express their opinions and have these listened to and, where appropriate, acted upon and the right to play and enjoy culture and art in safety (UNICEF, 2012). The Disabilities Discrimination Act (DDA) education standards outline the obligations to assist people with a disability under the DDA. The DDA therefore has direct implications for the service when catering for children with disabilities to ensure their right to participate in educational courses and programs on the same basis as students without disability. This means a person with disability should have access to the same opportunities and choices in their education that are available to a person without disability. These policies support the planning and implementation of differentiated learning, assessment, accommodations, adjustments, re-designing and the universal design for learning. Melbourne Declaration outlines a commitment to working to support the development and strengthening of early childhood education, to provide every child with the opportunity for the best start in life and there for has implications for the service. The ‘Commitment to Action’ supports the planning for part A in such areas as developing stronger partnerships and strengthening early childhood education, advocating services to work towards smooth transitions into schools, providing parents, carers and families with information regarding equity and supporting young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens (MCEECDYA, 2008). References Ashman, A., & Elkins, J. (Eds.). (2012). Education for Inclusion and Diversity (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). (2011). Guide to the National Quality Framework. Retrieved from http://acecqa.gov.au/storage/1%20Guide%20to%20the%20NQF.pdf Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) for the council of Australian Governments (2009). Being Belonging Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra, ACT: DEEWR. CAST,inc. (2012, May 3). National centre on Universal Design for Learning: UDL at a glance [Video file]. Video posted to http://www.udlcenter.org/resource_library/videos/udlcenter/udl#video0 Churchill, Rick. (2nd Ed.). (2013). Teaching: making a difference. Milton Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. Early Childhood Australia. (2013). Managing challenging behaviour. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/learning_and_teaching/childrens_behaviour/managing_challenging_behaviour.html Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Retrieved from http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, {MCEETYA} (2003). A National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching. Retrieved January 2, 2014, from source. http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/national_framework_file.pd Module 4 – Differentiating the curriculum and universal design principles. (2014). Retrieved January 2, 2014, from http://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/resource/view.php?id=167984 National Childcare Accreditation Council. (2005). Quality Improvement and Accreditation System: Quality Practices Guide. Retrieved from http://www.ncac.gov.au/resources/qias_qpg.pdf Queensland Government. (2012). Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Retrieved from http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2013C00022 Unicef. (2012). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/crc/

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 13

Damon. Death. The words swam in my mind as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. Damon was alive. But who knew for how long? If he had been captured, he was undoubtedly weak. How could he face a ravenous beast in a battle and survive? Anger tore through my body, along with the familiar ache of my fangs elongating. I ripped down the sign with a snarl. â€Å"What is it?† she hissed, her own fangs bared. I held up the paper. â€Å"My brother,† I said, staring without comprehension at the poster. The picture made him look like a monster. My eye twitched. â€Å"The battle is in two days.† Lexi nodded, taking in the portrait. â€Å"Gallagher found him,† she said, almost to herself. I shook my head, not understanding what she meant. She sighed. â€Å"Big businessman. He owns a lot of places in town, including a two-bit circus and freak show. Always looking for curiosities to display, and people always seem to find the money to attend. Your brother–â€Å" â€Å"Damon,† I said, cutting her off. â€Å"His name is Damon.† â€Å"Damon,† Lexi said gently, tracing the image with her fingers. â€Å"He doesnt deserve this,† I said, almost to myself. â€Å"I need to help him. But † I trailed off. But what? How could I possibly save him? â€Å"Well need to find him,† Lexi decided. She brushed leaves and dirt from the back of her pants. â€Å"Do you trust me?† Did I have a choice? My hunger forgotten, I followed her through the forest and back to the wide, silent streets of the city. â€Å"Gallagher lives somewhere in the Garden District with all the other nouveaux riches. On Laurel Street, I think,† Lexi murmured as we wove our way to the center of town. â€Å"This has happened before, soon after Gallagher arrived in New Orleans five years ago.† â€Å"What happened?† I asked, following closely behind her in the shadows. â€Å"He found a vampire. Hes good at finding us. Or maybe were good at finding him. But the other vampire wasnt part of my family. And † She stopped suddenly. â€Å"What happened to him?† But Lexi merely shook her head. Wed arrived at the Garden District, where the streets were wide and the lawns hugging the sherbet-colored Victorian houses were lush and expansive. â€Å"Here.† She stopped at a pistachio-hued mansion enclosed by an open wrought-iron fence. Magnolias and calla lilies spilled over the gate, and the air smelled like mint. Just beyond, I could see an enormous herb garden that took up a fifth of the property. I recoiled as we walked closer, as the garden grew a generous amount of vervain. Lexi wrinkled her nose. â€Å"He knows all the tricks,† she said wryly. We pushed open the gate, our footsteps barely crunching the gravel on the path that circled the house. Cicadas buzzed in the sycamore trees above us, and I could hear horses pacing in the stable. And then I heard a low moan. â€Å"Hes out back,† I said. Lexi gazed up at the sky. Orange streaks were starting to peek above the horizon; it was about an hour until day broke. â€Å"Its too close to dawn,† Lexi said. â€Å"I didnt realize how late it is. I have to go.† I looked at her sharply. â€Å"Im not protected.† Her fingers fluttered to my ring, and I glanced down self-consciously. The lapus lazuli adornment had become so much a part of me, Id forgotten that it made me different from other vampires, made me able to walk in the daylight. Katherine had arranged for both Damon and me to have this protection. â€Å"Well come back tomorrow. The others can help us then,† Lexi insisted. I shook my head. â€Å"I cant leave him.† Birds chirped in the trees above us, and from somewhere nearby came the sound of glass shattering. The orange streaks in the sky grew fatter, brighter. â€Å"I understand,† Lexi said finally. â€Å"Be safe. Dont play the hero.† I nodded, scanning the grounds for any guards or animals lying in wait to attack. When I looked up, Lexi was gone and I was alone. Stealing quickly to the back of the house, I made my way toward the whitewashed stable. Horses pawed the ground nervously, obviously sensing my presence. The stable doors were padlocked with an iron bolt. I grabbed the chain, testing it. Even though Id barely fed since the previous evening, it would be easy enough to rend the chains with my bare hands. But something stopped me.Don't play the hero.Lexis words echoed in my mind. She had become my guide during the past couple of days, and I knew it was in my best interest to listen to her. Better not to leave any evidence of an intruder, better to get the lay of the land before doing anything rash. I released the chain, and it fell back against the door with a loud clanking sound. A horse whinnied. I walked to the other side of the stable, where a dusty window was open a crack. â€Å"Brother?† I whispered hoarsely through the window. The cloying scent of vervain was everywhere, making me woozy and nauseated. In the corner, a filthy figure struggled to sit up. Damon. His hands and feet were bound with chains, and his skin was covered in angry red welts. The chains must have been soaked in vervain. I winced in sympathy. Damons eyes locked on mine. â€Å"You found me,† he said, no emotion in his face. â€Å"Are you happy to see that Im close to death, brother?† â€Å"Im here to save you,† I said simply. The horses were kicking up the sawdust around their feet in agitation; I didnt have much time before someone in the house heard the disturbance. Damon shrugged, an effort that clearly took all his energy. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy. A large cut lined his forehead, slicing into his eyebrow. He looked awful and emaciated; it was clear he hadnt eaten in days. I glanced around, hoping I could find something–a squirrel, a rabbit, a chipmunk–to kill and toss to him, but there was nothing. â€Å"So the cold-blooded killer is going to save me.† Damon attempted a wan smile. He leaned back against the wall, his chains rattling. â€Å"Yes, we have to–â€Å" Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door slamming, then a dog barking. I whirled around toward the main house. â€Å"What do you think youre doing?† a voice yelled out. And I stood, my hands raised to the sky, unsure of who–or what–had found me this time.