Theoretical Background Essay Example for Free

Theoretical Background Essay Purchasing is â€Å"Critical to supply chain efficiency because it is the job of the purchasing to select suppliers and then establish mutually beneficial relationships with them. Without good suppliers and without superior purchasing, supply chains cannot compete today’s† marketplace. Purchasing is also very involved in product design and development work. Many â€Å"manufacturers have found out that manufacturing costs can be reduced, product quality maximized, and new products brought to market at a much faster rate if purchasing brings the key suppliers into the product design and development at the earliest stage of process. † And purchasing is directly involved in the implementation of e-commerce systems. (Fitzgerald, 2000) Purchasing is responsible for obtaining the materials, parts, supplies, and services need to produce a product or provide a service. You can get some idea of the importance of purchasing when you consider that, in manufacturing, upwards of 60 percent of the cost of finished goods comes from purchased parts and materials. Furthermore, the percentages for purchased inventories are even higher for retail and wholesale companies, sometimes exceeding 90 percent. Nonetheless, the importance of purchasing is more than just the cost of goods purchased; other important factors include the quality of goods and services and the timing of deliveries of goods and services, both of which can have a significant impact on operations. The goal of purchasing is to develop and implement purchasing plans for products and services that support operation strategies. Among the duties of purchasing are identifying sources of supply, negotiating contracts, maintaining a database of suppliers, obtaining goods and services that meet or exceed operations requirements in a timely and cost-efficient manner, and managing suppliers. Thus, purchasing select suppliers, negotiates contracts, establishes alliances, and acts as liaison between suppliers and various internal departments. Purchasing is taking on increase importance as organizations place greater emphasis on supply chain management, quality improvement, clean production, and outsourcing. Moreover, business-to-business buying relationships are changing: although traditional relationships currently account for the lion’s share of buying relationships, they are expected to decrease substantially by the middle of  the decade, while Web-based auctions and manage inventory relationships are expected to grow. In addition, increasing globalization will continue to have an impact on purchasing. (McGraw-Hill, 2007) The purchasing function in business organizations is becoming increasingly important. Among the reasons are increased levels of outsourcing, increased used of the Internet, greater emphasis on supply chain management, globalization, and continuing efforts to reduce costs and increase quality. Among purchasing responsibilities are obtaining the materials, parts, supplies and services needed to produce a product or provide a service. Price, quality and reliability and speed of delivery are important variables. Purchasing selects suppliers, negotiates contracts, and establishes alliances, and act as liaison between supplier and various internal departments. It also is involved in value analysis, vendor analysis, make-or-buy analysis, supplier audits, and supplier certification. (Morgan, 1994) In many business organizations there is a move to reduce the number of suppliers and to establish and maintain longer-term relationships with suppliers. Supplier partnerships may involve cooperation that takes the form of sharing of planning and information, and perhaps cooperation in product and process design. (Morgan, 1994) An underlying consideration in purchasing, as in all areas of business, is maintaining ethical standards. The supplement provides a recommended set of ethical practices in purchasing. (Morgan, 1994) Although often associated with the public sector, purchasing groups are also an alternative considered more and more by managers of the private sector. A purchasing group increases volume consolidation, making it possible to have only one negotiation, in order to increase the purchasing group members power vis†Ãƒ  Ã¢â‚¬ vis that of its suppliers. However, a purchasing group also constitutes an additional link in the supply chain and its objectives could go contrary to those of some of its members. This is why organisations considering joining a purchasing group should analyse this option strategically, in order to assess correctly the potential long†term benefits. (Nollet Beaulieu, 2005)

Constrain The Power :: essays research papers

â€Å"Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism†¦Animal Farm was the first book in which I tried, with full consciousness of what I was doing, to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole,† George Orwell, [1984]. The criticisms and protests Orwell has against the dictatorship of Napoleon, a pig who tricked his animal society into believing equality was the greater evil, are vibrantly shown throughout the novel. The change of life citizens endured during their stay on Animal Farm enlightens its readers with the true purpose of the book. â€Å"George Orwell’s whole life was spent in preparation of Animal Farm, and the text itself bears the dates November, 1943-February, 1944,† The Times Literary Supplement. In November of 1943 the United States controlled the first nuclear reaction at the University of Chicago. The Manhattan project was a success, and the country held the power to decimate any opposing power. However, with this achievement erupted much controversy. Was the use of atomic bombs humane and reasonable to end conflicts? Englishman, George Orwell, opposed any practice related to these weapons. Through his brilliant satire, Animal Farm, Orwell depicted a frightening view of the future. Even those deemed as national heroes were corrupt. It was uncertain at the time if overthrowing the government would ever change current society. In essence, the United States is not run under totalitarian views. We are a democracy, a society where the people’s choice presides over that of one person. However, in smaller countries this could be overthrown very swiftly. In the book Animal Farm, two major leaders, Snowball and Napoleon, begin their journey to a successful society when Napoleon turns on Snowball. He sends his bodyguards, (portrayed as vicious dogs) after Snowball in hope to drive him off the farm. Once this was accomplished, he began to manipulate the minds of the animals on the farm into believing that Snowball was actually their enemy from the beginning. â€Å"Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL! he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder. Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year. Comrades, here and now I pronounce the death sentence upon Snowball,† Animal Farm, pg.

Hotel Management System Essay

1.1 Introduction The aim of every business is to achieve operational excellence and efficiency. The effectiveness of business processes today has been influenced by technology. However, as computing technology becomes increasingly vital to conducting business and communicating with associates, new and more complex issues must be resolved. Among them is the need to ensure that the benefits derived from using computers are not reduced due to accompanying information management inefficiencies or to the creation of new business risks. A hotel is a building where travelers can pay for lodging, meals and other activities. Hotel Management involves combination of various skills like management, marketing, human resource development, and financial management, inter personal skills, dexterity, etc. Hotels are a major employment generator in tourism industry. Hotel management can be a very lucrative field, both in terms of annual revenues Furthermore, hotels are big attractions to businesses and associations l ooking to hold events. Booking an event means additional revenue for the use of a conference or banquet room, in addition to overnight guests who may use laundry and other concierge services. Work in the area of Hotel Management involves ensuring that all operations, including accommodation, food and drink and other hotel services run smoothly. Hotel management system goes a long way to assist hotels in achieving its aims. Hotel management system as an automated system will enable hotels provide all round services to their various customers or stakeholders through digital or electronic means. The system will assist management in its day-to-day business activities, make decisions. 1.2 Subject and Field of Study The field of study is computer studies and in relation to the subject area being Information Management system and Web Application Development with highlights on Database management, Web and Internet Technology. This project is a web application development project prior to my area of study, the project is designed specifically for hotel businesses that has seen the need of transforming business activities from the manual process to digital process and also businesses that needs safe and proper customer data management in electronic form using the internet. 1.3 Study Objectives The study objectives are categorized into two: 1.3.1 Global Objective: The Global objective of this project is to contribute to the general body of knowledge and research work in the area of developing a hotel management system that will automate the whole management processes of the organization (hotels). 1.3.2 Specific Objectives: The following are the targeted objectives to be accomplished in order to achieve the general objective above. To be able to create mutual communication between customer and business (hotel). To provide a platform for online booking and reservation by customer’s rooms. To provide easy access to customers in viewing and making selection of hotel rooms. To be able to manage fast access to guest(customers) information and easy update of records. To be able to provide security measures to access the hotels information lowering data security threats. To be able to provide better data management facilities To able to enable backups of respective users to be made and accessed when it is needed. 1.4 Problem Statement Intended to explore the impact of the design of Hotel Management System is expected to overcome the general problems in handling issues relating to hotel business activities, managerial activities, difficulties in providing stock control of equipment’s used in the hotel, difficulties on monitoring and tracking customers details and requirements on which the tasks are performed, the time consuming aspects of various customers moving all the way to the preferred hotel to make reservation and bookings as well as viewing at the hotel rooms available. However providing notifications to respective customers about their reservation status is also time wasting. Also management of these hotels finds it difficult manually keeping records of their various employees, clients and other vital hotel related information. Difficulties in making references to old business transactions, data’s and other negotiations and issues concerning security of data and  recovery manners is also considered. It is designed to replace old method of recording information by using pen and paper. 1.5 Research Methodology The proposed research methodology for this project is the â€Å"Waterfall Model†. The waterfall model takes fundamental process activities and it is a sequential design process, often used in software development processes, in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases of separate process phases such requirement specification, software design implementation, testing and maintenance. To ensure that our project is in par with our client needs, we used the waterfall model approach in developing the systems. The first process of the model is data gathering. Here we gather information about basic hotel management system functionalities. Joint Application Development (JAD) will be used as fact- findings techniques that will be used to gather the requirements analysis if the Hotel Management System should be implemented in any hotel. After the first phase of data gathering we proceeded in interviewing our clients. We asked about what their expectations were in a hotel management system. Some clients already had a hotel management system. In this case we asked them about what improvements they would have wanted to add in the system such as implementing an attribute for passport information. After gathering all of the information from our clients we proceeded with the next step which is analyzing of data and problem solving. In here we began conceptualizing the components our system needed such as inputting name and creating a log in log out system. We also thought about what elements from our initial concept did not require. After conceptualizing all of the elements we need in creating our system we proceed to the next step which is implementing requirements. In here we decide what applications we need in developing the system. Here we decided to use VB.Net and MySQL as our primary programming languages. Now that we have our tools we proceed to the next step which is system and software design. In here we take our concept design and upgrade that design by implementing our tools in the design. This means we have to understand the requirements of the end user and also have an idea of how the end product should look like. System design also helps us specify the hardware and  system requirements to create the overall system architecture. System design is the (stepping stone towards) our next task which is GUI design. GUI design is the process of designing user interface of the entire system. This means that we start creating actual look of the program for our system. After creating the design we proceed to next step which is system coding. This is where the command lines are assigned to a GUI so that they would have their proper functions. An example would be initiating the connection query in order to connect to the database. After adding all of the required components we proceed to the final step which is system testing and debugging. Here both individual components and the integrated whole are methodically verified to ensure that they are error-free and fully meet the requirements. 1.6 Background and Justification of the Study The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which a hotel management system will be used in the organization to manage hotel business processes. A background study shows that the hotel’s daily operation is managed by the Administrative Department. The process starts from customers coming to the hotel to make reservations and enquiries, through the hotel receptionist. The customer booking details will be recorded in a manual form and filed. After making enquiries and finally a reservation is made, the reservation form would be forwarded to the cashier for payment to be made, all involving paper work. Since it involves paper work lots of time is consumed and booking & reservation takes a lot of time. Furthermore, when a customer wants to check out, files will have to be searched and retrieved so that the final operations of checking out a customer will be performed. Some of the service personnel who have studied the issues concerning the manual business operation issued by customers, has contended that the manual operation reduces the operational productivity of the hotel. Because there have been cases records have been mishandled due to human error, some data’s cannot be found etc. HMS helps in managing reservations, bookings, guests and agents. The user can search for the vacant rooms in the hotel and book for it by not necessarily coming to the  physical location of the hotel. An administrator can view the booking details, transactions and coordinate the activity with the agents. He can track the entire site activity. Reservations can also be made through a phone call or an email. 1.7 Expected Outcome of the Project At the end of this project, the following becomes the outcome: There will be a created mutual communication between customer and management. Customers will be enabled make online booking and reservation by searching for rooms. There will be enabled effective storage of customers’ data Administrators will be able to manage fast access to guest files and updates of records will be done effectively and efficiently. Administrators will be provided with better data management facilities. There will be enabled security measures when trying to access the hotels information lowering data security threats. There will be enabled frequent backups of respective user details and access when needed. 1.8 Presentation of Thesis Chapter 1: General introduction is focused on the research which is the Project Proposal. Chapter 2: Literature Review which focuses on history and the outlook of the existing systems. Chapter 3: Methodology. In this chapter, the proposed system is analyzed into details and its importance discussed expansively where context level diagrams, dataflow diagrams, flowcharts will be used to explain the proposed system further. Chapter 4: System Analysis and Design; the study carries on with the design of the system. This chapter will encompass database modeling, class modeling, use case modeling and the relationship diagram of the proposed system. Chapter 5: Testing and Implementation; Implementation of the computer software goes on after the design. The system will be tested and reviewed to reveal errors. In this chapter also the documentation of the completed system. It also lays emphasis on both the users of the system and the system itself. Under the user documentation, the manual for both the user and the expert who will administer the system will be known. Finally conclusion and recommendation will be made as well as observations are identified and the necessary improvement which could be added to the system is made.

Reciprocal and Reflexive Sentences in Spanish

Understanding or translating reflexive or reciprocal sentences in Spanish where there are two or more subjects can be confusing because they can be ambiguous without qualifiers. Learn how these types of sentences are constructed and how to eliminate ambiguity in Spanish using two common phrases. Why There Can Be Ambiguity in Spanish Sentences First, let us define and expand upon what a  reflexive sentence is. The pronoun se is commonly used (although it has many other uses as well) to indicate that a person is performing some type of action on or toward that person. For example, se ve can mean he sees himself and se hablaba can mean she was talking to herself. The confusion with reflexive sentences can come when the subject of such sentences is plural. See, for example, how the following Spanish sentences are ambiguous. Either of the translations given after the Spanish sentence is valid: Se ayudaron. (They helped themselves. They helped each other.)Se golpean. (They are hitting themselves. They are hitting each other.)Pablo y Molly se aman. (Pablo and Molly love themselves. Pablo and Molly love each other.) The same ambiguity can exist in the first and second persons as well: Nos daà ±amos. (We hurt ourselves. We hurt each other.)Nos amamos. (We love ourselves. We love each other.) ¿Os odià ¡is? (Do you hate yourselves? Do you hate each other?) The problem occurs because in Spanish the plural reciprocal pronouns are the same as the reflexive pronouns; they are nos in the first person, os in the second person, and se in the third person. (Note that in Latin America os is seldom used, as se is typically used in both the second- and third-person plurals.) This is in contrast with English where the reflexive pronouns in the plural are ourselves, yourselves, and themselves—but the reciprocal pronouns are each other and one another. How To Clarify When Context Doesn’t Help Most of the time, the context of the sentence will make clear what meaning is intended. If the context does not help, there are two very common phrases that can be used to eliminate the ambiguity. First, the idiom a sà ­ mismos is commonly used to indicate that a reflexive meaning is intended—in other words, that the subjects are acting on themselves rather than each other. For example: Se aman a sà ­ mismos. (They love themselves.)No pueden verse a sà ­ mismos. (They cant see themselves.)Es importante que nos escuchemos a sà ­ mismos. (It is important that we listen to ourselves.) If all the persons involved are female, or if the names of all subjects are grammatically feminine, the feminine form a sà ­ mismas should be used: Cà ³mo se perciben a sà ­ mismas las mujeres con la infertilidad? (How do women with infertility perceive themselves?)Cuà ­dense a sà ­ mismas. (Take care of yourselves.)Estas piernas robà ³ticas son capaces de enseà ±arse a sà ­ mismas a andar. (These robotic legs are capable of teaching themselves to walk.) Second, the phrase el uno al otro, which can be literally translated as one to the other, is the rough equivalent of each other: No debemos hacernos eso el uno al otro. (We shouldnt do that to each other._Se golpean el uno al otro. (They are hitting each other.)El ordenador y el monitor se necesitan el uno al otro. )The computer and the monitor need each other.) ¿Os odià ¡is el uno al otro? (Do you two hate each other?) El uno al otro can also be used in feminine and/or plural variations: Pablo y Molly se aman el uno a la otra. (Pablo and Molly love each other.)Se abrazaban la una a la otra. (The two females hugged each other._No se cuidan los unos a los otros. (They (multiple persons) dont take care of each other.) Key Takeaways Reflexive pronouns are used to indicate that two or more persons or things are acting on themselves, while reciprocal pronouns are used to indicate that two or more persons or things are acting on themselves.Although English has separate reflexive and reciprocal pronouns, in Spanish they are identical.Spanish can use the phrases a sà ­ mismos (or a sà ­ mismas) and el uno al otro (with variations for number and gender) to clarify reflexive and reciprocal verbs, respectively.

Reflection Paper - 956 Words

Mahatma Gandhi once said, â€Å"A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a Yes merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.† This idea supports individual choices in a conforming society. Gandhi became the voice of India’s nonviolent independence effort against Britain. Other examples in history include Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill and Muhammad Ali. These individuals faced prosecution due to their beliefs, but they refused to remain silent. I admire these famous advocates for their courage and vulnerability. I know from personal experience it is difficult to voice my convictions to an opposing force. It is far easier to conform and side with the majority rather than isolate myself. This concept has†¦show more content†¦I believe in gun control and limiting the rights of owning a gun and eliminating the dangers to ensure the safety of the public. If the government cracked down on universal background checks , mental health screenings, and required licensing for all known and private gun dealers that would eliminate the risk of a gun falling into the wrong hands. Growing up in a small town in Northern MN did not prepare me to face cultural differences and bias’s on a college campus. I am a practicing Christian who is accepting of all people. I have been stereotyped as an uneducated woman with white superiority. These assumptions are wrong on all accounts. I have a very diverse set o beliefs and views that do not align to one specific political party. I was accustomed to my small town of Norwegian descent, which had over 99% of the population being white. I came to college very open minded and did not expect people to have a personal bias of me as an individual. I know that this is minimal in terms of bias related opinions, but I found it eye opening since I never thought it would happen to me. This is a personal bias fear that people may associate me with being privileged. I s upport many forms of social activism on campus, specifically the freedom of religion. Donald Trump is a successful business man who claimed in the 1980’s that he would run for president if the state of the nation was in bad shape. Unfortunately, Donald Trump becameShow MoreRelatedReflection Paper1317 Words   |  6 Pagesused to struggle with forming my thoughts into writing, let alone a paper. I was never confident with what I wrote. My writing had no greater purpose other than the assignment. My writing process included: writing my paper, proofreading it, and turning it in. Once the paper left my hands, it also left my mind. Throughout this course we worked with others, visited the writing lab, wrote critiques, and we were able to revise our papers. I believe that all of this is has caused me to grow greatly as aRead MoreReflection Paper836 Words   |  4 Pagesand integrating quotes. Before my papers were full of â€Å"she said† and â€Å"she would say†; which was boring and showed poor ability to lengthen my word choice. I also had a tendency to just throw quotes in and not integrate it into my writings. By the end of my English 101 class my papers began to present with words like â€Å"the author noted†, or â€Å"she stated† along with many other word choices and proper ways of using quotes. Here is an example from my final research paper: â€Å"Author Stephanie Jackson, a certifiedRead MoreNursing Reflection Paper858 Words   |  4 Pagesremainder of this reflection. I met Betty about eight years ago, as I was a close friend of her brother. Although her brother and I grew apart, I would still occasionally see Betty around. Never did I think that I would ever see her on the unit in which I was working, but a few weeks ago, this idea changed. When I arrived back to the nurse’s station after checking on each of my patients, I saw that my co-caring nurse was getting an admission. I looked down at the sheets of paper he had in front ofRead MoreReflection Paper On The Humanities Field1071 Words   |  5 Pages Over the course of this semester each paper that was written helped to introduce me and my fellow classmates to different formatting, and genres of writing. A lot of knowledge was gained from writing these papers and I was able to compare and contrast the disciplinary writings and notice what makes each of them stand out. Reflecting back on these individual papers helps to express what I have learned. The first paper that was written was the humanities essay. The humanities essay helped to provideRead MorePersonal Reflection Paper On English1015 Words   |  5 Pages Reflection Paper English has never been my strong suit. I always hated English simply, because I never concerned myself as a writer. 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Other designs included one of a boat from Isis Green’s favorite movie Pirates of the Caribbean, a design from a fantasy summer place imaginedRead MoreReflection Paper On Writing And Writing1085 Words   |  5 PagesThe content of my paper was typically not the issue, the organization of the ideas was. I always had good ideas to write about, but I never knew how to organize those thoughts into a well-organized paper. Although in Writing 101, I used the multiple steps of the writing process to insert my ideas into a well-written paper, I continued to struggle in areas such as grammar and mechanics. In Writ 102, I was able t o realize that the writing process develops over time, and the best papers result from revisionRead MoreReflection Paper : Barbie Q By Sandra Cisneros938 Words   |  4 Pagesexploration paper, the reading and writing paper, the annotated bibliography, and the academic research paper. 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An Immense Amount Of People Overdo Their Bodies As They

An immense amount of people overdo their bodies as they overload themselves with labor, and as a result, they suffer many adverse effects. Studies have shown that participating in a steady job is good for your health and wellbeing. It contributes to happiness and rewards us with other benefits as well. However, overworking leads to stress, depression and emotional exhaustion. This is all due to many factors associated with your job. The work environment, people you work with, your personal life and health background all play a role. Furthermore, it is that work related stress and bad health aligns with this aspect. Taking care of yourself and your health is imperative. This is why it is crucial to give yourself fulfillment from†¦show more content†¦Returning to work after a period of being unemployment results in remarkable physical and psychological health improvements, vetoing the adverse effects of health when unemployed. The result of an employee s’ worktime contr ols their mental health and physical wellness. According to Leena Ala Mursula, a scholarly writer, states â€Å"In women, poor health and psychological distress were more prevalent among those in the lowest quartile of work time control than those in the highest after adjustment for potential confounders including other aspects of job control, odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for poor health and psychological distress were 1.8 and 1.6. Correspondingly, the adjusted sickness absence rate was 1.2 times higher in women with low work time control than in women with high work time control.† This shows that poor health and physical suffering is more visible among people who work fewer hours than those who work overtime. In the results of a systematic meta-review, the available evidence confirms the theory that work can benefit an employee s well-being. If adequate supervision is present and there are real workplace circumstances, this is where it is most present. The benefits of working are most evident when compared to negative mental health effects of unemployment. The possible benefits of satisfactory work and the part it plays in acceleratingShow MoreRelatedThe National Drinking Age Research Paper2214 Words   |  9 Pageseighteen from twenty one, or should remain the same. People in favor of lowering the drinking age propose that since eighteen is characterized as being an adult (legally and socially), one of the rights that should come along with that is drinking alcohol. Also, that if we were to lower the drinking age, less young adults would be inclined to consume alcohol because it would decrease the thrill of breaking the law. On the opposite side, people who want to keep the drinking age at 21 point out thatRead MoreEssay on Fall of Asclepius95354 Words   |  382 PagesFall of Asclepius By Harm 1 and Icrick Prologue Where should I begin? The apocalypse happened so fast. In less than a month, monsters infested every part of this world. People panicked, people died. They clawed at each other just to get out of all the infested areas around the world. There was problem about fleeing from infested areas. Everywhere was infested. There was no where anyone could go without encountering the walking plague. You know that phrase War is Hell? Well... its deadRead MorePlenary Session69346 Words   |  278 Pageswork: a. To deadlines b. Just â€Å"whenever† Do you tend to choose: a. Rather carefully b. Somewhat impulsively At parties do you: a. Stay late, with increasing energy b. Leave early with decreased energy Are you more attracted to: a. Sensible people b. Imaginative people 14. Does it bother you more having things: a. Incomplete b. Completed 15. In your social groups do you: a. Keep abreast of other’s happenings b. Get behind on the news 16. In doing ordinary things are you more likely to: a. Do it the usualRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesCross Reference of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Concepts to Text Topics Chapter 1 Modern Project Management Chapter 8 Scheduling resources and cost 1.2 Project defined 1.3 Project management defined 1.4 Projects and programs (.2) 2.1 The project life cycle (.2.3) App. G.1 The project manager App. G.7 Political and social environments F.1 Integration of project management processes [3.1] 6.5.2 Setting a schedule baseline [8.1.4] 6.5.3.1 Setting a resource schedule 6.5.2.4 Resource

The Host Chapter 32 Ambushed Free Essays

string(140) " by the door to catch me when he herded me around the pool\? How close was Kyle now\? I felt the hairs on my arms and legs standing on end\." The caves were quiet; the sun had not yet risen. In the big plaza, the mirrors were a pale gray with the coming dawn. My few clothes were still in Jamie and Jared’s room. We will write a custom essay sample on The Host Chapter 32: Ambushed or any similar topic only for you Order Now I snuck in, glad that I knew where Jared was. Jamie was sound asleep, curled into a tight ball in the top corner of the mattress. He didn’t usually sleep so compactly, but he had good reason to at the moment. Ian was sprawled across the rest of the space, his feet and hands hanging off the edges, one appendage to each of the four sides. For some reason, this was hysterical to me. I had to put my fist in my mouth to choke back the laughter as I quickly snatched up my old dirt-dyed T-shirt and shorts. I hurried into the hall, still stifling the giggles. You’re slaphappy, Melanie told me. You need some sleep. I’ll sleep later. When†¦ I couldn’t finish the thought. It sobered me instantaneously, and everything was quiet again. I was still rushing as I headed for the bathing room. I trusted Doc, but†¦ Maybe he would change his mind. Maybe Jared would argue against what I wanted. I couldn’t be all day. I thought I heard something behind me when I reached the octopus-like juncture where all the sleeping halls met. I looked back, but I couldn’t see anyone in the dim cave. People were beginning to stir. Soon it would be time for breakfast and another day of work. If they’d finished with the stalks, the ground in the east fields would need to be turned. Maybe I would have time to help†¦ later†¦ I followed the familiar path to the underground rivers, my mind in a million other places. I couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything in particular. Every time I tried to focus on a subject-Walter, Jared, breakfast, chores, baths-some other thought would pull my head away in seconds. Melanie was right; I needed to sleep. She was just as muddled. Her thoughts all spun around Jared, but she could make nothing coherent of them, either. I’d gotten used to the bathing room. The utter blackness of it didn’t bother me anymore. So many places were black here. Half my daylight hours were lived in darkness. And I’d been here too many times. There was never anything lurking under the water’s surface, waiting to pull me under. I knew I didn’t have time to soak, though. Others would be up soon, and some people liked to start their day clean. I got to work, washing myself first, then moving on to my clothes. I scrubbed at my shirt fiercely, wishing I could scrub out my memory of the past two nights. My hands were stinging when I was done, the dry cracks on my knuckles burning worst of all. I rinsed them in the water, but it made no noticeable difference. I sighed and climbed out to get dressed. I’d left my dry clothes on the loose rocks in the back corner. I kicked a stone by accident, hard enough to hurt my bare foot, and it clattered loudly across the room, bouncing off the wall and landing with a plunk and a gurgle in the pool. The sound made me jump, though it wasn’t all that loud next to the roar of the hot river in the outer room. I was just shoving my feet into my scruffy tennis shoes when my turn was up. â€Å"Knock, knock,† a familiar voice called from the dark entry. â€Å"Good morning, Ian,† I said. â€Å"I’m just done. Did you sleep well?† â€Å"Ian’s still sleeping,† Ian’s voice answered. â€Å"I’m sure that won’t last forever, though, so we’d best get on with this.† Splinters of ice pinned my joints in place. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I’d noticed it before, and then forgotten it in the long weeks of Kyle’s absence: not only did Ian and his brother look very much alike, but-when Kyle spoke at a normal volume, which so rarely happened-they also had exactly the same voice. There was no air. I was trapped in this black hole with Kyle at the door. There was no way out. Keep quiet! Melanie shrieked in my head. I could do that. There was no air to scream with. Listen! I did as I was told, trying to focus in spite of the fear that stabbed through my head like a million slender spears of ice. I couldn’t hear anything. Was Kyle waiting for a response? Was he sneaking around the room in silence? I listened harder, but the rush of the river covered any sounds. Quick, grab a rock! Melanie ordered. Why? I saw myself crashing a rough stone against Kyle’s head. I can’t do it! Then we’re going to die! she screamed back at me. I can do it! Let me! There has to be another way, I moaned, but I forced my ice-locked knees to bend. My hands searched the darkness and came up with a large, jagged rock and a handful of pebbles. Fight or flight. In desperation, I tried to unlock Melanie, to let her out. I couldn’t find the door-my hands were still my own, clutched uselessly around the objects I could never make into weapons. A noise. A tiny splash as something entered the stream that drained the pool into the latrine room. Only a few yards away. Give me my hands! I don’t know how! Take them! I started to creep away, close to the wall, toward the exit. Melanie struggled to find her way out of my head, but she couldn’t find the door from her side, either. Another sound. Not by the far stream. A breath, by the exit. I froze where I was. Where is he? I don’t know! Again, I could hear nothing but the river. Was Kyle alone? Was someone waiting by the door to catch me when he herded me around the pool? How close was Kyle now? I felt the hairs on my arms and legs standing on end. There was some kind of pressure in the air, as though I could feel his silent movements. The door. I half turned, easing back in the direction I’d come, away from where I’d heard the breath. He couldn’t wait forever. The little he’d said told me he was in a hurry. Someone could come at any time. Odds were on his side, though. There were fewer who would be inclined to stop him than there were who might think this was for the best. And of those inclined to stop him, even fewer who’d have much of a chance of doing that. Only Jeb and his gun would make a difference. Jared was at least as strong as Kyle, but Kyle was more motivated. Jared would probably not fight him now. Another noise. Was that a footstep by the door? Or just my imagination? How long had this silent standoff lasted? I couldn’t guess how many seconds or minutes had passed. Get ready. Melanie knew that the stalling would soon be at an end. She wanted me to clench the rock tighter. But I would give flight a chance first. I would not be an effective fighter, even if I could bring myself to try. Kyle was probably twice my weight, and he had a much longer reach. I raised the hand with the pebbles and aimed them toward the back passage to the latrine. Maybe I could make him think that I was going to hide and hope for rescue. I threw the handful of small stones and shied away from the noise when they clattered against the rock wall. The breath at the door again, the sound of a light footfall headed toward my decoy. I edged as quietly along the wall as I could. What if there are two? I don’t know. I was almost to the exit. If I could just make the tunnel, I thought I could outrun him. I was lighter and fast†¦ I heard a footstep, very clearly this time, disrupting the stream in the back of the room. I crept faster. A gigantic splash shattered the tense standoff. Water pelted my skin, making me gasp. It spattered against the wall in a wave of wet sound. He’s coming through the pool! Run! I hesitated just a second too long. Big fingers clutched at my calf, my ankle. I yanked against the pull, lurching forward. I stumbled, and the momentum that threw me down to the floor made his fingers slip. He caught my sneaker. I kicked it off, leaving it in his hand. I was down, but he was down, too. It gave me enough time to scramble forward, ripping my knees against the rough stone. Kyle grunted, and his hand clutched at my naked heel. There was nothing to catch hold of; I slid free again. I wrenched myself forward, pulling to my feet with my head still down, every second in danger of falling again because my body was moving almost parallel to the floor. I kept my balance through sheer force of will. There was no one else. No one to catch me at the exit to the outer room. I sprinted forward, hope and adrenaline surging in my veins. I burst into the river room at full speed, my only thought to reach the tunnel. I could hear Kyle’s heavy breath close behind but not close enough. With each step, I pushed harder against the ground, throwing myself ahead of him. Pain lanced through my leg, crumpling it. Over the babble of the river, I heard two heavy stones hit the ground and roll-the one I’d been clutching and the one he’d thrown to cripple me. My leg twisted under me, spinning me backward to the ground, and in the same second he was on top of me. His weight knocked my head against the rock in a ringing blow and pinned me flat against the floor. No leverage. Scream! The air blew out of me in a siren of sound that surprised us all. My wordless shriek was more than I’d hoped for-surely someone would hear it. Please let that someone be Jeb. Please let him have the gun. â€Å"Uhng!† Kyle protested. His hand was big enough to cover most of my face. His palm mashed against my mouth, cutting off my scream. He rolled then, and the motion so took me by surprise that I had no time to try to find an advantage in it. He pulled me swiftly over and under and over his body. I was dizzy and confused, my head still spinning, but I understood as soon as my face hit the water. His hand locked on the back of my neck, forcing my face into the shallow stream of cooler water that wound its way into the bathing pool. It was too late to hold my breath. I’d already inhaled a mouthful of water. My body panicked when the water hit my lungs. Its flailing was stronger than he’d expected. My limbs all jerked and thrashed in different directions, and his grip on my neck slipped. He tried to get a better hold, and some instinct made me pull myself into him rather than away, as he was expecting. I only pulled half a foot closer to him, but that got my chin out of the stream, and enough of my mouth to choke some of the water back out and drag in a breath. He fought to push me back into the stream, but I wriggled and wedged myself under him so that his own weight was working against his goal. I was still reacting to the water in my lungs, coughing and spasming out of control. â€Å"Enough!† Kyle growled. He pulled himself off me, and I tried to drag myself away. â€Å"Oh, no, you don’t!† he spit through his teeth. It was over, and I knew it. There was something wrong with my injured leg. It felt numb, and I couldn’t make it do what I wanted. I could only push myself along the floor with my arms and my good leg. I was coughing too hard to do even that well. Too hard to scream again. Kyle grabbed my wrist and yanked me up from the floor. The weight of my body made my leg buckle, and I slumped into him. He got both my wrists in one hand and wrapped the other arm around my waist. He pulled me off the floor and into his side, like an awkward bag of flour. I twisted, and my good leg kicked against the empty air. â€Å"Let’s get this over with.† He jumped over the smaller stream with a bound and carried me toward the closest sinkhole. The steam from the hot spring washed my face. He was going to throw me into the dark, hot hole and let the boiling water pull me into the ground as it burned me. â€Å"No, no!† I shouted, my voice too hoarse and low to carry. I writhed frantically. My knee knocked against one of the ropy rock columns, and I hooked my foot around it, trying to yank myself out of his grip. He jerked me free with an impatient grunt. At least that loosened his hold enough that I could make one more move. It had worked before, so I tried it again. Instead of trying to free myself, I twisted in and wrapped my legs around his waist, locking the good ankle around the bad, trying to ignore the pain so that I could get a good hold there. â€Å"Get off me, you -† He fought to knock me loose, and I jerked one of my wrists free. I wrapped that arm around his neck and grabbed his thick hair. If I was going into the black river, so was he. Kyle hissed and stopped prying at my leg long enough to punch my side. I gasped in pain but got my other hand into his hair. He wrapped both arms around me, as if we were embracing rather than locked in a killing struggle. Then he grabbed my waist from both sides and heaved with all his strength against my hold. His hair started to come out in my hands, but he just grunted and pulled harder. I could hear the steaming water rushing close by, right below me, it seemed. The steam billowed up in a thick cloud, and for a minute I couldn’t see anything but Kyle’s face, twisted with rage into something beastlike and merciless. I felt my bad leg giving. I tried to pull myself closer to him, but his brute strength was winning against my desperation. He would have me free in a moment, and I would fall into the hissing steam and disappear. Jared! Jamie! The thought, the agony, belonged to both Melanie and me. They would never know what had happened to me. Ian. Jeb. Doc. Walter. No goodbyes. Kyle abruptly jumped into the air and came down with a thud. The jarring impact had the effect he wanted: my legs came loose. But before he could take advantage, there was another result. The cracking sound was deafening. I thought the whole cave was coming down. The floor shuddered beneath us. Kyle gasped and jumped back, taking me-hands still locked in his hair-with him. The rock under his feet, with more cracking and groaning, began to crumble away. Our combined weight had broken the brittle lip of the hole. As Kyle stumbled away, the crumbling followed his heavy steps. It was faster than he was. A piece of the floor disappeared from under his heel, and he went down with a thud. My weight pushed him back hard, and his head smacked sharply against a stone pillar. His arms fell away from me, limp. The cracking of the floor settled into a sustained groan. I could feel it shiver beneath Kyle’s body. I was on his chest. Our legs dangled above empty space, the steam condensing into a million drops on our skin. â€Å"Kyle?† There was no answer. I was afraid to move. You’ve got to get off him. You’re too heavy together. Carefully-use the pillar. Pull away from the hole. Whimpering in fear, too terrified to think for myself, I did as Melanie ordered. I freed my fingers from Kyle’s hair and climbed gingerly over his unconscious form, using the pillar as an anchor to pull myself forward. It felt steady enough, but the floor still moaned under us. I pulled myself past the pillar and onto the ground beyond it. This ground stayed firm under my hands and knees, but I scrambled farther away, toward the safety of the exit tunnel. There was another crack, and I glanced back. One of Kyle’s legs drooped farther down as a rock fell from beneath it. I heard the splash this time as the chunk of stone met the river below. The ground shuddered under his weight. He’s going to fall, I realized. Good, Melanie snarled. But†¦! If he falls, he can’t kill us, Wanda. If he doesn’t fall, he will. I can’t just†¦ Yes, you can. Walk away. Don’t you want to live? I did. I wanted to live. Kyle could disappear. And if he did, there was a chance that no one would ever hurt me again. At least not among the people here. There was still the Seeker to consider, but maybe she would give up someday, and then I could stay here indefinitely with the humans I loved†¦ My leg throbbed, pain replacing some of the numbness. Warm fluid trickled down my lips. I tasted the moisture without thinking and realized it was my blood. Walk away, Wanderer. I want to live. I want a choice, too. I could feel the tremors from where I stood. Another piece of floor splashed into the river. Kyle’s weight shifted, and he slid an inch toward the hole. Let him go. Melanie knew better than I what she was talking about. This was her world. Her rules. I stared at the face of the man who was about to die-the man who wanted me dead. With him unconscious, Kyle’s face was no longer that of an angry animal. It was relaxed, almost peaceful. The resemblance to his brother was very apparent. No! Melanie protested. I crawled back to him on my hands and knees-slowly, feeling the ground with care before each inch I moved. I was too afraid to go beyond the pillar, so I hooked my good leg around it, an anchor again, and leaned around to wedge my hands under Kyle’s arms and over his chest. I heaved so hard I nearly pulled my arms from their sockets, but he didn’t move. I heard a sound like the trickle of sand through an hourglass as the floor continued to dissolve into tiny pieces. I yanked again, but the only result was that the trickle sped up. Shifting his weight was breaking the floor faster. Just as I thought that, a large chunk of rock plummeted into the river, and Kyle’s precarious balance was overthrown. He began to fall. â€Å"No!† I screamed, the siren bursting from my throat again. I flattened myself against the column and managed to pin him to the other side, locking my hands around his wide chest. My arms ached. â€Å"Help me!† I shrieked. â€Å"Somebody! Help!† How to cite The Host Chapter 32: Ambushed, Essay examples