The teenagers find themselves lost in the mysterious town of Strangetown after Dee forgets to bring maps. They meet five strange teenagers who warn them that they are not supposed to be there and that they should leave quickly. However, with night falling and curfew approaching, their new friends help them hide out in an abandoned warehouse for the night. Phoenix admits to Journey that he does not actually believe the road trip will save him from his illness, but that he is letting his cousins try for their sake so they do not have to live with the regret of not helping him.
The Bohemian family goes on a road trip in a bus to track down a man named Mr. Goth who may have discovered a cure for death. They get lost and end up in the strange town of Strangetown. The locals warn them that they could get in trouble for being there without authorization. They hide from a strict general but decide to spend the night in an abandoned house. The next morning, the teens continue their journey, hoping to make it to Pleasantview in two days but expecting it to take longer.
The Bohemian teens continue their road trip, having spent the night in a strange abandoned town called Strangetown where they encountered odd locals and a strict general. They debate their tiredness in the morning as Elise hopes to get out of the desert that day and reach Pleasantview in two days, though the others are skeptical. Cayenne drives as music plays and the teens wear outfits from Dee's late night art project. Phoenix confides in Journey that he doesn't believe he can be saved but wants to support Elise's hope.
The Bohemian teenagers find themselves lost in the strange desert town of Strangetown after forgetting to bring maps. The locals warn them that they are not supposed to be there and must hide from the authorities before curfew. The teens agree to sleep in an abandoned factory for the night while trying to figure out how to leave in the morning, as the locals say it is impossible to get past the checkpoints surrounding the town.
The Bohemian Generation 5 teens find themselves lost in the strange town of Strangetown after forgetting to bring maps. The teens meet some oddly dressed local teenagers who warn them about an impending curfew enforced by a strict General. They hide the bus and the Bohemians from the General but explain they will likely get in trouble or arrested if caught after curfew. The locals help hide the Bohemians in an abandoned factory for the night and warn them it will be difficult to leave Strangetown.
The Bohemian teens find themselves lost in the strange town of Strangetown after forgetting to bring maps. The teens meet some oddly dressed local teenagers who warn them about an impending curfew enforced by a strict General. They hide the bus and the Bohemians from the General. The locals explain that Strangetown is a secret government compound and it will be difficult for the Bohemians to leave. They decide to spend the night hiding in an abandoned factory building.
The Bohemian Generation 5 teens find themselves lost in the strange desert town of Strangetown after forgetting to bring maps. The teens meet some oddly dressed local teenagers who warn them that they are not supposed to be in Strangetown without authorization and may get in trouble after curfew. A military general arrives and notices the teens' bus, saying it will be towed. The locals help hide the Bohemians from the general. They explain they must leave before curfew or risk being arrested.
The group of teenagers find themselves lost in the mysterious desert town of Strangetown after Dee forgets to bring maps. They meet some of the town's residents, who warn them that they are not supposed to be there and should leave quickly before "they" find out. It becomes clear that Strangetown is a secret, classified government facility and the residents are actually aliens who are not allowed to leave and know too many secrets about weapons testing and alien experimentation conducted there.
The Bohemian teens embark on a road trip adventure in their bus to track down Mr. Goth in Pleasantview. After hours of driving through the empty desert, they arrive in the strange town of Strangetown where they encounter curious locals dressed in odd clothing. They set up camp for the night in an abandoned house, where Cayenne finds a speaker system and plays music. Journey confronts Phoenix about not believing the cure can be found, but Phoenix says he's going along with it to help the others.
The Bohemian family goes on a road trip in a bus to track down a man named Mr. Goth who may have discovered a cure for death. They get lost and end up in the strange town of Strangetown. The locals warn them that they could get in trouble for being there without authorization. They hide from a strict general but decide to spend the night in an abandoned house. The next morning, the teens continue their journey, hoping to make it to Pleasantview in two days but expecting it to take longer.
The Bohemian teens continue their road trip, having spent the night in a strange abandoned town called Strangetown where they encountered odd locals and a strict general. They debate their tiredness in the morning as Elise hopes to get out of the desert that day and reach Pleasantview in two days, though the others are skeptical. Cayenne drives as music plays and the teens wear outfits from Dee's late night art project. Phoenix confides in Journey that he doesn't believe he can be saved but wants to support Elise's hope.
The Bohemian teenagers find themselves lost in the strange desert town of Strangetown after forgetting to bring maps. The locals warn them that they are not supposed to be there and must hide from the authorities before curfew. The teens agree to sleep in an abandoned factory for the night while trying to figure out how to leave in the morning, as the locals say it is impossible to get past the checkpoints surrounding the town.
The Bohemian Generation 5 teens find themselves lost in the strange town of Strangetown after forgetting to bring maps. The teens meet some oddly dressed local teenagers who warn them about an impending curfew enforced by a strict General. They hide the bus and the Bohemians from the General but explain they will likely get in trouble or arrested if caught after curfew. The locals help hide the Bohemians in an abandoned factory for the night and warn them it will be difficult to leave Strangetown.
The Bohemian teens find themselves lost in the strange town of Strangetown after forgetting to bring maps. The teens meet some oddly dressed local teenagers who warn them about an impending curfew enforced by a strict General. They hide the bus and the Bohemians from the General. The locals explain that Strangetown is a secret government compound and it will be difficult for the Bohemians to leave. They decide to spend the night hiding in an abandoned factory building.
The Bohemian Generation 5 teens find themselves lost in the strange desert town of Strangetown after forgetting to bring maps. The teens meet some oddly dressed local teenagers who warn them that they are not supposed to be in Strangetown without authorization and may get in trouble after curfew. A military general arrives and notices the teens' bus, saying it will be towed. The locals help hide the Bohemians from the general. They explain they must leave before curfew or risk being arrested.
The group of teenagers find themselves lost in the mysterious desert town of Strangetown after Dee forgets to bring maps. They meet some of the town's residents, who warn them that they are not supposed to be there and should leave quickly before "they" find out. It becomes clear that Strangetown is a secret, classified government facility and the residents are actually aliens who are not allowed to leave and know too many secrets about weapons testing and alien experimentation conducted there.
The Bohemian teens embark on a road trip adventure in their bus to track down Mr. Goth in Pleasantview. After hours of driving through the empty desert, they arrive in the strange town of Strangetown where they encounter curious locals dressed in odd clothing. They set up camp for the night in an abandoned house, where Cayenne finds a speaker system and plays music. Journey confronts Phoenix about not believing the cure can be found, but Phoenix says he's going along with it to help the others.
The teenagers embark on a road trip across the desert in their bus to track down Mr. Goth in Pleasantview, hoping he can help save Phoenix's life. After many hours of monotonous driving, they arrive in the strange town of Strangetown. The locals stare at them curiously due to their unusual clothing. That night while camping out in a abandoned house, Cayenne finds a speaker system and plays music, lightening the mood. Phoenix confides in Journey that he doesn't actually believe they can save him but wants to support Elise's hope.
Kelly, I enjoyed your poem about going back to school. The vivid sensory details of the cafeteria food and locker combination really transported me back to those days. The last stanza captured the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia well. Nice work!
This document provides song information for Greyson Chance's 2012 album Truth Be Told. It includes the lyrics and production details for 5 songs: "Sunshine & City Lights", "You Might Be The One", "Leila", "California Sky", and "Take My Heart". The album was produced by Greyson Chance and others, and released through Geffen Records and Ellen DeGeneres' record label eleveneleven.
7th Gateway to Hell is my story from the 'Monster Attack' anthology - http://amzn.to/1AZPKhh.
"Discover the most gruesome beasts from Werewolves to Mermaids and the stories behind them, written by the most talented horror authors. Arnaldo Lopez Jr, Dana Wright, Andy Lockwood, Sharon L. Higa, Kyle Flak, Kevin S. Hall, Josh Walker, Kody Dibble, Matt Mesnard, Mathias Jansson, Lila L. Pinord, John M. Wills, Michael Shaw, Debbie Johnson, Victoria Pagac, Alex Winck, Anthony V. Pugliese, Shakeem Winn, Preston Peet, Randy Attwood, Matthew J. Hamblin, Stefan Vucak, Anthony Modungwo, Cecilia H. Doldan, Samie Sands Vered Ehsani and Robert Tozer."
The summary provides the key details and themes across 3 of the poems/songs in the document:
The Cure's "Beautiful Song" describes kissing and addiction with references to greed, duplicity, and leaving behind "babies and everything." Bob Dylan's "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" uses ominous imagery of war and suffering to portray an uncertain future, with the singer trying to warn others. The Doors' "The End" somberly acknowledges the end of a relationship and elaborate plans, with no more safety or surprises to come.
The document contains lyrics from 5 songs being considered for music videos. The summaries are:
1) The Pulp song discusses a relationship and suggests a performance-based video.
2) The Ian Brown song contains religious and political imagery and a performance video following the singer through streets is proposed.
3) The Stone Roses song depicts violent scenes and a performance video of the band is suggested.
4) The Oasis song could show the band performing at a bus stop with imagery of the lyrics.
5) The Manic Street Preachers song proposes videos of the band practicing or performing to show their musical progression.
The song is about a man who is at a payphone trying to call home after spending all his money on his partner. He reflects on the plans they had made in the past for their future together and how things have now gone wrong between them, with all the bridges burned. He expresses regret over wasted nights and being stuck in the past when they called their relationship love.
The song describes going for a walk in the woods and reminiscing about carefree times from what seems like 100 years ago. The singer recalls sitting on a gate with Mary, gazing at dragons in the sky with no secrets between them. Now, friends wear worried smiles living out dreams of what they were, and the singer has furrows on his forehead from drinking bad red wine. The singer questions whether it's wise not to grow up.
The song "Red Right Ankle" by The Decemberists tells the story of companionship in war through metaphor. The red ankle refers to both love and blood, while also representing how soldiers support one another like ankles support the body. The different verses discuss wartime camaraderie, the desire to know lost family, and how those who served are still remembered in the heart. "Shoes" by Chris Volpe is about using constant movement to escape one's troubles, which are too painful to confront. "While You Were Sleeping" by Elvis Perkins may see God as having created the world and then gone to sleep, with verses like "you grew your power garden" representing biblical references from a potentially De
The narrator has moved from Phoenix, Arizona to live with her father in the rainy town of Forks, Washington. She is unhappy about the move but accepts a truck from her father as a homecoming gift. On her first morning in Forks, she is anxious about starting at the new high school. After a sleepless night due to the constant rain, she drives her new truck to the school, a collection of matching houses built of maroon bricks surrounded by trees.
This document tells the story of a ring passed down through generations. The current owner, Penelope, receives the ring from her music teacher Kalkin Ladon. The ring is made of black onyx and gold and has tiny replicas of itself carved onto it, suggesting an endless cycle of creation. Ladon explains the ring's power comes from its symbolism of the ouroboros, a serpent eating its own tail. The story then shifts to tragic events that befell Ladon's family during war, leaving Penelope exiled with her student Caldero, the last of their lineage. Penelope is telling Caldero the story of the ring and its symbolism.
Allie goes to visit her aunt Alice who tells her stories about a magical place called Wonderland. Allie does not believe the stories are true. After an argument with her aunt, Allie discovers a secret beach and falls through a tree stump into Wonderland. There she meets the Cheshire Cat and other characters from her aunt's stories. With their help, Allie plays a baseball game against the Queen of Clubs and escapes back through a mysterious door to her aunt, believing the Wonderland stories are real after all.
The document contains 20 poems by Jemima Rivas published on Poemhunter.com in 2016. The poems cover a variety of themes including nature, relationships, personal reflections and more. They range from 3 to 6 stanzas in length and explore topics like love, heartbreak, family and everyday observations through vivid imagery and metaphor.
Camara's father tells him that he has been accepted to a school in France, but they are both apprehensive about telling Camara's mother. When they inform her, she strongly objects and worries that Camara will fall sick and be unable to care for himself so far from home. Though upset, Camara's mother finally accepts that he will go after weeping and begging him not to leave her alone. Camara departs for France feeling torn apart from his family.
The group exploring the ruins of the Cigam Society finds no signs that Almeric or Frankie were recently there. Puck reads a book that describes the history of the Cigam Society, a group that claimed to have hereditary magic abilities. The book tells of divisions within the group and a battle that drained their power source. It is prophesied that a child with mixed blood from the oldest and purest bloodlines could one day restore the power source. Meanwhile, Squatch reflects on conversations with Ricky about their shared history and bloodline.
This document provides a playlist of Disney Princess songs from various Disney animated films from 1993 to 2015. It includes the song title, film name, and release year for each entry. The playlist contains songs from films like The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tarzan, Frozen, and Big Hero 6. The document also provides the lyrics for the song "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas to illustrate one of the songs.
I.M. Bored: A Legacy in 10 Generations - Gen 7 Part 2Lady Lark
Penelope continues her quest to complete her lifetime want of 50 first dates. She goes on dates with teens from the well and uses the dates to get gifts and contacts. Meanwhile, Charlene pursues a relationship with Guld Alioto, who she met in the well. Guld proves his devotion by stealing back Charlene's gnome that was taken by another man. Guld asks to be Charlene's pet for eternity, which she accepts. Olivia also gets engaged to Chester Gieke, who she met in the well. The document expresses frustration that the well drops are not providing suitable partners for the heirlooms.
Taylor Swift - 1989 (Karaoke) Digital BookletGabeExplosion
This document contains the lyrics to Taylor Swift's 2014 album "1989". The lyrics describe themes of personal growth, changing relationships, moving to New York City, and learning life lessons. They tell stories of love, heartbreak, independence and finding oneself through constant change. The lyrics reference both past and new musical influences and styles.
The document provides biographical information about American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley and summaries of several of his songs from his album Grace, including "Grace," "Lover You Should've Come Over," "Dream Brother," "Eternal Life," and "Last Goodbye." The summaries highlight themes of love, loss, spirituality, and mortality in Buckley's lyrics.
El documento presenta el Programa de Gobierno del Partido Popular de Rute. Incluye 10 secciones con propuestas en áreas como gestión de recursos públicos, apoyo al empresariado, plan de infraestructuras, turismo, participación ciudadana, agricultura, aldeas, bienestar social, cultura y juventud/deporte. El candidato a la alcaldía se compromete a trabajar por el bienestar de los ciudadanos de forma transparente y eficiente.
Lci deca how to get involved in your local diabetes campVanessa Avila
The document provides information about how to get involved with diabetes camps as a Lion. It discusses the importance of diabetes camps for children, the partnership between Lions Clubs International and the Diabetes Education and Camping Association, and examples of how Lions in Alabama and District 33-A support local diabetes camps. The presentation aims to educate Lions on diabetes camps and encourage Lions to volunteer or fundraise to help send more children to camp.
The teenagers embark on a road trip across the desert in their bus to track down Mr. Goth in Pleasantview, hoping he can help save Phoenix's life. After many hours of monotonous driving, they arrive in the strange town of Strangetown. The locals stare at them curiously due to their unusual clothing. That night while camping out in a abandoned house, Cayenne finds a speaker system and plays music, lightening the mood. Phoenix confides in Journey that he doesn't actually believe they can save him but wants to support Elise's hope.
Kelly, I enjoyed your poem about going back to school. The vivid sensory details of the cafeteria food and locker combination really transported me back to those days. The last stanza captured the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia well. Nice work!
This document provides song information for Greyson Chance's 2012 album Truth Be Told. It includes the lyrics and production details for 5 songs: "Sunshine & City Lights", "You Might Be The One", "Leila", "California Sky", and "Take My Heart". The album was produced by Greyson Chance and others, and released through Geffen Records and Ellen DeGeneres' record label eleveneleven.
7th Gateway to Hell is my story from the 'Monster Attack' anthology - http://amzn.to/1AZPKhh.
"Discover the most gruesome beasts from Werewolves to Mermaids and the stories behind them, written by the most talented horror authors. Arnaldo Lopez Jr, Dana Wright, Andy Lockwood, Sharon L. Higa, Kyle Flak, Kevin S. Hall, Josh Walker, Kody Dibble, Matt Mesnard, Mathias Jansson, Lila L. Pinord, John M. Wills, Michael Shaw, Debbie Johnson, Victoria Pagac, Alex Winck, Anthony V. Pugliese, Shakeem Winn, Preston Peet, Randy Attwood, Matthew J. Hamblin, Stefan Vucak, Anthony Modungwo, Cecilia H. Doldan, Samie Sands Vered Ehsani and Robert Tozer."
The summary provides the key details and themes across 3 of the poems/songs in the document:
The Cure's "Beautiful Song" describes kissing and addiction with references to greed, duplicity, and leaving behind "babies and everything." Bob Dylan's "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" uses ominous imagery of war and suffering to portray an uncertain future, with the singer trying to warn others. The Doors' "The End" somberly acknowledges the end of a relationship and elaborate plans, with no more safety or surprises to come.
The document contains lyrics from 5 songs being considered for music videos. The summaries are:
1) The Pulp song discusses a relationship and suggests a performance-based video.
2) The Ian Brown song contains religious and political imagery and a performance video following the singer through streets is proposed.
3) The Stone Roses song depicts violent scenes and a performance video of the band is suggested.
4) The Oasis song could show the band performing at a bus stop with imagery of the lyrics.
5) The Manic Street Preachers song proposes videos of the band practicing or performing to show their musical progression.
The song is about a man who is at a payphone trying to call home after spending all his money on his partner. He reflects on the plans they had made in the past for their future together and how things have now gone wrong between them, with all the bridges burned. He expresses regret over wasted nights and being stuck in the past when they called their relationship love.
The song describes going for a walk in the woods and reminiscing about carefree times from what seems like 100 years ago. The singer recalls sitting on a gate with Mary, gazing at dragons in the sky with no secrets between them. Now, friends wear worried smiles living out dreams of what they were, and the singer has furrows on his forehead from drinking bad red wine. The singer questions whether it's wise not to grow up.
The song "Red Right Ankle" by The Decemberists tells the story of companionship in war through metaphor. The red ankle refers to both love and blood, while also representing how soldiers support one another like ankles support the body. The different verses discuss wartime camaraderie, the desire to know lost family, and how those who served are still remembered in the heart. "Shoes" by Chris Volpe is about using constant movement to escape one's troubles, which are too painful to confront. "While You Were Sleeping" by Elvis Perkins may see God as having created the world and then gone to sleep, with verses like "you grew your power garden" representing biblical references from a potentially De
The narrator has moved from Phoenix, Arizona to live with her father in the rainy town of Forks, Washington. She is unhappy about the move but accepts a truck from her father as a homecoming gift. On her first morning in Forks, she is anxious about starting at the new high school. After a sleepless night due to the constant rain, she drives her new truck to the school, a collection of matching houses built of maroon bricks surrounded by trees.
This document tells the story of a ring passed down through generations. The current owner, Penelope, receives the ring from her music teacher Kalkin Ladon. The ring is made of black onyx and gold and has tiny replicas of itself carved onto it, suggesting an endless cycle of creation. Ladon explains the ring's power comes from its symbolism of the ouroboros, a serpent eating its own tail. The story then shifts to tragic events that befell Ladon's family during war, leaving Penelope exiled with her student Caldero, the last of their lineage. Penelope is telling Caldero the story of the ring and its symbolism.
Allie goes to visit her aunt Alice who tells her stories about a magical place called Wonderland. Allie does not believe the stories are true. After an argument with her aunt, Allie discovers a secret beach and falls through a tree stump into Wonderland. There she meets the Cheshire Cat and other characters from her aunt's stories. With their help, Allie plays a baseball game against the Queen of Clubs and escapes back through a mysterious door to her aunt, believing the Wonderland stories are real after all.
The document contains 20 poems by Jemima Rivas published on Poemhunter.com in 2016. The poems cover a variety of themes including nature, relationships, personal reflections and more. They range from 3 to 6 stanzas in length and explore topics like love, heartbreak, family and everyday observations through vivid imagery and metaphor.
Camara's father tells him that he has been accepted to a school in France, but they are both apprehensive about telling Camara's mother. When they inform her, she strongly objects and worries that Camara will fall sick and be unable to care for himself so far from home. Though upset, Camara's mother finally accepts that he will go after weeping and begging him not to leave her alone. Camara departs for France feeling torn apart from his family.
The group exploring the ruins of the Cigam Society finds no signs that Almeric or Frankie were recently there. Puck reads a book that describes the history of the Cigam Society, a group that claimed to have hereditary magic abilities. The book tells of divisions within the group and a battle that drained their power source. It is prophesied that a child with mixed blood from the oldest and purest bloodlines could one day restore the power source. Meanwhile, Squatch reflects on conversations with Ricky about their shared history and bloodline.
This document provides a playlist of Disney Princess songs from various Disney animated films from 1993 to 2015. It includes the song title, film name, and release year for each entry. The playlist contains songs from films like The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tarzan, Frozen, and Big Hero 6. The document also provides the lyrics for the song "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas to illustrate one of the songs.
I.M. Bored: A Legacy in 10 Generations - Gen 7 Part 2Lady Lark
Penelope continues her quest to complete her lifetime want of 50 first dates. She goes on dates with teens from the well and uses the dates to get gifts and contacts. Meanwhile, Charlene pursues a relationship with Guld Alioto, who she met in the well. Guld proves his devotion by stealing back Charlene's gnome that was taken by another man. Guld asks to be Charlene's pet for eternity, which she accepts. Olivia also gets engaged to Chester Gieke, who she met in the well. The document expresses frustration that the well drops are not providing suitable partners for the heirlooms.
Taylor Swift - 1989 (Karaoke) Digital BookletGabeExplosion
This document contains the lyrics to Taylor Swift's 2014 album "1989". The lyrics describe themes of personal growth, changing relationships, moving to New York City, and learning life lessons. They tell stories of love, heartbreak, independence and finding oneself through constant change. The lyrics reference both past and new musical influences and styles.
The document provides biographical information about American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley and summaries of several of his songs from his album Grace, including "Grace," "Lover You Should've Come Over," "Dream Brother," "Eternal Life," and "Last Goodbye." The summaries highlight themes of love, loss, spirituality, and mortality in Buckley's lyrics.
El documento presenta el Programa de Gobierno del Partido Popular de Rute. Incluye 10 secciones con propuestas en áreas como gestión de recursos públicos, apoyo al empresariado, plan de infraestructuras, turismo, participación ciudadana, agricultura, aldeas, bienestar social, cultura y juventud/deporte. El candidato a la alcaldía se compromete a trabajar por el bienestar de los ciudadanos de forma transparente y eficiente.
Lci deca how to get involved in your local diabetes campVanessa Avila
The document provides information about how to get involved with diabetes camps as a Lion. It discusses the importance of diabetes camps for children, the partnership between Lions Clubs International and the Diabetes Education and Camping Association, and examples of how Lions in Alabama and District 33-A support local diabetes camps. The presentation aims to educate Lions on diabetes camps and encourage Lions to volunteer or fundraise to help send more children to camp.
El documento habla sobre la importancia del juego para el desarrollo de los niños. Señala que los niños deben disfrutar plenamente de juegos y recreaciones orientadas hacia los fines de la educación. Explica que el juego es la actividad propia y característica de los niños, ya que juegan todo el tiempo y se forman a través de la interacción lúdica. También menciona diversas actividades lúdicas como manualidades, juegos de mesa, voley, fútbol, dibujo y compartir música.
This document lists the contact information for multiple bathrooms4all showrooms located throughout the United Kingdom, including addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses. It provides details for showrooms in Barnsley, Hull, Blackpool, Leeds, Bristol, Chester, Crawley, Doncaster, Erdington, Exeter, Huddersfield, Lincoln, Orpington, Reading, Sheffield, Stourbridge, Truro, Twickenham and general contact information.
Ventajas Y Aplicaciones De La Industrializacion De ViviendaSH Brasil
El documento describe las ventajas y aplicaciones de la industrialización de vivienda. Explica que la industrialización puede reducir los costos a través de economías de escala, mejorar los procesos y control de calidad, y reducir el uso de mano de obra. También analiza los desafíos de industrializar la construcción de viviendas debido a factores como la variabilidad en los componentes y condiciones climáticas.
Sound masking is the addition of an unobtrusive background sound, similar to airflow, to reduce the intelligibility of human speech and reduce distractions. The resulting environment leads to greater productivity and increased privacy and comfort.
Roman Cantarero received positive recognition from his team at Opinno for his commitment, stewardship attitude, and ability to deliver successful projects within deadlines. In a complex multidisciplinary project, Roman showed good ability to promote interactions among contributors and maintain clear communication. He also demonstrated flexibility and ability to react instantly to client demands and overcome difficulties. The director of Opinno concluded that Roman performed above expectations and his knowledge and attitude will make him an excellent future consultant.
1) Los ácidos minerales más comunes son el ácido sulfúrico, nítrico y clorhídrico, los cuales causan lesiones destructivas en la piel y mucosas. 2) El ácido sulfúrico es un líquido incoloro e inodoro que es extremadamente corrosivo e irritante para los tejidos humanos. 3) La exposición aguda o crónica al ácido sulfúrico puede causar quemaduras graves, perforación gástrica, bronquitis, conjuntivitis y otros daños graves a la salud.
El documento describe la historia y evolución del snowboard desde su invención en 1965 hasta su incorporación a los Juegos Olímpicos en 1998. Explica los diferentes tipos de tablas, modalidades y competiciones de snowboard, así como los principales trucos de freestyle. También incluye una sección sobre los materiales y equipamiento necesarios para practicar este deporte.
Este documento presenta la identidad corporativa de BIMCommunity, una plataforma y red social creada para profesionales de la construcción. BIMCommunity tiene como objetivo crear un punto de encuentro donde los profesionales puedan relacionarse, aprender y progresar juntos en el uso de la metodología BIM. La marca se basa en tres pilares: la tecnología BIM, los profesionales y el conocimiento, y busca optimizar el ciclo de vida de los proyectos a través de la colaboración entre estos tres elementos.
El documento critica la educación en México, señalando que es más centrada en labores que en la enseñanza y no beneficia realmente a los estudiantes. A pesar de que México gasta más del PIB en educación que Estados Unidos y Alemania, se ubica en el lugar 115 de 133 países en educación según el Foro Económico Mundial. El documento también menciona una desalineación del gobierno respecto a la educación y una pérdida de derechos para los maestros.
Presentación exclusiva para Univerteam Colombia.
Univerteam es una empresa 100% legal en Colombia de acuerdo a la ley 1700 de Dic de 2013, cuenta con Cámara de Comercio, Matrícula, Nit y Resolución de la DIAN.
Univerteam Colombia es la mejor oportunidad de negocio de mercadeo en red del país, su lucrativo plan de conpensación, la excelencia de los produtos y la facilidad para desarrollar un gran negocio.
Formato para la formulacion del plan de negocios24mayDavid Diaz
El documento describe un proyecto educativo para apoyar a niños y jóvenes en las localidades de Ciudad Bolívar y Usme en Bogotá. Estas localidades tienen altos índices de pobreza y baja educación, con un 26.8% de niños sin acceso a la escuela y solo un 16.7% de habitantes con educación superior. El proyecto busca brindar apoyo educativo a través de actividades extracurriculares para mejorar los resultados educativos y oportunidades de los residentes locales.
Reglamento De Funcionamiento Comité De Empresa Ifemaguestce76107
Este documento presenta el reglamento interno del Comité de Empresa de IFEMA. Establece que el Comité estará compuesto por un presidente, vicepresidente, secretario, vicesecretario y tesorero. Detalla las funciones de cada uno de estos cargos y los procedimientos para su elección. También establece la creación de comisiones de trabajo y una comisión permanente para mediar en conflictos de forma urgente.
Mórrope generosa ciudad agro minera lasdaper@hotmail.comlasdapereru
Este documento describe la fundación e historia de Mórrope, un pueblo en Perú. Mórrope se fundó en 1536 cuando el primer sacerdote español José Antonio de Araujo llegó al área. Originalmente el área se llamaba "Murrup", que significa "iguana" en el dialecto local. Mórrope se convirtió oficialmente en un distrito en 1824 durante el régimen de Simón Bolívar. El documento también proporciona detalles sobre la geografía, clima, flora y fauna de la región de M
Este documento describe la organización de la higiene y seguridad industrial en Venezuela. Explica que la higiene y seguridad industrial es un área multidisciplinaria que minimiza los riesgos en la industria. Luego resume la legislación venezolana relacionada y los roles de la rectoría, gestión, supervisión e instituciones en este tema. Finalmente, cubre temas como la implementación de programas, responsabilidades, comités de higiene y seguridad industrial, y condiciones de los lugares de trabajo.
Competences for Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing in Digital SocietyAna Loureiro
The document discusses an Erasmus Intensive Programme (IP) on developing competencies for collaboration and knowledge sharing in the digital society. The IP involved 18 students and 4 teachers from Portugal, Denmark, Germany and Romania. Through workshops using tools like WordPress, ScoopIt and Google Drive, the goal was to help students create personal learning environments to enhance their digital, language and social skills for online learning and networking. Evaluations found the IP achieved its aims and had a positive impact on participants.
Prezentace z druhého srazu Frontendistů (Brno). Jak responzivní maily fungují, proč má smysl je řešit a ukázky některých kodérských technik. Celý článek k tématu najdete na https://www.strafelda.cz/responzivni-maily-navod
The teenagers embark on a road trip across the desert in their bus to track down Mr. Goth in Pleasantview. They stop for the night in a strange town called Strangetown where the residents stare at them curiously. Phoenix confides in Journey that he doesn't actually think they can save him, but wants to give Elise hope. They continue their journey the next day, though it takes longer than Elise anticipated due to distractions.
The group of teenagers get lost while driving through the desert after Dee forgets to bring maps. They pull into an abandoned town to ask for directions where they are strangely stared at by the locals due to their unusual clothes. At night while sheltering from rain in an empty building, Cayenne finds a speaker system and plays loud music to lift everyone's spirits.
This document summarizes the 7th chapter of the Gladrags legacy, focusing on the lives of the new generation headed by Caractacus and Dunstan. Key events include Caractacus and Dunstan getting married and having three children - Zazu, Shenzi, and Simba. The generation's theme is The Lion King. Relationships form between the characters and family drama unfolds throughout their daily lives in this virtual world.
Jess runs into the boy band The Only Truth at a pizza restaurant after sleeping in, getting food spilled on her dress, and befriending the boys while cleaning up; they realize they are being followed by fans and photographers and ask to hide out at Jess' house to escape, intrigued by the ordinary life of this new girl they just met.
The group of teenagers get lost while driving through the desert after forgetting to bring maps. They pull into an abandoned gas station where they encounter strange locals dressed in odd clothing who silently stare at them. Feeling uneasy, they decide to spend the night camping in an abandoned house nearby, where they find a working sound system and pass the evening listening to music.
The group of teenagers get lost while driving through the desert after forgetting to bring maps. They pull into an abandoned gas station where they encounter strange locals dressed in odd clothing who silently stare at them. Feeling uneasy, they decide to spend the night sheltering from the rain in an abandoned house nearby, where they find a large collection of CDs and use the sound system to play music.
The adolescent ward of Hillcrest Sunrise Hospital wasn’t so bad. The food was decent. I had friends and things to do. Among the depressives, the suicidals, the pot smokers, the bulimics and anorexics, the white girls who dated black guys, the atheists, the queers and the borderline schitzos, I was in good company. The freaks and rejects of small town Alabama were my kind of people.
The Bohemian family is gathering at the graveyard to try contacting their recently deceased family members as ghosts, in hopes the ghosts may provide information to help stop the Bohemian children from unexpectedly dying as well. Requiem is warned by her mother Aria not to go to the graveyard meeting.
Randy and Eleonore are on their last date together before Eleonore's final exams. They reminisce about meeting in the university library and starting their relationship. Eleonore proposes to Randy, but he learns that as a "townie" or non-playable sim, he will die if he marries her. However, he accepts, realizing an interesting life with Eleonore is better than an immortal but boring one alone. They plan to get married after Eleonore's graduation and move to a new town together.
The poem compares the behavior of vultures to that of the commandant of the Belsen concentration camp. It describes vultures nesting together after picking the eyes out of a corpse and eating its insides. Similarly, the commandant would come home from the camp, where humans were roasted, still smelling of death, yet stop to buy chocolate for his child. The poem suggests that even in those capable of great cruelty, a small tenderness for their offspring ensures the continuation of evil in the world.
The document is a chapter from a story. It describes several teenagers who have been forbidden from attending their prom due to safety concerns from the dangerous individual Drea. However, some of the teens try to sneak out to go anyway, including Spica and Teak. Spica manages to sneak out and makes it to the prom to meet up with her friend Quinn, who has just been named prom king.
Boolpropian Round Robin Legacy - Generation Five - Part Six
The finale of Ainsley Doran's story. What does the future hold for her and her children? Read and find out.
The document is a series of conversations between various characters about events after a high school prom. It discusses parents picking up their children from an after-party in the park, romantic relationships between some of the teens, and drunken behavior by one of the cousins at the party. The characters reference family dynamics and tensions between some of their relatives.
This summary provides the key details from the document in 3 sentences:
Craig confessed to Rachel and Jenny about his past relationship with Rachel while at Sim State, causing drama and hurt feelings. However, Rachel was understanding and told Craig she considered the matter resolved. Meanwhile, Jenny was upset with Craig but still had feelings for him, agreeing to forgive him after he reassured her that she was not second best in his eyes.
Chapter 4.14 Bigger Pics To Be Tested On SlideshareBlueeyelies
Dee forgot to bring maps on their road trip through the desert. When they see signs of life, Turner asks Dee for the maps but she sheepishly admits she forgot them. Elise overhears and is upset because there is only one road through the desert so they couldn't possibly be lost. Journey jokes that without maps, it will turn into a teen horror movie where they get lost and picked off one by one like in movies.
The group traveling through the desert began to worry they had taken a wrong turn when they saw signs of life, as their maps had been forgotten. While Turner checked the empty glove compartment for maps, Dee sheepishly admitted to forgetting them. Elise overheard and was confused how they could be lost on the lone road through the desert. Journey jokingly worried they would be picked off one by one like in a teen horror, much to Elise's annoyance.
The document introduces Izzi, a 13-year-old girl who was adopted by Claudia and Logan but does not feel like she belongs on Earth. Claudia takes Izzi to the airport to meet a mystery person named Chazelle. Chazelle reveals to Izzi that she is her grandmother, having been sent by Izzi's mother Dorothy to find her after years of searching. Izzi is surprised and confused by this revelation about her true origins.
A Piratical Legacy Chapter 36 - Past the Horizonpurplebunnysarah
This chapter discusses a meeting between six shadowy figures - Fortune, Family, Romance, Knowledge, Popularity, and Grow Up. They have been trying unsuccessfully for years to disrupt the hold of the Buccaneer family on their island. Knowledge reviews their past failures, which Romance then summarizes - involving curses, seductions, and manipulated pawns. Their latest plans also failed. Grow Up then reveals a new plan, which the others reluctantly agree to try. The chapter then shifts to show Ching Shih's son Kennit amusing himself by vomiting on his aunt, and Balthier happily going on a weekend trip with his grandparents and cousin.
Tara, Scarlett, and Colby complain about a homework assignment in their history class. They run into Sirius Obsession, who Tara finds egotistical. Later, Tara's family is invited to dinner at another family's house. It is revealed that Sirius lives there, and he claims Tara will be his girlfriend. Tara yells in frustration and storms off. She vents to Sirius's father outside about not liking Sirius. A few days later, the twins have their birthday party. Tara and her cousins take the twins out to a new club that allows minors.
Rean meets with a matchmaker hoping to find a fun date but ends up embarrassed when set up with a tough-looking boy. However, they bond over dancing and sports. Nymea also sees the matchmaker seeking a rich prince but ends up kissing her polite date Gavin. Midina hosts a gathering at her new apartment, feeling self-conscious but happy in her home with her family.
The document is a conversation between sisters Alice and Eloise. Eloise has baked a cake to take to her friend John's house to help babysit his younger sister. Alice teases Eloise that she has a crush on John, though Eloise insists they are just friends. Their other sisters join and continue joking with Eloise about her intentions with John.
The story follows Madeleine, a young girl attending a rooftop wedding with her family. She meets her grandfather Armand for the first time. Over the course of the day, Armand bonds with Madeleine and her sisters, and reconnects with his daughter Tara. It is revealed that Tara's sister Alice has the accidental ability to absorb people's talents through touch. The story highlights the developing relationships between family members.
Tara gives birth to her second child, a daughter named Alice, at home with just her husband David. They already have an energetic toddler daughter named Maddie. Though money is tight, living in a small apartment, David and Tara are happy with their growing family. That night, David has to leave for work but keeps a surprise from Tara, who is tired but content caring for their new baby at home with Maddie.
Tara takes David on an adventure to the orphanage where she was raised to search for her birth records. They find her file which reveals that her parents died in a car crash when she was an infant. David has the ability to walk through walls, which surprises Tara. After reading the file, Tara feels a sense of closure and knows who she is. David comforts her after learning about her parents' death. Tara apologizes for abruptly admitting her feelings for David previously. David accepts her apology and they embrace, with Tara surprised but comfortable in his arms.
Tara wakes David up early to go on an adventure. They banter back and forth, with David questioning if Tara has "gone upper class". Tara reveals she wants to go to her orphanage to find her file and learn about her birth parents. They sneak in by posing as doctors. Tara is able to hack into the computer system and finds her file. She learns her birth parents died in a car crash when she was three months old. David supports her as she comes to terms with the reality that she is truly alone.
Justin asks Tara out on a date after being inspired by Ginger's engagement at her graduation party. Tara agrees to go out with Justin, though seems hesitant. Meanwhile, David had asked Tara to dance but their dance is interrupted when Justin pulls Tara aside to ask her out.
The story follows Kimberly and Samantha Cordial, twin witches who consume the essence of children to prolong their lives. Samantha devises a potion that allows them to absorb souls without killing the physical body. They test it on children at an orphanage. Meanwhile, David Doran seeks out wealthy philanthropist Armand DeBateau to apply for a university scholarship. He breaks into DeBateau's home and encounters his eccentric daughter.
The story follows Kimberly and Samantha Cordial, twin witches who consume the essence of children to prolong their lives. Samantha devises a potion that allows them to absorb souls without killing the physical body. They test it on children at an orphanage. Meanwhile, David Doran seeks out wealthy philanthropist Armand DeBateau to apply for a university scholarship. He breaks into DeBateau's home and encounters his eccentric daughter.
The document describes two witch sisters, Kimberly and Samantha Cordial, who consume the life essence of children to prolong their lives. Samantha devises a potion that allows them to drain the souls of children without killing their bodies. They test it on children at an orphanage, causing a "sleeping sickness" outbreak. It is implied they have done this before to remain eternally youthful, preying on vulnerable children.
This document tells the story of two witch sisters, Kimberly and Samantha Cordial. Samantha has devised a potion using vampire blood that allows them to consume the souls of children without killing their bodies. They go to an orphanage to test it out. The potion gives them a rush as they prepare to feed on the children's souls. The story cuts to a news report about children at the orphanage falling into mysterious comas, and then to a boy named David Doran who is down on his luck at a diner.
The document is a story about two witch sisters, Kimberly and Samantha Cordial. Samantha has an idea to create a potion using vampire blood that will allow them to consume children's souls without killing them, extending their lives. They test the potion at a nearby orphanage. The story explores the sisters' unethical actions and Samantha's madness.
This document discusses different image modifications including unmodified images, sharpened images without resizing, resized images, resized and sharpened images, and screen captures.
This document discusses different image modifications including unmodified images, sharpened images without resizing, resized images, resized and sharpened images, and screen captures.
This document discusses different image modifications including unmodified images, sharpened images without resizing, resized images, resized and sharpened images, and screen captures.
This document discusses different image modifications including unmodified images, sharpened images without resizing, resized images, resized and sharpened images, and screen captures.
This document describes 5 different versions of a picture: the original unmodified pic, a sharpened version without resizing, a resized version, a version that was both resized and sharpened, and a screen captured version.
1) Kimberly and Samantha are twin witches who consume children to gain their life essence and powers.
2) Samantha has recently invented a potion that allows them to consume children's souls with just a touch, without killing the children's bodies.
3) The potion contains ingredients for a ritual, vampire blood obtained by experimenting on their acquaintance Auguste, and the "special ingredient" of children.
4) The witches drink the potion and go to an orphanage to test its effects.
Discover top-tier mobile app development services, offering innovative solutions for iOS and Android. Enhance your business with custom, user-friendly mobile applications.
Connector Corner: Seamlessly power UiPath Apps, GenAI with prebuilt connectorsDianaGray10
Join us to learn how UiPath Apps can directly and easily interact with prebuilt connectors via Integration Service--including Salesforce, ServiceNow, Open GenAI, and more.
The best part is you can achieve this without building a custom workflow! Say goodbye to the hassle of using separate automations to call APIs. By seamlessly integrating within App Studio, you can now easily streamline your workflow, while gaining direct access to our Connector Catalog of popular applications.
We’ll discuss and demo the benefits of UiPath Apps and connectors including:
Creating a compelling user experience for any software, without the limitations of APIs.
Accelerating the app creation process, saving time and effort
Enjoying high-performance CRUD (create, read, update, delete) operations, for
seamless data management.
Speakers:
Russell Alfeche, Technology Leader, RPA at qBotic and UiPath MVP
Charlie Greenberg, host
What is an RPA CoE? Session 1 – CoE VisionDianaGray10
In the first session, we will review the organization's vision and how this has an impact on the COE Structure.
Topics covered:
• The role of a steering committee
• How do the organization’s priorities determine CoE Structure?
Speaker:
Chris Bolin, Senior Intelligent Automation Architect Anika Systems
Monitoring and Managing Anomaly Detection on OpenShift.pdfTosin Akinosho
Monitoring and Managing Anomaly Detection on OpenShift
Overview
Dive into the world of anomaly detection on edge devices with our comprehensive hands-on tutorial. This SlideShare presentation will guide you through the entire process, from data collection and model training to edge deployment and real-time monitoring. Perfect for those looking to implement robust anomaly detection systems on resource-constrained IoT/edge devices.
Key Topics Covered
1. Introduction to Anomaly Detection
- Understand the fundamentals of anomaly detection and its importance in identifying unusual behavior or failures in systems.
2. Understanding Edge (IoT)
- Learn about edge computing and IoT, and how they enable real-time data processing and decision-making at the source.
3. What is ArgoCD?
- Discover ArgoCD, a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes, and its role in deploying applications on edge devices.
4. Deployment Using ArgoCD for Edge Devices
- Step-by-step guide on deploying anomaly detection models on edge devices using ArgoCD.
5. Introduction to Apache Kafka and S3
- Explore Apache Kafka for real-time data streaming and Amazon S3 for scalable storage solutions.
6. Viewing Kafka Messages in the Data Lake
- Learn how to view and analyze Kafka messages stored in a data lake for better insights.
7. What is Prometheus?
- Get to know Prometheus, an open-source monitoring and alerting toolkit, and its application in monitoring edge devices.
8. Monitoring Application Metrics with Prometheus
- Detailed instructions on setting up Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your anomaly detection system.
9. What is Camel K?
- Introduction to Camel K, a lightweight integration framework built on Apache Camel, designed for Kubernetes.
10. Configuring Camel K Integrations for Data Pipelines
- Learn how to configure Camel K for seamless data pipeline integrations in your anomaly detection workflow.
11. What is a Jupyter Notebook?
- Overview of Jupyter Notebooks, an open-source web application for creating and sharing documents with live code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text.
12. Jupyter Notebooks with Code Examples
- Hands-on examples and code snippets in Jupyter Notebooks to help you implement and test anomaly detection models.
Dandelion Hashtable: beyond billion requests per second on a commodity serverAntonios Katsarakis
This slide deck presents DLHT, a concurrent in-memory hashtable. Despite efforts to optimize hashtables, that go as far as sacrificing core functionality, state-of-the-art designs still incur multiple memory accesses per request and block request processing in three cases. First, most hashtables block while waiting for data to be retrieved from memory. Second, open-addressing designs, which represent the current state-of-the-art, either cannot free index slots on deletes or must block all requests to do so. Third, index resizes block every request until all objects are copied to the new index. Defying folklore wisdom, DLHT forgoes open-addressing and adopts a fully-featured and memory-aware closed-addressing design based on bounded cache-line-chaining. This design offers lock-free index operations and deletes that free slots instantly, (2) completes most requests with a single memory access, (3) utilizes software prefetching to hide memory latencies, and (4) employs a novel non-blocking and parallel resizing. In a commodity server and a memory-resident workload, DLHT surpasses 1.6B requests per second and provides 3.5x (12x) the throughput of the state-of-the-art closed-addressing (open-addressing) resizable hashtable on Gets (Deletes).
For the full video of this presentation, please visit: https://www.edge-ai-vision.com/2024/06/temporal-event-neural-networks-a-more-efficient-alternative-to-the-transformer-a-presentation-from-brainchip/
Chris Jones, Director of Product Management at BrainChip , presents the “Temporal Event Neural Networks: A More Efficient Alternative to the Transformer” tutorial at the May 2024 Embedded Vision Summit.
The expansion of AI services necessitates enhanced computational capabilities on edge devices. Temporal Event Neural Networks (TENNs), developed by BrainChip, represent a novel and highly efficient state-space network. TENNs demonstrate exceptional proficiency in handling multi-dimensional streaming data, facilitating advancements in object detection, action recognition, speech enhancement and language model/sequence generation. Through the utilization of polynomial-based continuous convolutions, TENNs streamline models, expedite training processes and significantly diminish memory requirements, achieving notable reductions of up to 50x in parameters and 5,000x in energy consumption compared to prevailing methodologies like transformers.
Integration with BrainChip’s Akida neuromorphic hardware IP further enhances TENNs’ capabilities, enabling the realization of highly capable, portable and passively cooled edge devices. This presentation delves into the technical innovations underlying TENNs, presents real-world benchmarks, and elucidates how this cutting-edge approach is positioned to revolutionize edge AI across diverse applications.
Introduction of Cybersecurity with OSS at Code Europe 2024Hiroshi SHIBATA
I develop the Ruby programming language, RubyGems, and Bundler, which are package managers for Ruby. Today, I will introduce how to enhance the security of your application using open-source software (OSS) examples from Ruby and RubyGems.
The first topic is CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures). I have published CVEs many times. But what exactly is a CVE? I'll provide a basic understanding of CVEs and explain how to detect and handle vulnerabilities in OSS.
Next, let's discuss package managers. Package managers play a critical role in the OSS ecosystem. I'll explain how to manage library dependencies in your application.
I'll share insights into how the Ruby and RubyGems core team works to keep our ecosystem safe. By the end of this talk, you'll have a better understanding of how to safeguard your code.
How information systems are built or acquired puts information, which is what they should be about, in a secondary place. Our language adapted accordingly, and we no longer talk about information systems but applications. Applications evolved in a way to break data into diverse fragments, tightly coupled with applications and expensive to integrate. The result is technical debt, which is re-paid by taking even bigger "loans", resulting in an ever-increasing technical debt. Software engineering and procurement practices work in sync with market forces to maintain this trend. This talk demonstrates how natural this situation is. The question is: can something be done to reverse the trend?
zkStudyClub - LatticeFold: A Lattice-based Folding Scheme and its Application...Alex Pruden
Folding is a recent technique for building efficient recursive SNARKs. Several elegant folding protocols have been proposed, such as Nova, Supernova, Hypernova, Protostar, and others. However, all of them rely on an additively homomorphic commitment scheme based on discrete log, and are therefore not post-quantum secure. In this work we present LatticeFold, the first lattice-based folding protocol based on the Module SIS problem. This folding protocol naturally leads to an efficient recursive lattice-based SNARK and an efficient PCD scheme. LatticeFold supports folding low-degree relations, such as R1CS, as well as high-degree relations, such as CCS. The key challenge is to construct a secure folding protocol that works with the Ajtai commitment scheme. The difficulty, is ensuring that extracted witnesses are low norm through many rounds of folding. We present a novel technique using the sumcheck protocol to ensure that extracted witnesses are always low norm no matter how many rounds of folding are used. Our evaluation of the final proof system suggests that it is as performant as Hypernova, while providing post-quantum security.
Paper Link: https://eprint.iacr.org/2024/257
[OReilly Superstream] Occupy the Space: A grassroots guide to engineering (an...Jason Yip
The typical problem in product engineering is not bad strategy, so much as “no strategy”. This leads to confusion, lack of motivation, and incoherent action. The next time you look for a strategy and find an empty space, instead of waiting for it to be filled, I will show you how to fill it in yourself. If you’re wrong, it forces a correction. If you’re right, it helps create focus. I’ll share how I’ve approached this in the past, both what works and lessons for what didn’t work so well.
Northern Engraving | Nameplate Manufacturing Process - 2024Northern Engraving
Manufacturing custom quality metal nameplates and badges involves several standard operations. Processes include sheet prep, lithography, screening, coating, punch press and inspection. All decoration is completed in the flat sheet with adhesive and tooling operations following. The possibilities for creating unique durable nameplates are endless. How will you create your brand identity? We can help!
Conversational agents, or chatbots, are increasingly used to access all sorts of services using natural language. While open-domain chatbots - like ChatGPT - can converse on any topic, task-oriented chatbots - the focus of this paper - are designed for specific tasks, like booking a flight, obtaining customer support, or setting an appointment. Like any other software, task-oriented chatbots need to be properly tested, usually by defining and executing test scenarios (i.e., sequences of user-chatbot interactions). However, there is currently a lack of methods to quantify the completeness and strength of such test scenarios, which can lead to low-quality tests, and hence to buggy chatbots.
To fill this gap, we propose adapting mutation testing (MuT) for task-oriented chatbots. To this end, we introduce a set of mutation operators that emulate faults in chatbot designs, an architecture that enables MuT on chatbots built using heterogeneous technologies, and a practical realisation as an Eclipse plugin. Moreover, we evaluate the applicability, effectiveness and efficiency of our approach on open-source chatbots, with promising results.
Driving Business Innovation: Latest Generative AI Advancements & Success StorySafe Software
Are you ready to revolutionize how you handle data? Join us for a webinar where we’ll bring you up to speed with the latest advancements in Generative AI technology and discover how leveraging FME with tools from giants like Google Gemini, Amazon, and Microsoft OpenAI can supercharge your workflow efficiency.
During the hour, we’ll take you through:
Guest Speaker Segment with Hannah Barrington: Dive into the world of dynamic real estate marketing with Hannah, the Marketing Manager at Workspace Group. Hear firsthand how their team generates engaging descriptions for thousands of office units by integrating diverse data sources—from PDF floorplans to web pages—using FME transformers, like OpenAIVisionConnector and AnthropicVisionConnector. This use case will show you how GenAI can streamline content creation for marketing across the board.
Ollama Use Case: Learn how Scenario Specialist Dmitri Bagh has utilized Ollama within FME to input data, create custom models, and enhance security protocols. This segment will include demos to illustrate the full capabilities of FME in AI-driven processes.
Custom AI Models: Discover how to leverage FME to build personalized AI models using your data. Whether it’s populating a model with local data for added security or integrating public AI tools, find out how FME facilitates a versatile and secure approach to AI.
We’ll wrap up with a live Q&A session where you can engage with our experts on your specific use cases, and learn more about optimizing your data workflows with AI.
This webinar is ideal for professionals seeking to harness the power of AI within their data management systems while ensuring high levels of customization and security. Whether you're a novice or an expert, gain actionable insights and strategies to elevate your data processes. Join us to see how FME and AI can revolutionize how you work with data!
Skybuffer SAM4U tool for SAP license adoptionTatiana Kojar
Manage and optimize your license adoption and consumption with SAM4U, an SAP free customer software asset management tool.
SAM4U, an SAP complimentary software asset management tool for customers, delivers a detailed and well-structured overview of license inventory and usage with a user-friendly interface. We offer a hosted, cost-effective, and performance-optimized SAM4U setup in the Skybuffer Cloud environment. You retain ownership of the system and data, while we manage the ABAP 7.58 infrastructure, ensuring fixed Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and exceptional services through the SAP Fiori interface.
Leveraging the Graph for Clinical Trials and Standards
4.14
1.
2. “You’re sure you’ve got everything you need?” “Yes Daddy, I’m sure.” It was only the eighth time River had asked her that question since breakfast. Dee smiled amiably into her father’s shirt as he nearly suffocated her with a hug. “Food, fresh clothes, sleeping bags, emergency medical kits…I’m pretty sure I even caught Journey lugging a guitar into the back earlier. We’ll be fine I promise.”
3. After several hours of brainstorming and systematically discarding increasingly elaborate lies to tell their parents in order to be allowed to skip out on school and other responsibilities for an uncertain stretch of time they had come up with the perfect ploy. Tell the truth. It was dastardly in its simplicity and surprisingly effective.
4. River released his daughter “Well be safe and have fun driving down to the beach.” Ok, so not the whole truth. There were limits even with their parents. They were quite happy to release their children into an irresponsible road trip to wander aimlessly in the general direction of the sea side. They would most likely be somewhat less happy to release them on a very deliberate mission to track down a potentially dangerous scientist and ask for his help in bending the rules of humanity for Phoenix.
5. That was the moment Journey chose to lean on the horn and glare out the window impatiently at his sister. Giving her parents one last perfunctory goodbye hug Rhapsody dashed down the porch and settled into the driver’s seat of the bus.
6. River wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist as they stood on the porch and watched the bus jerk its way down the road. “They’re up to something aren’t they?” “Almost definitely. It’s cute that they think we haven’t realized that though.”
7. No sooner had they left the scattering of houses that constituted their lost little corner of the desert behind, it quickly became apparent to the seven teenagers that they were in for a singularly boring scenery.
8. The desert was immense and empty. They drove for hours through the barren golden landscape, following the straight road by sandy dunes and flat stretches of nothingness until it became almost hypnotic.
9. “You ok?” Turner shook Rhapsody out of her reverie several hours into the monotonous drive. “Yeah, I’m good” she smiled, rolling her shoulders stiffly “I was just thinking about how if we hadn’t already seen the mountains and the lakes I might not believe there was anything but desert in the world…” Turner squinted ahead “Well even there isn’t at least we’re not the only people who live there. Check it out.” He nodded ahead “A town…sort of.”
10. Dee peered out the windshield into the dimming sunlight where Turner was pointing. Sure enough, shivering uncertainly in the distance like some sort of heat induced mirage, she could make out what was clearly signs of civilization. Requiem stepped up beside Turner, a frown on her face, as they drew level with the houses lining the asphalt highway “Strangetown?” She read a dusty metalic sign as they drove past “I don’t remember that from any of the maps…”
11. The others were already crowding around the windows as they began to roll past the first signs of life they had seen since leaving home. “Have we taken a wrong turn?” “I’ll check. Where did you put the maps?” Turner asked, automatically flipping open the glove compartment. “Dee? Maps?” “Right…maps” Dee smiled sheepishly at her cousin “I knew I was forgetting something.”
12. “Are you serious?” Elise, overhearing the conversation was up beside them instantly “You forgot to bring maps and we’re already lost? How is that even possible! I looked at those directions and there’s only one road through the desert and it’s totally straight and we’re on that road! We can’t conceivably be lost!” “Oh man, is this going to turn into a teen horror flick where we end up hopelessly lost being picked off one by one?” Journey grinned settling back into his seat as his sister needlessly paused at the stop sign on completely quiet road, “Hey Elise, start worrying, cheerleaders never make it far in situations like these.”
13. “Yeah and you definitely have horror movie survival skills Journey.” “Well they’re better than yours.” “Guys! We’re not lost and we’re not going to die. I promise. I’ll just pull in here and we’ll ask for some directions.” “Well that’s almost as bad as saying ‘I’ll be right back’”
14. Satisfied sounds accompanied stretching as seven antsy teenagers piled out of the hot bus into the slightly less hot outside. “I am dying for a nice cold drink.” Cayenne sighed as she let a warm spring breeze roll across her bare skin. Journey muttered something under his breath which she decided to ignore “I saw some machines when we were pulling in. Who’s in?” There was a general noise of assent which was followed by some stiff staggering steps around the bus to fulfill their quest for refreshments.
16. Or rather, stared at. In complete silence. And with obvious curiosity. It was incredibly disconcerting and the only thing they could really do was stare back. Journey voiced what they were all thinking first “What is up with their clothes?” Elise jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow in response.
17. Rhapsody Bohemian however was not easily disconcerted. “Hiya. I think we might need some help. There’s a possibility we’ve taken a wrong turn, even though I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen a single turn since we cleared Bluewater. Would you mind giving us some directions? And possibly telling us where we could get a map?” “Directions?” The girl in pink laughed, a high clear sound as she scrutinized the bus curiously. “Golly, why would you need directions? There’s only one road in or out of Strangetown.” “And no one ever comes here who isn’t looking for us first,” The boy in green added “are you sure you’re lost?”
18. “Clearly you’re underestimating my sister’s ability to be a moron and defy the laws of possibility.” Journey remarked off handedly as he turned towards the soda machines, clearly deciding to leave her to fumble around with travel plans on her own. “Nice to meet you all.” Phoenix offered brightly as he followed behind his friend. The younger girls exchanged a look for a moment before shrugging and falling into step behind them.
19. “We’re heading for Pleasantview.” Dee continued allowing the younger four to wander off without rebuke “It’s kind of important. But see this town wasn’t on our map, so we don’t even know if we’re going the right direction or not.” The blonde girl perched primly in the back of a pickup truck smiled brightly “Oh gosh, you shouldn’t worry about that, see we’re not on maps.” “Or satellite photos, or GPSes.” her leather clad companion added in a matter of fact tone.
20. “Ok…I guess that’s not too weird or creepy…” Dee suddenly found herself trying to put her brother’s horror movie scenario out of her head. The boy in green stared at Rhapsody with inscrutable obsidian eyes “We’re literally half way on the road to nowhere here. No one has ever come through here by accident before. We’re…we’re not exactly meant to be stumbled across. You know.” He frowned, as if trying to solve a particularly unfathomable problem “It might be better if you keep driving. Before they find out you’re here without authorization.” Typically Rhapsody managed to focus in on what was truly important in “It’s not a road to nowhere, we just drove down it from somewhere.” “Who’s ‘they’?” Requiem interrupted before Dee could get sidetracked.
21. “Oh that doesn’t really matter.” The Green girl smiled brightly. “We’re not supposed to say. It’s a secret. At least I think it’s a secret, no one who didn’t already know has ever been here you know.” She nodded sage naivety. “But you really should go.” The blonde girl piped up, rising to her feet unsteadily in the back of the truck “Or you might get in really big trouble, with them.”
22. “Right and we wouldn’t want trouble.” Turner muttered wryly, rounding the truck and reaching up for the girl “Here let me help you.” He offered as she steadied herself awkwardly. She blinked bright green eyes at him as he took her hand, and then blushed furiously as he eased her to the ground. “You ok....?” “Jill” the blonde girl supplied quickly “Jillian Jennifer Smith…bu-but it’s Jill. I mean that’s what people call me.”
23. Turner smiled at the obviously bashful girl, trying to put her at ease. She only blushed further. This might have had something to do with the fact that he deliberately hadn’t let go of her hand yet. “Ok Jill. Why don’t you tell us what’s going on here.” “I-um- well we’re…we don’t…we don’t talk about it. Jinx, it’s not important anyway, it’s just…it’s just the way things are.” She stared down at her penny loafers for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking straight up into Turner’s face “The last person who came to Strangetown without military authorization was my daddy…and he still hasn’t left. And if you don’t get out of here quickly, you might not either.”
24. Rhapsody felt an unaccustomed chill settle in the pit of her stomach at the blonde girl’s words. “You’re not allowed to even leave this town?” The boy in green shrugged “Strangetown’s not really a town, it was just built to look like one because they figured it would make the civilian scientists they were hiring feel more comfortable. It opperates under the code nine rules of every other classified government facilities. Controlled access and limited passes for expiditions outside the facility grounds. But no one ever comes through here, not in our lifetimes at least, it’s probably why they’ve gotten a bit lax about things like twenty four hour checkpoints on the roads. Otherwise you guys would’ve never gotten this far…the rest of us. Well, no we can’t leave. We know too much apparently.”
25. “Too much about what?” “Oh lots of stuff.” Jill drifted over cheerily and apparently oblivious to the sudden warm spring shower that had begun to fall clouding up her glasses “Weapons testing, stealth surveillance, mind control, alien monitoring and experimentation…” “See, this is why we’re not supposed to talk to strangers. We blurt out major governement secrets.” The boy in green brushed dark hair from his face, looking amused in spite of himself as Jill prattled on.
26. Dee’s eyes went wide as the other girl ticked off secret governement projects like she was rattling off a grocery list, “Whoa, whoa, whoa hold on” she interrupted finally “What was that last one? Alien testing…does that mean testing on aliens? On aliens like you guys?” Jill’s face clouded abruptly, her right hand twitching ever so slightly towards her left arm before she remembered herself and began fiddling with her dress wordlessly. Rhapsody glanced down to where almost imperceptible white scars marked Jill’s arm. Marks from needles. “You really should go.” Jill repeated, never taking her eyes from her shiny penny loafers. Dee said nothing but she was beginning to get the same feeling.
27. “You’ll never get out town before curfew you know.” It was the girl in pink who piped up “The sensible thing would be for you to check in with the base office and explain it’s all a big misunderstanding.” “Minnie!” Jill practically squeaked the other girl’s name as she rounded on her, eyes wide as plates “They can’t do that! They’ll get in oodles of trouble! Plus it’s after 5 o’clock. The offices are already closed.” “Gee, you’re right.” Minnie’s brow furrowed as she considered, then a smile lit up her face “Well then I guess we’d better hide you all pretty gosh darn quick!”
28. “Why the hell do we have to hide here again? I can’t believe you got us into a mess already.” Journey’s perpetually loud voice echoed around the empty warehouse accusingly “Way to drive us right into Weirdsville Dee.” “Strangetown” one of the green boys, who had identified himself as Ricky Curious, corrected. Journey ignored him pointedly as he looked distastefully around their campsite.
29. Rhapsody was so accustomed to her brother that she barely heard him ranting at her and turned to their alien companions instead, “What is this place anyway?” Ricky shrugged, “It used to be a weapons factory. It’s been out of use for years. We used to play here when we were kids.” “I guess that’s pretty cool…” Journey admitted begrudgingly. Rhapsody felt her skin crawl a little at the notion.
30. Jill lingered at the doorway while the others filed in to explore the derelict interior. She glanced anxiously up at the sky which was darkening visibly, even behind the storm clouds “It’ll be curfew soon. We should really get home.”
31. “You don’t have to you know” Dee bounced up next to Turner as their five new friends began to shuffle out of the warehouse, checking their watches worriedly as they went. “You could stay here for the night and chill. Or you could even come with us when we go.” The petite blonde shook her head “That’s really nice, but gosh, we just can’t do that. We live here. Everything we have, everything we know, it’s all here. This is our life. We can’t just…leave. It wouldn’t be right.” “Oh come on” Turner crossed his arms as his eyes flicked across the other teenagers, trying to hide his annoyance “You’re all smart enough to know this isn’t right.” Jill exchanged a glance with her leather clad companion. For a moment they looked like they might say something. Instead they simply turned on their heels. The industrial door clanged shut behind them.
32. “Testing! Testing! 1 2 3! Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking. Guess who found the speaker system!” Cayenne’s enthusiastic voice echoed around the empty walls where they had set up camp. Night had fallen quickly after the Strangetown teens had left, and the sound of rain beating on the windows made everyone grateful they had somewhere dry to spend the night.
33. “What’s more!” Cayenne continued into the microphone, “Thanks to this family’s questionable, priorities, while we don’t have any maps we do have about eight billion CDs, so…” Cayenne’s voice crackled out to silence for a moment before being replaced by the blare of loud music. No I don’t know where I’m going, But I sure know where I’ve been Hanging on the promises, In songs of yesterdayAnd I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time…
34. …But here I go again… “Idiot” Journey remarked offhandedly abandoning their makeshift fire to sink down next to Phoenix a little way off. “Me or her? Or just people in general?” Phoenix asked, laughing. “Her obviously” Journey scowled “Although while we’re at it, you’re a bit of a jerk.” “What did I do this time?”
35. “I finally worked it out today. I’d been wondering you know. Yeah, don’t think I don’t notice these things Phoenix.” The blonde boy glanced over his shoulder to notice his cousin scowling angrily at a neon lighting fixture. “You’re going to have to help me out here Journey, I’ve got no clue what you’re talking about.” “I’m talking about this whole roadtrip thing. Ever since Elise started mucking about with those papers and this trip you haven’t said a thing about any of it and I finally worked out why. You don’t think we can save you do you?”
36. …Though I keep searching for an answer, I never seem to find what I’m looking for… Phoenix smiled tiredly and leaned his head against the crumbling brick work “No I don’t” “Then why the hell are you letting us all trek across the desert and put ourselves all through this if you think we’re just going to end up being disappointed in the end? You jerk.” Phoenix supressed the smile, he knew Journey well enough to know he was lashing out at him out because he was upset, and he didn’t want him to think he was laughing at him. That rarely went down well with Journey.
37. “My mom once told me that the hardest thing about dying wasn’t the dying bit, or the being dead part. At least not for her. She said it was coming back and seeing how much everyone who loved her had suffered. Grandma and Grandpa, your Dad, aunt Saffron…” Phoenix pushed the hair from his brow as he looked at his sister, deep in conversation with Requiem around the fire “I don’t want to die Journey. But what sucked the most when I was sick last time was how much it sucked for you guys. So if there’s even a tiny chance that this can save me I’ll go along with it because it makes Elise happy to have some hope, because not letting her try would be more selfish than demanding that you do…” “Because we’re the ones who have to live without you if you die. Not the other way around” Journey completed. …and I’m gonna hold on for the rest of my days, ‘cause I know what it means, to walk along the lonely street of dreams
38. “You’re the most annoyingly selfless dying person I know Phoenix” “I try.”
39. …And here I go again on my own, walking down the only road I’ve ever known… The sound of laughter mingling with the music drifted up through the the grating. A quick glance down past her feet made Rhapsody smile. The place looked veritably inhabited after only a few hours. She could almost forget that this was a place of carefully crafted destruction.
40. Except she couldn’t forget anything. And she especially couldn’t forget the strange feeling of vulnerability that had settled into the pit of her stomach just by seeing this place, which in spite of being so close to their little corner of the desert couldn’t have been further removed from them. Rhapsody was heiress to a name, a house, a Legacy, and a way of life. And it was one she couldn’t share with these anxious opressed and horribly used teenagers. The realization that she could not have been more powerless to help people was not an easy one for someone who thrived on an almost unconscious ability to infect anything she touched with happiness. With a sigh she swung open another door, hoping that this one contained something less eerie than the discarded bullet casings of the last two. Immediately her bare toe struck something solid and metallic.
41. And suddenly Rhapsody felt her usual buoyancy flood through her chest tugging her lips into a smile as her brain began to whir. “Hey guys! Who wants to help me with a project?”
42. “Nnnnnnggghhhh…Can we officially declare this hour too early to be awake?” “You don’t even have to drive Cayenne. Just go to sleep in the back seat.” “Hey you volunteered to drive Elise. Don’t get snippy with me. And all I was saying was that it took way more of my sleeping time than I thought it would to finish Dee’s project. “ “But it was fun! And besides we need to make a statement, about originiality, about non conformity, about who we are, especially so far from home!”
43. “And you have to admit we look pretty snazzy.” “She’s sort of right about that guys.”
44. “If we can be serious for a second! Even without maps I’m pretty sure I’ve got this itinerary figured out. We can probably start getting out of the desert by this afternoon, and then I think we can probably be in Pleasantview in two days.” “Yeah right, that seems like it’ll happen.” Journey leaned over Elise at the wheel “Who wants some driving music?” “I’m telling you if we drive through the night, and don’t get distracted any more we can make it in two days.” Journey responded by hitting play and flooding the bus with the sound of drums and electric guitars as they settled in for what was definitely not a two day drive.
45. Well, life's like a road that you travel on There's one day here and the next day gone
46. Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand Sometimes you turn your back to the wind
86. “Yes Mom, your Vagabond children are still alive…we did call two days ago you realize….Somewhere near this place called Pleasantview…yeah it’s just suburbia, nothing interesting. Just one thing that Elise wants to check out, but we figured it was a bit late when we finally got here, so we’d at least wait ‘til dawn before we started…sight seeing…No we’re camping out near this old abandoned house tonight so no need to break into anything, but thanks for the tip...”
87. “No I’m still fine Mom, really…Elise took my temperature three times today, I’m being careful, I promise…Yeah I will…yeah Mom…”
88. “Yeah, I know Daddy…No, we’re good for cash now…No nothing, it’s fine, we took care of it…no without breaking the law and everything!...Yeah I know.”
89. “Ok, we’ll call tomorrow…Mmmhmmm, give my love to Mom and Grandma and Grandpa...I love you too Dad.”
90. “Heya.” stowing the cell phone safely in her pocket Rhapsody flopped down next to Requiem by the fire with a smile. “Hey.” A moment of comfortable silence passed between the girls, the kind that can only exist between friends who have known each other a very long time and understand each other better than most. Then Dee spoke up. “Em…are you sure you don’t want to call your parents? We’ve been gone a while now and you haven’t checked in with them once. They must be getting worried about you.”
91. Requiem shrugged “They know where I am.” She tactfully omitted to mention that this information had been relayed via a note taped to the fridge just before walking out the door with her suitcase to get on the bus. Her father was probably worried. She wondered bitterly if her mother would have even noticed she was gone if she had just left without even the courtesy of a note. Of course she would have. Requiem got the feeling that even when she was being wholly ignored by her mother there was little she missed.
92.
93. “Emmi,” Rhapsody spoke carefully, “you know I’ve never met your family…” Requiem’s shoulders stiffened visibly, her eyes quickly darting away from her as she began to sink into herself, carefully beginning to build a wall around herself like she had every single time the issue of family came up since they were children. And Rhapsody had always allowed it, she had never pushed Requiem when she didn’t want to be. This time she pushed. “Emmi. What are you hiding from me?”
94. Requiem fastened her eyes on Rhapsody, something oddly dangerous flashed there, like a trapped animal who was about to attack and for a moment Rhapsody felt a shiver run through as her friend stared at her. “You wouldn’t understand.” The words came out sharply, forbidding any further discussion. “Why not?” Requiem pushed herself to her feet, fighting the sudden surge of emotions pulsing through her chest. “Because you’ve never hated anyone Rhapsody.”
95. “Em, please don’t walk away from me…I’m your best friend” Rhapsody stumbled on a concealed tree root as she followed Requiem away from the warmth of the fire. “…and I’m your drive home…so you’ll have to come back anyway...” The absurd simplicity of this last statement caught Requiem off guard, her step faltered and she felt a laugh bubble up inside her and her shoulders began to shake.
96. “With you life is completely uncomplicated Rhapsody, and I love that, I love being here, and all the stupid things we’ve done this week, and I love having fun and I don’t want things to change and-” She felt the tears coming and quickly looked away, “And I love that you’re my best friend and I love you and-” In all the years they had been friends it was the most open she had ever been with Rhapsody. She knew Dee took it for granted that they were best friends and that they cared about each other, but saying it outright was different. She blinked the tears from her vision and not quite daring to look at her.
97. Rhapsody said nothing. Instead she simply reached out and pulled Requiem into a hug. She clung to her best friend, shaking a little. Neither of them said anything else. But in that moment the girls felt their bond tighten just a little bit more.
98. In spite of the lack of address or phone number it turned out that it wasn’t hard to find Mr. Goth thanks to Elise’s genius suggestion that they pull over and ask for directions the next morning. As it turned out she was right in her assumption that Pleasantview was just one of those places where everyone knew who everyone was and where they lived.
99. The house they were directed to was normal in every possible way. A normal colour, a normal lawn, a normal size, on a nice normal and completely peaceful street. The peace was shattered the second they rang the doorbell.
100. The house erupted into a cacophony before the doorbell had even died away. A dog began to bark, eliciting a scolding female voice which was practically drowned out by a baby suddenly beginning to scream somewhere upstairs and amidst it all voices reverberated around the walls demanding that someone get the door. Finally someone did as the sound of running feet was accompanied a moment later by the appearance of a cheerful looking small boy with messy brown hair who wrenched open the front door and then stopped.
101. “Mommy! Daddy! I got the door like you said, ‘cept it’s strangers. I’m not allowed to talk to strangers!” “Oh for the love of-, ok, chill out Davey. I’m coming.” A teenaged girl materialized in a doorway, tucking dark hair behind one ear, a large dog attempting to trip her up as it darted around her heels. The latter barked once at the Bohemians before darting out the door and through their legs into the garden, followed a moment later by the small boy who nearly bowled Rhapsody over in the process.
102. The dark haired girl leaned in the doorframe, “Hi, what can I do-” The rest of the sentence died on her lips as her eyes flicked across the scene in front of her, rapidly taking in the seven teens and the brightly coloured bus. And then she burst out laughing “Wow. What is this? Pimp my ride to school? Putting the cool back into school bus? You guys here to bedazzle our uniforms so we match or something?” Journey laughed earning himself an appreciative wink from the girl. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and smiled back. Cayenne raised her eyebrow in the direction of her cousin. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled at someone.
103. “Ummm…is this the Goth residence?” “Sooooort of.” The girl pulled a face. “I mean it’s technically half of my last name, but Mom hasn’t been a Goth since like two husbands ago. Still what can I do for you?” “Well we’re looking for a Mr.Goth, one of your neighbours pointed us here. Is he in?” “That kind of depends, the only Mr. Goth here is-” A door swung open behind the girl and she glanced back over her shoulder.
104. “Nicky! Speak of the Devil.” The girl rounded on a dark haired teenage boy who bore a distinct resemblance to her. “What about me?” The boy Nick, blinked at his sister,caught off guard. “As far as I know Nick is the only Mr.Goth here. Although like I said technically It’s ‘Goth-Lothario’, we hyphenated.” She shrugged apologetically. “Actually I think we’re looking for someone a bit older…”
105. “Yeah I kind of figured. You’re probably wanting Uncle Alex, right? He doesn’t live here, but I think he’s coming home from Uni for a visit next week, if you want to talk to him then?” “Actually we’re looking for the person who wrote this.” Elise interrupted. Stepping forwards she handed the pair the battered old science fiction volume. They flipped the cover open and glanced at the inscription. A look passed between the two before they handed it back quickly.
106. “That’s our grandfather’s handwritting…Cassie, that’s our mother…” Elise leaned forwards hopefully “Yes! Great. Is he in?” The girl shook her head sadly “He died last winter. Just after our last birthday.”
107. Elise felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach. Everything, all the travelling, all the planning, all the hoping it had all been for nothing. Despair filled her as she looked at her brother, his face unreadable as he stood unusually quiet next to her. The man who was supposed to be able to cure death was dead, and that meant there was no way to save her brother.
108. “What were you looking for Grandpa anyway? I mean you’ve obviously come a bit of a way. No offense, just you don’t look like you’re from around here.” The girl smiled in spite of the obvious flash of grief at the mention of her grandfather. For some reason Rhapsody didn’t hesistate for even a second in telling her “It’s for out cousin, Phoenix” Dee gestured back at the blonde boy, hovering behind her “He’s…well it’s complicated. He might be dying and we heard there was this thing that your grandfather was working on, I mean it’s not important now, but it might have been able to help, it was supposed to-” “-to cure death.” The dark haired boy completed, his expression suddenly grave.
109. His sister glanced back at him “The Faust Formula?” “The Faust Formula.” For a moment something the Bohemians couldn’t read passed between the siblings and then the girl turned back towards them “And he’s going to die unless you get this? You’re sure.” “It’s just a question of when.” Elise heard her own voice come out sounding quiet and choked, even to her own ears. The girl chewed her lip for a second, as she seemed to consider. Then she nodded.
110. “We don’t know much about it…” The boy ran his hand through his dark hair making it stand on end, he was smiling “Just that it existed” “…but we might know where you can find out what you need. Just we’ll need to get out of here now, before our Mother catches-” “Anastasia Belladonna Lucrezia Goth-Lothario.” The girl winced. “-us”
111. “Oh hey Mom. Fancy seeing you here.” Anastasia turned to the dark haired woman who was supporting a baby on one hip and fixing the teenagers with stern expressions. “Annie, what did I tell you about cleaning your room yesterday.” “That it was my room and I should be able to keep it however I want?” If her mother caught the sarcasm she ignored it, turning to her son instead. “And Nicholas, I saw you were working on something for the science fair. I hope you can get that finished today. I need you to babysit tomorrow ok?” “Mom, it’s not even due for another month.”
112. The woman glanced at the doorway seeming to notice the presence of the seven Bohemians for the first time “Who are your new friends?” “Uhhh…” “Hi! I’m Dee.” Rhapsody waved cheerily from the porch. The dark haired woman nodded, apparently satisfied by this wholly useless response. “Annie, when you’re done with your room I’m going to need a few things done around the house before your step brother drops by tomorrow.” “That’s great mom, you know I woke up this morning and I was wondering what could possibly be missing in my life and now I have realized, chores! Is Dirk bringing the princess of Darkness too?” “I think Lilith” she emphasized the name sternly “is staying on Campus actually. Now can I count on you guys to take care of things for me and not just spend your Saturday goofing off with your friends?” She fixed the pair with a motherly gaze as she bounced the toddler on her hip. Annie and Nick traded a glance, perfect understanding passed between them “Yes Mom.”
113. “So how much trouble do you guys figure you’re going to be in with your mom?” “Meh, probably the usual amount.” Nicholas shrugged. “And it’ll probably take her a while to realize we’re gone anyway. Assuming she even tears her attention away from the baby long enough to ever notice. Ok, this is it. It used to be Grandpa’s house. Nicky and I were both born here too, but we moved when mom got remarried, and Alex is at college, so now it’s just Aunt Ingrid.” The Bohemians peered up at the grey monstrosity looming over them like something out of a horror film. If it hadn’t been the middle of the day a flash of lightening in the background and some organ music might not have been out of place.
114. If Anastasia and Nicholas noticed the creepy vibe they gave no sign of it. Annie pushed the door open confidently calling loudly as she went “Ingrid! You home?” “I’m right here Anastasia, no need to shout.” Journey following just behind Annie blinked in confusion at the girl who had stepped gracefully into the hallway. There couldn’t have been less of a resemblance between the two girls. Where Anastasia was dark Ingrid was pale to the point of near transluscence, blonde almost white hair framing elegant haughty features.
115.
116. Anastasia ignored the blonde girl’s raised eyebrows as the seven Bohemians traipsed into the house behind her. “Listen Ingrid, you haven’t cleared out any of Grandpa’s old lab have you?” “Mmm?” Her tones were distracted and cool “No, why would I? I did try to get the maid to take care of it after he first died but she refused, said she didn’t want to go poking around all those experiments, that it might be dangerous. Useless woman. It’s impossible to get good help these days you know.”
117. Turner’s lip quirked up in amusement as he inspected the petite blonde “She’s your aunt?” “Yep. Well half aunt I guess if you want to get technical. Grandpa’s daughter from his second marriage. She was actually born just a few days after Annie and I. We all grew up here together. She’s more like a cousin.” “And she lives here alone?” Dee sounded concerned. “Yeah, Ingrid, Alex and Mom all inherited one third of the house after Grandpa died. Mom didn’t want anything to do with it, Alex is off at college, so it’s just her. Her mother was declared unfit when we were all kids, just after Grandpa divorced her and Grandpa’s will didn’t leave her a legal Guardian, I guess because he wasn’t expecting to die before she turned eighteen. Mom was going to be put in charge of her, but they never got along, so she sued for emancipation.”
118. “So listen, it’d be cool if these guys poked around up there for a while right?” Annie continued “You wouldn’t mind?” The blonde fixed the seven Bohemian suspiciously for a moment before waving her hand airily “I suppose not. Just…try not to make a mess. Do you think they can manage that?”
119. “Ok. It is not humanly possible to make this more of a mess.”
120. “What happened here?” Elise stared at the tiny attic space that looked like the sight of recent hurricane. Nicholas shrugged “Grandpa happened here. Organization was not one of his strong suits. I tried to find a couple of things after he died and gave up pretty quickly to be honest, but then it wasn’t a matter of life or death for me.”
121. “But he always knew exactly where everything was. Although most of the time that was in his head. He was cautious about writing things down after Mom found some of his notes when we were all toddlers and flipped out. Turned out he’d been secretly dosing our milk with some compound that was supposed to make us grow up super intelligent. She just about killed him for that.” “Your grandfather drugged you as a child.” Elise suppressed a shudder. She was liking the sound of this man less and less. “I can’t say I blame your mom for freaking…if someone had done that to us…” Elise trailed off. She could barely imagine her mother’s wrath if anyone had ever endangered her or Phoenix.
122. “Mom and Grandpa used to fight a lot about his experiments. That’s actually how Annie and I found out about the Faust Formula in the first place. It was just after she’d had Damien…our littlest brother. Grandpa came over to meet him. We overheard them arguing about something. Naturally we evesdroped, as one does. She was shouting about something being unnatural, stupid, dangerous. He told her it was too late anyway, he’d already gone through with it. He’d already taken ‘the cure’. He’d perfected himself, he wouldn’t have to leave his children to grow up fatherless and so on. We ended up asking Ingrid what was up and she told us that he’d come up with a way to cheat death, prolong life forever, free of disease or injury. Frankly we kind of agreed with Mom about the weirdness factor. But most of Grandpa’s stuff was weird.”
123. “And we couldn’t exactly blame his motives. He was trying to cheat death for Ingrid. He was so old when she was born, and her mother never showed any interest in her after the divorce when it was made abundently clear that Ingrid wasn’t her way to get to Grandpa’s money. He just didn’t want her to have to grow up an orphan.” “Listen Nick” Elise bit her lip anxiously as she looked around the cluttered lab, she so wanted to believe there was something here that might save her brother, but she couldn’t ignore the evidence “I don’t mean to be rude. But the fact of the matter is no matter why he was doing it, your grandfather failed. He died. I appreciate you bringing us here and everything but, there’s not much point in digging around here if all we’re going to find is a formula that doesn’t work.”
124. “Oh, it works fine. Grandpa, died the healthiest youngest looking ninety-eight year old I’d ever seen. He probably could’ve lived to see us all graduate, get married, have our own kids…if he hadn’t been murdered.”
125. Downstairs the remaining Bohemians had readily accepted Ingrid’s begruding offer to raid the fridge and make themselves some breakfast. Journey however found himself wandering curiously through the old fashioned living room, inspecting the photos that lined the walls. The first one showed an elderly and frankly fuddy-duddy looking old man who must have been Mortimer Goth, his arm draped around the shoulders of a stunning blonde who was easily a third of his age. A goofy smile was plastered on his face, as if he couldn’t believe his luck in even getting close to a woman like her, let alone being married to her. He didn’t look like someone who could conquer death and change what it meant to be human to Journey, especially not in that bow tie, but what did he know, he’d never had a head for science. The second photo showed… “My parent’s wedding.”
126. Journey turned to see Annie smiling at him from the doorway. Instantly an unfamiliar fluttery feeling settled itself in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed hard. “Cool.” He shrugged, striving for nonchalance. She smiled again and closed the distance between them in a few steps. “Journey right?” “Yeah. And it’s…Anastasia?” He tried to sound as casual as she had. “Yeah. But for the love of all that’s good call me Annie.”
127. “So those pictures…” Journey gestured over his shoulder “I’m guessing either that’s mini-you or your evil twin.” “Well technically if she weren’t me, she’d be my evil triplet. Nicky’s already my twin. So who’s to say I’m not the evil one out of the two of us. I mean look at my face. You just know I’m plotting something by the way I’m drinking that bottle.” She grinned wickedly at Journey and he felt his belly flip flop “The other one…” her eyes strayed to the picture of three children grinning foolishly at the camera, obviously her, Nicholas and Ingrid “That, was taken on Ingrid’s birthday, just before my parents split up.”
128. Journey felt his smile falter, suddenly he was sorry he’d brought it up “Uh…sorry…that sucks.” Mentally he cursed himself for not managing a more articulate expression of sympathy. Annie didn’t seem to mind though, “Yeah that pretty much sums it up.” “What happened? I mean…you don’t have to tell me or whatever…I was just wondering but if you don’t want to…” “Nah, it’s cool. Same thing as every two out three marriages happened I guess, or whatever those stats are for divorce these days. Mom and Dad started fighting a lot, she was unhappy but pretending she wasn’t, he was never around…”
129. “The cheating probably sealed the deal though. I mean I didn’t know about it until years later, but mom caught my Dad in the sack with Grandpa’s wife” she nodded towards the blonde woman adorning the walls, somehow Journey wasn’t surprised that a woman with clevage like that was cheating on a man in a bow tie. “Turned out she wasn’t the only one he had going on the side. She kicked him out that night. I didn’t know about how messed up it was at the time. I was only seven and all I knew was that my Daddy was leaving me. And before I even had time to get over that mom was already getting remarried. I must of cried for weeks, I was pretty pathetic I guess.”
130. Anastasia smiled ruefully “Sorry, didn’t mean to go all TMI on you there. Now you must think I’m a total whacko.” “Cool. I mean…no. I don’t think you’re a whacko. It’s cool that you told me. I mean, my parents are together, and it’s kind of sickening. So whatever. Maybe you’re better off.” Mentally Journey was kicking himself for not being more emotionally articulate. But Annie just laughed amiably.
131. “Seriously, should we be worried about this? I mean he hasn’t insulted her even once yet. He’s actually attempting to be nice to her. Journey’s not nice to people.” “Maybe he likes her…” “No, that can’t be it. You’re his best friend, he likes you. And earlier he told you to get your idiot blonde terminally ill head out of his face first thing in the morning. I mean that’s just how he shows affection.” “Yeah you’re right…he must really like her.”
132. “So you guys drove here all the way from the desert in a bus? That’s pretty badass” “Yeah I know! I mean…it’s ok or whatever. Back home I have a motorcyle.” Journey tried for a cocky grin but it came out more lopsided and goofy, something about Annie seemed to do that to him. She returned the smile “That is so cool.” “Yeah, whatever, I mean it’s totally not a big deal or anything.” He beamed inwardly, he was just wondering if he could work the fact that he played the guitar into the conversation when it occurred to him that they were totally alone in the living room, and that Annie was standing only inches away. Her full lips parted invitingly into a smile. Journey leaned forwards a little…
133. “So it looks like they’re going to be digging around up there for a while.” Journey snapped up abruptly, jerking himself away from Annie as she turned to face his interrupting cousin. “But we should probably find somewhere to leave the bus. I mean I doubt your mother will be thrilled with us if we just leave it blocking traffic in front of your house for however long it takes the brain squad up there to put this together. We should also probably find somewhere to stay that’s actually in town.”
134. “You guys can stay here if you want.” Annie offered. “It’s a big house and I mean, I’ll ask Ingrid but I’m sure she won’t mind, in fact she could probably use the company.” Turner smiled dashingly at Annie “That would be awesome, thanks kid.” Annie smiled back and Journey abruptly found himself glaring daggers at his older cousin. Then she turned the smile onto him. “Besides if you guys stay here I’ll know where to find you to come and hang out.” And with a mischevious wink at the dark haired boy she turned in search of her teenaged aunt.
135. “Cute kid” Turner remarked offhandedly as the pair watched Annie’s retreating back. “Yeah, she’s pretty cool or whatever.” Journey shrugged, wondering where this urge to start a fight with Turner for no apparent reason was coming from. Something in Journey’s voice caught Turner’s attention, he glanced over at his younger cousin. Journey noticed the look and scowled “What?” “Nothing.” Turner grinned. Perhaps he’d wait until the murderous look left Journey’s eyes before he started winding him up about his crush.
136. Annie was as good as her word and for the next few days it seemed like she was at the Goth family home any time she wasn’t at school or asleep. However much to Journey’s annoyance, as huge and sprawling as the old house was it seemed to be difficult to get any privacy.
137. Meanwhile the rest of the Bohemians were hard at work. Or rather, Elise was, the others helped where they could, until their limited attention spans inevitably wore out. When that point was reached all Elise really asked was that they not distract her as she dug through piles of notes and painstakingly deciphered notes scribbled across books, scaps of paper and once or twice on the backs of food stained delivery menus. But no matter how much they worked and searched, they came up with precisely nothing to show for it.
138. Until finally, late on the afternoon of the third day of their stay Phoenix confronted his sister with a sports analogy. “Elise, I think it might be time to drop back five and punt.” Elise turned her grey eyes tiredly onto her brother “What?” “Like in football, when you don’t think you can get the ball ten yards by the fourth down so you-” “I know what it means.” Elise interrupted impatiently “I’m a cheerleader remember, unlike the rest of our artsy family I actually understand sports. You’re telling me to give up. To cut my losses and give up on figuring out this formula. To give up on helping you. I’m not going to do that Phoenix.”
139. “Elise, you found some scribbled notes in a book by complete chance. You worked through them, figured out the science behind them. You managed to figure out who’d written them through trickery and you got us all the way here, to the house of a man who was murdered. Which frankly freaks me out on a whole different level, but that’s not our problem right now. You’ve done more than I could possibly have imagined in trying to help me just by getting us to this point. But I think we’ve come to the end of line here. And I don’t want to see you destroying yourself trying to push this further if it’s futile.” “It’s not futile…I can do this…it just might take a while…” “Elise we don’t have a while. If we stay away much longer you’d better believe Mom will come down here and drag us back kicking and screaming if she has to. You’ve done everything you could with this. Now maybe it’s time to admit that you’ve struck out and throw in the towel.”
140. “Those are two different sports.” Elise pointed out, preparing to return to her search. “Elise.” Phoenix caught her by the arm “you know what I mean. You can’t always win, no one can. I’ve accepted that. And you’re going to have to one day.” Elise swallowed hard. She knew they weren’t talking about finding the notes anymore. But she shook her head. “We’ve come miles and miles for this Phoenix. I can go the extra ten yards.”
141. Before Phoenix could argue any further there were footsteps on the stairs and a moment later Anastasia appeared looking cheerful. “Hey guys. I don’t mean to interrupt your work, but we’ve kind of decided to throw a party. Here tonight. Just thought I’d let you know. Sound good? You both in?” Phoenix’s face lit up immediately “Oh we are so in.” He spun to Elise, seeing protest already beginning on her face “Elise, if you’re not going to give up on this can you at least do me a favour and take a time out. You haven’t had any fun since we got to this town. Can you chill out for one night. As a favour to me.” Elise’s mouth quirked into a smile “I can handle that, I guess.”
142. It quickly became apparent that this was not the first party the Goth children had thrown in the old house. In fact it seemed that parties there were expected by the rest of the teenagers of Pleasantview. After all, how many other teenagers in town had a huge house all to themselves and no adult supervision? By the time darkness had fallen over the little slice of suburbia the old house was filled to the rafters with teenagers that the Bohemians were rapidly getting to know.
143. “Oh and this little creature is Cara Mia, she’s our half sister…and Ingrid’s too actually. Cara, this is Journey.” “The one you told me about?” The dark haired girl Annie was introducing to Journey seized him enthusiastically in something between a hug and a handshake. “And call me Cara, or I will die from the shame of my full name.” “You’re her half sister and her aunt’s?” Journey looked oddly at Cara “That’s messed up.”
144. “Welcome to our family! You should meet our brother who’s also my cousin.” Journey wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not. But before he could ask Cara had already moved on, and appeared to be giving him a thorough once over “You know she was right, you are cute. In a kind of skinny way.” And with that she clapped Journey on the shoulder hard enough to make him stagger and wandered off into the next room.
145. When Journey turned back to Annie he could have sworn she was blushing under her dark skin. “Sorry, she has a bit of a brain to mouth filter problem…” Journey felt a smile spreading over his face “So I’m cute?” “I take the fifth.” “I mean awesome I get. Or cool, hot. I just didn’t know I was cute-” “Well I- Luke!” “What?”
146. Without warning Annie launched herself into the arms of a handsome dark haired boy who had just stepped through the door. “I haven’t seen you in days! I thought you’d ditched me.” “Oof.” The boy exhaled as she knocked the air out of him with the hug before folding his arms around her “Ditch you? I’d never dare.” He released her with one last squeeze and a smile. Journey hated him instantly.
147. Momentarily forgetting about Journey Annie was beaming happily at Luke “What happened to you hair.” she reached up and tugged a curl on the top of his head, the boy batted her hand away playfully. “I lost a fight with Mom and a pair of scissors. Apparently my old hair was, and I quote, ‘beginning to make me look homeless’.” “Awww, I thought it suited you in a dashing kind of way.” Journey glared at the other boy. He was emanating jealous so very violently that Cayenne could sense it all the way over on the other side of the room.
148. “Oh for the love of…” Cayenne put down her cup on top of the piano and took a few confident strides forwards placing herself in between Journey and Anastasia. “Hey, what-” Journey began to protest, but his cousin silenced him with a look. “Ok. I’m telling you this because as fun as it’s been watching you pine after this chick and fight back your evil nature around her, I can only get so much pleasure out of your pain before it starts getting painful for me to. So I’m going to give you some advice.”
149. “I don’t need-”. “Of course you do. Trust me I know more about girls than you do. I am one. So shut up. Now, you need to stop following her around looking like a lost puppy. It’s not attractive. Just leave her alone, mingle, make her come to you.” “But that guy…” Journey peered over her shoulder to where Annie and Luke were still deep in conversation. “Ignore him.” Cayenne advised. But Journey’s eyes never left the pair. She sighed and shook her head, she’d never seen anyone have it this bad for a girl.
150. “Besides, if you used your admittedly limited braincells for anything apart from planning to pick a fight with any guy who even looks at her, you might have noticed that they have the same nose. He’s obviously family not competition. You idiot.” “You’re an idiot.” Journey muttered as Cayenne punched him in the should and turned him very deliberately away from Annie.
151. “Veronica Beatrice Langerak, I’m not even going to acknowledge your existence if you’re going to start smack talking .” “Ok first, Beatrice is not my middle name you dork.” Ronnie Langerak rolled her eyes under dark bangs at Cara “Second, I’m not smack talking anyone all I’m saying is that their new stuff is better than their old stuff.” “Yeah see all I heard there was ‘blah blahblah I don’t know what I’m talking about, blah blahblah, my taste in music clearly sucks.’”
152. In spite of his initial protests against Journey was actually having fun that didn’t involve stalking Annie and waiting for the right moment to make a move. “I dunno, I’ve got to go with Cara on this one.” Journey shrugged, “The new stuff just feels like they’re trying too hard or whatever.” “Exactly. Trying is so overrated. See, clearly the smart people are correct.” Cara gestured pointedly, sloshing her drink on herself in the process. Ronnie raised an eyebrow at Journey mischievously “You sure I can’t change your mind? I bet I could teach you a few things about making beautiful music…”
153. “Ok you two, stop molesting him.” “Annie!” Cara turned and beamed at her sister who had fortunately saved Journey having to come up with an answer for Veronica, “You impinge my honour. I’d never molest a soul. It was all Ronnie and her mini skirt of sireny doom. Doom I tell you!”
154. “Yeah ok I’ll buy that.” Annie rolled her eyes amiably at the other girls before smiling at Journey “Hey you feel like being rescued from my two crazy sisters here?” “Oh it’s cool, I don’t mind we’re just- OW!” “Ow?” Annie looked inquisitively at Journey he glared at Cara who had just delivered a sharp kick to his shin and was now busy pretending to examine a spot on the opposite wall with an innocent look in her green eyes. “Umm…no, not ow, I mean, yeah. Rescue. That sounds cool…” he trailed off as he allowed Annie to lead him away from the two other girls.
155. “Silly boy.” Cara remarked to no one in particular as they left, smashing her cup on her head to emphasize her point.
156. “Your family is pretty cool.” Journey remarked as they flopped down on a nearby couch together. “I mean, they’re all totally messed up, but you know…cool.” “So’s yours. I mean, probably not as messed up as mine…but I like your cousins, they’re cool. And your sister…does she ever stop smiling?” “I know right! It’s so annoying!” “I dunno, I think she’s sweet-”
157. “…and I think you’re sweet too.” Journey swallowed as Annie shifted her weight across the couch closing the gap between them. Her leg was pressed up against his, he could feel the warmth of her body through his jeans. She turned her face towards him. There was an expectancy in the look she gave him. Journey discovered that his arm had settled itself on her back and his right hand strayed tentatively to her bare knee as he pulled her towards him.
158. “What the hell do you think you’re doing.” Journey’s head snapped, most of him still entangled with Annie. A boy with messy looking blonde hair and a distinctly angry expression was looming over them accusingly. He felt Anastasia tense under his arm “Uh-oh.” “None of your business” Journey scowled up at the boy, “And who the hell are you anyway?” “I’m her boyfriend jackass. Now you’d better stop groping her before I decide to introduce my fist to your ugly little face.”
159. Annie was on her feet in a second, her brown eyes swept the boy looking unimpressed “Jim, what are you doing here?” Journey followed her up from the couch more slowly, feeling a little dazed “You have a boyfriend?” “Yeah she does.”. “No I don’t. All I have is a clingy delusional friend who thinks that just because we went on a couple of dates we’re as good as engaged.” She glared at the blonde boy.
160. Oh don’t give me that Annie, you’re fine with me being your boyfriend when it suits you.” “I have never once called you my boyfriend. You’re always the one pushing me to commit to something more serious when I’ve told you a million times I’m not interested. Not to mention you’ve spent the last three weeks ignoring me. If I wanted that I would have a boyfriend. Hell I’d get married right now if I wanted to be ignored and treated like crap by a guy.” “You are so freakin’ damaged Annie.”
161. “Listen man” Journey stepped between the pair before things could get any more out of hand, people were already beginning to stare and he was actually beginning to feel a little sorry for Jim, as much as he liked her it was beginning to seem like Anastasia was in the wrong “Just back off and chill out ok. We can talk about this.” “Get out of my face kid.” “Journey, don’t, It’s fine.” Annie reached out and rested a hand tenderly on his back. Apparently this was the wrong thing to do.
162. Jim’s fist caught Journey squarely in the nose. Journey reeled backwards in surprise and pain as Annie let out a little noise of surprise and distress. The second hit caught him in the chin and knocked him to the ground.
163. By now they definitely had an audience. “Ooh right in the kisser. Kick him while he’s down Jimmy, Annie hit him below the belt, Journey get up and sock him right in the face!” “Who’s side are you on Cara.” Kayla Pleasant was watching with wide eyed horror and fascination as Journey hit the floor. “Side?” Cara inquired without looking up at her blonde friend “There are no sides, I just wanna see a good fight! Come on hit ‘im again!”
164. Journey sat on the ground, more stunned than in actual pain. He had managed to hit his head on the sofa on the way down and the room was spinning a little. He felt something warm on his face and touched his nose. His hand came away bloody. He blinked at it in confusion. He’d never been hit before, he wondered distantly how much this would hurt when the shock wore off. He began to stagger to his feet dazzedly to return the blow when he noticed that Anastasia’s legs seemed to be planted firmly in his way.
165. “What are you brain damaged or something! What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t just go around hitting people!” Anastasia was shouting, furious as the other guests began to gather around at a safe distance, clearly hoping someone else was about to get hit. “Get out of my way Annie.” Jim’s fists were still clenched “I’m not done with that skinny brat.”
166. “Yeah you are.” Journey blinked as a third pair of legs appeared in his bleary line of vision. It took him a moment to realize it was Turner’s voice that he was hearing, it sounded much more threatening than usual.
167. Then he felt hands on his shoulders, warm and comforting. He looked up to see his sister, kneeling beside him and looking concerned. “You ok?” “Fine.” Journey mumbled. He wiped the blood from his face onto his sleeve as he pushed himself to his feet.
168. “Journey? What the-” Phoenix was pushing his way forwards through the other teenagers, looking more serious than Journey’d ever seen him “Hey buddy, you want to fight how about you start with me.” He threw the words out angrily at Jim. “No. Just No. Stop it.” Elise shook her head in exasperation “Stop being boys for two seconds! More hitting isn’t going to solve anything!”
169. “We’re not going to hit anyone Elise.” Turner’s voice was very level as he spoke “As long as Jimmy boy here doesn’t make us. Now I’m suggesting that you get the hell out of this house before I change my mind about that, ok.” Jim drew himself up to his full height as if sizing up the brown haired boy for a fight. In height and weight they were probably evenly matched, but something in Turner’s face seemed to make Jim think twice about starting anything. He leaned around Turner to shoot one last glare at Journey and spit out a few choice insults at Annie that made the girls in the room gasp before storming out.
170. He only made it as far as the front door before he tripped over something firm and high heeled and toppled face first into the porch.
171. “Oops, better watch where you’re going there.” A cheerful female voice sounded above Jim as he went to push himself to his feet, “Just so you know, I feel bad, I mean, it sucks if she was messing you around. But you made the mistake of hitting my cousin, so you know…it’s not business, it’s personal.” He heard footsteps turn to go and then pause “And if Journey ever finds out I did something mean to someone else for him I will give you a bit more damage than some scrapped palms, capice?” The blonde boy hoisted himself to his feet, fuming. Who the hell were these girlfriend stealing nutsos?
172. “Ow!” “Oh don’t be such a baby. You’re fine. Your nose isn’t even broken.” “That freakin’ stings Elise! Are you sure you even know what you’re doing?” “Are you actually asking me if I have enough medical training to disinfect a cut?”
173. Elise straightened discarding the last bloodied cotton ball in the sink. His nose had stopped bleeding by the time she got to him, all she had need to do was clean away the blood and disinfect his lip where the blow had split it rather nastily. “You’re fine.” She told her cousin patiently, “You probably won’t even bruise.” Journey scowled then winced “You’re sure.” “What, you want her to stitch something up or something? I’m sure she’d be more than happy to sow your mouth shut.” Journey turned to glare at Cayenne who was lounging fully clothed in the empty bathtub “Is there even a reason you’re here?”
174. “Moral support.” Cayenne shrugged. “I thought that was my job.” Rhapsody squeezed her brother’s knee comfortingly. Journey muttered something insulting but inaudible under his breath and Cayenne rolled her eyes “Elise you might want to examine his pride. I think that might be pretty beaten up right now.”
175. “Listen, you’re fine Journey, take my word for it. You’ll probably have a bump where you hit your head but you came out of things in good shape all things considered. Trust me I may not be a doctor but I’m the closest thing to one in this bathroom right now. So if you’re done I’m going to get back to work and-” The door swung open interrupting Elise mid sentence. Abrupt silence fell over the bathroom as Anastasia stepped in.
176. “Hey…” she looked around the room uncertainly “I came to see if you were ok and if there was something I could do…” “I think maybe you’ve done enough for one night.” Phoenix’s tone was not unfriendly as he spoke to the dark haired girl, but it was certainly firmer than any of his cousins were used to hearing. He liked Annie fine, but as far as he was concerned she looked like she was trouble for Journey, and that he wasn’t going to stand for.
177. Annie at least had the grace to look ashamed of herself as she turned her eyes to the dark haired boy. “Look, I’m really sorry about what happened- it’s just…” she paused, looking round the silent faces in the room “Do you think we could talk in private? Outside?” Journey hesitated for a moment before sullenly pushing himself up from the edge of the bathtub and following Annie out into the corridor.
178. It was not until they had stepped outside into the cool night air of the garden that Anastasia spoke again. “What happened earlier…that was really lame of Jim. I didn’t actually think he’d hit you, not in a million years. Normally he’s not a bad guy, he’s just a little rough around the edges…anyway, I’m really sorry.” Journey didn’t look at her immediately, shoving his hands in his pockets. “You could have told me you had a boyfriend you know.”
179. “I don’t have a boyfriend.” Annie scuffed her heel angrily on the dimly lit garden path as they wandered slowly “I just have a guy who’s asked me out a few times and who’s a bit of a commitment addict and who can’t seem to get a clue and realize I’m not the girl he wants to settle down with. I mean I like him, but I don’t want to be one of those girls who just settles down and marries someone in the town she grew up with and stays here and has a million kids, and that’s what he wants and that’s fine but it’s just so not for me, and I then there was you and I really liked you and I didn’t want you to think that- and- I mean-…Argh” Annie stopped walking burying her head in her hands in frustration.
180. “It’s just…complicated you know. And I’m sorry that my sucky handling of relationships got you punched in the face. I really feel so horrible about that.” Her eyes met Journey’s, silently begging him for forgiveness. “I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me. But just know, that I’m really sorry.” Journey snorted “I don’t think I could hate you. No matter how much I hate being punched in the face.”
181. Tension fled Annie’s her features visibly at his words. “Does it hurt?” She asked, examining his face carefully. “It’s not bad…” Journey shrugged stoically “I mean, you know, whatever. It’s cool, I can cope.” “Yeah?” Annie reached out tentatively towards the wound on his lip. Impulsively Journey caught her hand and pulled her towards him.
182. Pain blossomed in the wound on Journey’s mouth as their lips met. But it came with an intense flood of pleasure at kissing Anastasia that seemed to block out any other sensation.
183. Which was why neither of them noticed they were not alone until the ghost actually spoke. “Young man I will thank you to stop groping my granddaughter!”
184. The pair broke apart faster than if they’d been struck by lightening. “As for you Anastasia. Does you mother know you’re here?” Journey was very glad that Annie screamed first. He would have hated to be the only one.
185. “Grandpa?” Annie’s voice came out hesitant as she stared at the spectral form wide eyes. “Young lady you were not brought up to hang around in graveyards kissing boys and bumping into people’s tombstones and disturbing them!” “But- but- you’re dead.” Her voice came out barely a whisper “You died, I was at the funeral!” The ghost sighed, it came out a sharp unearthly whistling sound “You never were as bright as your brother.”
186. As if conjured by the Ghost’s words, at that moment the back door of the house swung open with a violent rattling of wood and glass and eight teenagers poured out at a dead run Nicholas in the lead.
188. “Just so we’re clear” Rhapsody’s words came ragged as she ran “Everyone else sees that right?” “What the transparent looking guy in the bow tie? Of course we see him Dee!” “Oh good.” She smiled back over her shoulder at Cayenne “For once it’s not just me!”
189. “Hey! There’s no need to be a jerk to her!” Journey was scowling at the ghost, apparently forgetting to be terrified of it “All she said was that you were dead. Which as far as I can tell is entirely true. So back off!”
190. “Journey, don’t pick a fight with a ghost ok?” Dee rested her hand quellingly on her brother’s back. “Ghosts aren’t supposed to real! I mean everyone’s always said this house is haunted but…” Anastasia pulled a face “This is beyond the realm of creepy.” “I think you’re overreacting a little aren’t you.” Mortimer Goth spoke calmly. “Your friends are taking this far more stoically than you are I must say I’m disappointed in you Anastasia.”