CJ 352 Domestic Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CJ 352 Domestic Terrorism - Essay Example We will then discuss the ways in which military personnel may be influenced, involved or utilized by extremist and /or terrorist organizations or groups in pursuing and accomplishing their ultimate goals through these service members. Domestic terrorism has existed and influenced the political and social structure of the United States, to varying degrees, since this countrys inception. The United States Department of Justice defines domestic terrorism as: â€Å"The unlawful use of force or violence, committed by a group(s) of two or more individuals, against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.†1 Historically there have been limited cases or incidents of domestic terrorism in which active duty military personnel have been involved or implicated, most probably due to the rigid structure and character of the military environment. Although terrorism has plagued governments, and public and private institutions for centuries in one form or another, its application and the strategies associated with it have evolved as surely as the societies upon which it is imposed. Technological advances particularly in the transportation, communication and weapons field, have facilitated the abilities of modern-day domestic terrorist groups to get their message out and has improved their capacity to take violent action to achieve their goals. Recent incidents, particularly the Weaver family incident at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and the incident at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, have brought into question the extent to which government interdiction of armed citizen groups is actually le gitimate before it violates their Constitutional civil rights. Additionally, to what extent is the use of force against these groups

Feasibility Study for Salfordias Entry to Chinese Construction Market Essay

Feasibility Study for Salfordias Entry to Chinese Construction Market - Essay Example 1. briefing paper (citing, and referencing, relevant sources, theories and methods) providing information on the Chinese construction market, and containing information on critical organisational and cultural issues. Chinese Work and Business Culture Considering that Salfordia is UK-based, it is one seen as â€Å"Western† while China is â€Å"Eastern†. Opening a branch in in another United Kingdom territory would be much simpler for Salfordia as differences in work and business practices may be minimal. In an attempt to penetrate the â€Å"eastern† market, exporting wholesale the â€Å"resistant† and traditional work culture of Salfordia would be difficult in a culture much different from it like China. A study of the culture of the target location is important to prepare Salfordia for a smoother transition as well as a successful venture. Tradition and Family Values Culture is defined as â€Å"an embodiment of traditions as well as a repository of values and normative assumptions developed among members in a group, collectively and society,† (Chao, 2001, 583). It includes the daily practices of managers and employees at the work place and business environment based on their beliefs and values inculcated on them by their own society. Hofstede (1980) presented four dimensions of culture as power distance, individualism against collectivism, masculinity against femininity, and uncertainty avoidance. This has been seen in the IBM global work culture in 53 national subsidiaries. Long-tern against short-term dimension was included as fifth. Chinese culture was seen to be distinct from US and UK culture in power distance, individual vs collectivism, and long/short term orientation (Hofstede, 1980). Chinese culture is considered as one of the... The research defines the culture as â€Å"an embodiment of traditions as well as a repository of values and normative assumptions developed among members in a group, collectively and society†. It includes the daily practices of managers and employees at the work place and business environment based on their beliefs and values inculcated on them by their own society. Hofstede presented four dimensions of culture as power distance, individualism against collectivism, masculinity against femininity, and uncertainty avoidance. This has been seen in the IBM global work culture in 53 national subsidiaries. Long-tern against short-term dimension was included as fifth. Chinese culture was seen to be distinct from US and UK culture in power distance, individual vs collectivism, and long/short term orientation. Chinese culture is considered as one of the most resilient in the world. One of the more widely known characteristic of Chinese culture is its Confucian values and teachings whic h are also as carried outside national boundaries. This Confucian trait is seen as shared amongst other Asians to merit academic attention. The Chinese heritage embodies imperative trust and respect which Chao proposed to make the work organisation tenable and efficacious. Trust and productivity are partners in the work process with the willingness as a sacrifice to future compensation. Trust, however, has also its unique meaning in this context as described by Chao as engendering an altruistic tendency as collectivist commitment, non-specific and entails implicit or diffused obligations embedded in the notion â€Å"subtlety†.

RISE OF INDUSTRIAL CAPITALISM

RISE OF INDUSTRIAL CAPITALISM INTRODUCTION Any society is capitalist if the means of production that is tools and materials belongs to the employer and not the employees and the employees produce commodities belonging to their employer. Commodity is something produced for the chief purpose of being exchanged. With increased wealth the leisure class improves in structure and function. Differentiation jets in with less elaborate rank and class. Hence this has led to the upper class and the lower class that depended on the lower class for their survival giving rise to the workers and non workers this develops into capitalism. This paper seeks to explain the rise of industrial capitalism with one claim which serves as thesis that the rise of industrial Capitalism was a result of unequal distribution of wealth in communities giving rise to the non workers who owned the means of production and also the workers. This includes trade practiced by people in the higher class consuming more the workers could produce hence as time goes th ey require more and more people in the lower class to produce for them. Industrial capitalism is a system both social and economic whereby industry and resources are owned by few for profit. In this capitalist system means of production were privately owned. America witnessed the growth of Industrial capitalism in late 19th century and early 20th century. . In any capitalistic state, property is privately owned and is protected by the supreme law of that state. Thus in the rise of industrial capitalism, we are looking at starting of when individuals in a society started acquiring property privately. The rise of industrial capitalization was as a result of five main view points which include: conspicuous consumption, great monopoly, scientific management and difference in living standards. According to Thorestein Veblen on his conspicuous consumption theory stated that rise of industrial capitalization was as a result of wealth accumulation to a few number of people, thus the wealthy developed more in function and structure as a result of having access to more goods and services. Thus there arose a difference in class structure. This was further enhanced through inheritance of wealth and inheritance of gentility. With the inheritance of gentility came the inheritance of obligatory leisure. Thus those who were born wealthy outranked the others born in less wealthy families thus the unlucky to be born in the poor families became the servants of their masters.In this case to rise the ladder from the lower level to high level could take decades of years if not centuries. This in turn resulted into unequal state. This is referred to as feudalism that brought increased ‘primary accumulation of resources or investment capital. .According to Henry Demarest on the story of great monopoly rise of industrial capitalism came about as a result of monopoly in some useful natural resource in this case it was fuel. This monopoly of fuel resource needed by so many people; resulted in acquisition of wealth and elevated some peoples standards. In principle of scientific management as a result of recorgnising the importance of conservation of natural resources scientific management has slowed down the fast rise in capitalism. This created a know how in how the environment had been affected negatively in the search for wealth to be used by few people at the expense of the masses. The difference in living standards was brought about by Jacob Riis where he states that long ago one part of the world did not know how the other part lived because they simply didnt care. The half on top cared little for the others struggling so there was a build up in number of people struggling to a point in which crowding was so much at the bottom creating discomfort to a point where the bottom could not be ignored. CONSPICOUS CONSUMPTION Conspicuous consumption theory of industrial capitalism started as a result of differentiation within class this was a result of the rich owning the means of production. The leisure class which was known for its reckless consumption stood ahead of the social structure in point of reputation. Thus in the survey of growth of conspicuous consumption, it appeared that the utility of both was alike and lied in the element of waste which is common in both. This consumption resulted into depletion and wastage of resources and the workers rioting against the non workers. They wasted goods, time, and effort as a way of demonstrating the possession of wealth. The consumption becomes larger element in the standard of living. Thus rise in rush for wealth to maintain a higher social status. Consumption became a larger element in standard of living in the city than in the country in an effort to remain decent in the city. The higher class would spent without care to that they are wealthy and in tu rn the other people in the City who belonged to the same class would also do the same; competing on who could ‘consume more. GREAT MONOPOLY Great monopoly gave wealthy individuals control over important natural that were vital in production and by so doing influenced industrial capitalism by owning the raw materials for instance coal and petroleum. Petroleum in cities in the United States as well as well as other countries serves to control the production for the people in lower class failed to acquire the power to manufacture their goods if they had any. Majority of oils production in America, manufacture and export had been controlled for long period by a single corporation which had a monopoly for very long. These monopolies could control the whole economy from production, manufacture and even distribution and pricing the goods and services available. PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT Scientific management influenced rise in industrial capitalism in that the whole country at once recognized the importance of conserving material resources. In the past the prevailing idea had been that the right man for the job could be found and the methods of production would be safely left to him which was an old system of personal management. Acquiring of products was at the expense of the environment. DIFFERENCE IN STANDARD OF LIVING Difference in standards of living came as a result of one part of the world not caring about the other part thus those underneath facing crowding and discomfort so great that the consequent upheavals became so violent it was no longer easy to do anything and the upper half failed to inquire what the matter was. Thus capitalism came about where everyone for himself in search for personal property. This scenario resulted to poor masses that would live under the mercy of help from other countries of from their extravagant neighbors who were the course of the problem. CONCLUSION In conclusion the rise of Industrial Capitalism in many parts of the World especially America and Western counties was a result of control of the means of production and consumerism as President Roosevelt argued that the Americans were misusing resources. The scramble to acquire in America was the root cause of industrial Capitalism. People who criticize capitalism put forward the argument that Industrial capitalism was associated with unfair and quite inefficient distribution of wealth creates imperialism and counter revolution wars fighting against economic and cultural exploitation repressions of workers and trade unionists, and phenomena such as social alienation inequality, unemployment, and economic instability. Critics have argued that there is an inherent tendency towards oligolopolistic structures when laissez-faire is combined with capitalist private property. Capitalism is regarded by many socialists to be irrational in that production and the direction the economy is unplanned, creating many inconsistencies and internal contradictions. Environmentalists have argued that capitalism requires continual economic growth, and will inevitably deplete the finite natural resources of the earth, and other broadly utilized resources After the Industrial Capitalism the world has witnessed another form of capitalism which is almost similar and that is financial capitalism. America witnessed the entry to Industrial age and this affected the Americans both economically and socially especially the blacks who still were regarded as outsiders and could not settle in some places especially in the North and could not be allowed to own property in some cases. With Industrial Capitalism it made that the blacks were more sidelined and became poorer and poorer. Capitalism concentrated resources to a few whites and the consumerism culture that developed then saw America face the Great Recession of early 20th century. President Roosevelt had to change the policies of pay to improve the lives of many poor Americans who had been made poor by capitalist policies that concentrated wealth and means of production on a few hands. Bibliography Primary Sources Lloyd, Demarest Henry, The Story of a Great Monopoly, The Atlantic Monthly, March 1881. Taylor Winslow Fredrick, Principals of Scientific Management, 1911. Veblen, Thorestein, The Theory of Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions (New York: Macmillan,1902): 68-101. Secondary Sources Diggins, Patrick John, Thorstein Veblen (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1999): 83-85. Kilcullen, John, Marx On Capitalism (Sidney: Macquarie University, 1996): 1-2. Riis, A Jacob, How the Other Half lives (Minnesota: Kessinger Publishing, 2004): 130-13 Zentes, Tamà ¡s, The transformation of the world economy (Mexico City: United, 1988): 38.

Act II Analysis & Character Development :: English Literature

Act II Analysis & Character Development At the start of Act II, John Proctor returns from the fields and sits down to dinner with his wife, Elizabeth. She has cooked up a rabbit, which apparently walked into the house and sat itself in the corner. Proctor seems out to please Elizabeth throughout this scene, kissing her and complimenting her on her cooking. Their small talk continues for a page or so, until the atmosphere abruptly changes, as Proctor enquires, â€Å"I think you’re sad again aren’t you?† Elizabeth responds by saying that he had returned so late that she thought he had gone to Salem. When Elizabeth mentions that Mary Warren is currently in Salem, Proctor becomes angered, demanding why Elizabeth did not stop her. Elizabeth suggests that he himself, go to Salem to testify that the accusations of witchcraft are false. Proctor says that he cannot prove his allegation because Abigail told him this information while they were alone at Parris’ house. Elizabeth is greatly dismayed upon learning that he and Abigail were alone together. Proctor demands that she stop judging him. He says that he feels as though his home is a courtroom, but Elizabeth responds that the real court is in his own heart. This is implied by the line: â€Å"I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you.† This also suggests that regardless of whether Elizabeth forgives Proctor, he still cannot forgive himself. When Mary Warren returns home, the mood of the scene changes dramatically. As soon as Mary enters the room, Proctor goes directly to her and grabs her by the cloak, furious. â€Å"How do you go to Salem when I forbid it? Do you mock me? [shaking her.] I’ll whip you if you dare leave this house again! Mary responds by saying she is sick and gives Elizabeth a doll that she sewed in court, saying that it is a gift. She reports that thirty-nine people now stand accused. John and Mary argue over whether Mary can continue attending the trials. Elizabeth’s name was apparently mentioned in the accusations (Mary will not name the accuser), but Mary spoke out in Elizabeth’s defense. Proctor instructs Mary to go to bed, but she demands that he stop ordering her around. Elizabeth, meanwhile, is convinced that it was Abigail who accused her of witchcraft, in order to take her place in the Proctor household. Overall, this is a very important Act in terms of the relationship between Proctor and Elizabeth. It brings to light a number of crucial issues such as deceit, dishonesty, unfaithfulness and a growing sense of mistrust. Throughout the scene, Proctor seems motivated by feelings

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 30

Stefan drove like a maniac al the way back to the boardinghouse. â€Å"I can't believe I forgot to tel him that his name had been cal ed,† he said for what felt like the hundredth time. â€Å"I can't believe we left him alone.† â€Å"Slow down,† Meredith told him, trying to hold Matt's sleeping body steady in the backseat as Stefan whipped around a corner, tires squealing. â€Å"You're going way too fast.† â€Å"We're in a hurry,† Stefan growled, yanking on the wheel to make a hard right. Alaric turned around in the passenger seat and gave Meredith a panicky look as Stefan narrowly missed a garbage truck. She sighed. She knew he was trying to make up for his mistake, for not tel ing them immediately that Matt's name had appeared in the herb shop, but kil ing them al in a race to get home wasn't exactly the solution. Besides, although they probably would have done things differently if they'd known, it might not have changed the outcome for Matt. It wasn't as if their precautions had saved either Bonnie or Elena. â€Å"At least you've got vampire reflexes,† she said, more to reassure Alaric than out of any particular confidence in Stefan's driving abilities. She'd insisted on being the one sitting in the back with Matt, and now she turned her attention to him. She put a restraining hand on his chest so he wouldn't go tumbling to the floor as the car jerked and swerved. He was so stil . None of the twitching and eye movements that usual y went with sleep, just the steady shal ow rise and fal of his breathing. He wasn't even snoring. And she knew from camping trips as far back as sixth grade that Matt snored like a buzz saw. Always. Meredith never cried. Not even when the worst happened. And she wasn't going to start now, not when her friends needed her calm and focused to try to figure out how to save them. But if she had been the kind of girl who cried, instead of the kind of girl who strategized, she would have been sobbing. And even now, the breath caught in her throat a little painful y, until she schooled herself into impassive calm again. She was the only one left. Of the four old friends who'd gone through school and summers and adolescence and al the horrors the supernatural world could throw at them, she was the only one the phantom hadn't captured. Yet. Meredith clenched her teeth and held Matt steady. Stefan pul ed up and parked in front of the boardinghouse, having somehow avoided causing any damage to other cars or pedestrians along the way. Alaric and Meredith started to inch Matt careful y out of the car, looping his arms around their necks and slowly shifting him forward into a half-standing position. But Stefan simply grabbed Matt away from them and threw him over his shoulder. â€Å"Let's go,† he said, and stalked off toward the boardinghouse, easily balancing Matt's unconscious body with one hand, not looking back. â€Å"He's become kind of a strange guy,† Alaric commented, watching Stefan alertly. The sunshine caught the stubble on Alaric's unshaven chin and it glinted with a touch of gold. He turned toward Meredith and gave her a rueful, disarming grin. â€Å"Once more into the breach†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said. Meredith took his hand, warm and solid in her own. â€Å"Come on,† she said. Once they were in the boardinghouse, Stefan clomped straight upstairs to deposit Matt with the other bodies – the other sleepers, Meredith reminded herself fiercely. Meredith and Alaric, hand in hand, turned toward the kitchen. As she pushed the door open, Meredith heard Mrs. Flowers's voice. â€Å"Very useful indeed, my dear,† she was saying, a warm note of approval in her voice. â€Å"You've done very wel . I'm so grateful.† Meredith gaped. At the kitchen table with Mrs. Flowers, cool and calm and pretty in a blue linen dress, sat Dr. Celia Conner, sipping tea. â€Å"Hel o, Alaric. Hel o, Meredith,† said Celia. Her dark eyes bored cool y into Meredith's. â€Å"You'l never believe what I've found.† â€Å"What?† said Alaric eagerly, letting go of Meredith's hand. Her heart sank. Celia reached into a tote bag sitting by her chair and pul ed out a thick book bound in ragged brown leather. She smiled triumphantly and announced, â€Å"It's a book on phantoms. Dr. Beltram ended up sending me to Dalcrest Col ege, which actual y has a very comprehensive col ection of texts on the paranormal.† â€Å"I suggest we adjourn to the den,† Mrs. Flowers said, â€Å"where we can be more comfortable, and examine its contents together.† They moved to the den, but Stefan, when he joined them, did not seem any more comfortable. â€Å"Different types of phantoms,† he said, taking the book from Celia and flipping rapidly through the pages. â€Å"The history of phantoms in our dimension. Where is the banishment ritual? Why doesn't this thing have an index?† Celia shrugged. â€Å"It's very old and rare,† she said. â€Å"It was difficult to find, and it's the only book on the subject we're likely to be able to get our hands on, maybe the only one that exists, so we'l have to excuse things like that. These older texts, the authors wanted you to read straight through and real y learn about their subject, to understand what they wanted to tel you, not just to find the page you needed right away. You might try looking near the end, though.† Alaric was watching Stefan whip through the pages with an expression of pain. â€Å"It's a rare book, Stefan,† he said. â€Å"Please be more careful with it. Would you like me to look? I'm used to finding what I need in these kinds of books.† Stefan snarled, literal y snarled at him, and Meredith felt the hairs along the back of her neck rise. â€Å"I'l do it myself, teacher. I'm in a hurry.† He squinted down at the text. â€Å"Why does it have to be in such ornate print?† he complained. â€Å"Don't tel me it's because it's old. I'm older than it is, and I can barely read it. Huh. ‘Phantoms who are feeding like vampires on one choice sensibility, whether it be guilt, or despair, or grudge; or lust for victuals, the demon rum, or fal en women. The stronger be the sensibility, the worse be the outcome of the phantom created.' I think we could have figured that out ourselves.† Mrs. Flowers was standing slightly removed from the rest of the group, eyes fixed on empty air, muttering seemingly to herself as she communed with her mother. â€Å"I know,† she said. â€Å"I'l tel them.† Her eyes focused on the others as they stood around Stefan, peering over his shoulders. â€Å"Mama says that time is getting short,† she warned. Stefan leaped to his feet and exploded. â€Å"I know it's getting short,† he roared, getting right up into Mrs. Flowers's surprised face. â€Å"Can't your mother tel us something useful for once?† Mrs. Flowers staggered away from him, reaching out to steady herself on the back of a chair. Her face was white, and suddenly she looked older and more frail than ever before. Stefan's eyes widened, their color darkening to a stormy sea green, and he held out his hands, his face horrified. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I don't know what came over me†¦ I'm just so worried about Elena and the others.† â€Å"I know, Stefan,† Mrs. Flowers said gravely. She had regained her balance and she looked stronger, calm and wise again. â€Å"We will get them back, you know. You must have faith. Mama does.† Stefan sat down, turning back to the book, his lips pressed together into a straight line. Her skin prickling with apprehension, Meredith gripped her stave more tightly as she watched him. When she had revealed to the others that the members of her family were hereditary vampire hunters and that it was now her turn to take on the duty, she had told Elena and Stefan that she would never turn on Stefan, that she understood that he wasn't like other, evil vampires, that he was good: harmless and benign to humans. She had made no such promises about Damon, and Elena and Stefan hadn't asked her to. They al shared an unspoken understanding that Damon couldn't real y be characterized as harmless, not even when he begrudgingly worked with them, and that Meredith would need to keep her options open when it came to him. But Stefan†¦ she had never thought this would happen, but now Meredith was worried that someday she might not be able to keep her promises about Stefan. She had never seen him acting the way he had been lately: irrational, angry, violent, unpredictable. She knew his behavior was probably caused by the phantom, but was Stefan becoming too dangerous? Could she kil him if she had to? He was her friend. Meredith's heart was racing. She realized that her knuckles had whitened against her fighting stave, and her hand ached. Yes, she realized, she would fight Stefan and try to kil him, if she had to. It was true that he was her friend, but her duty had to come first. She took a deep breath and consciously relaxed her hands. Stay calm, she coached herself. Breathe. Stefan was keeping himself more or less under control. It wasn't a decision she had to make. Not yet, anyway. A few minutes later, Stefan stopped flipping pages. â€Å"Here,† he said. â€Å"I think this is it.† He handed the book to Mrs. Flowers. She scanned the page quickly and nodded. â€Å"That feels like the right ritual,† she said seriously. â€Å"I ought to have everything we need to perform it right here in the house.† Alaric reached for the book. He read the spel , too, frowning. â€Å"Does it have to be a blood spel ?† he asked Mrs. Flowers. â€Å"If it backfires, the phantom might be able to turn it against us.† â€Å"I'm afraid it's going to have to be a blood spel ,† Mrs. Flowers replied. â€Å"We'd need more time to experiment to change the spel , and time is the one thing we don't have. If the phantom is able to use its captives the way we think it can, it's only going to get more powerful.† Alaric began to speak again but was interrupted. â€Å"Wait,† said Celia, a slightly shril note in her usual y husky voice. â€Å"A blood spel ? What does that mean? I don't want to get involved in anything† – she searched for a word – â€Å"unsavory.† She reached for the book, but Stefan slammed his hand down on it. â€Å"Unsavory or not, this is what we're doing,† he said quietly, but with a voice as hard as steel. â€Å"And you're a part of it. It's too late for you to back out now. I won't let you.† Celia gave a convulsive shudder and cringed back in her chair. â€Å"Don't you dare threaten me,† she said, her voice quavering. â€Å"Everybody calm down,† Meredith said sharply. â€Å"Celia, no one is going to make you do anything unless you agree to it. I'l protect you myself if need be.† Her eyes flew quickly to Alaric, who was glancing back and forth between them, looking worried. â€Å"But we need your help. Please. You may have saved us al by finding the spel , and we're grateful, but Stefan's right – you're part of this, too. I don't know if it'l work without you.† She hesitated a beat. â€Å"Or, if it does, it might leave you as the phantom's only target,† she added cunningly. Celia shivered again and wrapped her arms around herself. â€Å"I'm not a coward,† she said miserably. â€Å"I'm a scientist, and this†¦ irrational mysticism worries me. But I'm in. I'l help any way I can.† Meredith, for the first time, felt a flash of sympathy for her. She understood how hard it must be for Celia to continue to think of herself as a logical person while the boundaries of what she'd always accepted as reality col apsed around her. â€Å"Thank you, Celia.† Meredith glanced around the room at the others. â€Å"We've got the ritual. We've got the ingredients. We just need to gather everything together and start casting the spel . Are we ready?† Everyone sat up straighter, their faces taking on expressions of stern resolve. As scary as this was, it was good to final y have a purpose and a plan. Stefan breathed deeply and visibly took hold of himself, his shoulders relaxing and his stance settling into something less predatory. â€Å"Okay, Meredith,† he said. His stormy green eyes met her cool gray ones, in perfect accord. â€Å"Let's do this.†

Strangers on a train

Big Ben had just struck midnight when Helen and her friends joyfully burst through the doors of the Westminster Academy. ‘What an amazing concert', she cried. ‘We should definitely go and watch another one soon!' replied Tom. ‘Guys, I think we should just forget about the concert for one split second and actually think about our journey home at such a ridiculous hour!' said Sarah. ‘True, look I'll go with you Helen and Jim, you go with Sarah' said Tom. As the couple waited anxiously for the last train to approach, they silently reminisced over what had really been a well and truly, unforgettable night. After a long wait of what felt like an hour, the last train clumsily slid along the rail tracks and hesitantly pulled up to a halt at Westminster station. Its rickety doors, lethargically slid open and wickedly beckoned the two friends into its carriage of mystery. As Helen looked directly in front of her to look through the pane of glass on the other side of the carriage, she caught a glimpse of a strange looking girl sitting in between two puny but psychotic looking boys. Helen always felt uncomfortable making any form of eye contact with strangers as she had heard of various incidents concerning people in the same situation as her. However, it was as if some strong wave of curiosity was encouraging her face to keep on studying these characters and as she did this, she noticed the vibrant blue veins ridged into the girl's skin and the trembling hands of the boys. All through this, the girl stayed unmoving. ‘Tom look over to the other side but try to make it as discreet as possible', Helen said to her friend. ‘You mean that dodgy looking bunch opposite us yeah?' he replied. ‘Yeah, they're really starting to creep me out; please do something!' ‘Ok,right I've got a plan.' he said, ‘Now, Helen listen to me very carefully, when I get off at my stop, come with me and pretend that it's also your stop and just try and cleverly change carriages ok?' When the train ground to a halt at Paddington station, the two got off and indeed executed the plan of action. ‘Are you sure you're going to be alright Helen?' Tom worriedly gasped, ‘you can always come back to mine and then I'll drive you back home instead.' ‘Oh come on Tom, when exactly are you going to stop treating me like a baby and realize that I'm a 25 year old grown woman' she proclaimed, ‘Look, I think I can deal with a couple of freaks who have nothing better to do than put fear into the hearts of innocent people!' However, as she settled into her new seat, three familiar faces could be made out from the far seats of the carriage and by now it was too late as the sliding doors banged shut. ‘Just keep calm', she thought but in reality she was extremely hysterical. As she subtly tried to gaze over to the far side of the carriage, the boys suddenly began to shift uncomfortably in their seats and almost seemed nervous. The boys with their eyes bloodshot and their faces flushed gave the impression that they were under the influence of drugs, alcohol or perhaps both. The boy on the right of the girl had on a crumpled white t-shirt that was stained with heavy blotches of brown. A bruise lay on his left eye and his lip had a small cut in it. He seemed the more nervous of the two and was literally trembling. However, the boy on the left of the girl seemed to be quite serene and composed in comparison to his companion who was quite the opposite. He had a severe expression and wore a thick jacket of fur. He had a heavy gash on his right arm and his nose was bleeding. Still. The girl stayed still, unmoving as a statue in a garden. Her face almost death like and as pale as a white sheet of paper. Her bright, vast, ginger bob of curls heavily contrasted with this strange and ghostly complexion. Her eyes, piercing like the rays of a bright sun. Her jaw, fully agape as though it were an opening into a mysterious cavern. Her shirt was slashed across the torso and her underwear lay exposed due to this. Great slashes lay from her upper arm right down to her wrist. The boys had entwined their arms around that of the girl's and seemed to be making a great effort to sustain her in a sedentary position. At this moment in time, Helen decided to turn her face away from this ghastly, frightening sight towards the other side of the carriage. She really didn't understand why these strange beings that she was trying to get away from had followed her into the new carriage. However, she then spotted a man that looked officious but overpowering at the same time moving over towards the seat next to her. By now Helen was really starting to lose her calm and collected aura.Suddenly,he started mumbling something but Helen felt that this was just another unfamiliar being that was just trying to get her attention. Nevertheless, he persisted and finally got through to Helen by writing something on the newspaper he was reading and showed it to Helen. ‘GET OFF AT THE NEXT STOP!' it read, ‘YOU'RE IN SERIOUS DANGER-THAT GIRL YOU SEE IS DEAD-THIS IS NO JOKE-I AM A DOCTOR AND I KNOW THIS FOR SURE, SO HELP YOURSELF WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME!!' By this time, Helen was well and truly in a hysterical state and it was almost as if her heart was about to leap out of her body. However she still managed to keep a cool cover as the train approached Hammersmith station. She then got up, stood, walked through the sliding doors and made her final exit off the train. As she did all these actions, she made sure that she acted as if she were the most innocent and unsuspecting creature in the whole world. When the train moved slowly away, she first of all turned around to see whether she could spot the man that saved her and give her his thanks, but the station lay empty. Lifeless. Dead. Before she even had time to think her legs had turned into that of a professional sprinter and carried her out of the station at the speed of lightning. Never again would she be so reckless and try to prove herself tough, by encountering such a life threatening ordeal at such a perilous hour.