Engage In Personal Development Essay Example for Free

Engage In Personal Development Essay 1.1 Describe the duties and responsibilities of own work role Job description 1.2 And 3.1 Explain expectations about own work role as expressed in relevant standards. Evaluate own knowledge, performance and understanding against relevant standards. A day in the life at my setting. Arriving at my setting each day I am required to sign in and note down the time. I put my bag in a safe and secure place so children cannot access. I check the message board and liaise with other staff members for any important updates. We have a child with a food intolerance so I informed the cook to make them aware the child was catered for at all meals during the day. My 1st hour was spent upstairs with the toddlers aged between 2 and 3 years. I then checked the planner to see what activities we had for that day. Today I set up the drawing table ensuring there was enough paper, crayons and chairs available for all the children present. I sat with the children whilst they joined in with the activity. Talking to the children about what they were doing and describing all the different colours, sizes, shapes etc. This was promoting their speech and language development and using creative skills too. Whilst supervising this activity I decided to complete a short observation on one of the children as she began to count and sing. I was interacting with all of the children trying to maintain interest. After a short while it was then time to tidy away all the equipment from the actives in which we encourage the children to help too. Once the room was tidy we decided to take the children outside in to the garden. Most of our toddlers are able to collect and put on their coats which we also encourage to do but some children are unable to achieve this at the moment. I helped to escort the children safely down the stairs ensuring they hold on to the rail and do a head count to make sure all children were present. I performed the outdoor risk assessment using the  daily check list. The children then are supervised using the toilet and washing their hands ready for lunch. I seat the children down at the tables ensuring they have cleaned their hands and they have adequate space to eat. I supply them all with a drink and we sing songs whilst the food is being dished out. I have prepared the child’s food separately who has the food intolerance ensuring they receive the correct meal . The child is also supervised eating to ensure they do not mix foods with the other children. Some children have not developed the skills to cut their own food so I will assist with helping them to do that. Ensuring the meals are cool enough I then give each child a meal and always remind them of good manners by saying â€Å"please† and â€Å"thank you†. If children do not like the meal or try to refuse it I will always encourage them to try it. If I am working alongside the babies the above applies except some of the babies are too young to feed themselves and have not yet developed those skills. Babies will also need help with bottle feeding. I would also prepare the bottle feeds following the nursery policy. Ensuring correct formula is mixed and all bottles have been sterilised. Back in the toddler room, a child was struggling with their food and looked like they was choking. I immediately helped the child by taking the food out of their mouth with my little finger. The child became distressed so I comforted them until they were able to return to their meal. Meal times are always supervised by all members of staff to help with any incidents like this. All meal times are recorded in the daily chart. This is where we write down what the child has eaten so we can relay this back to the parents/carers. When the children have finished their meal I help to clean the children up and get them ready for their afternoon sleep. I assist with the toileting and other members of staff will go through the nappy change routine. The children in the toddler room go to find their own sleep mats with the aid of their name and picture tag. Most children will remove their own footwear but again some have not yet developed those skills, so I will help. Some children have their own comforters which I put out for them and I help to get them off to sleep with gentle patting. Once the children are asleep, I ensure the room monitors are on and working, make sure the room temperature is ok and all the children have their own blankets and they are safe. I then record each child in the daily sleep chart. This chart is for ours and parents benefits. We record when they sleep and when they wake up. As some children are only allowed a certain amount of sleep, this will help us to know when we have to wake them up. I then check on the children in the sleep room every 10 minutes with the aid of a timer. When children wake from their afternoon sleep they are always asked to use the toilet. Some children are upset when they awake so I will always comfort them. The afternoon usually consists of taking the children outside for free play. I get all their coats bags etc together and help to put their coats on. On this occasion it was a nice sunny day so I applied their own sun cream following the nursery sun cream policy. I ensure they have sun hats and the sun cream is applied liberally. Before we go outside I take 4 children at a time down the stair and reiterate the importance of holding the hand rail. A head count is once again recorded and an outdoor check is done following the outdoor risk assessment. The toddlers are escorted outsi de counting each child as they go. They are shortly followed by the children/babies from the tiny room downstairs and they all play in the same garden. The children are supervised with in ratio. As its free play time, I leave the children to play but some children like me to join in with what they are playing with. Child A is playing with a dolls pram and child B is trying to take that away from them. I intervene and explain to child B â€Å"we do not take toys from our friends when they are playing with them, it’s not very kind†. Child B is upset so I took the child away and provided them with another toy to distract them from child A. This works very well and child B goes off playing happily alone with the other toy. Child A is also happy and also continues to play. Shortly after another incident happened where a child has fallen and bumped their head. As I comfort the child I asked another staff member to get a cold compress. This is applied to the child for 10 minutes whilst still trying to comfort the child. The head bump is not too bad and the child soon calms down and returns playing. I then completed an accident form following nursery policy. This is then signed by the parent when the child is collected. During the afternoon, parents/carers come to collect their children. I greet the parents and explain what their child has been doing throughout the day, taking the information off the daily record sheet. We usually have a short chat with the parents/carers about the child’s day and will also take interest in their day too. We have a good  relationship with our parents/carers and this also helps us to get to know the parents/carers and children too. After all the children have gone home, we tidy round and ensure the nursery is ready for the next day ahead. 2.1 Explain the importance of reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of service provided. The nursery setting is always changing is so many different ways. We have new children being welcomed in to the setting and then we have children going through different types of transitions. The service we provide must reflect the needs of the children and by constantly improving our services we can better meet the need of the children and support their development. By constantly reflecting on out practice we can assess where we may be lacking in skills or knowledge and we can update these regularly to keep our services up to date and as supportive to the children as possible. A good example on reflective practice is, we have a child that has developed an intolerance to milk, dairy products etc. We have briefed all staff members with information regarding lactose free diet for this child. We have a couple of children who have turned 2 years and have completed the transition u pstairs to the toddler room. This meant we have more babies downstairs in our tiny room and the room has been slightly equipped with more age relevant toys and equipment. If we did not reflect on this, it could hinder the development of the younger babies. Everyone makes mistakes – they are one way of learning. It is important not to waste your mistakes, so if something has gone wrong, make sure you learn from it. Discuss problems and mistakes with your supervisor, and work out how to do things differently next time. You can use reflective skills in order to learn from situations that have not worked out the way you planned. It is important that you consider carefully why things turned out the way they did and think about how you will ensure that they go according to plan next time. Talking to colleagues and supervisors is equally useful when things work out really well, as it is important to reflect on success as well as failure. If you reflect on why something worked, this will make it more likely that you can repeat it. Information taken from http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/ 2.3 Describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect  working practices What we believe in, what we see as important and what we see as acceptable or desirable is an essential part of who we are. The way in which we respond to people is linked to what we believe in, what we consider important and what interests us. We may find we react positively to people who share our values and less warmly to people who have different priorities. As a professionals, we are required to provide the same quality of support for all, not just for those who share our views and beliefs. The key term here is Diversity – being different; people are unique according to their own background, culture, personality, race, any disability, gender, religion/belief, sexual orientation and age. 4.1 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing own development. Personal development is to do with developing the personal qualities and skills that everyone needs in order to live and work with others, such as understanding, empathy, patience, communication and relationship-building. It is also to do with the development of self-confidence, self-esteem and self-respect. In my setting there is always support for planning and reviewing my own development. I have already opted to improve my skills and development with a couple of course due to start in December 2014. You need to have these goals in mind; †¢ What you are trying to achieve? †¢ How you are you going to achieve it? †¢ How you will be able to tell when you have achieved it? It’s also helpful to further your development by asking other team members, duty manager and managers. We have a fantastic team who are very helpful and are ready to give any help and advice to anyone who needs it. At my setting there are many text books, magazines and brochures with vital information I can look through if I feel need some extra information in a certain topic of interest to further my development. We also have regular appraisals to guide and encourage further development and to also discuss current work practice. I feel this is extremely important. This not only boosts self-esteem but also gives management a chance to reflect on your work practice and if there is any further development training needed. Ref: http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk

African American and Haitian Heritage Essay Example for Free

African American and Haitian Heritage Essay There are many different beliefs and values with the African American Culture compared to the Haitian Culture relating to child bearing and pregnancy. Both of the cultures have history of having large families in the rural areas, which was viewed as a necessary necessity because of the economic pressures each culture went though. The African American choice of birth control was oral contraceptives compared to the Haitians who used a variety of contraception methods such as the â€Å"birth control pill, female sterilization, injections, and condoms† Kemp (2012) states. The Haitians are mostly Catholic which makes them unwillingly to engage in conversations about pregnancy, and their fertility practices. Compared to African Americans who willingly to speak to older family members about their behavior during their pregnancy, or will help guide them with many of the practices and beliefs of a pregnant women. The African Americans view and belief on abortion is that many oppose abortion because of their â€Å"religious or moral beliefs†, and others oppose abortion because of moral, cultural, or â€Å"Afrocentric beliefs† WHO (2011) states. These beliefs will cause a delay in decision which makes abortions unsafe, compared to the Haitian Culture who does not talk about abortion openly, it is considered a women’s issue. Pregnancy is not considered a disease, or a â€Å"health problem, many Haitian women seek no prenatal care†, work fulltime until delivery, and celebrate their pregnancy as a time of joy. Haitian women also â€Å"do not eat spices†, but are encouraged to eat vegetables, and red fruits to increase the fetus blood Kemp (2012) claims. Compared to the African American women who seek prenatal care early in their pregnancy, also they respond to being pregnant as any other women in an ethnic group. Furthermore each one of the cultures has views, and beliefs that they follow during their pregnancy. The â€Å"Haitian women historically would walk, squat, or sit†, during labor, practice natural childbirth, but since migrating most Haitian women have adopted other practices. The fathers do not participate in delivery, but other female families members offer support Kemp (2012) states. The African American women have many beliefs or myths they believe in during their pregnancy. â€Å"Pica is the eating of a nonnutritive substance† such as soap, needles, dirt, and etc., this practice will help ease pain during delivery, and reduce nausea Galanti (2012) states. Furthermore African American women believe in many beliefs because it will cause harm to them and the unborn baby, during delivery they believe it is ok to be vocal. In addition during delivery African American women will have granny midwives deliver their unborn baby, and others will arrive at the Hospital in advanced labor to reduce the time spent there. Emotional support is provided by other women especially their mother, because men believe it is a private issue between women. The Haitian women believe that postpartum is a crucial period of childbearing, immediately after birth they will dress warmly to become more healthy, and clean. After delivery Haitian women believe that their â€Å"bones are open which makes them stay in bed 2-3 days postpartum† Galanti (2012) states so the bones can close. Another postpartum practice is the â€Å"three baths†, the first three days the mother will bathe in hot boiled water that will have leaves, bought or picked from the field. Then for the next three days the mother will bathe in water and leaves warmed by the sun. At the end of the third week the mother takes the third bath which is cold, Haitian women also avoid white foods during this period. Compared to the â€Å"African American women during postpartum period family support is needed to care for them six to eight weeks† after delivery Galanti (2012) states. Babies were not named until after they were known to survive, and the placenta has a spirit of its own which has to be buried after birth to avoid having a connection to the baby. Increased â€Å"vaginal bleeding is a sign of a sickness†, and tea is believed to have healing powers Kemp (2012) states. References Galanti, G. (2012) â€Å"Cultural Diversity in Health Care† African American. Retrieved on January 27, 2013 from www.ggalanti.org Kemp, C. (2012) â€Å"Haitians† Retrieved on January 27, 2013 from www.baylor.edu World Health Organization (2011) World Global Cultures† Retrieved on January 27, 2013 from www.who.org

Benefits of Brand Positioning

Benefits of Brand Positioning Positioning is what you stand for in the mind of the market. Brand positioning is a strategic approach to establishing a sustainable competitive advantage. Achieving competitive advantage strengthens and positions a business better within the business environment. There are five generic competitive branding strategies useful in brand positioning.   These generic competitive strategies are: 1. A low-cost leadership strategy entails the process of appealing to the broad spectrum of potential buyers by being able to offer an overall low cost product or service. Example: Walmart, Dell Computers 2. A broad differentiation strategy is one in which a business seeks to differentiate its products or services from their competitors in ways that attract the broadest spectrum of customers in an established industry. Example: Mercedes cars, Apple 3. A best cost provider strategy is one that offers customers more value for the buck, with a lot of emphasis on the low cost of the product or service in comparison to its high quality. Great example is Toyota with its Lexus luxury models. 4. A focused strategy on lower costs is a brand positioning strategy that concentrates on out competing rivals, by offering customized products or services at a lower cost to a smaller portion of the established buyers. Example: many small retailers offering their own label or discounted line of products. 5. A focused strategy based on differentiation is one in which the focus is on a narrow segment of buyers who are offered a product or service that has been customized to meet their exact tastes and demands and supersedes what competitors are offering. Example: any successful niche retailers (The Perfume Shop, etc.). Benefits of Brand Positioning: Better decision-making.  Positioning is an essential framework for helping you decide what to do and what not  to do. Efficiency effectiveness.  A proverb states, He who chases two rabbits will catch neither. Positioning focuses your limited resources on a clearly defined goal, enabling these investments to build upon each other instead of being deployed scattershot. Control.  Either position yourself, or your competitors will happily do it for you. Positioning gives you control over your own brand image, because it defines the space you can own like no one else. Marketers can use many dimensions to carve out a brands position in the market place. A brand for each brand position strategy: Lifestyle SWATCH has become successful lifestyle brands. It play an important role in our lives by allowing us to express our values and define ourselvesto the world. Lifestyle branding appeals to managers because it offers what appears to be a relatively easy way to sidestep competition and connect with customers on a more personal level lifestyle brands do not evade the competition; instead they end up competing for a share of a consumers identity. And as an increasing number of brands turn to lifestyle positioning, the competition among self-expressive brands intensifies.   Price leadership Wal-Mart is a price leader. The brands that are suffering today are those that try to stake out a position in the middle of the road. They face price competition from the price leader. This way the company translates its cost advantage into price advantage for its customers and thereby improves the market share.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  This is how Wal-Mart captures the markets and eliminates the competitors and improves revenues and market share.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Wal-Mart Stores  set the standard for retailers: They were the most efficient at getting low-priced goods into the hands of consumers that nobody could beat them on price. Attributes Blackberry mobile phones they position their Brand on the basis of the attributes of their product. Their products have special features like Blackberry Messenger (BBM) which makes their product different from others. This  strategy  relies on providing a superior product to the customers to have a better positioning. Product class Hindustan Unilever has positioned their various soaps by product class. Like they have dove and lux etc that is positioned by same class. Positioning by product class can increase a companys profits by presenting more items from our product line to consumers who may be familiar with or loyal to our brand name. This is especially key when similar products we position in our product class are one-of-a-kind with no similar offerings by competitors. Competitors Samsung which deals in mobiles phones position their product by keeping in mind its competetors like HTC, sony and lg etc. The Positioning by competitor strategy may be influenced by the market, the features of other products in the market, their pricing, distribution as well as any other factor which is the strength of the competitor. If Samsung is fighting against a competitor on the same factors of positioning, it should better be prepared for a long and hard fight. However, if it want to get to the top, it need to attack the weaknesses first and thereby permanently take away some of the market share of the competitor. Occasion COCK brand crackers have done its brand positioning on the basis of occasion. This kind of positioning stresses when or how your product is used by your target audience. Crackers are mostly used on some special occasions like diwali, new year and marriage etc. So in the mind of consumer their products are positioned as occasion products. Users VERTU a subsidiary of Nokia mobile phone has positioned their brand on the base of high class users. Their mobiles are very costly. Vertu  creates limited edition luxurious  cell  mobile  phones using the finest materials available including gold, titanium etc Quality BMW cars have built its brand image or position their product in mind of consumer through the quality of their product. Building a powerful perception of quality, will succeed in creating a powerful brand. The best way to increase perception of quality is to narrow the companys focus. BMW have narrowed products focus, they explain, we become a specialist rather than a generalist, and a specialist is perceived to know more, or be of higher quality than a generalist.

Franz Kafkas Judgement :: Kafka Judgement Essays

Franz Kafka's Judgement    This short story of Franz Kafka is really a challenging one to interpret but apparently there are some contextual clues that enables us to draw some logical conclusions out of the story. Firstly, we should handle this story in terms of human relationships; there are 3 kind of relationships represented in the story. The first is the relationship between George (the main character of the story) and his friend in Russia; the second is George's relationship with his fiancà ©e and the third is his relationship with his father. Each exposition of these relationships contradicts with the persons involved in. That is, while George is devoted to writing to a friend whom he hasn't seen for 3 years, he doesn't write about important events. George tracks himself as a lonely character throughout the story so he may be trying to share his loneliness with a friend, but he has his fiancà ©e near him as well. However, we aren't informed enough about how close their relationship is in th at they are engaged only for a month. Then, we witness an extraordinary relationship of a father and a son. George and his father are like strangers to one another partly because his father is like a brutal shadow on him limiting his life. Only after her mom is dead that his father becomes less aggressive and gives him chance at their family business to put forward new plans and expand the business.    Then we should handle the problem of the judgement. What kind of a judgemant is this? The judgement of the father to sentence his son to death or George's own judgement to free himself from the burden of such a restricted life with a dreadful and unloving father left behind after his mom's death though his life standards are high. Here, we should take a look at the characters in depth to better interpret the story. There is round characterization of George who is represented as the main figure in the story. He is a young merchant running a family business with his widowed father. He and his father must be living in a wealthy neighborhood as it says in the story that they live in a graceful house along the bank of a river with maids in it.

A Trip to the Store :: Parables Short Stories Essays

A Trip to the Store There once was a man, a ordinary man named John. John had a family with a wife and three kids, a house with a garage and two cars, very much of an average person was our John. One day John's wife asked him to go to the store to get some bread. As John put on his coat and found the keys to the car he already knew how he would get to the store. He would pull out of the driveway and turn left on Hazelwood Road. He would go past the neighbors on whose land he bowhunted every fall, down the hill, between the swamps and up the next hill to the highway. There he would right onto County Road 20 and cruise down the narrow road that wound past the State Park and the Country Club, probably glance at the lake to see how many ice houses were on the lake and then continue to the intersection of County Road 21. There he would turn left and continue on his way past Ruttger's, where he had often thought of getting a membership, past the boat landing where he liked to put his boat in the lake when he fished walleyes in the summer. Past Koblilka's where he bought his licenses and into town. Shortly after entering town he would coast to a stop at the stop light and wait to turn right. Then a short drive past the myriad's of restaurants and other business's hoping but never getting green lights at the intersections and then finally to turn into the parking lot of the store. Then after making his purchase he would turn around and retrace his route back home. It was a route John had taken many times before and was familiar and comfortable with. The route was one he could use with little thought or attention required on his part. Often instead of thinking about where he was going he would think about other things while he was driving or perhaps just listen to the radio. Sometimes he could make the whole trip there and back without hardly noticing the route itself. Not to say the trips were always easy, sometimes bad weather made the route slippery or heavy traffic made the trip longer then it should be. There was always a chance of having a flat tire or other car problems along the way.

Native Americans and Alcohol Essay -- Native American History

Northern Native Americans were faced with many great hardships with the arrival of the Europeans, Spanish and the French. American Indians had thrived on American soil for thousands of years with great prosperity. Living among each other in a local economy and communities The Native Americans created a civilization that was harmonious with the land and spiritual world that surrounded them. They were able to sustain their survival from the living plants and animals that lived among them in this over abundant country and all of it's rich resources. Many different tribes thrived on this land by adapting well with the elements around them. They were able to use the one living animal that co-existed with their people and made sure that a good kill was worth the effort and danger that encountered it. The Native Americans were able to use every part of the animal killed from the hide to the hoofs in an effort of survival and to counter balance the spiritual world that engulfed their heritage. The natives would give back to the world that gave unto them. With an unfortelling future the Native Americans were not prepared for what storm was about to come ashore. Europeans would soon arrive and bring the Natives demise in more ways then one(Jones-Saumty). In 1492 Christopher Columbus was said to be the first arrival on American soil from the East. Columbus would bring many new and different commodities unseen by the Natives of this world. Europeans and the Spanish brought many commodities for their own survival in this new territory, such as plants and even animals. According to Calloway some of the food items brought from England and Spain were rice, wheat, barley,... ....1 ( 1998 )166-167 George and Barbara Perkins, â€Å" The American Tradition in Literature ,† ( Boston ) Mcgraw Hill, 2009 Robert s. Young, Jennie R. Joe. â€Å" Some Thoughts About Epidemiology of Alcohol and Drug Use Among American Indian Population†. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. Vol. 8 Iss 3:(2009) 223 â€Å"What Prevents American Indians from Seeking Treatment for Alcohol Issues?† Web. 23 May 2015. Www.Goodtherapy.com/ Mancall, Peter C. "Men, women, and alcohol in Indian villages in the Great Lakes region in the early republic." Journal of the Early Republic. Indianapolis: Fall 1995. Vol. 15, Iss. 3; p. 425 William Laurence Saunders "The Colonial Records of North Carolina", Volume 5 1887. Web. 23 May 2015. https://books.google.com/ Craig Andrew, Robert B. Edgarton. "Drunken Comportment: A Social Explanation". Eliot Werner Publications. 2003

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 20

The New York Halls of Justice and House of Detention was a slablike stone structure that rose heavily from the street like an old tombstone. The interior was a portrait in gray, with grim-faced policemen and haggard criminals. And us. Vampires caught in a human system for a bloody crime we didn't commit. The twistedness of it all was remarkable, but it did nothing to alleviate our current situation. With our hands tied behind our backs, a young policeman marched Damon and me up several flights of worn wooden stairs and into the chief's office. He commanded a small square of the larger floor. Sketches of wanted men lined his walls, one man's eye struck through with a large nail. The chief himself was a grizzled veteran with a full black beard, except for where a smooth, diagonal scar cut through his skin. He looked at our rap sheet and let out a low whistle. â€Å"The whole Sutherland family? That'll be in the papers tonight.† I flinched at hearing such insensitivity coming from the lips of a normal human. What sort of monsters did he deal with that the death of an entire family was no more than a news item? â€Å"We didn't do it,† I said. â€Å"No, of course you didn't,† the chief said gruffly, running a finger along his scar. â€Å"No one who ends up here has ever done it. But the courts will get it sorted out, and everyone will get what they deserve.† We were unceremoniously dumped into a holding cell that was larger than the entire one-person jail back home, where Jeremiah Black spent many a night sleeping off his drunken stupor. I never expected to see the inside of a cell myself. â€Å"We didn't do it,† Damon whined, imitating me and shaking his head, as soon as the guard left. â€Å"Could you make us sound any more ridiculous?† â€Å"What, are you afraid of us coming off as sissies?† I asked. â€Å"Would you rather I just bared my fangs at him?† A rasping chuckle came from the corner of the cell, where another prisoner sat slumped against the wall. His hair receded from his forehead in a deep V and he had the arms of a dockworker. â€Å"Nice clothes,† he said with malicious growl, eyeing our formal suits and clean-shaven cheeks. â€Å"What are you in for, rich boys?† â€Å"Killing a family,† Damon answered without pause. â€Å"You?† â€Å"Beatin' in the heads of the likes of you,† he answered back just as quickly, cracking his knuckles. He took a swing at Damon, but my brother reached up and, with hands faster than the human eye, deflected the blow, and pushed the man against the wall with a loud crack. The giant didn't so much topple as just crumple straight down, falling into an unconscious puddle around his own feet. None of the officers came running, and I wondered if fighting in the cells was an ordinary occurrence. Damon sighed as he stepped around the man. He sat down on the floor in a moment of exhaustion that was almost human, almost like the old brother I used to know. â€Å"Why is it we always end up locked behind bars with each other?† â€Å"Well, at least this time you're not being starved,† I answered drily. â€Å"Nope. No chance in that,† Damon said. His eyes surveyed the police standing on the other side of our bars, taking in each person. Then he leaned his head up against the wall and gave the peeling paint a grudging sniff. â€Å"And I think there's more than a chance that there are a couple of rats in here for you, too.† I sighed, sliding down the wall and sitting next to him. I did not understand this new Damon. His shifts in mood were frightening. One moment he was the soulless vampire who killed without remorse, the next he was someone who seemed like my old childhood companion again. â€Å"What's the plan?† I asked. â€Å"You're looking at it,† he said, getting up and indicating the dead man at our feet. â€Å"Guard! Man down in here.† When the guard approached and saw the body on the ground he seemed annoyed, but not surprised. The guard didn't lean too close – he had survived long enough to know not to. But it was close enough. Damon flared his eyes. â€Å"Forget we were ever here. Forget what we look like. Forget who brought us in, our names, and everything about us.† â€Å"Who's us?† the guard asked, hypnotized but slow on the uptake. â€Å"The man I came in with,† Damon snapped, pointing at me. The guard nodded faintly. â€Å"Forget everything about us. And then – send over the other guard, all right?† The guard wandered back to his post, somewhat dizzily at first, then cocked his head as if he had just remembered something. He went to one of the guards on patrol and pointed at the jail cell. Not at Damon, through Damon. It was like Damon didn't exist anymore in his reality. â€Å"One down,† Damon muttered. He looked tense. Again I wondered how many people he really could control at once. The second guard approached. He had a scar across his face that twisted one eye shut, and he smacked his billy club as he walked. But before Damon could compel him, he said the absolute last thing we expected. â€Å"Your lawyer is here.† I looked at my brother. He looked back at me in equal surprise. He raised an eyebrow as if to say: Did you arrange this somehow? I very slightly shook my head. Damon straightened his shoulders as a clang sounded and the door to the stockade opened. The smell of rotten eggs and death filled the room as another man walked in – the lawyer. He was huge. Larger than the prisoner Damon had knocked out, with long arms and a huge chest. His hands were monstrous, with stubby fingers that gripped a leather portfolio. He came into the room slowly, with the careful tread of someone or something too large and dangerous for its surroundings, like the pace of a panther around its tiny circus cage. His clothing was of a foreign cut, comfortable, rich linen and silk that allowed his massive body to move easily beneath its folds. And his eyes†¦ They were small and blue, but not the clear blue of my brother's. They were mottled, milky almost, and too ancient for the rest of his body, moving quickly but incorrectly, like a bird's or a lizard's gaze, but with a powerful intelligence behind it. This man was not human. He didn't feel like a vampire, not exactly. But there was something just below his surface waiting for a chance to explode. The Power radiating from him was greater than anything I had experienced. And my instincts told me that even though he had come under the auspices of being our lawyer, this man was not here to help us. He surveyed us in the jail cell and smiled slightly. â€Å"You may go,† he said to the guard behind him. His voice didn't even rise, but quietly reverberated in a way that carried to the far end of the empty holding cells. And yet they went. Quickly, and with something like relief on their faces. We were left alone with this beast. â€Å"Good evening, gentlemen,† he said, smiling in a way that made me sick. â€Å"Who are you?† Damon asked, clearly trying to sound bored. But I could hear the fear in his voice. â€Å"Who am I?† the man repeated in a heavy accent. â€Å"Does it help to know the name of the one who will kill you? It didn't seem any comfort to your wives.† The words fell like stones to the floor, heavy and final. The man casually put a giant hand up to rest on a bar. â€Å"You killed the Sutherlands,† I whispered. â€Å"Yes.† He smiled and pursed his lips. â€Å"It was fun.† â€Å"You tore them apart like paper dolls,† I said, even though I knew he could tear me apart, too, could scatter my limbs like the petals that had lined my wedding altar. â€Å"You†¦ broke them.† â€Å"Young vampire, you must know the hunger of the beast,† he said with a smile that wasn't at all amused. â€Å"There are other hungers, for other things, that once awoken cannot rest until they are satisfied.† The whites of the man's eyes glowed red, and there was a hush in the air, like great Power was being summoned. I could practically smell the fear coiling off Damon in large strips. But I began to grow angry. Rage boiled in my stomach and shot out through my body. This man had butchered an innocent family and enjoyed it. This was what my new life as a vampire meant – layers and layers of evil, and even more horror and destruction, just when I felt I had reached the very bottom. â€Å"Why?† I demanded, coming forward as far as the bars would let me. â€Å"What did they ever do to you?† â€Å"Why?† the beast asked. He leaned forward, mocking my bravado. As he neared, mere centimeters from my face, a sickening stench of old blood and decay swept over me. It was like a thousand years of death and dismemberment followed him around, a trophy from each corpse he was responsible for. â€Å"Recompense.† He said each syllable carefully. â€Å"Recompense?† I echoed. He bared his teeth. â€Å"Yes, recompense. For taking Katherine. And destroying any chance to break the curse.† Katherine? What did she have to do with all of this, with this abomination in front of us? With the Sutherlands? And what curse? I looked over at Damon. She had always shared more details of her life, of being a vampire, with him. But my brother was wide-eyed and gaping like a fish, even more stunned by hearing her name than I was. I thought about the blissful, ignorant weeks I spent as her slave and lover, never imagining that she would lead me straight into hell. The man backed up a few steps, including Damon in his foul stare. â€Å"Yes, you understand now,† he said, nodding. But we didn't. â€Å"I – † Damon began to speak. â€Å"SILENCE!† the man roared. Suddenly he was pressed up against the bars, a blackened fingernail inches from Damon's throat. â€Å"Do you dare deny it?† With a chilling deliberateness, he pushed an iron bar aside like it was a curtain. The metal screamed in agony. In a flash of darkness he had stepped through, and wrapped a giant hand around each of our throats. â€Å"You took Katherine. I take your new life from you. An eye for an eye, as you people are fond of saying. Right?† â€Å"I†¦ don't know what you're talking about,† I said, choking. The monster threw back his head and laughed. â€Å"Of course you don't.† He snapped his head back, suddenly fixing me with his eyes and a sneer on his lips. He didn't believe me. â€Å"Katherine never mentioned Klaus?† Even after her death, Katherine continued to haunt us. I looked over at Damon. There was a pained, heartbroken look on his face. It was gone in an instant, but for that one moment I thought I saw through to my old brother. He was shocked by the fact that Katherine, the love of his life, had been involved with a creature as heartless as the one that stood before us. I felt for him. Unbidden, half a dozen images of Katherine came to my mind. Her amber eyes that commanded attention. Her long black hair hanging in waves around her neck, as if she had just done something that might have disheveled it. Her tiny waist and mischievous smile. She had been irresistible. And Damon and I weren't the only ones to have felt her pull. The man tightened his grip on my throat, and I could hear the groaning of vertebrae. In a moment we would be on the floor, our necks snapped as easily as that of the prisoner Damon had killed. Then suddenly I was free. Damon fell to the ground beside me, also released from the stony grip that held him. From outside the cell, the monster smiled viciously. â€Å"I will see you two later,† he promised. And then, almost as an afterthought, he used a delicate finger to push the jail bars back into place. â€Å"And remember, I am always watching.†