Thursday, May 14, 2020

The Biblical Character Job And The Man By Victor Frankl

Job and Victor Frankl are both men who have gone through a difficult journey of despair but still remained hopeful though that struggling time. Since Job and Victor Frankl are both men who have been through some difficult situations, there are many ways in which they are similar, outside of both living lives with despair. Since Victor Frankl and Job can be compared to one another, they can also be contrasted. Although, Job and Victor Frankl have both gone through despair, they, like any person, have different life experiences and responses to that despair. Pertaining to their hope and despair, Job and Frankl, fall in line with ideas expressed by Martin Luther King and Harold Kushner in their writings. The Biblical character Job and the†¦show more content†¦Through this struggle and time of despair, Job and Frankl used the same type of motivator for finding their hope, they both utilized their love. Job used his love of God, while with Victor Frankl used the love he had for h is wife. Love was the main reason they found hope even in the worst possible time. As Victor Frankl says, love makes potentialities come true (Frankl, p. 112). This potentiality of love is used by both Job and Frankl to survive the despair they underwent. As Job put it, he â€Å"accepted good fortune from God† so surely he â€Å"can accept bad fortune too.† (Mitchell, p. 8). Victor Frankl and Job used their love to confront their disparities instead of obsessing over the bad things happening in their lives. Another similarity between Victor Frankl and Job is the multitude of experiences they went through that caused their despair. They both went through not one thing, but many things that caused them to be in unfavorable situations. Frankl dealt with many things spanning over his time at the concentration camp. Job went through many tribulations from God. God put Job through death, sickness, depletion and despair. Similarly, Victor Frankl witnessed death, sickness and depletion as well as being sick and depleted himself. They both experienced many things to cause their despair, not just one large event to make them struggle. As Harold Kushner says, â€Å"human beings are caught up in the perpetual

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

A Pundit’s Solution to Fixing Drug Violence in Mexico Essay

Thomas Friedman, a biweekly column contributor for the New York Times, is a pundit who throughout his career has made some bold claims about controversial issues in the news. Bestement and Gutherson argue that a pundit is merely â€Å"one who gives opinions in an authoritative manner†, and that while they may speak convincingly, their skills as pundits lie in â€Å"their ability†¦ to learn quickly about the broad contours of a wide range of subjects, and to project confidence and authority in talking about them† (Bestement, Gutherson 2005; 2,3). Since a pundit is one who uses existing prejudices to explain complex issues to large audiences in a concise and very generalized manner, inaccuracies are frequent in their arguments; but these inaccuracies†¦show more content†¦The prohibition of drugs such as cocaine, opium, and marijuana is rooted in the racism and xenophobia of the people of the United States. It was â€Å"believed that cocaine consumption by the black community could make them disregard the barriers that society had established between different races†, while Chinese were â€Å"portrayed as assiduous opium smokers† and Mexicans were â€Å"labeled as avid marihuana smokers† (Recio 2002; 23,24). These faulty conceptions of the minorities in the United States resulted in â€Å"a new perception†¦that drug consumption could not be morally accepted and therefore its use should be seriously restricted† (Recio 2002; 24). Medical professionals in the United States were strongly opposed to an all out ban of these drugs, but eventually the United States congress passed the Harrison Act. This act was initially designed to limit the availability of these narcotics by requiring a prescription from a physician to obtain them. Later, United States congress passed the Volstead Act, which prohibited alcohol. In 1922 the Harrison Act became a totally prohibitionist piece of legislation (Recio 2002; 25, 26). Immediately after the Harrison Act and the Volstead Acts were passed, illegal drug traffickers took the place of physicians in providing narcotics to the people who wanted them (Recio 2002; 26). In order to prevent this, the United States government decided that if the country producing drugs

Compare the poems and comment on how the way Owen and...

Compare the poems and comment on how the way Owen and Southey convey their attitude towards war - Dulce et Decorum Est Dulce et Decorum Est tells the story of how Wilfred Owen experiences world war first hand and tells of his bitter angst towards the government who try to persuade young men to join the army. Owen developed many of his poetic techniques at Craiglockhart Military Hospital where he spent much of the war as an injured soldier, and was able to express his ideas and feelings on paper He uses the Latin phrase Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, which translates into it is sweet and glorious to die for ones country. Owen tells of how this phrase is wrong, how it is not glorious to experience the harsh†¦show more content†¦Owen then continues to give the audience a mental picture when describing the sounds and noises of war. Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired outstripped five-nines that dropped behind This tells us that the soldiers are struggling to walk as they are tired and oblivious to the noise of bombs, missiles and gunshots. Owen also uses similes and metaphors to compare certain things and really give an image. His hanging face, like a devils sick of sin The second stanza starts with the only speech of the whole poem: Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! It tells of a gas attack and how all the soldiers fumble and stumble to get their helmets on in time. All manage but one, who Owen sees reaching out to him and yelling, and how he was unable to do anything and could not help. He uses the lines to describe this: In all my dreams before my helpless sight He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. These are strong lines that slowly close the second stanza. The final verse slows the poem suddenly right down as the death of the soldier who failed to get his gas mask on quick enough is described. Wilfred Owens second poem Anthem for Doomed Youth follows on from his view of war in Dulce et Decorum Est. It is a sonnet, which consists of 14 lines. The title tells of how it is a song for young soldiers who are going into war, and that before they have even entered the

Rise of China as an Economic Power free essay sample

After 1927,  Chiang Kai-shek  managed to reunify China and bring in the  Nanjing decade, a period of relative prosperity despite civil war and Japanese aggression. In 1937, the  Japanese invaded  and literally laid China to waste in eight years of war. The era also saw the first  boycott of Japanese products. Afterwards, the Chinese civil war further devastated China and led to the fall of the Republic in 1949. * Civil war, famine and turmoil in the early republic The early republic was marked by frequent wars and factional struggles. From 1911 to 1927, famine, war and change of government was the norm in Chinese politics, with provinces periodically declaring independence. The collapse of central authority caused the economic contraction that was in place since Qing to speed up, and was only reversed when Chiang reunified China in 1927 and proclaimed himself its leader. * Development of domestic industries Chinese domestic industries developed rapidly after the downfall of the  Manchu  Qing dynasty, despite turmoil in Chinese politics. We will write a custom essay sample on Rise of China as an Economic Power or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Development of these industries peaked during  World War I, which saw a great increase in demand for Chinese goods, which benefitted Chinas industries. In addition, imports to China fell drastically after total war broke out in Europe. For example, Chinas textile industry had 482,192 needle machines in 1913, while by 1918 (the end of the war) that number had gone up to 647,570. The number increased even faster to 1,248,282 by 1921. In addition, bread factories went up from 57 to 131. The May 4th movement, in which Chinese students called Chinas population to boycott foreign goods, also helped spur development. Foreign imports fell drastically from 1919–1921 and from 1925 to 1927. Chinese industries continue to develop in the 1930s with the advent of the Nanking decade in the 1930s, when Chiang Kai-shek unified most of the country and brought political stability. Chinas industries developed and grew from 1927 to 1931. Though badly hit by the Great Depression from 1931 to 1935 and Japans occupation of Manchuria in 1931, industrial output recovered by 1936. By 1936, industrial output had recovered and surpassed its previous peak in 1931 prior to the Great Depressions effects on China. This is best shown by the trends in Chinese  GDP. In 1932, Chinas GDP peaked at 28. 8 billion, before falling to 21. 3 billion by 1934 and recovering to 23. 7 billion by 1935. * The rural economy of the Republic of China The rural economy retained much of the characteristics of the Late Qing. While markets had been forming since the  Song  and  Ming dynasties, Chinese agriculture by the Republic of China was almost completely geared towards producing cash crops for foreign consumption, and was thus subject to the say of the international markets. Key exports included  glue, tea, silk, sugar cane, tobacco, cotton, corn and peanuts. The rural economy was hit hard by the Great Depression of the 1930s, in which an overproduction of agricultural goods lead to massive falling prices for China as well as an increase in foreign imports (as agricultural goods produced in western countries were dumped in China). In 1931, imports of rice in China amounted to 21 million  bushels  compared with 12 million in 1928. Other goods saw even more staggering increases. In 1932, 15 million bushels of grain were imported compared with 900,000 in 1928. This increased competition lead to a massive decline in Chinese agricultural prices (which were cheaper) and thus the income of rural farmers. In 1932, agricultural prices were 41 percent of 1921 levels. Rural incomes had fallen to 57 percent of 1931 levels by 1934 in some areas * Foreign direct investment in the Republic of China Foreign direct investment in China soared during the Republic of China. Some 1. 5 billion of investment was present in China by the beginning of the 20th century, with Russia, The United Kingdom and Germany being the largest investors. However, with the outbreak of WWI, investment from Germany and Russia stopped while England and Japan took a leading role. By 1930, foreign investment in China totalled 3. 5 billion, with Japan leading (1. 4 billion) and England at 1 billion. By 1948, however, the capital stock had halted with investment dropping to only 3 billion, with the US and Britain leading. * Currency of the Republic of China The currency of China was initially silver-backed, but the nationalist government seized control of private banks in the notorious  banking coup  of 1935 and replaced the currency with the  Fabi, a  fiat currency  issued by the ROC.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Exploration Paper free essay sample

Exploration paper In this exploration paper I will be talking about which college have chosen and a little about the school itself and some details about the schools itself. Most of the content of this paper is to help future students who wish to attend a university and to guide them in the right direction. This also is some of the research I have done into transferring, the way of life at UCF and what is needed to get to this university. The college that I have chosen to transfer to is University of Central Florida or UCF. The reason I chose UCF was because it’s the only university that is close to my location and they have the degree I am seeking. That is the deciding factor in my decision with choosing UCF because it is close and tuition would be in state charges. The schools location of University of Central Florida PO Box 160111 Orlando, FL 32816-0111 Phone: 407-823-3000. We will write a custom essay sample on Exploration Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Some facts about the school is that it’s a state supported coed school, the setting is Suburban 1415-acre campus. The Degrees Offered Certificates, Associate, Bachelors, Masters, Doctoral, and Postbachelors Certificates for the degrees that you want in college. Some aspects about the college that interested me were the location, the university itself is amazing, the way of life, the schools atmosphere, and that there are plenty of things to do there locally. The University major requirements for my degree are the general education program requirements. These include UCF General Education Program (36 hrs) A. Communication Foundations 9 hrs Select SPC 1600, B. Cultural and Historical Foundations 9 hrs, C. Mathematical Foundations Select MAC 1105 College Algebra 3 hrs Select STA 2023 Principles of Statistics 3 hrs, D.

Monday, April 13, 2020

Essay Sample Sites - How to Find Essay Samples From Colleges

Essay Sample Sites - How to Find Essay Samples From CollegesThere are many places online that offer essay samples. Most often, these are of those provided by colleges who offer an essay for the purposes of college credit or a Bachelors' degree.The degree and certificate programs will usually ask for the college essay as part of their requirements for a school's admissions process. By taking this one course, the student will be able to include their name on the course catalog as a reader. This, in turn, will put their name on the syllabus and may indicate which college the student wishes to attend.While college essay samples can be found from many sources, there are many ways you can find it yourself. It is a good idea to go through your textbooks for books, your essays, and any other writing you might have done and take the time to proofread it thoroughly. Also, if you are considering the Bachelor's degree, always check to see what kind of college you need to attend.It is easy to fin d a college that can best suit your needs by visiting a school's website and looking at their curriculum, program offerings, and the actual school. Once you find what you are looking for, a phone call will make it easier to find out how to get the materials needed for the course and have them sent to you.You can also go to the internet and search for free ones. Be sure to look over the resources as well as the schools that offer them. When making sure that the essays you select are from a trusted source, you will want to keep your personal information confidential and the name of the school.Because of the increased use of online essay samples, the number of them is increasing. It is now possible to find these on any major search engine. By only searching within the big three, you should be able to find exactly what you are looking for without a hitch.There are many different ways to find online essay samples. When using Google, be sure to always search within the big three as many p eople use the search engines to find the resources they need and the places they want to go.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Murder Mystery Essay Example

Murder Mystery Essay The cottage was always quiet; the soft blue walls made it seem bigger than it actually was. Rachel had always lived there ever since her auntie died and left it to her. It was very remote, along a heavy-hedged back country lane, miles away from anyone else. Rachel returned from work one evening late and lay back on her sofa after opening the french windows to let the warm grass scented breeze blow through the stuffy cottage.She lay back; her long brown hair was released from its clip and hung over the arm of the sofa. She kicked off her shoes and lay back picking up the stereo controller from the floor and turning on the CD player which began to play the CD she had put in the night before. A relaxed song started up; it was her Stereophonics album. The song which came on reminded her of the previous night when her new man Steve had cooked for her then by nine the next morning hed performed a magical disappearing act.Rachel had been single for about a year and a half and now she was tw enty-five and shed decided she needed to get out and meet a new man after her and Andrew had split up. She was now working as a family law solicitor after years of training; her job had been the cause of the break up with Andrew. Doing the job she did she got involved with a lot of jealous ex wives whose husbands shed help divorce them. This one woman called Silvia Ripley had attacked her and she had a restraining order put on her and shed never bothered Rachel again. This was about the same time that Andrew got fed up and bailed on Rachel and funnily enough for one of her clients who had just been filing a divorce from her possessive husband and had been spending a lot of time at the cottage when Andrew was also living there. Rachel had never quite recovered from finding out about it because she had been with Andrew for five years and it came as a pretty huge shock.Rachel had met Steve in a pub when she was chatting with Andrews younger brother Rob, Steve was his best mate. Steve w as younger than Rachel by two years, he worked as a chef in a restaurant in the town. He was quite muscular built with short, black, tight curly hair and gorgeous dark eyes. Rachel liked him immediately and the next night when she was at home in the bath the doorbell rang. It was Rob; hed come over for a chat. He knew she was home because all the lights were on and when she didnt answer the door Rob opened the letter box and shouted, Rachel, its Rob, are you okay?She sat up in the bath and shouted back, Rob, Im in the bath, the spare key is under the blue flower pot, let yourself in.Alright.He let himself in and she got out of the bath and put on her night shirt and dressing gown (it was about ten o-clock) and went into the sitting room where Rob was sat grinning.What? said Rachel.Rob looked at her and smiled and said, Oh dear Rach what has happened to you, you used to always be out with all your mates on a Saturday night.She looked up with a sad look on her face; Your brother is wh at happened to me, you should know that Rob.Rob and Rachel had always kept in touch because theyd always got on well as friends. When she broke up with Andrew, Rob had been a shoulder to cry on, which seriously got to Andrew and he got a bit violent with him.Yeah, but you have to move on Rach, hes an idiot to have done what he did to you and its been over a year and him and that woman didnt exactly last, it was all of a three month thing before she got back with her husband.I know Rob, but wed been together for five years it wasnt exactly a little fling we had was it?Very true but hes an idiot as I said and you can do much better and that is why I am here.Rachel looked at him puzzled, tying up her hair in a loose ponytail. Oh god here we go, this better be good.He looked at her and smiled cheekily then said, Well, I think youll like it.Come on then get to the point.Okay, Okay. You know my mate Steve who I was with last night.Yeah.Well he thinks you are quite nice and he wants you to come out with us two next Saturday night with one of your mates.Rachel was intrigued, shed thought Steve was rather nice when she first saw him but hadnt really given it a second thought because he hadnt given her any signals.Really! she saidYeah, do you like him?Like is an understatement, hes gorgeous.Oh good well you wont mind if I bring him here tomorrow to meet you then.She raised her eyebrows. No I have no objections to that, but you know my best mate, the blonde one who laughs a lot calledAlly.Yeah.I know, she came on to me at that party you and Andrew had that Christmas.Oh yeah, that was so funny, shes going to be here tomorrow.Yeah I like her, well well come around at about eight.Yeah okay, youre not going yet are you?Yeah I dont want to interrupt your evening alone.Oh it really isnt as good as it sounds, you dont want to stay here tonight do you, its just it is actually quite scary here alone and we havent had a really good chat for ages.Okay, we can have a chat about Stev e.So Rob stayed the night in the spare room after they had stayed up until three in the morning talking.The next day he left at about one and Rachel started to tidy her house before the others came round that evening. Rob was a good friend to Rachel, he checked up on her most days. He was very like Andrew in his looks; they both had short, light brown hair and bluey green eyes. They were both smooth talkers and could always make people smile. The only difference was Andrews temper sometimes when hed had a bad day or drunk to much he would totally fly off the handle, which always upset Rachel and she was the only person who could calm him down.Sunday night and Ally, Rob and Steve came around. Rachel clicked with Steve right away and Rob just sat their making Ally wet herself laughing all night with his filthy jokes. They all left at about midnight and arranged to meet at a pub on the next Saturday night for a bit of fun.The week passed quickly and it was Saturday night and Ally was a t Rachels and they were both getting dressed to impress. Their taxi arrived at half past eight and took them to Rezzas Bar. They met Rob and Steve outside but as they went through the big silver doors the first person Rachels eyes met with at the bar were Andrews. He didnt look all together too happy and he was sat alone and he looked pretty drunk. She was worried about Steve because she knew what Andrew was like when he was drunk. They went over and sat in the corner of the pub then Ally and Rachel went up to the bar to get the drinks. They ended up right next to Andrew. Ally stood between them but it didnt work and when Rachel was walking back with the drinks he whispered coarsely in Rachels ear, Youll regret this, Rachel. She just ignored him and walked back to the corner and didnt tell the others what he had said to her. It did worry her and that night when she arrived back home alone she was so scared that she had to carry a golf club around with her. It was about four in the m orning when she heard a crash from outside, she woke up with a start and sat up in bed petrified, she tried to move but couldnt, she was like a rabbit in the headlights of a car which was gradually getting closer and closer. Her eyes started into the darkness off the room her breathing became faster and faster and she was finding it hard to hold back the tears of sheer fright. She was sat up, dead still for almost fifteen minutes before she plucked up the courage to turn on the lamp next to her bed. She began to cry with her head gripped firmly in her shaking, pale hands. There was nothing she could do and noone she could call who wouldnt be fast asleep or drunk. She lay back in the bed with the light on; wide awake until it gradually got light outside. That night her and Steve had actually got somewhere, theyd chatted all evening and at the end she got a goodnight kiss and he arranged to come around to cook her a meal the next day. It became light and Rachel couldnt stay in bed any more, she got out of bed at about quarter to seven and checked everything was okay. She sat watching television clutching a cup of tea in her hands. At about half past ten she decided to ring Rob and tell him what had happened and what Andrew had said to her. Rob told her not to worry and that Andrew wouldnt do that to her.During that day Rachel had to work on a case about a man who was trying to sue his wife because she found another womans underwear under their bed and torched his new car and broke his wrist with a tennis racket. It was confusing and she didnt have much information to work with. She spent most of the day working and then at seven the doorbell rang, it was Steve with a bottle of wine and all the ingredients he needed to make Rachel dinner. Rachel had cleaned the kitchen that morning which was lucky because later Steve told her he hated working in a messy kitchen and commented on how clean hers was. Rachel carried on working for another hour or so while Steve contin ued cooking away in the kitchen. At eight Steve came into Rachels study and said, Its all ready.They both ate in the dining room and the both talked, by eleven they were both shattered and slightly drunk. Steve couldnt drive home so he stayed the night and not on the sofa!That evening Rachel returned home from work and dreaded spending the night alone.A week or so had passed and Steve had been around quite a lot, Rachel was still working on her case and it was going really well because she was winning.One Tuesday night Rachel returned from work and picked up the post from the doormat. Most of them were bills but one was had a hand written address which intrigued Rachel. She thought it might have been from her sister Beth who lived in South Africa but then saw an english stamp. She opened it and unfolded a plain piece of paper and typed on it in big black letters was, I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE AND NOW IM GOING TO RUIN YOUR LIFE LIKE YOU RUINED MINE, RACHEL!Rachel was written in red lette rs, this was just another thing that scared Rachel after the night when she heard the noises outside. She didnt know anyone who would have written something that twisted and deranged as a joke so Rachel rung the police. The police came to her house and looked at the letter. There were two policemen, Inspector Mark Gates and Inspector Peter Fielding. They couldnt do much to help but apart from that she should have someone living with her.Back at the station Gates and Fielding looked at the letter.Its a wind up, noone round her would write something like that. Said Fielding.Mark Gates studied the letter and then said, Nah, I doubt it, its probably a mate trying to scare her. Do you think we should find out a little more from her just in case?Fielding looked up from his newspaper and said, I suppose we ought to really.Back at her cottage Rachel was sat looking at her phone list to see who she could call, she didnt really want to ask Steve because if it was Andrew messing around it woul d make it worse. She decided to ask Ally. Ally was all for it and that evening brought round all her stuff and they watched a film. That night they shared Rachels bed because they were both scared, they talked about memories and Andrew. Rachel had known Ally ever since she was seven and theyd been best friends all the time.Another fortnight passed and Ally was still staying with Rachel it was an early Friday morning at three thirty when the phone rang, Rachel answered it, her voice shaking. From the other end nobody answered but she could hear them breathing. She hung up to see Ally stood in the doorway looking like a ghost. She picked up the handset again and rang one, four, seven, one. From the other end the womans recorded voice said, You were called today at, three thirty Am. The caller withheld their number.Rachel held the phone away from her ear, her whole body was now shaking, who was it Rach. Said Ally in a faint voice.Rachel put the phone back on the hook and said, I dont k now, they didnt say anything and with held their number.Oh Christ Rach. Said Ally, Andrew wouldnt do this to you would he?Rachel looked up now looking quite angry and said, I dont know, I havent spoken to him properly since we broke up so he has no reason to do this. Maybe hes changed I dont know but Im going to his house tomorrow to find out. If it isnt then itll get the picture of it being him out of my head.Are you sure Rach? What if something happens.He wouldnt, not in the house and anyway his little brother Ed will probably be there or his parents.He doesnt come across as the kind of person who would do this to a girl?I know but it was just something he said to me one Saturday when I was out.What?Yeah, he said Id regret something, I didnt say anything because he was drunk and I didnt want to deter Steve.Rachel. Said Ally in shock, Why didnt you tell those police men that.She didnt say anything at first then said quietly, Andrew isnt like that, everyone has got this notion that hes aggressive, he isnt he never laid a finger on me all the time I was with him. Just because he beat Rob up so bad when that woman finished it with him, everyone reckons he used to hit me.So he didnt hit you, but what about at that party when you arrived not speaking and you had a huge bruise on your face just before you split up.It wasnt him, it was that woman who beat me up and had the restraining order put in place on her. We werent speaking because I refused to go to the police about it and he had a go and we didnt speak.Rach has it ever occurred to you it might be her.Rachel went quiet and began to tie up her hair then said, No she had the restraining order put in place and that was ages ago, she hasnt touched me since.Well I havent got a clue but can I sleep in your bed?Yeah.They both went to sleep and the next day they both went off to work. At work Rachel had a message from Peter Fielding that asked her to ring the station because he wanted to make an appointment to see he r the next day. It was all okay and he was coming around at seven the next evening to get some more information. That evening after work Rachel went up to Andrews, she pulled in the drive and saw his sixteen-year-old brother Ed sat in his mums car. Andrews car was parked next to that. Rachel got out and walked up towards the house and as she walked past Ed he said, Oh my god, who is that, is that Rachel. Havent seen you here for a few years.She laughed and said, Yeah tell me about it. She walked on and gave him a cheeky grin then knocked on the door. Andrews mum Marcia answered, Rachel! Hello darling, I havent seen you for ages, since Rob moved out, hows it going?Rachel smiled and said, Im okay, getting a bit snowed under with work but Im going okay, thanks and you.Yeah Im okay, so why do we get the pleasure of your company then?I actually came here to see Andrew, is he in?Marcia raised her eyebrow and said, Yeah, hes upstairs go on up, Ill see you later, Ive got to go shopping.Alri ght then, bye.Rachel walked up the stairs and realised that she was alone in the house with Andrew. She walked across the landing and into the doorway of Andrews room. He looked up and gave a half smile half frown look, Rachel said softly, Andrew, I really need to talk to you.Andrew looked up again from his computer where he was typing something for work and said, What could you possibly need to talk to me about?Andrew, Im serious, I really need to know what you meant when you said I was going to regret something.Why?Just tell me what you meant Andrew. She said in a strained voice.Okay, calm down Rach. Steve is what I meant. Rob obviously didnt fill you in on what he did to his last girlfriend.She looked him worried about what he was going to say next, What did he do?He used to hit her, once he put her in hospital when he pushed her down the stairs. Hes bad news Rachel. Rob says hes changed but some people dont change. Anyway why did you want to know so badly?Rachel was quite stunne d by what Andrew had just told her then with her voice starting to shake and tears starting to trickle from her eyes she said, I got a death threat a few weeks ago and then this morning a half three someone rung up and didnt speak I could just hear them breathing.By now Rachel was crying and she knew it wasnt Andrew because of the shocked look on his face. He said, Rachel, babe I didnt mean to scare you with what I said in that pub. You didnt think I would do that to you did you? She looked at him with her face wet with tears and didnt say anything; You did didnt you? Id never do that to you Rachel or anyone its sick, come here. He put his arms around her and she continued to cry. Andrew held her and said, Im really sorry about everything Ive done to you, I was such an idiot, I dont even know why I cheated on you because I loved you so much.Rachel was quiet and for a moment Andrew thought she was going to run right out of there. She didnt, Look Andrew, I dont want to confuse why Im here, I loved you too but you hurt me so much, do you understand why I have hated you so much over the last year?He looked quite stunned because he was hoping for some kind of reconciliation but instead she was just rubbing the fact that basically she hated his guts into him, Yeah I understand so if youre not here for that reason, why do you think Id do something so petty as to threaten you if I dont love you which I obviously didnt because I wouldnt of run off with Jules.Andrew, Im not here so you can rub the fact that you cheated on me in my face, I went through enough at the time dont you think.Andrews temper was starting to kick in and he said in a annoyed tone of voice like a father, I didnt exactly get off easily, my whole family hated me for doing it to you, I even had a fight with my own brother because of it.Dont expect me to be sympathetic with you, you brought it all on yourself and got everything you deserved.Yeah exactly so why cant you just forget it Rachel, I made a r eally huge mistake and I wish I hadnt now because I came off worse in the end because I lost both her and you.Rachel went quiet, she was perched on the end of his bed and he was sat opposite her on a chair, she couldnt resist and they kissed. After about two minutes Rachel pulled away and said, Wow, well you havent changed I dont know whether thats a good or bad thing. Anyway look Andrew I have to go home because Ally will start to get worried if I dont go back. Im glad were friends.Andrew gave her a really cheeky smile and said, Look if youre worried about staying alone or if you and Ally are scared you know where to find me.Rachel raised her eyebrows as she was walking out of the door on to the landing and said, Lets not go jumping the gun, remember Im still loosely seeing Steve.Andrew rolled his eyes and said as he began to follow her down the stairs into the hall, Yeah I know but just be careful with him Rachel, hes got a weird temper and it doesnt take much for him to get out o f control.They were now at the front door and Rachel was making her way out of it towards her car and Andrew was stood propped up against the doorframe looking happy and Rachel said, Thanks Andrew, for warning me about Steve and if I need anything Ill give you a ring.Okay then see you around.Yeah bye.She got into her car and drove home. She walked in the door of her house smiling to herself, secretly she was really pleased that she hadnt lost her touch with Andrew but she was major worried about what Andrew had told her about Steve. Ally was there and said, Well did you go to Andrews? Rachel smiled, What did you do? said Ally in an expectant tone.Rachel began to giggle then said, Oh not much, we kissed and it isnt him.Allys jaw literally dropped, Rachel, I thought you hated his guts?I did but he apologised for everything and it was a long time ago now, Im willing to forget.Oh well but did you find out what he meant about the regret thing?Oh my god, yeah, he used to beat up his girlf riend big time, he put her in hospital when he pushed her down the stairs.Ally didnt believe her, Yeah right, are you sure that isnt just Andrew trying to scare you off him because he wants you back.Rachel thought for a second, Andrew wouldnt do that Ally, hes not like that.The conversation drifted off in other directions and the girls decided to go out for a meal together. Rachel hadnt seen Steve for a few days now, so she was hoping that maybe hed gone off her. They ended up in a pub and had carvery and sat there talking until kick out time. When they returned home Rachel looked at the front door and in red paint someone had written R.I.P on the white painted wood. The girls looked at each other and were totally freaked out by this, this was getting seriously scary now and a little past a joke and they both knew someone was serious. Rachel opened the door, shed picked up a garden fork, which had been outside the door, and they went in. On the floor, infront of them was an unmarked envelope on the doormat infront of her. They looked at one another with fear shooting through them. They quickly got into the house and shut the door and turned on all the lights. Rachel carefully opened the letter on the kitchen table; out of the envelope she pulled a piece of white paper and unfolded it. It said this time in big, typed, red letters, HOW MUCH LONGER WILL I WAIT?Both of them began to cry with terror and Rachel picked up the phone and rang the police. The two original inspectors soon arrived and came in and saw the letter and the door, even they were getting worried now. This time they sat and took some thorough notes on Rachel and called some more detectives to inspect all around the property. She told them she was a solicitor and she had to tell them all the details about Steve and Andrew. Afterwards Gates said that hed have someone there to watch the house all night and that they should call up someone else to stay with them. It wasnt surprising for Andrew when h is mobile phone started ringing at midnight. He recognised Rachels number and answered sleepily, Hey Rach, whats up?She explained to him and he came around right away with loads of his stuff and a baseball bat. As he drove into her drive the policeman sat outside watching the house saw him and he had to explain to him and call up the house to tell Rachel some weirdo with a baseball bat was coming to stay. Rachel answered the door and as soon as he saw her he hugged her. They went indoors and they all went to bed. The night went quickly but all of them found it hard to sleep with all that was going on. The next day the police had managed to discover where the prank phone call had been from and unfortunately it was from a phone box out in the middle of nowhere. During the day they tapped Rachels phone line so if someone rang again they could trace it straight away and hopefully catch who was tormenting her.In the next week unfortunately for both Andrew and Rachel, Steve discovered tha t Andrew was living with Rachel but he didnt know why because Rachel wasnt allowed to tell anyone what was happening apart for Andrew and Ally of course because if there really was some psycho out there theyd be the most vulnerable and they might scare them off if they went around telling everyone or it might endanger their lives as well. Steve wasnt happy about it and he rang Rachel and had a real stress out on her and got quite aggressive towards her which unfortunately the police were tapped into the phone call and heard and it made him a prime suspect and also the fact that he had been reported to the police by his neighbours when he was with his last girlfriend because they thought they could hear screams but his girlfriend said it was on the television and they couldnt pin anything on him. Rachel didnt have a clue who would do this to her and what with the last letter she didnt know what to do next, even with the police living outside her back door she somehow still didnt feel one hundred per cent safe. That Friday night when Ally, Andrew and Rachel had a quiet night in Rob turned up. The policeman had had to ask him who he was and had to ring the house up to check that Rachel actually knew him. Rob came in and didnt look to pleased with Rachel or Andrew.Hey Rachel. He said, So whats going on, the police played Steve a little visit yesterday, do you want to tell me whats going on here and why Andrew is living here and why there is a policeman outside your drive.Rachel didnt know what to say she couldnt not tell him after all the things hed done to her. Look Rob if I tell you what is happening you have to promise not to tell anyone not even Steve.Yeah, yeah. He said.Just listen Rob. Said AndrewRachel took a deep breath, I keep getting death threats and phone calls, the police questioned Steve because he got quite aggressive down the phone the other day and they were tapped into it. Im not meant to tell anyone but now you know you cant tell a soul.Rob look ed totally stunned by what he had just been told, Christ, Rach you didnt honestly think Steve had done that.No I thought it was Andrew, I honestly havent got a clue who is doing this to me and I dont want to endanger any of your lives but I when youre here I know youre safe.The three carried on talking for most of the night and Rob stayed the night. The next day they all went out which was a bit of a mistake because when the post came there was yet another two death threats and they were numbered one and two. The first one said, HOW LONG? and the second one said, WHERE, WHAT WITH AND WHICH ONE OF YOU? FOUR IS A BIG CHOICE!!!That did it they were all totally freaked out, now they had to tell Rob that he was a target as well. Rob took it quite badly and Andrew was about ready to bail on them because he knew that it was seriously getting bad now. Ally couldnt sleep; the inspectors managed to get her some sleeping pills so she could at least get some sleep. A week or so passed and nothi ng else had happened, they had managed to see the bright side of things using alcohol as an aid but it was only temporary and when reality did hit in, it was ten times more frightening.Another fortnight passed and that is when everything started to go totally wrong. It was a Saturday night and Andrew, Ally, Rachel and Rob had all been out together and they all went back to Rachels for a safety in numbers reason and as the drove towards her house they could see that Rachels bedroom light was on. They didnt think much of it until they were walking up the garden path to see the back door wide open. They couldnt go any further when they saw it and they ran back to Allys car. They then noticed there wasnt a police guard there and they rang the police straight away. Inspector Gates and Fielding turned up again and behind them were another group of detectives who went through the house they went into the house and they saw nothing, they went upstairs and thats when they saw what had happen ed, Rachels room had been ransacked and hanging for the roof by string were pictures of Rachel, Ally, Andrew, Rob and Rachels sister Beth.The police took them to the lab to be fingerprint tested and the four stayed at the police station. They didnt go back the next day but the police had finished inspecting the property by the Sunday morning, Rachel, Ally and Andrew were steering clear and decided that they were going to go back on Monday morning.Monday morning came and they all jumped in Allys car and went back to Rachels house. As they walked to the front door they saw a suitcase outside the front door. It was daylight so they werent so scared about someone being there. Rachel looked at a tag on the suitcase handle. It said in block capitals, PROPERTY OF: MISS BETHANY SARAH BRADBURY, MILL FARM, COOMBE MARTIN, DEVON. EX31 5LH.It was her sisters old suitcase, deep down Rachel knew that Beth was dead it was imminent that what with the photo and her not being in sight that someone wou ld have done something to her.Its Beths, where is she?Rachel couldnt hold back the tears, the door was still locked but the door that led around the side of the cottage to the back garden was open. They walked through the doorway and they knew what was going to greet their eyes. On the white flag stones outside the french windows lay the dead body of Beth lying in a pool of blood. Her lips were purple and her skin was white, Rachel broke down into tears. Within minutes the place was crawling with policemen and the whole place was turned upside down looking for anything that would be a clue to who it was. They found nothing and whoever it was they were good at not leaving clues. Rachel, Andrew, Ally and Rob were now put in new accommodation because there was no way that any of them would spend a night in that house ever again.It took a few weeks before Beths funeral but the day soon came. Rachel and Ally were at the church and at Rachels parents all day and Andrew was coming later fo r the actual funeral because he had to work. He finished work at twelve and realised that he had to go back to his parents house to get his suit. The funeral was going to start at half one and he had to have a shower so he decided to have it back at his old house. His little brother Edward was at school and his parents were both at the church helping Rachels mum and dad. He went in and had something to eat and then had his shower and then put on his suit and was just about ready. As he stepped through the door to go outside something hit him hard on the head and he fell to the ground unconscious.At the church the funeral was beginning. Rachel was quite angry that Andrew hadnt turned up. As they walked down the aisle of the church behind the coffin she noticed Beths husband James, who she was separated from sat in one seat and right infront of him was Steve. Rachel was baffled as to why they were both there but as soon as it was over and all the guests went back to Rachels parents fa rm she soon found out. James was stood alone with a drink in his hand and Rachel was talking to him and he asked her something, Tell me Rachel, who is the bloke in the dark blue shirt?His names Steve Manning.Oh right.Rachel moved on and went to talk to her cousin and as she did so she saw from the corner of her eye James walk up to Steve and hit him full pelt in the face. They were soon split up and thats when she found out why it had all happened from James. Steve and Beth had been having an affair behind James back for a year when they were first married two years ago, then they moved to South Africa. James had been tidying up their bedroom before he was about to decorate it and found Beths diary. A few bits of paper fell out and one had a photo stapled to it. It was a letter from Steve talking about their affair and how stupid it was, and Beth must have stapled the photo of him to it. Thats why Beth had come home because they had split up and she wanted to see Rachel first.It was about half five the same day that Rachels mobile phone started to ring. It was Andrews home number that flashed on the screen at her. Andrewss parents were still at Rachels parents house so it must have been Andrew. She was just about ready to give him a full blown earful when a voice she recognised but not Andrews spoke down the phone to her, Rachel, its Edward here, you have to come here and tell mum and dad. Ive just got home from school and found Andrew unconscious outside the back door. Ive called an ambulance but I cant feel a pulse.Oh no. said Rachel. Ill tell them and come straight away, keep talking to him.Okay.Rachel was as white as a sheet, she went and told Andrews parents and they all rushed to their house, it wasnt very far away so it didnt take long. As they came down the last few metres of their lane they could see the lights of the ambulance flashing from outside the house. They pulled into the drive to see Ed with his head in his hands and Andrew being lifted into the back of the ambulance. The ambulance crew had managed to revive him and were taking him back to the hospital to make sure his head was okay and that there werent any blood clots or severe damage to his skull.After spending a week in hospital they gave him the all clear and sent Andrew home. Rachel was now feeling totally responsible for Beths death and the attack on Andrew it was starting to get to all