Psycho Persuasive Essay Essay Example

Psycho Persuasive Essay Essay Psychological you expect it to be really hard to change the audiences perception of a character within moments of the characters Introduction? Alfred Hitchcock made It seem almost easy In the movie, Psycho. The sinister nature of Norman Bates was revealed and enhanced through the use of symbolism to set the mood, foreshadowing in regards to Normals mindset and lighting to establish Normals darker aspects. In scenes where Norman Bates was present, symbolism was an important aspect used to establish the eerie mood that he set. From the beginning, Norman Bates was perceived as a shy and nervous, but still friendly sort of hereafter. He seemed to have a crush on Maroon but she already had a man. This lead to audience sympathy which soon changes to an uncomfortable feeling when his hobby of taxidermy is revealed. The stuffed birds in the movie often symbolize and reflect certain characters personality. In the case of Norman, the birds used to symbolize are mainly shown in the parlous scene where he is eating dinner with Marion. There is a large owl with its wings spread out on one side and an equally large crow on the other side of the room. There are also smaller birds Like sparrows n the table next to where Maroon Is sitting. We will write a custom essay sample on Psycho Persuasive Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Psycho Persuasive Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Psycho Persuasive Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Owls and crows are mainly predator birds and as they are shown looming dauntingly over the sparrows, this could symbolize Normals predator status over Marion. This is the first thing that symbolizes his sinister nature as it shows him having a superior power over her. The use of birds could also symbolize his conflict with his mother when he states, But shes harmless. Shes as harmless as one of these stuffed birds. This statement could be restated as he thinks of her as harmless because she is dead and unresponsive Like his stuffed birds. This sets a creepy mood In the scene and enhances his sinister nature as he doesnt show much regard to the fact that hes comparing his mother to a dead bird. These examples prove that symbolism is very important when establishing the mood that Norman is setting in a particular scene. Much of the symbolism used also leads to revelations made in the future so these examples also lead to foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is another key aspect used in enhancing the sinister and creepy personality of Norman Bates as It gives you Insight Into his mindset and starts leading you to taking Inferences on his sanity. For example, during the dinner in the parlous scene, Marion asks Norman if hes ever considered sending his mother away to an institution as a way of getting away from her controlling nature. Though she didnt mean it offensively, he is immediately angered and says, A boys best friend is his mother. and We all ago little mad sometimes. This could mean that his mother is an Incredibly vital part of his life as he Is defending her. It Is an example of foreshadowing as it leads to revelations later on where she Is such a huge part of his life because she basically Is him or his other reason. Another example of foreshadowing would be when he says, Shes as harmless as one of those stuffed birds. As those birds are dead, it would be foreshadowing because it is basically implying that his mother is also dead. Foreshadowing is also shown in the scene where Norman dumps Marinas car (which also el n a newer AAA Day In It) as en Is seen smelling Wendell ten car slinks Any normal person would be fretting anxiously and freaking out, probably not smirking as they commit a crime. This example would be foreshadowing as it shows him possibly paving some sort of psychotic disorder because he doesnt act as a sane person would and it lead to revelations of how in the end, he did actually have a mental issue. Therefore, foreshadowing is a very important aspect used in the film to support, enhance and give greater understanding to Norman Bates mindset and way of thinking. Equally as important as foreshadowing in the movie is also the lighting used to establish a darker characteristic in Norman. Lighting is an important tool used in the movie that supports details about Norman being a dark and sinister hereafter. Though it is a black and white movie, Alfred Hitchcock did a marvelous Job showing the differences between a good character and bad character with the use of lighting. The lighting would get darker or brighter in a different scene depending on whether it is Norman that is being shown or an opposing character. For example, when Marion and Norman were talking in the parlous, Marion always seemed to be brighter than everything else while there was a constant shadow surrounding Norman. This was particularly strange as they were in the same room and the cackling was also the same for the two of them. This supports the idea that Norman is the antagonist as he is shown in the shadows which is most often accompanied with dark characters in movies. Another example of how lighting enhances his evil persona would be during the shower scene. Everything in the bathroom is all white and illuminated but as the psycho approaches, there is a darkness that fills the entire room as Norman (or Mother) approaches to kill Marion. This was very effective to showcase his character as it made him seem really dark and unapproachable. A IANAL example would be at the very end of the movie, when Normals psychological disorder is revealed and Mother has taken over. This scene uses lighting to enhance his sinister character effectively as the entire room is well lit yet he still has hooded eyelids and shadows surrounding his eye-nose-mouth region to imply his dark nature. This effect was created by having light shine directly over his head which lead to the shadows that were on his face and another revelation about his dark nature. This evidence from the movie proves that lighting was a very relevant and effective technique to use when trying to portray Norman Bates evil character. With the use of techniques like symbolism, foreshadowing and lighting one can really influence how the audience perceive a character in a movie. In conclusion, we can see that these three aspects were used effectively in Psycho to correctly portray the sinister characteristics of Norman Bates as they all showcased how he changed from an innocent protagonist into the evil, psycho antagonist that we know him as. Therefore, no symbolism, no foreshadowing, no lighting = no psycho?

Historical Changes in the Employment Laws in US

Historical Changes in the Employment Laws in US Chronology of employment laws The Clayton Act was enacted in 1914, with the intention of establishing legal protection for organized labor. There was a need to assert the position of labor in the face of antitrust legislations, and this is what the law was intended to achieve. In 1926, the Railways Act was passed. It was meant to encourage collective bargaining among employers, and prohibit discrimination against unions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Changes in the Employment Laws in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Davis-Bacon Act was passed by Congress in 1931, to address the problem of wage payment in the construction industry. Its provisions required a contract for construction into which the federal government entered, to specify the minimum wage to be paid to laborers employed under that contract (Federal Labor Laws, n.d). In order to increase protection for union activities and collective b argaining, Congress passed the Norris-NaGuardia Act in 1932. The Act legalized strikes and other collective ways of dealing with labor issues, and also prohibited the enforcement of ‘yellow dog’ agreements or contracts through the courts of law. The National Industry Recovery Act was enacted in 1933, and congress intended to set standards of ‘fair competition’, by regulating regular working hours and wages (Federal Labor Laws, n.d).. The National Labor Relations Act-1935 was passed by Congress in order to regulate labor relations among employees whose activities affected interstate commerce, except those in the agricultural sector. The Act also established the NLRB, through which labor disputes would be handled, and prohibited employers from engaging in any of the prohibited unfair practices. In 1936, Congress enacted the Walsh-Healy Act, whose intention was to restrict the regular working hours, establish minimum wages and regulate the employment of childr en and ex-convicts (Federal Labor Laws, n.d). In order to introduce some limitations to the rights enjoyed by trade unions, Congress enacted the National Labor Relations Act in 1947. The Act introduced measures to delay or avert ‘emergency strikes’ and prohibited the discriminative ‘closed shop’ practices of trade unions. The Equal Pay Act was passed by congress in 1963 to prohibit the act of paying different amounts of money to male and female employees, only because they were male or female. This law was also enacted in order to protect employees from retaliation, if they filed complaints against their employers.Advertising Looking for essay on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Civil Rights Act of 1964, was enacted to protect the rights of individuals, and to prohibit various actions by employers that the law classified as discriminatory (Federal Labor Laws, n.d). This list is not exhaustive, and many more employment laws exist in the US. In the recent past, there has been a marked increase in the calls for equality and protection from discrimination at the work place. Legislations such as The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 all prohibit different types of discriminations. These legislative efforts have led to the reduction of discrimination at the work place, as these laws prescribe heavy penalties for the commission of prohibited acts by employers and their agents. Scenario Discrimination at the workplace on the basis of sex is prohibited by employment laws in the United States (EEOC, n.d). There are several options that an aggrieved party can pursue in order to have his/her grievance addressed. These options include; internal dispute resolution procedures at the workplace, filing a complaint with the EEOC, or litigation among others (EEOC, n.d). If an employee files a complaint against the employer, he/she is protected from retaliation by the law. Smith has a case against the company for retaliation, since the law prohibits retaliatory acts by the employer against an employee who files a complaint against it. The remedies available to a victim of retaliation include; compensatory damages for expenses or losses that he/she may have incurred as a result of the retaliatory act, and punitive damages to punish the employer especially where the act was malicious or reckless (EEOC, n.d). Before he can recover, Smith will have to prove; that he exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanisms laid down by the company before proceeding to the EEOC, and that he suffered damage or loss as a result of the retaliatory act. He will also have to establish the company’s vicarious liability for the acts of the offending party in order to recover against it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Changes in the Emp loyment Laws in US specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References EEOC. (n.d.). Sex-Based Discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sex.cfm Federal Labor Laws. (n.d.). Web.

Social Mentions For Mobile The Best Way To Interact On Social Media

Social Mentions For Mobile The Best Way To Interact On Social Media You’re a Type A marketer who is ALWAYS on the go. Commuting between home and work†¦ Rushing to meetings†¦ Occasionally stealing 5 minutes to grab a latte†¦ #noshame But just because you’re away from the desk, doesn’t mean you stop working! Which meansyou need a mobile app that can keep up with you. An app with the same functionality as the desktop version†¦ with a slick interface for creating + editing foolproof social messages on the fly. Which is why I’m excited to announce ’s Mobile Refresh  and newest feature, Social @Mentions for Mobile! Focus on being an amazing ( + mistake-free) marketer and easily interact with your audience on social media, even when you’re on the go. With the Mobile Refresh and *new* Social @Mentions for Mobile, you can: Avoid (facepalm) mistakes and compose messages FASTER. With the mobile refresh, you get a NEW distraction-free message composer with larger font sizes and bolder colorsmaking it even easier to review your messages (and avoid mistakes) on the go. Add @mentions  to your social messages on the fly!  No more jumping from mobile to desktop just to add a @mention in a social message. With Social @Mentions  for Mobile, you can easily engage + interact with your audience on Facebook, Twitter, AND Instagram directly from your mobile device. Which means you can stay connected with your audience (and avoid any finger flubs) grab that latte†¦Ã°Å¸Ëœ  Thanks to a mobile app that can *actually* keep up with you.

Project MKUltra Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project MKUltra - Research Paper Example Project MKUltra scope is broad, with research happening within 80 institutions including colleges, universities, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and prisons. CIA operated through the institutions using some front organizations though the top officials from these institutions knew of the involvement of CIA. The Project MKUltra came to public in 1975 by US congress church committee and the Gerald Ford Commission in order to investigate on the activities of CIA in United States. However, the investigative efforts suffered adversely when Richard Helms, the CIA director, ordered destruction to MKUltra files. This compelled investigators to rely on sworn testimony directly from participants and few documents that survived the destruction order by Helm. A 20,000 documents cache emerged in 1977 through a freedom of Information request. This led to senate hearings in the same year, and in 2001, there was declassification of surviving information on MKUltra.1 Goals of MKUltra The agency used a lot of money to examine the methods used in controlling and influencing the mind, as well as enhancing the ability of extracting information from resistant subject when interrogating them. CIA attempted to focus the attention of the media on programs to divert the attention of people on the major goal of the research, which developed effective interrogation and torture methods. The substances used promoted impulsiveness and illogical thinking to a level of discrediting the recipient in public. Such substances enabled the subjects withstand torture, coercion and torture during interrogation, and enhanced mental confusion such that an individual cannot maintains any fabrication. In 19532, a secret memorandum granted up to 6 percent of CIA research budget to MKUltra with accounting or oversight. The LSD drug distorted sense of reality of a person. The administration of drugs targeted helpless people with no ability to fight back, and also to the officials of CIA, doctors and military personnel. However, the administration happened without the subjects’ informed consent or knowledge. After the administration, subjects answered questions in the presence of doctors, with stern warnings of punishment in case they failed to reveal the secrets. This aimed at bringing out drugs which irresistibly triggered deep confessions. Other drugs triggered a person to sl eep so that interrogators may ask questions and get answers with much ease. This enabled CIA asks questions, and sometime gets useful answers. Deaths The CIA destroyed most records purposely and failed in following up informed consent when administering the drugs. However, project MKUltra caused several deaths such as those of Frank Olson of United States Army and other CIA officials. CIA used the biological materials in their covert operations. In January 1953, Harold Blauer died after administration of secret army experiment using MDA. Legal Issues Associated with MKUltra Revelations of the army and CIA prompted most survivors and subjects file several lawsuits against the federal government for engaging in experiments without the informed consent. Despite the government trying to evade legal liability, most plaintiffs received compensation through court orders. The CIA and Army director also met together with victims offer their apologies. The Army and CIA had previously sought a successful incrimination of the information, and secretly

World History Bringing it All Together Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World History Bringing it All Together - Essay Example Witness, for example, the impact of gunpowder; not only its role in the early Mongol invasions of Japan, but the ripple effect it created throughout history as that technology spawned not only primary improvements in the substance itself, but also tactical warfare revolutions into the medieval baronies and even later. This is only one example of a single new technology changing society and civilization forever. Discussion 2 - Inequality. Certainly when viewed from today's perspective, the institutionalized social and gender inequality during this time is repugnant. Man's inhumanity to man has always been a shocking part of history, and the socialized stigma of being a woman, or a Jew, or a slave certainly recognized no individual human right in the modern sense. That said, however, I want to note that it was upon these unequal foundations that civilization was built. Accepting the status quo was the very mindset that allowed those enslaved by the Romans to build the empire. Without the technological development of the Romans, built on the backs of those slaves, we wouldn't have running water.

Pablo Ruiz Picasso Essays -- Art History Artisits

Pablo Ruiz Picasso Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga in 1881. Pablo was the son of a respected art teacher, and due to his father’s influence, young Pablo entered the Academy at Barcelona at age 14. This was where he painted his first great work, â€Å"Girl with Bare Feet†. After two years of schooling, Picasso transferred for even for advanced tutelage. This did not hold Picasso’s interest, so instead he spent much of his time in cafes and in brothels. Three years later, Picasso won a gold medal for his work, â€Å"Customs of Aragon†. This work was displayed on exhibit in Picasso’s home town. In 1901, Picasso set up a studio in the northern section of Paris known as Montmartre. Picasso had mastered traditional forms of art by now. However, he was affected by the works of such artists as Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Vuillard which can be noticed in his works at the time. â€Å"Longchamp† and â€Å"The Blue Room† are good examples of this change in Picasso’s style. Soon after this, Picasso began to develop his own methods. Illness struck Picasso in 1898 and he temporarily retired from the city and rested in the country. Upon his return, Picasso was distressed with modern art and proceeded to use mother’s maiden name. Picasso underwent an distressing part of his life for the next 4 years (1901-1904) and demonstrated the life of the poor. The next two years following those last four were rather bright and vigorous. Perhaps this was because he realized how his life differe...

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 6 FRIENDS

THE MOTORCYCLES DIDN'T NEED TO BE HIDDEN ANY further than simply placing them in Jacob's shed. Billy's wheelchair couldn't maneuver the uneven ground separating it from the house. Jacob started pulling the first bikethe red one, which was destined for meto pieces immediately. He opened up the passenger door of the Rabbit so I could sit on the seat instead of the ground. While he worked, Jacob chattered happily, needing only the lightest of nudges from me to keep the conversation rolling. He updated me on the progress of his sophomore year of school, running on about his classes and his two best friends. â€Å"Quil and Embry?† I interrupted. â€Å"Those are unusual names.† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"Quil's is a hand-me-down, and I think Embry got named after a soap opera star. I can't say anything, though. They fight dirty if you start on their namesthey'll tag team you.† â€Å"Good friends.† I raised one eyebrow. â€Å"No, they are. Just don't mess with their names.† Just then a call echoed in the distance. â€Å"Jacob?† someone shouted. â€Å"Is that Billy?† I asked. â€Å"No.† Jacob ducked his head, and it looked like he was blushing under his brown skin. â€Å"Speak of the devil,† he mumbled, â€Å"and the devil shall appear.† â€Å"Jake? Are you out here?† The shouting voice was closer now. â€Å"Yeah!† Jacob shouted back, and sighed. We waited through the short silence until two tall, dark-skinned boys strolled around the corner into the shed. One was slender, and almost as tall as Jacob. His black hair was chin-length and parted down the middle, one side tucked behind his left ear while the right side swung free. The shorter boy was more burly. His white T-shirt strained over his well-developed chest, and he seemed gleefully conscious of that fact. His hair was so short it was almost a buzz. Both boys stopped short when they saw me. The thin boy glanced swiftly back and forth between Jacob and me, while the brawny boy kept his eyes on me, a slow smile spreading across his face. â€Å"Hey, guys,† Jacob greeted them halfheartedly. â€Å"Hey, Jake,† the short one said without looking away from me. I had to smile in response, his grin was so impish. When I did, he winked at me. â€Å"Hi, there.† â€Å"Quil, Embrythis is my friend, Bella.† Quil and Embry, I still didn't know which was which, exchanged a loaded look. â€Å"Charlie's kid, right?† the brawny boy asked me, holding out his hand. â€Å"That's right,† I confirmed, shaking hands with him. His grasp was firm; it looked like he was flexing his bicep. â€Å"I'm Quil Ateara,† he announced grandly before releasing my hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you, Quil.† â€Å"Hey, Bella. I'm Embry, Embry Callyou probably already figured that out, though.† Embry smiled a shy smile and waved with one hand, which he then shoved in the pocket of his jeans. I nodded. â€Å"Nice to meet you, too.† â€Å"So what are you guys doing?† Quil asked, still looking at me. â€Å"Bella and I are going to fix up these bikes,† Jacob explained inaccurately. But bikes seemed to be the magic word. Both boys went to examine Jacob's project, drilling him with educated questions. Many of the words they used were unfamiliar to me, and I figured I'd have to have a Y chromosome to really understand the excitement. They were still immersed in talk of parts and pieces when I decided that I needed to head back home before Charlie showed up here. With a sigh, I slid out of the Rabbit. Jacob looked up, apologetic. â€Å"We're boring you, aren't we?† â€Å"Naw.† And it wasn't a lie. I was enjoying myselfhow strange. â€Å"I just have to go cook dinner for Charlie.† â€Å"Oh well, I'll finish taking these apart tonight and figure out what more we'll need to get started rebuilding them. When do you want to work on them again?† â€Å"Could I come back tomorrow?† Sundays were the bane of my existence. There was never enough homework to keep me busy. Quil nudged Embry's arm and they exchanged grins. Jacob smiled in delight. â€Å"That would be great!† â€Å"If you make a list, we can go shop for parts,† I suggested. Jacob's face fell a little. â€Å"I'm still not sure I should let you pay for everything.† I shook my head. â€Å"No way. I'm bankrolling this party. You just have to supply the labor and expertise.† Embry rolled his eyes at Quil. â€Å"That doesn't seem right,† Jacob shook his head. â€Å"Jake, if I took these to a mechanic, how much would he charge me?† I pointed out. He smiled. â€Å"Okay, you're getting a deal.† â€Å"Not to mention the riding lessons,† I added. Quil grinned widely at Embry and whispered something I didn't catch. Jacob's hand flashed out to smack the back of Quil's head. â€Å"That's it, get out,† he muttered. â€Å"No, really, I have to go,† I protested, heading for the door. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow, Jacob.† As soon as I was out of sight, I heard Quil and Embry chorus, â€Å"Wooooo!† The sound of a brief scuffle followed, interspersed with an â€Å"ouch† and a â€Å"hey!† â€Å"If either of you set so much as one toe on my land tomorrow† I heard Jacob threaten. His voice was lost as I walked through the trees. I giggled quietly. The sound made my eyes widen in wonder. I was laughing, actually laughing, and there wasn't even anyone watching. I felt so weightless that I laughed again, just make the feeling last longer. I beat Charlie home. When he walked in I was just taking the fried chicken out of the pan and laying it on a pile of paper towels. â€Å"Hey, Dad.† I flashed him a grin. Shock flitted across his face before he pulled his expression together. â€Å"Hey, honey,† he said, his voice uncertain. â€Å"Did you have fun with Jacob?† I started moving the food to the table. â€Å"Yeah, I did.† â€Å"Well, that's good.† He was still cautious. â€Å"What did you two do?† Now it was my turn to be cautious. â€Å"I hung out in his garage and watched him work. Did you know he's rebuilding a Volkswagen?† â€Å"Yeah, I think Billy mentioned that.† The interrogation had to stop when Charlie began chewing, but he continued to study my face as he ate. After dinner, I dithered around, cleaning the kitchen twice, and then did my homework slowly in the front room while Charlie watched a hockey game. I waited as long as I could, but finally Charlie mentioned the late hour. When I didn't respond, he got up, stretched, and then left, turning out the light behind him. Reluctantly, I followed. As I climbed the stairs, I felt the last of the afternoon's abnormal sense of well-being drain from my system, replaced by a dull fear at the thought of what I was going to have to live through now. I wasn't numb anymore. Tonight would, no doubt, be as horrific as last night. I lay down on my bed and curled into a ball in preparation for the onslaught. I squeezed my eyes shut and the next thing I next I knew, it was morning. I stared at the pale silver light coming through my window, stunned. For the first time in more than four months, I'd slept without dreaming. Dreaming or screaming. I couldn't tell which emotion was strongerthe relief or the shock. I lay still in my bed for a few minutes, waiting for it to come back. Because something must be coming. If not the pain, then the numbness. I waited, but nothing happened. I felt more rested than I had in a long time. I didn't trust this to last. It was a slippery, precarious edge that I balanced on, and it wouldn't take much to knock me back down. Just glancing around my room with these suddenly clear eyesnoticing how strange it looked, too tidy, like I didn't live here at allwas dangerous. I pushed that thought from my mind, and concentrated, as I got dressed, on the fact that I was going to see Jacob again today. The thought made me feel almost hopeful. Maybe it would be the same as yesterday. Maybe I wouldn't have to remind myself to look interested and to nod or smile at appropriate intervals, the way I had to with everyone else. Maybe but I wouldn't trust this to last, either. Wouldn't trust it to be the sameso easyas yesterday. I wasn't going to set myself up for disappointment like that. At breakfast, Charlie was being careful, too. He tried to hide his scrutiny, keeping his eyes on his eggs until he thought I wasn't looking. â€Å"What are you up to today?† he asked, eyeing a loose thread on the edge of his cuff like he wasn't paying much attention to my answer. â€Å"I'm going to hang out with Jacob again.† He nodded without looking up. â€Å"Oh,† he said. â€Å"Do you mind?† I pretended to worry. â€Å"I could stay† He glanced up quickly, a hint of panic in his eyes. â€Å"No, no! You go ahead. Harry was going to come up to watch the game with me anyway.† â€Å"Maybe Harry could give Billy a ride up,† I suggested. The fewer witnesses the better. â€Å"That's a great idea.† I wasn't sure if the game was just an excuse for kicking me out, but he looked excited enough now. He headed to the phone while I donned my rain jacket. I felt self-conscious with the checkbook shoved in my jacket pocket. It was something I never used. Outside, the rain came down like water slopped from a bucket. I had to drive more slowly than I wanted to; I could hardly see a car length in front of the truck. But I finally made it through the muddy lanes to Jacob's house. Before I'd killed the engine, the front door opened and Jacob came running out with a huge black umbrella. He held it over my door while I opened it. â€Å"Charlie calledsaid you were on your way,† Jacob explained with a grin. Effortlessly, without a conscious command to the muscles around my lips, my answering smile spread across my face. A strange feeling of warmth bubbled up in my throat, despite the icy rain splattering on my cheeks. â€Å"Hi, Jacob.† â€Å"Good call on inviting Billy up.† He held up his hand for a high five. I had to reach so high to slap his hand that he laughed. Harry showed up to get Billy just a few minutes later. Jacob took me on a brief tour of his tiny room while we waited to be unsupervised. â€Å"So where to, Mr. Goodwrench?† I asked as soon as the door closed behind Billy. Jacob pulled a folded paper out of his pocket and smoothed it out. â€Å"We'll start at the dump first, see if we can get lucky. This could get a little expensive,† he warned me. â€Å"Those bikes are going to need a lot of help before they'll run again.† My face didn't look worried enough, so he continued. â€Å"I'm talking about maybe more than a hundred dollars here.† I pulled my checkbook out, fanned myself with it, and rolled my eyes at his worries. â€Å"We're covered.† It was a very strange kind of day. I enjoyed myself. Even at the dump, in the slopping rain and ankle-deep mud. I wondered at first if it was just the aftershock of losing the numbness, but I didn't think that was enough of an explanation. I was beginning to think it was mostly Jacob. It wasn't just that he was always so happy to see me, or that he didn't watch me out of the corner of his eye, waiting for me to do something that would mark me as crazy or depressed. It was nothing that related to me at all. It was Jacob himself. Jacob was simply a perpetually happy person, and he carried that happiness with him like an aura, sharing it with whoever was near him. Like an earthbound sun, whenever someone was within his gravitational pull, Jacob warmed them. It was natural, a part of who he was. No wonder I was so eager to see him. Even when he commented on the gaping hole in my dashboard, it didn't send me into a panic like it should have. â€Å"Did the stereo break?† he wondered. â€Å"Yeah,† I lied. He poked around in the cavity. â€Å"Who took it out? There's a lot of damage† â€Å"I did,† I admitted. He laughed. â€Å"Maybe you shouldn't touch the motorcycles too much.† â€Å"No problem.† According to Jacob, we did get lucky at the dump. He was very excited about several grease-blackened pieces of twisted metal that he found; I was just impressed that he could tell what they were supposed to be. From there we went to the Checker Auto Parts down in Hoquiam. In my truck, it was more than a two hour drive south on the winding freeway, but the time passed easily with Jacob. He chattered about his friends and his school, and I found myself asking questions, not even pretending, truly curious to hear what he had to say. â€Å"I'm doing all the talking,† he complained after a long story about Quil and the trouble he'd stirred up by asking out a senior's steady girlfriend. â€Å"Why don't you take a turn? What's going on in Forks? It has to be more exciting than La Push.† â€Å"Wrong,† I sighed. â€Å"There's really nothing. Your friends are a lot more interesting than mine. I like your friends. Quil's funny.† He frowned. â€Å"I think Quil likes you, too.† I laughed. â€Å"He's a little young for me.† Jacob's frown deepened. â€Å"He's not that much younger than you. It's just a year and a few months.† I had a feeling we weren't talking about Quil anymore. I kept my voice light, teasing. â€Å"Sure, but, considering the difference in maturity between guys and girls, don't you have to count that in dog years? What does that make me, about twelve years older?† He laughed, rolling his eyes. â€Å"Okay, but if you're going to get picky like that, you have to average in size, too. You're so small, I'll have to knock ten years off your total.† â€Å"Five foot four is perfectly average.† I sniffed. â€Å"It's not my fault you're a freak.† We bantered like that till Hoquiam, still arguing over the correct formula to determine ageI lost two more years because I didn't know how to change a tire, but gained one back for being in charge of the bookkeeping at my houseuntil we were in Checker, and Jacob had to concentrate again. We found everything left on his list, and Jacob felt confident that he could make a lot of progress with our haul. By the time we got back to La Push, I was twenty-three and he was thirtyhe was definitely weighting skills in his favor. I hadn't forgotten the reason for what I was doing. And, even though I was enjoying myself more than I'd thought possible, there was no lessening of my original desire. I still wanted to cheat. It was senseless, and I really didn't care. I was going to be as reckless as I could possibly manage in Forks. I would not be the only keeper of an empty contract. Getting to spend time with Jacob was just a much bigger perk than I'd expected. Billy wasn't back yet, so we didn't have to be sneaky about unloading our day's spoils. As soon as we had everything laid out on the plastic floor next to Jacob's toolbox, he went right to work, still talking and laughing while his fingers combed expertly through the metal pieces in front of him. Jacob's skill with his hands was fascinating. They looked too big for the delicate tasks they performed with ease and precision. While he worked, he seemed almost graceful. Unlike when he was on his feet; there, his height and big feet made him nearly as dangerous as I was. Quil and Embry did not show up, so maybe his threat yesterday had been taken seriously. The day passed too quickly. It got dark outside the mouth of the garage before I was expecting it, and then we heard Billy calling for us. I jumped up to help Jacob put things away, hesitating because I wasn't sure what I should touch. â€Å"Just leave it,† he said. â€Å"I'll work on it later tonight.† â€Å"Don't forget your schoolwork or anything,† I said, feeling a little guilty. I didn't want him to get in trouble. That plan was just for me. â€Å"Bella?† Both our heads snapped up as Charlie's familiar voice wafted through the trees, sounding closer than the house. â€Å"Shoot,† I muttered. â€Å"Coming!† I yelled toward the house. â€Å"Let's go.† Jacob smiled, enjoying the cloak-and-dagger. He snapped the light off, and for a moment I was blind. Jacob grabbed my hand and towed me out of the garage and through the trees, his feet finding the familiar path easily. His hand was rough, and very warm. Despite the path, we were both tripping over our feet in the darkness. So we were also both laughing when the house came into view. The laughter did not go deep; it was light and superficial, but still nice. I was sure he wouldn't notice the faint hint of hysteria. I wasn't used to laughing, and it felt right and also very wrong at the same time. Charlie was standing under the little back porch, and Billy was sitting in the doorway behind them. â€Å"Hey, Dad,† we both said at the same time, and that started us laughing again. Charlie stared at me with wide eyes that flashed down to note Jacob's hand around mine. â€Å"Billy invited us for dinner,† Charlie said to us in an absentminded tone. â€Å"My super secret recipe for spaghetti. Handed down for generations,† Billy said gravely. Jacob snorted. â€Å"I don't think Ragu's actually been around that long.† The house was crowded. Harry Clearwater was there, too, with his familyhis wife, Sue, whom I knew vaguely from my childhood summers in Forks, and his two children. Leah was a senior like me, but a year older. She was beautiful in an exotic wayperfect copper skin, glistening black hair, eyelashes like feather dustersand preoccupied. She was on Billy's phone when we got in, and she never let it go. Seth was fourteen; he hung on Jacob's every word with idolizing eyes. There were too many of us for the kitchen table, so Charlie and Harry brought chairs out to the yard, and we ate spaghetti off plates on our laps in the dim light from Billy's open door. The men talked about the game, and Harry and Charlie made fishing plans. Sue teased her husband about his cholesterol and tried, unsuccessfully, to shame him into eating something green and leafy. Jacob talked mostly to me and Seth, who interrupted eagerly whenever Jacob seemed in danger of forgetting him. Charlie watched me, trying to be inconspicuous about it, with pleased but cautious eyes. It was loud and sometimes confusing as everyone talked over everyone else, and the laughter from one joke interrupted the telling of another. I didn't have to speak often, but I smiled a lot, and only because I felt like it. I didn't want to leave. This was Washington, though, and the inevitable rain eventually broke up the party; Billy's living room was much too small to provide an option for continuing the get-together. Harry had driven Charlie down, so we rode together in my truck on the way back home. He asked about my day, and I told mostly the truththat I'd gone with Jacob to look at parts and then watched him work in his garage. â€Å"You think you'll visit again anytime soon?† he wondered, trying to be casual about it. â€Å"Tomorrow after school,† I admitted. â€Å"I'll take homework, don't worry.† â€Å"You be sure to do that,† he ordered, trying to disguise his satisfaction. I was nervous when we got to the house. I didn't want to go upstairs. The warmth of Jacob's presence was fading and, in its absence, the anxiety grew stronger. I was sure I wouldn't get away with two peaceful nights of sleep in a row. To put bedtime off, I checked my e-mail; there was a new message from Renee. She wrote about her day, a new book club that rilled the time slot of the meditation classes she'd just quit, her week subbing in the second grade, missing her kindergarteners. She wrote that Phil was enjoying his new coaching job, and that they were planning a second honeymoon trip to Disney World. And I noticed that the whole thing read like a journal entry, rather than a letter to someone else. Remorse flooded through me, leaving an uncomfortable sting behind. Some daughter I was. I wrote back to her quickly, commenting on each part of her letter, volunteering information of my owndescribing the spaghetti party at Billy's and how I felt watching Jacob build useful things out of small pieces of metalawed and slightly envious. I made no reference to the change this letter would be from the ones she'd received in the last several months. I could barely remember what I'd written to her even as recently as last week, but I was sure it wasn't very responsive. The more I thought about it, the guiltier I felt; I really must have worried her. I stayed up extra late after that, finishing more homework than strictly necessary. But neither sleep deprivation nor the time spent with Jacobbeing almost happy in a shallow kind of waycould keep the dream away for two nights in a row. I woke shuddering, my scream muffled by the pillow. As the dim morning light filtered through the fog outside my window, I lay still in bed and tried to shake off the dream. There had been a small difference last night, and I concentrated on that. Last night I had not been alone in the woods. Sam Uleythe man who had pulled me from the forest floor that night I couldn't bear to think of consciouslywas there. It was an odd, unexpected alteration. The man's dark eyes had been surprisingly unfriendly, filled with some secret he didn't seem inclined to share. I'd stared at him as often as my frantic searching had allowed; it made me uncomfortable, under all the usual panic, to have him there. Maybe that was because, when I didn't look directly at him, his shape seemed to shiver and change in my peripheral vision. Yet he did nothing but stand and watch. Unlike the time when we had met in reality, he did not offer me his help. Charlie stared at me during breakfast, and I tried to ignore him. I supposed I deserved it. I couldn't expect him not to worry. It would probably be weeks before he stopped watching for the return of the zombie, and I would just have to try to not let it bother me. After all, I would be watching for the return of the zombie, too. Two days was hardly long enough to call me cured. School was the opposite. Now that I was paying attention, it was clear that no one was watching here. I remembered the first day I'd come to Forks High Schoolhow desperately I'd wished that I could turn gray, fade into the wet concrete of the sidewalk like an oversized chameleon. It seemed I was getting that wish answered, a year late. It was like I wasn't there. Even my teachers' eyes slid past my seat as if it were empty. I listened all through the morning, hearing once again the voices of the people around me. I tried to catch up on what was going on, but the conversations were so disjointed that I gave up. Jessica didn't look up when I sat down next to her in Calculus. â€Å"Hey, Jess,† I said with put-on nonchalance. â€Å"How was the rest of your weekend?† She looked at me with suspicious eyes. Could she still be angry? Or was she just too impatient to deal with a crazy person? â€Å"Super,† she said, turning back to her book. â€Å"That's good,† I mumbled. The figure of speech cold shoulder seemed to have some literal truth to it. I could feel the warm air blowing from the floor vents, but I was still too cold. I took the jacket off the back of my chair and put it on again. My fourth hour class got out late, and the lunch table I always sat at was full by the time I arrived. Mike was there, Jessica and Angela, Conner, Tyler, Eric and Lauren. Katie Marshall, the redheaded junior who lived around the corner from me, was sitting with Eric, and Austin Marksolder brother to the boy with the motorcycleswas next to her. I wondered how long they'd been sitting here, unable to remember if this was the first day or something that was a regular habit. I was beginning to get annoyed with myself. I might as well have been packed in Styrofoam peanuts through the last semester. No one looked up when I sat down next to Mike, even though the chair squealed stridently against the linoleum as I dragged it back. I tried to catch up with the conversation. Mike and Conner were talking sports, so I gave up on that one at once. â€Å"Where's Ben today?† Lauren was asking Angela. I perked up, interested. I wondered if that meant Angela and Ben were still together. I barely recognized Lauren. She'd cut off all her blond, corn-silk hairnow she had a pixie cut so short that the back was shaved like a boy. What an odd thing for her to do. I wished I knew the reason behind it. Did she get gum stuck in it? Did she sell it? Had all the people she was habitually nasty to caught her behind the gym and scalped her? I decided it wasn't fair for me to judge her now by my former opinion. For all I knew, she'd turned into a nice person. â€Å"Ben's got the stomach flu,† Angela said in her quiet, calm voice. â€Å"Hopefully it's just some twenty-four hour thing. He was really sick last night.† Angela had changed her hair, too. She'd grown out her layers. â€Å"What did you two do this weekend?† Jessica asked, not sounding as if she cared about the answer. I'd bet that this was just an opener so she could tell her own stories. I wondered if she would talk about Port Angeles with me sitting two seats away? Was I that invisible, that no one would feel uncomfortable discussing me while I was here? â€Å"We were going to have a picnic Saturday, actually, but we changed our minds,† Angela said. There was an edge to her voice that caught my interest. Jess, not so much. â€Å"That's too bad,† she said, about to launch into her story. But I wasn't the only one who was paying attention. â€Å"What happened?† Lauren asked curiously. â€Å"Well,† Angela said, seeming more hesitant than usual, though she was always reserved, â€Å"we drove up north, almost to the hot springsthere's a good spot just about a mile up the trail. But, when we were halfway there we saw something.† â€Å"Saw something? What?† Lauren's pale eyebrows pulled together. Even Jess seemed to be listening now. â€Å"I don't know,† Angela said. â€Å"We think it was a bear. It was black, anyway, but it seemed too big.† Lauren snorted. â€Å"Oh, not you, too!† Her eyes turned mocking, and I decided I didn't need to give her the benefit of the doubt. Obviously her personality had not changed as much as her hair. â€Å"Tyler tried to sell me that one last week.† â€Å"You're not going to see any bears that close to the resort,† Jessica said, siding with Lauren. â€Å"Really,† Angela protested in a low voice, looking down at the table. â€Å"We did see it.† Lauren snickered. Mike was still talking to Conner, not paying attention to the girls. â€Å"No, she's right,† I threw in impatiently. â€Å"We had a hiker in just Saturday who saw the bear, too, Angela. He said it was huge and black and just outside of town, didn't he, Mike?† There was a moment of silence. Every pair of eyes at the table turned to stare at me in shock. The new girl, Katie, had her mouth hanging open like she'd just witnessed an explosion. Nobody moved. â€Å"Mike?† I muttered, mortified. â€Å"Remember the guy with the bear story?† â€Å"S-sure,† Mike stuttered after a second. I didn't know why he was looking at me so strangely. I talked to him at work, didn't I? Did I? I thought so Mike recovered. â€Å"Yeah, there was a guy who said he saw a huge black bear right at the trailheadbigger than a grizzly,† he confirmed. â€Å"Hmph.† Lauren turned to Jessica, her shoulders stiff, and changed the subject. â€Å"Did you hear back from USC?† she asked. Everyone else looked away, too, except for Mike and Angela. Angela smiled at me tentatively, and I hurried to return the smile. â€Å"So, what did you do this weekend, Bella?† Mike asked, curious, but oddly wary. Everyone but Lauren looked back, waiting for my response. â€Å"Friday night, Jessica and I went to a movie in Port Angeles. And then I spent Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday down at La Push.† The eyes flickered to Jessica and back to me. Jess looked irritated. I wondered if she didn't want anyone to know she'd gone out with me, or whether she just wanted to be the one to tell the story. â€Å"What movie did you see?† Mike asked, starting to smile. â€Å"Dead Endthe one with the zombies.† I grinned in encouragement. Maybe some of the damage I'd done in these past zombie months was reparable. â€Å"I heard that was scary. Did you think so?† Mike was eager to continue the conversation. â€Å"Bella had to leave at the end, she was so freaked,† Jessica inserted with a sly smile. I nodded, trying to look embarrassed. â€Å"It was pretty scary.† Mike didn't stop asking me questions till lunch was over. Gradually, the others were able to start up their own conversations again, though they still looked at me a lot. Angela talked mostly to Mike and me, and, when I got up to dump my tray, she followed. â€Å"Thanks,† she said in a low voice when we were away from the table. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"Speaking up, sticking up for me.† â€Å"No problem.† She looked at me with concern, but not the offensive, maybe-she's-lost-it kind. â€Å"Are you okay?† This is why I'd picked Jessica over Angelathough I'd always liked Angela morefor the girls' night movie. Angela was too perceptive. â€Å"Not completely,† I admitted. â€Å"But I'm a little bit better.† â€Å"I'm glad,† she said. â€Å"I've missed you.† Lauren and Jessica strolled by us then, and I heard Lauren whisper loudly, â€Å"Oh, joy Bella's back.† Angela rolled her eyes at them, and smiled at me in encouragement. I sighed It was like I was starting all over again. â€Å"What's today's date?† I wondered suddenly. â€Å"It's January nineteenth.† â€Å"Hmm.† â€Å"What is it?† Angela asked. â€Å"It was a year ago yesterday that I had my first day here,† I mused. â€Å"Nothing's changed much,† Angela muttered, looking after Lauren and Jessica. â€Å"I know, I agreed I was just thinking the same thing.†