Definition and Examples of You Understood in English

Definition and Examples of You Understood in English In English grammar, you understood is the implied subject in most imperative sentences in the language. In other words, in sentences that convey requests and commands, the subject is almost always the personal pronoun you, even though its often not expressed. Examples and Observations In the examples below,  you understood  is indicated by square brackets:  []. As soon as she was on the sidewalk Mick caught her by the arm. You go right home, Baby Wilson. [] Go on, now!(Carson McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Houghton Mifflin, 1940)I dont care if shes a murderer! [] Leave her alone! [] Get out of here and [] leave her alone! All of you! [] Get out of here!(Bethany Wiggins, Shifting. Bloomsbury, 2011)Youre not from around here, I say.[] Leave me alone.Youre from somewhere else. From EuropeYoure disturbing me. Id appreciate it if you would stop pestering me.(Elie Wiesel, Legends of Our Time. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968)Mrs. Bloxby sighed. Would you please leave, Mrs. Benson, and in future, would you telephone first? I am very busy. Please [] shut the door on your way out.Well, I never!Then its time you did. Goodbye!(M.C. Beaton [Marion Chesney], As the Pig Turns. St. Martins Press, 2011) You-Understood in Transformational Grammar Imperative sentences differ from others in that they lack subject noun phrases: Be quiet!Stand up!Go to your room!Do not smoke! Traditional grammar accounts for such sentences by claiming that the subject is you understood. Transformational analysis supports this position: The evidence for you as the subject of imperative sentences involves the derivation of reflexives. In reflexive sentences, the reflexive NP must be identical with the subject NP: Bob shaved Bob.Mary dressed Mary.Bob and Mary hurt Bob and Mary. The reflexive transformation substitutes the appropriate reflexive pronoun for the repeated noun phrase: Bob shaved himself.Mary dressed herself.Bob and Mary hurt themselves. Let us look at the reflexive pronoun that appears in imperative sentences: Shave yourself!Dress yourself! Any reflexive pronoun other than yourself results in an ungrammatical sentence: *Shave himself!*Dress herself! This fact provides evidence for the existence of you as the deep structure subject of imperative sentences. You is deleted by means of the imperative transformation, which is triggered by the Imp marker. (Diane Bornstein, An Introduction to Transformational Grammar. University Press of America, 1984) Implied Subjects and Tag Questions Some imperatives appear to have a third person subject as in the following: Somebody, strike a light! (AUS#47:24) Even in a sentence like this one, though, there is an understood second person subject; in other words, the implied subject is somebody among you all out there. Again, this becomes clearer when we tack on a question tagsuddenly the second person subject pronoun surfaces: Somebody, strike a light, will you? (AUS#47:24) In an example like this, it is quite clear that we are not dealing with a declarative, since the verb form would then be different: somebody strikes a light. (Kersti Bà ¶rjars and Kate Burridge, Introducing English Grammar, 2nd ed. Hodder, 2010) Pragmatics: Alternatives to the Plain Imperative If we have the feeling that a direct speech act might be perceived as a face threat by the hearer, there is quite a range of implicit directives, which are indirect speech acts . . . from which we might select something appropriate and less threatening to the others face. (28a) Shut the door.(28b) Can you shut the door, please?(28c) Will you shut the door, please?(28d) Would/could you please shut the door?(28e) Lets shut the door, shall we?(28f) Theres a draught in here. . . . [I]n Anglo culture there are scripts blocking the imperative (28a) and prescribing the interrogative (28 b, c, d). Though it may be perfectly acceptable among friends, the use of the imperative in (28a) is not appropriate when the speaker and hearer do not know each other well or when the hearer is of a higher social status or has power over the speaker. The use of the imperative as in Shut the door has the strongest impact on the hearer, but it is normally not used. (Renà © Dirven and Marjolijn Verspoor, Cognitive Exploration of Language and Linguistics, 2nd ed. John Benjamins, 2004)

Preposition Fr Explanation and Examples

Preposition Fr Explanation and Examples How would you translate the following sentences into German? This is for you.He decided not to do it for safety reasons. Fà ¼r often translates into for but for does not always translate into fà ¼r.If you literally translated the above sentences as 1. Das ist fà ¼r dich. 2. Fà ¼r Sicherheitsgrà ¼nden hat er sich entschieden es nicht zu tun, then only the first sentence is correct. Though the second sentence is perfectly understandable, it should be written instead as follows: Aus Sicherheitsgrà ¼nden, hat er sich entschieden es nicht zu tun.Why? Simply put, fà ¼r often translates into for but that isnt always so vice versa. Once again, another caveat to not translate word for word.The main meaning of fà ¼r, as when stating to whom or something is intended for, stems from the old High German word furi. This meant in front - a present for someone would be placed in front of them. Other Meanings of Fr Here are several examples of the main uses and meaning of  fà ¼r: Stating to whom or what something is intended for: Diese Kekse sind fà ¼r dich. (These cookies are for you.)When stating for a quantity: Sie hat diese Handtasche fà ¼r nur zehn Euro gekauft. (She bought that purse for only ten euros).When indicating a time span or specific point in time: ich muss fà ¼r drei Tage nach Bonn reisen. (I must go for three days to Bonn.) Some expressions with fà ¼r are likewise directly translated into expressions with for: Fà ¼r immer - for alwaysFà ¼r nichts/umsonst - for nothingFà ¼r nchstes Mal- for next timeIch, fà ¼r meine Person - as for meDas Fà ¼r und Wider - for and against Take note: Fà ¼r is an accusative preposition, so it is therefore always followed by the accusative. For in German Heres the tricky part. Depending on the nuances of for in a sentence, in German it can also be translated as follows: Aus/wegen/zu: when describing the reason why; its purposeAus irgendeinen Grund, wollte der Junge nicht mehr mitspielen - For some reason, the boy did not want to play with them anymore.Viele Tiere sterben wegen der Umweltverschmutzung - Many animals die because of pollution.Dieses Fahrrad steht nicht mehr zum Verkauf – This bicycle is not for sale anymore.Nach/zu: towards a physical destinationThis train is leaving for London – Dieser Zug fhrt nach London.Seit: When describing the duration of time since something has occurred.Ich habe ihn schon seit langem nicht gesehen. I havent seen him for a long time! Above are just some of the more popular prepositions that for can be translated into. Also, keep in mind that these translations arent necessarily reversible, meaning just because sometimes for can mean nach, that doesnt mean that nach will always mean for. When it comes to prepositions, it is always best to first learn which grammatical case it goes with and then to learn popular combos (i.e verbs, expressions) these prepositions occur frequently with.

Bio-statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bio-statistics - Essay Example It can be either additive or subtractive. In case of additive procedure, the significant predictive variables are included in the regression model one after another. In case of subtractive approach all the expected variables are included in the model and then those which do not show statistically significant association with the predicted variable are dropped from the equation. In univariate analyses each variable is analysed separately for its statistics like mean, median, mode, standard deviation, range, skewness etc. Association on the other hand comes by looking at trend between two variables. If values of two variables show a tandem movement, then there exists significant association between the two variables. Though it looks very similar to correlation, it is completely different as in case of association, there may not be any causal relationship between two variables, which is there in case of correlation. What has been stated in the quoted sentence is that univariate analysis resulted in significant association between ‘allogeneic transfusion’ and ‘older age’; ‘allogeneic transfusion’ and ‘female sex’; ‘allogeneic transfusion’ and ‘hip procedure’ and so on. It means that instances of allogeneic transfusion were more in older people, females and so on. But it does not necessarily mean that this relationship was causal as well, it may be or may not be. g) ‘Revision hip’ was associated with the highest probability of transfusion as ‘Risk ratio’ is highest for this procedure. This means that those going for â€Å"Revision hip’ are at the greatest risk for allogeneic transfusion than those going for other procedures. h) The older person (aged 77) is at greater risk of requiring a transfusion after operation than the younger one. This comes from the fact that the multivariate regression model throws up risk ratio of 1.77 for those aged from 70 – 80 as compared to that of those aged below 70.

Importance of Management and Interpersonal Skills Essay

Importance of Management and Interpersonal Skills - Essay Example Therefore it is enlightened as the way individuals relate with each other. Interpersonal skills also take into account the ability to understand and listen. Decision making, personal stress as well problem solving is also considered as a part of it (Barkley and Murphy, 2005, p.699). Therefore interpersonal skills play an indispensible role towards the success of an individual in both the personal and professional fields. It further helps individuals to perform effectively in the various circumstances at the workplace (Klein, 2009, p.9). Individuals with strong interpersonal skills can easily portray their confidence and charismatic image (Givens, 2008, p.314). It also helps to develop the management skills of a person. Management skills are also necessary for a person to function in an organization (Dan O’, 2008, p.163-164). Hence strong interpersonal skill and management skill act as the foundation of success. The report will present a brief introduction and the background of management skills. It will mainly demonstrate the required expertise for a person to work in an organization. The study will also discuss different type of management skill. Furthermore in the literature review section, the study will shed light on the previous works of eminent writers and will also emphasize on the theories of interpersonal and management skills. Then reflective analyses will be carried out, which will depict one of the necessary skills required for a person to excel in his/her career. The report will then conclude with the significance of interpersonal and management skill. Finally it will offer few recommendations for the purpose of developing interpersonal and management skills. Introduction In the last few decades, the scenario of managerial tasks has undergone substantial changes. The changes are mainly because of the fact that economic, technological and organizational context in which administ rative works are carried out has transformed rapidly. There have been changes in almost every sector of a business organization (Huber and Glick, 1995, p.400). Introduction of modern concepts such as â€Å"the self managed work team†, incorporation of Business Process Reengineering (BPR), extensive use of information technology and employment of a variety of communication techniques are some of the visible changes within an organization (Worrall and Copper, 1999, p.5). Consequently managers have to learn all such factors and their implementation processed in order to cope and get accustomed with the changes (Dey, 2004, p.86). Despite all such changes one thing remained constant and will probably remain constant in the near future. With inconsequential variations, what has remained unaltered for a number of years, are the basic skills that reside at the nucleus of effective management and is known as the management skills. In general management skills include conceptual skills , communication skills, interpersonal skills and finally effectiveness skill (Singh, 2012, p.20). Each of these skills has different applications and is implemented according to the need of the situation. However in addition to management skills, success also depends upon the personal skills.

Internet Security Essay Example for Free

Internet Security Essay The key techniques to the most affordable website security would be the casual features of the website for the purpose of safeguarding the website content and the transactions that are to be made for fulfilling the ecommerce objectives of the website. The following can be credited to the diverse ways to secure the website and customer information for the â€Å"Grandmas Treats† website: Web content security: It forms the greater part of the security as they are aimed at non-representation or illegal presentation of false content that a user is not expected to see. The term cross site scripting (or XSS) is often used in conjunction with the web content and links that are to be secured for a website. Acunetix (2007) own product Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner is easily downloadable and comes free. Using that one could scan their website for any such flaws. Directory traversal attacks: The directory traversal attacks are quite common where the links are traversed to a very different path where the information flows to the hackers. It is due to the malfunction of the codes at the client and server sides. The code efficiency and link path requires to be checked periodically so that one is able to redesign and test the system for any malfunction. SQL injection: It is another method where intruders are capable to draw information from one website using SQL languages to illegally fetch customer’s data for obtaining their financial information or to manipulate information for wrong use. The website must be checked periodically for such incidents and must also make sure that customer records are encrypted using 128 bit security layers at the database side. The database security must be checked for getting sure that no such activity is evident. The customer’s financial information would be encrypted to hide it from easy access from hackers. E-commerce transactions security: The use of SSL 3. 0 makes sure that all vulnerabilities regarding the tapping of information so that ones purchases are safe in all respects. The use of this protocol makes sure that a secured channel is followed for communication between the client communicating clients. The use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) is important and can be enabled for any website for securing the communication to the communicating clients. IETF (2007) explains that TLS composes of point to point authentication techniques and communications privacy over the internet strengthening the encryption. 1. Web server checks and database security checks: The periodic checks are done to put a check on performance of the website and database usage. All the relevant links and database security is checked for overall assurance. 2. Database backup: The database backup plans must be devised accordingly for keeping the records safe to protect against unforeseen disasters (Navathe, 2002). These simple tips would be helpful for the website to take care of the affordable needs for security and customer data protection so that one is able to safely carry out transactions over the internet. References Acunetix (2007). Web Site Security Center: Check Implement Web Site Security. Retrieved 16, December 2007 from http://www.acunetix.com/websitesecurity/

The Cold War :: American History, Soviet Union, War

In the immediate aftermath of WWII, the world was split into two opposing camps that, though they did not fight directly, were actively engaged in the Cold War. This war did not end until the USSR broke apart in 1991. The Cold War was both created and prolonged by the interconnected economic and ideological tensions of the East and West Blocs. The ideological systems of the two powers were viewed as being complete opposites in their goals and experienced increasing animosity toward each other. This in turn influenced the economic policies that drove the main powers of the Cold War even further apart. By far, the biggest contributor to the formation of the Cold War was the fact that both sides believed the communist Soviet Union and the capitalist west ideologies were incompatible with each other. The essence of the Cold War was seen as the opposition of communism and capitalism (Kishlansky, Geary, and O’Brien 874). This belief was present as soon as 1946, when Winston Churchill gave a speech characterizing the Soviet Union as a government that was capable of trying to â€Å"enforce totalitarian systems upon the free democratic world† (Churchill 303). He also contrasted the Soviet Union as a state where control was â€Å"enforced upon the common people by†¦ police governments,† while the U.S. and Great Britain embodied â€Å"the great principles of freedom and the rights of man† (Churchill 303). This belief did not abate as the Cold War dragged on, and caused even more animosity between the two blocs. Even as late as 1961, Khrushchev’ s address to the Communist Party Congress still proclaimed the main driving force of the Soviet Union to be the â€Å"competition of the two world social systems, the socialist and the capitalist† (Khrushchev 307). This perceived ideological incompatibility also contributed to the formation of alliances in the East and West blocs. These alliances in turn prolonged the Cold War. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was first formed in 1949 as protection of capitalist countries from the USSR, and it was still bringing countries into it’s membership all the way up untill Spain’s entrance in 1982. The Soviets responded to this with yet another alliance group in Eastern Europe, the Warsaw Pact (Kishlansky, Geary, and O’Brien 876). Former colonies were also forced to choose an allegiance with either the capitalist or communist camps (Kishlansky, Geary, and O’Brien 877).

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Nine

â€Å"I know I'm going to be sorry I asked this,† Matt said, turning red-rimmed eyes from their contemplation of I-95 to Stefan in the passenger seat beside him. â€Å"But can you tell mewhy we want these extra-special, not-available-locally, semi-tropical weeds for Elena?† Stefan looked into the back seat at the results of their search through hedgerows and rough grass. The plants, with their branching green stems and their small-toothed leaves, did look more like weeds than anything else. The dried remains of blossoms at the ends of the shoots were almost invisible, and no one could pretend the shoots themselves were decorative. â€Å"What if I said they could be used to make an all-natural eyewash?† he offered, after a moment's thought. â€Å"Or an herbal tea?† â€Å"Why? Were you thinking of saying something like that?† â€Å"Good. Because if you did I'd probably deck you.† Without actually looking at Matt, Stefan smiled. There was something new stirring inside him, something he hadn't felt for nearly five centuries, except with Elena. Acceptance. Warmth and friendship shared with a fellow being, who did not know the truth about him, but who trusted him anyway. Who was willing to take him on faith. He wasn't sure he deserved it, but he couldn't deny what it meant to him. It almost made him feel†¦ human again. Elena stared at her image in the mirror. It hadn't been a dream. Not entirely. The wounds in her neck proved that. And now that she'd seen them, she noticed the feeling of light-headedness, of lethargy. It was her own fault. She'd taken so much trouble to warn Bonnie and Meredith not to invite any strangers into their houses. And all the time she'd forgotten that she herself had invited Damon into Bonnie's house. She'd done it that night she had set up the dumb supper in Bonnie's dining room and called out into the darkness, â€Å"Come in.† And the invitation was good forever. He could return any time he liked, even now. Especially now, while she was weak and might easily be hypnotized into unlocking a window again. Elena stumbled out of the bathroom, past Bonnie, and into the guest bedroom. She grabbed her tote bag and began stuffing things into it. â€Å"Elena, you can't go home!† â€Å"I can't stay here,† Elena said. She looked around for her shoes, spotted them by the bed, and started forward. Then she stopped, with a strangled sound. Lying on the dainty crumpled linen of the bed there was a single black feather. It was huge, horribly huge and real and solid, with a thick, waxy-looking shaft. It looked almost obscene resting there on the white percale sheets. Nausea swept over Elena, and she turned away. She couldn't breathe. â€Å"Okay, okay,† Bonnie said. â€Å"If you feel that way about it, I'll get Dad to take you home.† â€Å"You have to come, too.† It had just dawned on Elena that Bonnie was no safer in this house than she was. Youand your loved ones , she remembered, and turned to grasp Bonnie's arm. â€Å"Youhave to, Bonnie. I need you with me.† And at last she got her way. The McCulloughs thought she was hysterical, that she was overreacting, possibly that she was having a nervous breakdown. But finally they gave in. Mr. McCullough drove her and Bonnie to the Gilbert house, where, feeling like burglars, they unlocked the door and crept inside without waking anyone up. Even here, Elena couldn't sleep. She lay beside Bonnie's softly breathing form, staring toward her bedroom window, watching. Outside, the quince branches squeaked against the glass, but nothing else moved until dawn. â€Å"Stefan!† She had never been so glad to see anyone in her life. She flung herself upon him before he could even shut the car door. He swayed backward with the force of her impact, and she could feel his surprise. She wasn't usually so demonstrative in public. â€Å"Hey,† he said, returning the hug gently. â€Å"Me, too, but don't crush the flowers.† â€Å"Flowers?† She pulled back to look at what he was carrying; then, she looked at his face. Then at Matt, who was emerging from the other side of the car. Stefan's face was pale and drawn; Matt's was puffy with tiredness, with bloodshot eyes. â€Å"You'd better come inside,† she said at last, bewildered. â€Å"You both look awful.† â€Å"It's vervain,† said Stefan, some time later. He and Elena were sitting at the kitchen table. Through the open doorway, Matt could be seen stretched out on the family room sofa, snoring gently. He'd flopped there after eating three bowls of cereal. Aunt Judith, Bonnie, and Margaret were still upstairs asleep, but Stefan kept his voice low just the same. â€Å"You remember what I told you about it?† he said. â€Å"You said it helps keep your mind clear even when someone is using Power to influence it.† Elena was proud of how steady her voice was. â€Å"Right. And that's one of the things Damon might try. He can use the power of his mind even from a distance, and he can do it whether you're awake or asleep.† Tears filled Elena's eyes, and she looked down to hide them, gazing at the long slender stems with the dried remains of tiny lilac flowers at the very tips. â€Å"Asleep?† she said, afraid that this time her voice was not as steady. â€Å"Yes. He could influence you to come out of the house, say, or to let him in. But the vervain should prevent that.† Stefan sounded tired, but satisfied with himself. Oh, Stefan, if you only knew, Elena thought. The gift had come one night too late. In spite of all her efforts, a tear fell, dripping onto the long green leaves. â€Å"Elena!† He sounded startled. â€Å"What is it? Tell me.† He was trying to look into her face, but she bowed her head, pressing it into his shoulder. He put his arms around her, not trying to force her up again. â€Å"Tell me,† he repeated softly. This was the moment. If she was ever going to tell him, it should be now. Her throat felt burned and swollen, and she wanted to let all the words inside pour out. But she couldn't. No matter what, I won't let them fight over me, she thought. â€Å"It's just that – I was worried about you,† she managed. â€Å"I didn't know where you'd gone, or when you were coming back.† â€Å"That's all.† Now she would have to swear Bonnie to secrecy about the crow. Why did one lie always lead to another? â€Å"What should we do with the vervain?† she asked, sitting back. â€Å"I'll show you tonight. Once I've extracted the oil from the seeds, you can rub it into your skin or add it to a bath. And you can make the dried leaves into a sachet and carry it with you or put it under your pillow at night.† â€Å"I'd better give them to Bonnie and Meredith, too. They'll need protection.† He nodded. â€Å"For now – † He broke off a sprig and placed it in her hand. † – just take this to school with you. I'm going back to the boarding house to extract the oil.† He paused a moment and then spoke. â€Å"Elena†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"If I thought it would do you any good, I'd leave. I wouldn't expose you to Damon. But I don't think he'd follow me if I went, not any more. I think he might stay – because of you.† â€Å"Don't eventhink about leaving,† she said fiercely, looking up at him. â€Å"Stefan, that's the one thing I couldn't stand. Promise you won't; promise me.† â€Å"I won't leave you alone with him,† Stefan said, which was not quite the same thing. But there was no point in pushing him further. Instead, she helped him wake up Matt, and saw them both off. Then, with a stem of dried vervain in her hand, she went upstairs to get ready for school. Bonnie yawned all the way through breakfast, and she didn't really wake up until they were outside, walking to school with a brisk breeze in their faces. It was going to be a cold day. â€Å"I had a very weird dream last night,† Bonnie said. Elena's heart jumped. She'd already tucked a sprig of vervain into Bonnie's backpack, down at the bottom, where Bonnie wouldn't see it. But if Damon had gotten to Bonnie last night†¦ â€Å"What about?† she said, bracing herself. â€Å"About you. I saw you standing under a tree and the wind was blowing. For some reason, I was afraid of you, and I didn't want to go any closer. You looked†¦ different. Very pale but almost glowing. And then a crow flew down from the tree, and you reached out and grabbed it in midair. You were so fast it was unbelievable. And then you looked over at me, with this expression. You were smiling, but it made me want to run. And then you twisted the crow's neck, and it was dead.† Elena had listened to this with growing horror. Now she said, â€Å"That's adisgusting dream.† â€Å"It is, isn't it?† said Bonnie composedly. â€Å"I wonder what it means? Crows are birds of ill omen in the legends. They can foretell a death.† â€Å"Yes,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Except for one thing. I had this dreambefore you woke us all up screaming.† That day at lunchtime there was another piece of violet paper on the office bulletin board. This one, though, read simply:LOOK IN PERSONALS. â€Å"What personals?† said Bonnie. Meredith, walking up at that moment with a copy of theWildcat Weekly , the school newspaper, provided the answer. â€Å"Have you seen this?† she said. It was in the personals section, completely anonymous, with neither salutation nor signature. Ican't bear the thought of losing him. But he's so very unhappy about something, and if he won't tell me what it is, if he won't trust me that much, I don't see any hope for us. Reading it, Elena felt a burst of new energy through her tiredness. Oh, God, she hated whoever was doing this. She imagined shooting them, stabbing them, watching them fall. And then, vividly, she imagined something else. Yanking back a fistful of the thief's hair and sinking her teeth into an unprotected throat. It was a strange, unsettling vision, but for a moment it almost seemed real. She became aware that Bonnie and Meredith were looking at her. â€Å"Well?† she said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. â€Å"I could tell you weren't listening,† sighed Bonnie. â€Å"I just said it still doesn't look like Da – like the killer's work to me. It doesn't seem like a murderer would be so petty.† â€Å"Much as I hate to agree with her, she's right,† Meredith said. â€Å"This smells like someone sneaky. Someone who has a grudge against you personally and who really wants to make you suffer.† Saliva had collected in Elena's mouth, and she swallowed. â€Å"Also somebody who's familiar with the school. They had to fill out a form for a personals message in one of the journalism classes,† she said. â€Å"And somebody who knew you kept a diary, assuming they stole it on purpose. Maybe they were in one of your classes that day you took it to school. Remember? When Mr. Tanner almost caught you,† Bonnie added. â€Å"Ms. Halperndid catch me; she even read some of it aloud, a bit about Stefan. That was right after Stefan and I got together. Wait a minute, Bonnie. That night at your house when the diary was stolen, how long were you two out of the living room?† â€Å"Just a few minutes. Yangtze had stopped barking, and I went to the door to let him in, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie pressed her lips together and shrugged. â€Å"So the thief had to be familiar with your house,† said Meredith swiftly, â€Å"or he or she wouldn't have been able to get in, get the diary, and get out again before we saw them. All right, then, we're looking for someone sneaky and cruel, probably in one of your classes, Elena, and most likely familiar with Bonnie's house. Someone who has a personal grudge and will stoop to anything to get you†¦ Oh, my God.† The three of them stared at one another. â€Å"We're so stupid; we should have seen it right away,† said Meredith. For Elena, it meant the sudden realization that all the anger she'd felt about this before was nothing to the anger she was capable of feeling. A candle flame to the sun. â€Å"Caroline,† she said, and clenched her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. Caroline. Elena actually felt she could kill the green-eyed girl right now. And she might have rushed out to try if Bonnie and Meredith hadn't stopped her. â€Å"After school,† said Meredith firmly, â€Å"when we can take her somewhere private. Just wait that long, Elena.† But as they headed for the cafeteria, Elena noticed an auburn head disappearing down the art and music corridor. And she remembered something Stefan had said earlier this year, about Caroline taking him into the photography room at lunchtime. For privacy, Caroline had told him. â€Å"You two go on; I forgot something,† she said as soon as Bonnie and Meredith both had food on their cafeteria trays. Then she pretended to be deaf as she walked rapidly out and backtracked to the art wing. All the rooms were dark, but the photography room's door was unlocked. Something made Elena turn the knob cautiously, and move quietly once she was inside, rather than marching in to start a confrontation as she'd planned. Was Caroline in here? If so, what was she doing alone in the dark? The room appeared at first to be deserted. Then Elena heard the murmur of voices from a small alcove at the back, and she saw that the darkroom door was ajar. Silently, stealthily, she made her way until she stood just outside the doorway, and the murmur of sound resolved itself into words. â€Å"But how can we be sure she'll be the one they pick?† That was Caroline. â€Å"My father's on the school board. They'll pick her, all right.† Andthat was Tyler Smallwood. His father was a lawyer, and on every board there was. â€Å"Besides, who else would it be?† he continued. † ‘The Spirit of Fell's Church' is supposed to be brainy as well as built.† â€Å"AndI don't have brains, I suppose?† â€Å"Did I say that? Look, if you want to be the one to parade in a white dress on Founders' Day, fine. But if you want to see Stefan Salvatore run out of town on the evidence of his own girlfriend's diary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But why wait so long?† Tyler sounded impatient. â€Å"Because this way it'll ruin the celebration, too. TheFells' celebration. Why shouldthey get the credit for founding this town? The Smallwoods were here first.† â€Å"Oh, who cares about who founded the town? All I want is to see Elena humiliated in front of the entire â€Å"And Salvatore.† The pure hatred and malice in Tyler's voice made Elena's flesh crawl. â€Å"He'll be lucky if he doesn't end up hanging from a tree. You're sure the evidence is there?† â€Å"How many times do I have to tell you? First, it says she lost the ribbon on September second in the cemetery. Then, it says Stefan picked it up that day and kept it. Wickery Bridge is right beside the cemetery. That means Stefan was near the bridge on September second, the night the old man was attacked there. Everybody already knows he was on hand for the attacks on Vickie and Tanner. What more do you want?† â€Å"It would never stand up in court. Maybe I should get some corroborating evidence. Like ask old Mrs. Flowers what time he got home that night.† â€Å"Oh, whocares ? Most people think he's guilty already. The diary talks about some big secret he's hiding from everyone. People will get the idea.† â€Å"You're keeping it in a safe place?† â€Å"No, Tyler, I'm keeping it out on the coffee table. How stupid do you think I am?† â€Å"Stupid enough to send Elena notes tipping her off.† There was a crackle, as of newspaper. â€Å"Look at this, this is unbelievable. And it's got to stop,now. What if she figures out who's doing it?† â€Å"What's she going to do about it, call the police?† â€Å"I still want you to lay off. Just wait until Founders' Day; then you'll get to watch the Ice Princess melt.† â€Å"And to say ciao to Stefan. Tyler†¦ nobody's really going to hurt him, are they?† â€Å"Whocares?† Tyler mocked her earlier tone. â€Å"You leave that to me and my friends, Caroline. You just do your part, okay?† Caroline's voice dropped to a throaty murmur. â€Å"Convince me.† After a pause Tyler chuckled. There was movement, rustling sounds, a sigh. Elena turned and slipped out of the room as quietly as she had come in. She got into the next hallway, and then she leaned against the lockers there, trying to think. It was almost too much to absorb at once. Caroline, who had once been her best friend, had betrayed her and wanted to see her humiliated in front of the whole school. Tyler, who'd always seemed more an annoying jerk than a real threat, was planning to get Stefan driven out of town – or killed. And the worst thing was that they were using Elena's own diary to do it. Now she understood the beginning of her dream last night. She'd had a dream like it the day before she had discovered that Stefan was missing. In both, Stefan had looked at her with angry, accusing eyes, and then he had thrown a book at her feet and walked away. Not a book. Her diary. Which had in it evidence that could be deadly to Stefan. Three times people in Fell's Church had been attacked, and three times Stefan had been on the scene. What would that look And there was no way to tell the truth. Supposing she said, â€Å"Stefan isn't guilty. It's his brother Damon who hates him and who knows how much Stefan hates even the thought of hurting and killing. And who followed Stefan around and attacked people to make Stefan think maybe Stefan had done it, to drive him mad. And who's here in townsomewhere – look for him in the cemetery or in the woods. But, oh, by the way, don't just search for a good-looking guy, because he might be a crow at the moment. â€Å"Incidentally, he's a vampire.† She didn't even believe it herself. It sounded ludicrous. A twinge from the side of her neck reminded her how serious the ludicrous story really was. She felt odd today, almost as if she were sick. It was more than just tension and lack of sleep. She felt slightly dizzy, and at times the ground seemed to be spongy, giving way under her feet and then springing back. Flu symptoms, except that she was sure they weren't due to anyvirus in her bloodstream. Damon's fault, again. Everything was Damon's fault, except the diary. She had no one to blame for that but herself. If only she hadn't written about Stefan, if only she hadn't brought the diary to school. If only she hadn't left it in Bonnie's living room. If only, if only. Right now all that mattered was that she had to get it back.