Unique Museums Writers Can Appreciate - The Writers For Hire

UNIQUE MUSEUMS WRITERS CAN APPRECIATE As writers, we have a great appreciation for the arts. Be it the art of the written word, visual arts such as painting and photography, or musical arts and dancing—we just love creative expressions! But, is all art beautiful or good? The answer to that question can be found in the basement of the Somerville Theater in Sommerville, Massachusetts. Although currently closed for renovations, for the past decade the theater has been the host to the MOBA: The Museum of Bad Art. The museum, which was founded in 1993, is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to the collection, preservation, and exhibition of bad art. With over 700 art pieces in its collection, the MOBA has everything from a sports section to nude paintings and religious works. Although the museum is not currently accepting visitors, there is still a way for you to experience the interesting and hysterical works of art in their collection. Just go to their website, and click on â€Å"collections.† There you can take a virtual tour, that will forever change the way you look at art. Now, you may be wondering why someone would open up a museum just for bad art. That was not the strangest museum that we have stumbled across, though†¦ If you ever find yourself in Malmo, Sweden, and have an appreciation for the culinary arts, you may want to check out the Disgusting Food Museum. According to this article from HuffPost.com, the museum showcases 80 of the world’s most disgusting foods. Contrary to what you may think, though, the goal of the museum is not to gross people out. Their mission is actually to challenge people’s basic assumptions about food and test the theory that â€Å"disgust is cultural and contextual.† While delicacies such as Chinese mouse wine and maggot infested cheese do not sound exactly appealing to us, we have to admit that the idea of a disgusting foods museum is quite intriguing. And for those who are fans of Franz Kafka’s literary works (or just interesting museum designs), The Kafka Museum in Prague is sure to be a hit. The museum is full of weird, discombobulating elements, aimed to represent the chaos of Kafka’s life. Exhibits include a maze made out of filing cabinets, a â€Å"pissing statue,† and 3-D installations, among other things. The museum also features first editions of almost all of Kafka’s works, correspondence, diaries, manuscripts, photographs, drawings, and studies from literary research. There is, of course, also amuseum shopthat offers Kafka’s complete works, as well as his biographies.

JFKs inaugural address and Dear Mr President Essays - Chivalry

JFK's inaugural address and Dear Mr President Essays - Chivalry JFK's inaugural address and Dear Mr President On January 20, 1961, as on most presidential inauguration days, the nation was governed by one president until noon and by another afterward. The contrast between outgoing President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his incoming successor, John F. Kennedy, was dramatic and visible. The youngest man ever to be elected president (Kennedy was forty-three) was replacing the oldest man yet to leave the office (Eisenhower was seventy). A Democrat was replacing a Republican. A celebrated World War II combat hero was replacing the celebrated World War II supreme commander. A professional politician who had served three terms in the House of Representatives and less than two terms as the junior senator from Massachusetts was replacing a career military leader whose first and only elective office was the presidency. Most importantly, perhaps, Kennedy's election replaced a defender of caution, prudence, and restraint with an advocate of change and energetic leadership. Kennedy was the type of man that reached out to the audience and showed them that his role as president was the way to bring about change and freedom to the world. adversary during the Cold War: "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." But he also pledged that "we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." In the best-remembered phrase of his presidency, Kennedy summoned the idealism of the American people: "ask not what your country can do for youask what you can do for your country." The call was broadly appealing. It "resonated with liberals who shared Kennedy's belief in public service, and with conservatives who were weary of government handouts.

The Complete College Application Process Expert Guide

The Complete College Application Process Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you want to successfully complete the college application process and make yourself as competitive for college admission as possible, you’ll be directly or indirectly working on your college applications well before the deadlines approach. In fact, if you have any intention of applying to selective colleges, this process can really begin as early as your freshman year. In this article, I’ll describe all of the tasks you should complete to maximize your chances of getting into the best possible college. Furthermore, I’ll let you know when you should be completing these tasks so that you’re able to stay on top of the process. Feature image source: Scott Savage/Flickr Overview of the College Application Process The major components of your application that will be evaluated are your transcript, your standardized test scores, your recommendations, your personal essay, and your extracurricular activities. I'll walk you through all the steps you need to take to strengthen each component of your application. If you follow my advice and timeline, you'll make yourself an extremely strong candidate for any college. Read on to learn the specific things you should be doing and when to do them. Take the Right Classes When to start: Before freshman year Colleges will evaluate you based on the classes you’ve taken. The most selective schools want to admit students who have challenged themselves and are willing to push themselves academically. You don’t have to take every single honors and AP course that’s offered at your school, but if you want to get into a top college, you should be able to demonstrate that you can excel in some of the hardest courses that are available to you. Also, it's best to take the most difficult classes in the subjects related to your academic strengths or your intended major. You should begin thinking about whichclasses totake before your freshman year of high school. In many schools, the math or foreign language class you take during your freshman year will determine what level you’re able to reach when you’re a senior in high school. Spend ample time considering which classes to takeand whether those classes will allow you to pursue your academic interests and reach your college goals. Specifically, consider whichscience, math, history, foreign language, English, elective, and AP classes you should take. Challenging yourself makes you stronger. Get Good Grades When to start: Freshman year I think this is pretty obvious, but your grades matter to colleges. The majority of colleges will focus on your sophomore and junior year grades, but schoolswill also look at your freshman and senior year grades. Also, your high school GPA is typically calculated from your grades from all four years of high school. You should try to maintain the mentality that every semester counts, and do as well as you can each year of high school. For inspiration and useful information, check out our article on how to get a 4.0 GPA and better grades. Excel in Extracurriculars When to start: Freshman year Other than your grades and test scores, your extracurricular activities probably have the biggest influence on the quality of your college application. Colleges, especially the most selective ones, want their students to have exceptional achievements outside of the classroom, and they’re looking for individuals who use their leisure time to pursue their passions. You should participate in extracurricular activities throughout high school. Colleges prefer to see a sustained commitment to your activities; it’s more impressive to do one activity for four years and continue to show growth in that activity than it is to do four activities for one year each. Some students believe they need to be well-rounded and do a ton of extracurriculars; however, for college admissions, it may be more advantageous for you to develop a â€Å"spike† and exhibit excellence in a particular activity or field. Instead of playing every sport, writing for the school newspaper, participating in speech and debate, and joining student government, you may be better served to focus your extracurricularefforts on becoming a superstar field hockey player. Or, if you're passionate about science, you may want to spend your free time creating an award-winning project for science fair or competing in Science Olympiad. If you have multiple interests, it's perfectly acceptable to explore all of them; just keep in mind that you don't have to do every possible extracurricular to get into a great college, and, generally, reaching the highest level in a given activity requires such an incredible time commitment that you won't have time to participate in many other activities outside of school. Learn what to do if you’re struggling to find extracurriculars. Also, when you’re filling out your college applications, know how to write about your extracurriculars. Maybe the marching band is a good extracurricular for you. Image source:Utah Department of Transportation/Flickr Rock Your Standardized Tests When to start: Sophomore year Even though some colleges have minimized the importance of standardized tests in admissions, your standardized test scores are still a crucial component of your application to most colleges. I advise starting your studying for the SAT/ACT during your sophomore year. Also, you may want to take the PSAT or PreACT during your sophomore year to familiarize yourself with standardized tests. To give yourself the best chance of reaching your target score and to decrease your stress level, we recommend first taking your SAT/ACT in the fall of your junior year. If you don’t reach your target score on your first attempt, you can do more studying and retake the test in the spring of your junior year. If you achieve the score you’re hoping for by the end of your junior year, you’ll have more time duringyour senior year to focus on your schoolwork, extracurriculars, and college applications. If you’re still unsatisfied with your score at the end of your junior year, you have more time to study over the summer and retake the test in the fall. Make sure you know when is the last time you can take the SAT/ACT. Your deadline for taking the SAT/ACT is dependent upon the specific schools you apply to and whether or not you apply early. For most schools, for early decision, you have to take the SAT/ACT by October or November of your senior year, and for regular decision, you have to take the SAT/ACT by December of your senior year. However, there are a few colleges that will accept the January SAT or the February ACT. If you’re considering applying to a school that requires SAT Subject Tests, I also recommend taking those by the end of your junior year. Research Colleges When to start: Junior year Before you apply to college, you need to know which colleges to apply to. You can start learning about colleges as early as your freshman year, especially if you want to get an idea of what you need to do to be a competitive applicant, but you should actively research colleges starting in your junior year at the latest. Use college search websites, finders, guidebooks, and ranking lists to help find colleges that would be a good fit for you. You can also use college fairs and tours to gain more exposure to different colleges and get a better idea of what you’re looking for in a school. By the start of your senior year of high school, you should have a list of colleges to apply to. I recommend applying to reach schools, target schools, and at least a couple of safety schools. College Fair fun. Image source:Patrick Giblin/Flickr Get Superb Recommendations When to start: Spring of junior year Recommendations are also an important part of your college applications. Colleges want assessments from others on your abilities as a student and your character. Be aware of what constitutes a good recommendation and how to ask for a letter of recommendation. It’s best to initially ask teachers to write your recommendations in the spring of your junior year. By asking early, you’ll be able to get your teachers to agree before they become inundated with requests during your senior year, and they’ll have more time to think about what they’re going to write. Make sure you know whom to ask to write your letters. At the beginning of your senior year, you can submit formal requests for your recommendation letters. Also, for your reference, check out these recommendation letters that got a student admitted to Harvard and other Ivy League schools. Write Outstanding College Essays When to start: Summer before senior year Writing your college essays is the most challenging and time-consuming part of the actual application process. Learn everything you need to know about the college essay and how to come up with great college essay ideas.I recommend starting to work on your college essays during the summer before your senior year. The absolute latest you'd want to wait isthe beginning of your senior year, as soon as you’ve finalized thelist of colleges you’re applying to. Even though college essays aren’t particularly long, in my experience, they do take much longer than you’d anticipate, and you’re less likely to be able to write good essays if you wait until the last minute to start. Give yourself enough time to have a trusted teacher or counselor proofread your essays. And you’ll also need time to revise them. Obviously, the essays have to be completed before you submit your applications. If you’re applying early, most deadlines are in mid-November. If you’re applying regular decision, most deadlines are around January 1st. Make sure you keep track of deadlines forthe schools you’re applying to because deadlines will vary. For example, the application deadline for University of California schools is November 30th. Final Thoughts and Additional Steps For most students, the steps listed above are the major components of the college application process. However, some of you may have to do extra work depending on your situation and the colleges you apply to. For example, if you're an aspiring college athlete, you may participate in the athletic recruiting process. If you're applying to an art school or program, you may have to make an art portfolio. Also, some colleges recommend or require interviews. If you interview, know what questions to ask and prepare for. For those of you seeking financial aid, you’ll have to go through the financial aid process, and you may want to apply for scholarships. You should find out the status of earlyapplications in mid-December and regular applications by late March. Then, you may find yourself with multiple options and have to face the task ofchoosing a college. While the application process can feel overwhelming and incredibly stressful, you can minimize your stress by having a plan and avoiding procrastination. Don’t worry too much. Regardless of what you do, there’s no absolute guarantee that you’ll get into the most selective colleges, but if you try hard and follow our advice, you’ll get into a good college and develop the attributes that will enable your future success. What's Next? If you're looking for an example of what you need to do to get into the best colleges, check out this successful Harvard application. Perhaps you've heard people reference Ivy League schools, but you're not exactly sure what they are. Learn about Ivy League colleges and read our article ranking the Ivy League schools. Finally, figure out where in the country you should go to college. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Islamic Banking and finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Islamic Banking and finance - Essay Example t, lack of technological support and sophistication for dealing with long drawn projects and existence of information asymmetry in relation to unique products offered by Islamic banks (Abduh and Omah, 2012). The paper is aimed at a detailed discussion of Islamic Banking development and foundations that lay the basis for their banking system. The paper attempts to understand critical aspects of the Islamic banking system and one of its critical schemes of profit and loss sharing mechanism within their lending process. Through an understanding of the PLS structure, the paper comprehends reasons for its unpopularity and reduced acceptance over other modes of finance, despite its evident advantages. The identification of problems also brings forth solution to problems associated with PLS finance. The paper makes recommendations to improve and revive the PLS finance based on such comprehensive analysis. With independence of Muslim community, it has been increasingly felt that modern financial institutions need to come into the Islamic Banking system and run in compliance with the Islamic sensitivity. The first degree of concrete steps towards combining modern day finance with Islam was seen in Egypt through Mit Ghamur project of savings in 1963 (Al-Alwani and El-Ansary, 1998). This project refrained from calling themselves to be Islamic in nature, yet there was an inherent culture of providing financial intermediation, as per teachings of the Islamic community. Dubai Islamic Bank was the first of its kind in commercial modern Islamic Banking and was founded in 1975 (Thomas, 2006). Out of a total of 176 Islamic banks as of 2006 that have been registered with Bankscope, 70% have been reported to be concentrated in Middle East. The remaining is split between South East Asia with 17% and Sub-Saharan Africa with 15% (Al-Hejailan, 2000). The report by Alvi (2010) also states that develop ment of organizational structures towards more sophisticated financial instruments like,

Gross Domestic Product and Living Standards Essay

Gross Domestic Product and Living Standards - Essay Example This paper is being carried out to evaluate and present three equivalent approaches in calculating the GDP: the value-added approach which looks at the production of firms; the income approach which determines where firms spend their revenues; and expenditures approach which assesses where households spent their income (How Do We Measure GDP 1). Though all these approaches come up with the same value for GDP, the most commonly used method is the expenditure approach. In this equation, consumption and investment represent the amount spent on final goods and services. Meanwhile, the export minus imports in the equation which is often referred to as net exports is a method of adjusting the expenditures on goods produced abroad (imports) and adding back in the products and services not consumed domestically (exports).  where private consumption represents most of households expenditures on food, housing, etc.; where government consumption represents the sum of governments spending on f inal goods and services such as salaries of the public servant, purchase of weapons for the military, etc.; where investment is defined as business investment in the economy, and net exports show the difference between gross exports and gross imports (Gross Domestic Product 2-8). GDP is one of the most popular measurements of wealth in a certain country. As discussed above, GDP measures the amount of production in a certain economy on an annual basis. Since the amount of production is an indication of how much input an economy has and how efficient its technology is in converting these input into final goods and services, it is also a potent indicator of the capacity and capability of an economy. A rise in real GDP indicates a rise in the overall production which also signals more efficiency in the economy in the utilization of its resources. Using another approach, the GDP is also an implication of the amount of wealth in the country as it sums up the expenditures of all the player s in the economy. Viewing it in another way, GDP is an indication of how much money each sector has in the economy to be able to purchase final goods and services. In short, GDP is an indicator of a country's purchasing power as GDP represents the sum of purchases all the economy players make in a year. GDP is therefore argued as one of the indicators of an economy's standard of living as an increase in GDP signifies more goods and services being produced and consumed (GDP and Living Standards 1).  GDP can also be used as an indicator of the problems that an economy faces at a certain time. As GDP is composed of the performances of actors in the economy, the equation is used to pinpoint a certain sector which is not performing efficiently. For example, a decrease in GDP is observed in a certain year. The cause of the contraction of the GDP can be traced in the equation by looking at the values recorded by different players.  

Imam Ghazalis Philosophy Of Education

Imam Ghazalis Philosophy Of Education Man has been created as a vicegerent of GOD in the world. And in order to enable him to fulfill his trust-that is to reform the earth and establish a just socio-moral order in this world. GOD has endowed him with two types of Knowledge:(1)Acquisitional Knowledge,and (2)Revelational Knowledge. The potentials for acquisitional knowledge i-e eyes, ears, head and heart have been laid into human constitution. By virtue of these potentialities, man is capable of generating conceptual and creative knowledge, something which is an exclusive characteristic of human beings. This form of knowledge can help man in the conquest of nature. While revelational knowledge consists of the guidance of God. Revelational knowledge gives man the basic wisdom and values that may help him in conquest of his own animal nature. Islam insists that both these forms of knowledge are central to human existence. From this context, it is apparent, that the role objective of own system of education ought to be to prepare our succeeding generations for the successful fulfillments of that duties of vicegerency in this world. Given this background, the importance of knowledge and education in Islam cannot be over-emphasized; hence my interest in this field. In this dissertation, my main focus is on Imam Ghazali,s philosophy of education, In order to assess the value of Imam Ghazali,s philosophy of education, It seems imperative to examine in brief the Quranic guideline for the attainment of knowledge and education. This will serve as our criterion in the light of which we will evaluate Imam Ghazali,s philosophy of education. Of course, the ultimate objective of this whole exercise is to see as to how far we can draw any guidance from these sources in the process of the reconstruction of our own system of education .It may be recalled that there is an internal and external pressure on our state and society to secularise our system of education .One of the central themes of our thesis would be to assess as to what type of education would suit our national needs ; that is how far we can depart from our socio-cultural norms and values Islam is an Arabic word which literally means obedience and peace. ISLAM is derived from the Arabic root SALEMA: peace, purity, submission and obedience. So Islam means total submission to God. According to Oxford English Dictionary Islam is the religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the prophet of Allah. Knowledge (ilm) occupies a significant position within Islam. The first word of the first revelation of the Quran was Iqra READ! Seek knowledge! Educate yourselves! Be educated. Iqra also implies teach others, educate them (and transform them). Islam is the religion of knowledge. Islam and education are inter connected. The importance of education has been described at many places in the Holy Quran. The first aayah of the Quran is about education Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not [al-Alaq 96:1-5] Man is the superior creature of God because He has given him the high capability of understanding. He provided them the tools to understand the knowledge And Allà ¢h has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you know nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks (to Allà ¢h) [al-Nahl 16:78] Knowledge is so much important in Islam that Allah (SWT) commanded The prophet Muhammad to seek more of it. Allah says: and say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge [Ta-Ha 20:114] Knowledge is the great gift of Allah to the human beings The Holy Quran says: Whoever is given wisdom and knowledge is blessed with bounties in good abundance. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:272) The Holy Quran says: Those who are belivers among you and the learned, God will increase their rank.. (Surah al-Mujadilah, 58:11) The prophet (pbuh) has stressed upon the significance of knowledge and its importance in the life of the human beings Learned are the heirs of the prophets He said: Whatever is in the heaven and the earth, seeks forgiveness for the learned If a man seeks the path of acquiring knowledge, God guides him to a path leading to paradise Imam Ghazalis Philosophy of Education Al-Ghazali is one of the greatest Islamic Jurists, theologians and a mystic .Imam Al Ghazali has a unique position in the history of muslim religious and philosophical thought. His contribution in the field of knowledge is very substantial .He is one of the most influential scholar in the history of Islam. He has been acclaimed as the Proof of Islam (hujjat al-Islam), the Ornament of Faith (zain al-din) and the Renewer of Religion (mujaddid). The main theme of the educational philosophy of the Imam Ghazali is the concept of God and God with the world and the mankind .The true knowledge according to imam Ghazali is the Knowledge of God. The true learned man is one who comes close to ones creator and who is busy in seeking the happiness of God. According to Imam Ghazali knowledge is to gain happiness in the hereafter and nearness to God. Knowledge is the root of good fortune in this world and in the next. The result of knowledge is to enjoy nearness of God, to keep company with the angels and the pious divines which are objects of the next world and its result in this world is honour, influence over ruler and the people. Ghazali called it the happiness of the next world: Knowledge is precious for its own sake, because with its help the happiness of the next word and Divine vision can be gained. Kinds of Knowledge Imam Ghazali identifies the difference between the revealed and the acquisitional knowledge: Knowledge is of two kinds knowledge of practical religion and knowledge of spiritual matters Imam Ghazali categorises the learning about the duties: Those which are connected to the religion .The religious learning are those which come from the Holy prophet and an absolute compliance from man is expected . Those which are not so connected to the religion, these are mathematics, medicine etc. The first one is called Farz-e-Ain and the other is called Farz-e-kafaya or binding. Imam Ghazali classifies the sciences into three categories: Praise worthy Sciences: The sciences which are beneficial up to the end is the science of knowing God, His attributes and His works, His laws effecting this world and the hereafter. This is the science which is sought for its own attributes and by which the blessing of the hereafter is gained. Blame worthy Sciences: The learning which are blame worthy are sorcery, talismanic sciences, juggling, gambling and the like Permissible Knowledge: The learning which are permissible are poetry, History, geography, biology etc. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The underling purpose of this study is to analyze the role of Imam Ghazli and his philosophy of education for the awakening of the Muslims to realize the importance of the true knowledge and its significance in the life of human beings. The study will also show as to how far Imam Ghazali develops his philosophy of education in consonance with the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah of the prophet. Attempt will also be made to assess as to how far this philosophy can help to improve our present day system of education. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To make the students realize the true meaning of knowledge. To make the students aware about the main purpose behind acquiring Knowledge in the light of Quranic guidance. To assess the aims and objectives of Imam Ghazalis Philosophy of education. To know and understand his philosophy in the Islamic perspective. To make the students and teachers realize that Islamic education along with the modern education can lead us to improve childs social moral and ethical development. To change our present day education system which may accommodate modern developments in knowledge along with the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Our main thrust ought to be: Be a scientist; but in the midst of all your sciences be still a man. In fact, in Islam there is no tension between science and religion. Science, for instance, tries to understand nature that surrounds us, and it is expected that man will Find God in and through his study of nature a great manifestation of God. Religion, on the other hand, is a moral and spiritual guidance of God to man with the help of which he can engage himself in the conquest of his own nature. In the ultimate run, all knowledge is supposed to marry us to God and through God we are supposed to know and understand other things that are HIS creations. So there is no tension between science and religion. Science helps us in the conquest of human nature while religion helps us in the conquest of human nature. METHODOLOGY Since the research study is exploratory so the data will be collected from secondary sources. For this purpose the main focus will be to study the original text. EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE HOLY QURAN by Dr.Mahar Abdul Haq will guide us about The Quran and the Islamic traditions (sunnah) emphasis on knowledge. Imam Ghazalis IHYA ULUM-ID-DIN will help us to know about Imam Ghazalis educational contribution. Different books will be selected about Imam Ghazali and his Educational philosophy and data will be collected mostly from these. The purpose of this would be to extract his philosophy of education from these books/works Attempt will be made to see as to whether or not we can draw any guideline for the improvement of our current system of education. OUTLINE OF THE STUDY The research thesis will be organized into five chapters which are briefly given below. Chapter 1: Chapter one will deal with the introduction of the research thesis, and will highlight its background and significance. Chapter 2: This chapter will offer a review of related Literature. Literature about the Quranic guidance towards education will be emphisized,In the light of which we will evaluate Imam Ghazalis contributions Chapter 3: Chapter Three would highlight the methodology of this study. Chapter 4: Here an attempt will be made to highlight the significance of knowledge in the light of Quran. Chapter 5: This chapter will cover Imam Ghazalis work as an educationist. Chapter 6: An attempt will be made to assess the Quranic guidance for knowledge and Imam Ghazalis philosophy of education. Finally we would also examine its relevance to our own time and its application to the contemporary issues. BIBIOGRAPHY Saiydain, K.G.(1942) Iqbals Educational Philosophy,Lahore. Abdullah Yusaf Ali(1934)The Holy Quran Text, Translation Commentry,Kitab Bhavan New Delhi. Karim Fazul (1993) Ihya Ulum-ID-Din,Darul-Ishat,Urdu Bazar Karachi Pakistan. Abdul hakim Malik(2007)Trilingual Index of the Holy Quran One volume Encyclopedia,5th edition,Ministry of Religious Affairs pakistan. http://www.sunnah.org/history/Scholars/imam_alghazali.htm http://www.ibe.unesco.org/publications/ThinkersPdf/ghazalie.pdf http://www.aub.edu.lb/fas/cvsp/Documents/reading_selections/CVSP%20202/Al-ghazali.pdf http://www.ghazali.org/articles/gz1.htm

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 13

I walked back to my room, unsure what to think. Vampiros. Vampires. The word sounded wrong, no matter what language it was in. Coyotes. That was a word that made sense. After all, a coyote was just like a wolf, a wild animal drawn to the confusing tangle of the deep Virginia woods. If Rosalyn was killed by a coyote, it would be tragic, but understandable. But for Rosalyn to be killed by a demon? I laughed, the sound coming out like a short bark as I strode into my bedroom and sat with my head in my hands. My headache had returned with renewed vigor, and I remembered Emily's request that I not eat Cordelia's cooking. On top of everything else, it seemed the servants were turning on each other. Suddenly, I heard three soft raps on the door. The sound was so slight it might be the wind, which had shown no sign of stopping since we got back from the woods. â€Å"Hello?† I called hesitantly. The raps started again, more insistently this time. On the other side of the room, the cotton curtains blew violently in the wind. â€Å"Alfred?† I called, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Father's tale had definitely affected me. â€Å"I won't be needing dinner,† I called affected me. â€Å"I won't be needing dinner,† I called loudly. I grabbed a letter opener from my desk and held it behind my back as I headed cautiously toward the door. But just as I placed my hand on the doorknob, the door began to swing inward. â€Å"This isn't funny!† I called, half hysterical, when all of a sudden, a figure in pale blue slipped into the room. Katherine. â€Å"Good, because humor has never been one of my strong points,† Katherine said, her smile revealing her straight, white teeth. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I blushed and hastily dropped the letter opener onto the desk. â€Å"I'm just †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Y ou're still recovering.† Katherine's brown eyes locked with my own. â€Å"I'm sorry to startle you.† She sat down on the center of my bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. â€Å"Y our brother's worried about you.† â€Å"Oh †¦,† I stammered. I couldn't believe that Katherine Pierce had come into my bedroom and was sitting on my bed, as if it were perfectly normal. No woman, except my mother and Cordelia, had ever been in my sleeping chambers. I was suddenly embarrassed by my muddy boots in one corner, the pile of china dishes in another, and the Shakespeare volume still open on the desk. â€Å"Do you want to know a secret?† Katherine asked. I stood at the door, clutching the brass doorknob. â€Å"Maybe?† I asked hesitantly. â€Å"Come closer and I'll tell you.† She beckoned me with her finger. Townspeople were scandalized if a couple went walking to the Wickery Bridge without a chaperone. But here Katherine was without a chaperone–or stockings, for that matter –perched on my bed, asking me to join her there. There was no way I could resist that. I gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. Immediately she flipped onto her hands and knees and crawled over to me. Pushing her hair over one shoulder, she cupped my ear with her hand. â€Å"My secret is that I've been worried about you, too,† she whispered. Her breath was unnaturally cold against my cheek. My leg muscles twitched. I knew I should demand that she leave, right away. But instead I inched closer to her. â€Å"Really?† I whispered. â€Å"Yes,† Katherine murmured, looking deep into my eyes. â€Å"Y need to forget Rosalyn.† ou I shivered and glanced away from Katherine's dark-brown eyes toward the window, watching a fast-moving summer storm sweep in. Katherine took my chin in her ice-cold hands and turned my eyes back to hers. â€Å"Rosalyn is dead,† she continued, her face full of sorrow and kindness. â€Å"But you aren't. Rosalyn wouldn't have wanted you to shut yourself away like a criminal. No one would want that for their betrothed, don't you agree?† I nodded slowly. Even though Damon had told me the same thing, the words made infinitely more sense when coming from Katherine's mouth. Her lips curved in a small smile. â€Å"Y ou'll find happiness again,† she said. â€Å"I want to help you. But you have to let me, sweet Stefan.† Katherine laid her hand against my forehead. I felt a surge of heat and ice converging at my temple. I flinched from the force of it, disappointment welling in my chest as Katherine's hand dropped back into her lap. â€Å"Are those the flowers I picked for you?† Katherine asked suddenly, looking across the room. â€Å"Y ou've shoved them into the corner without any light!† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. She imperiously swung her legs off the bed and bent to take the basket from under my desk. She drew the shades, then stared at me, her arms crossed over her chest. My breath caught in my throat. Her light-blue crepe dress highlighted her tiny waist, and her necklace lay at the hollow of her neck. She was undeniably beautiful. She plucked a daisy from the bunch, removing the petals one by one. â€Å"Y esterday I saw a servant child play a silly game–he loves me, he loves me not.† She laughed, but then her smile abruptly turned solemn. â€Å"What do you think the answer would be?† And suddenly, she stood above me, her hands on my shoulders. I inhaled her scent of ginger and lemon, unsure what to say, knowing only that I wanted to feel her hands on my shoulders forever. â€Å"Would the answer be he loves me †¦ or he loves me not?† Katherine asked, leaning toward me. My body began quivering with a desire I didn't know I possessed. My lips were mere inches away from hers. â€Å"What's the answer?† Katherine asked, biting her lip in the impression of a shy maiden. I laughed despite myself. I felt as if I were watching the scene unfold, powerless to stop what I was about to do. I knew this was wrong. Sinful. But how could it be sinful if every fiber of my being wanted it more than anything? Rosalyn was dead. Katherine was alive. And I was alive, too, and I needed to start acting like it. If what Father said was true, and I was about to fight the battle of my life between good and evil, then I needed to learn to have confidence in myself and my choices. I needed to stop thinking and start believing in myself, in my convictions, in my desires. â€Å"Do you really need me to answer?† I asked, reaching for her waist. I grabbed her and pulled her onto the bed with a strength I didn't know I her onto the bed with a strength I didn't know I possessed. She shrieked in delight and tumbled onto the bed next to me. Her breath was sweet, and her hands were cold and holding mine, and suddenly, nothing else–not Rosalyn, not my father's demons, not even Damon–mattered.