Transition Services for Special Education Students Essay Example for Free

Transition Services for Special Education Students Essay Abstract This study examined the issues on life-span transition services for special education students. By exploring the existing approaches to transition services and analyzing outcomes they provide for the disabled persons the study tried to find out the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches as well as to define the future trends able to enhance transition programs designed to increase the likelihood that the disabled person will be able to secure and maintain employment, function independently in the community, and ultimately become a satisfied and productive member of society. The results of the study demonstrated that to be successful transition services have to be transdisciplinary in nature. Besides, the use of collaborative teaming among professionals, agencies, the student, and family members, the use of the curriculum that focuses on the interactions between the student and his/her environments as well as the establishment and use of interagency linkages to facilitate the smooth transfer of support and training from the school to adult and community agencies when the student exits public schools are the most important components of successful life-span transition programs. A few decades ago the society faced disturbing outcome data of the students with disabilities (Repetto, 1995, p. 128) and fully realized that due to little concern given to vocational and transition programs for these students the latter experienced increased school dropout and unemployment rates as statistics showed. Those students have often graduated from the school lacking the skills essential to live or function autonomously in the community, and often failing to find and keep job (Levinson, 1998, p. 29). It is evident such state of things has been costly for both financial and personal considerations. On the one hand, the society was to provide social security for these persons, and on the other hand, the person himself was not satisfied with job career and own dependence. The necessity to change this state of affairs has led to growing concentration upon enhancing transition services for the persons with disabilities within the past one and a half decade. Three factors contributed to this process: adoption of federal legislation supporting and promoting transition services; availability of state, federal, and local funds invested in their development (Shapiro Rich, 1999, p.51); and a number of scientific and empirical studies on effective transition practices (Kohler Field, 2003, p. 174). The purpose of this study is to explore how life-span transition services can ensure smooth integration of the special needs students into the community and provide them with the skills sufficient for successful career development. Toward this end we will scrutinize prevailing approaches to transition services, discuss their advantages and shortcomings; analyze the components making transition programs implementation successful; and make the conclusions as to the ways of these programs improvement. Definition of Transition Services Transition services were defined in by the law as: A coordinated set of activities for a student, designed with an outcome-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. The coordinated set of activities shall be based on the individual students needs, taking into account the students preferences and interests, and shall include instruction, community experiences, the development of employment, and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation (P.L. 101-476, pp. 1103-1104). Thus, transition services, mandated by legislation, reflect the major performance areas that are typically addressed by transition services: work or education, independent living including activities of daily living, and community participation, which may include community mobility and transportation, access to community services and activities, recreation and leisure, and socialization and relationships. This definition distinctly implies that transition services should involve a diversity of school and community staff. It also assumes that they have to contain the parents of the children and the children themselves (Shapiro Rich, 1999, p. 132). Besides, the definition entails that a transition program is an outcome-oriented, well-planned and methodical process to be launched long before the student is graduating from school (Levinson, 1998, p. 2) to achieve its goals. Legislative Background of Transition Services As it was mentioned above one of the main factors promoting transition services prevalence was adoption of supporting federal legislation and availability of state, federal, and local funds invested in their development. Since the 1970s the United States Congress has passed several legislative acts that have directly affected the availability and use of transition services for the individuals with disabilities. Since the passage of Public Law 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EHA), special education and related services have been made available through the public education system to the nations children and youth who have disabilities (Levinson, 1998, p. 27). The Rehabilitation Act, which was first introduced in 1973 and then rewritten in 1986 (Public Law 99-506), stipulates for provision of transition services to individuals with disabilities to (1) have greater control over their lives; (2) participate in home, school, and work environments; (3) interact with peers who do not have disabilities; and (4) otherwise do acts taken for granted by individuals without any known disability (Repetto, 1995, p. 127). The EHA and its subsequent amendments (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 1990, 1997) guaranteed the provision of transition services as required to provide free and appropriate education for all children with disabilities (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 509). An appropriate education is one in which children with disabilities acquire, to the maximum extent possible, the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that will ultimately help them function successfully as adults. After initial passage of the EHA, several major benefits were realized: Formal mechanisms were established to identify and bring children with disabilities into the public education process. Parents and guardians were identified as essential members of the educational team and were provided with legal rights related to their childs education. All identified children were provided with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) developed by an educational team that included the students parents or guardians (Shapiro Rich, 1999, p. 131). The 1997 amendments to IDEA continued to emphasize the use of transition services to enable the success of students with disabilities in their educational and school-to-career programs. These legislative acts have improved the access to transition services by children with disabilities (Levinson, 1998, p. 29). Moreover, through the Tech Act (Public Law 100-407), states have established resource centers and information systems for consumers of transition services. The goals of this legislation are to foster interagency cooperation, develop flexible and effective funding strategies, and promote access to transition services for individuals with disabilities throughout their life spans (Johnson et al., 2002, p. 520). The Goal of Transition Services – Life-Span Assistance for the Student’s Empowerment Such well-founded legislation on transition services paved the way for their wide spread implementation all over the nation, successful realization and continuous enhancement of the delivered services. From the definition of transition services it is clear they require â€Å"an outcome-oriented approach that looks at future vocational placements, residential options, funding sources, and community resources† (Nuehring Sitlington, 2003, p. 23). A number of studies examined the practical ways of applying this approach. In particular, Wehman Revell (1997) found the following: Transition for any student with a disability involves several key components, including: (1) an appropriate school program; (2) formalized plans involving parents and the entire array of community agencies that are responsible for providing services; and (3) multiple, quality options for gainful employment and meaningful post-school education and community living. (p. 67). All these components in combination are assigned to promote the smooth movement of young children with disabilities from a preschool program to a kindergarten class and into a school setting, and further the movement of young adults from one grade of the secondary school to the next and to post-school activities.   Thus, the special needs children may spend from 12 to 18 years getting the certain form of transition services (Spencer 2001, p. 893) which Donald Super in his theory of career development called â€Å"life-span and life-space transition† (Szymanski, 1994, p. 402). Many scholars agree that early childhood influences are the crucial determinants of later professional behavior (Turner Szymanski, 1990, p. 20). Reflecting this concept, IDEA 1997 while not requiring the local education agency to consider transition activities and sites for students with disabilities before the students 14th birthday, does require that services be provided earlier if the IEP team feels such is appropriate (Daugherty, 2001, p. 45). Therefore, families and educators should consider the child’s abilities, interests, and opportunities for community-based activities and kindergarten- or home-based special education while the child is in pre-school years and in elementary school. Doing so should help the child to develop skills and interests for maintaining that activity later in life (Levinson, 1998, p. 10). Research indicates that such early involvement of the child with special needs into transition programs improves and enhances self-concept, competence, and social skills of him/her (Szymanski, 1994, p. 403). The very important thing here is that professionals and families should recognize that families play an integral role especially in early year’s transition planning (Scott Baldwin, 2005, p. 173). The scholars suggested a number of guidelines for such planning: transition should be viewed within a larger context of community inclusion and participation; transition should be family- and individual-directed; families should be educated and empowered to acquire and assist in the creation of appropriate inclusive services and supports; transition should be embedded in elementary and secondary curriculum reform; the process required to create the Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) should not distract families; to achieve the most satisfactory result for their children, families should provide basic support to one another (Levinson, 1998, p. 3). As to the instruction the basic academic skills in reading, writing, and computation is usually emphasized at the elementary school level, but some elements of them are being taught as early as during pre-school years (Repetto, 1995, p. 125). When structuring instruction, educators sequence skills properly. Each skill is taught in sequence, and only when mastery of one skill is attained the next skill should be introduced. This is particularly important with skills that are dependent upon each other (Levinson, 1998, p. 91). Indeed, it may be difficult for some families to focus on post-school transition needs when their child is just in the kindergarten. If this is the case, professionals should take care not to overwhelm families with transition planning. Professionals should appropriately explain the importance of developing skills and interests in mental and physical activity while the child is young in order to maximize current and future involvement in various activities offered through the school and community. Such explanations, among other advantages, allow to prevent secondary disabilities, to help the child to socialize and get the necessary social skills as early as in childhood (Scott Baldwin, 2005, p. 174). Research proved that it is never too early to begin planning for transition to family- and community-based transition programs. Good planning always includes identification of the childs abilities and the childs and familys interests and goals for education considering their cultural beliefs and values. Such transition plan for the pre-school or elementary student remains flexible, because the childs abilities may change and/or the childs or familys interests and resources may change (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 512). General education and special education teachers are in the best position to encourage parents of pre-school and elementary school children to facilitate the transition planning. Studies show that children who are participants of transition programs from the early years have a better chance of becoming socially active, intelligent, competent and healthy adults (Carter Wehby 2003, p. 450). Moving from the kindergarten and elementary school to the secondary school implies the new challenges for the students of special education. Scholars defined what secondary transition practices are contributing to the future children retention and success when they enter high school and further get job. These are: direct, individualized tutoring and support to complete homework assignments, attend class, and stay focused on school; 2. participation in vocational education classes during the last 2 years of high school, especially classes that offer occupationally specific instruction; 3. participation in paid work experience in the community during the last 2 years of high school; 4. competence in functional academic [†¦] and transition [†¦] skills; 5. participation in a transition planning process that promotes self-determination; 6. direct assistance to understand and connect with resources related to post-school goals [†¦]; 7. graduation from high school. (Benz et al., 2004, p. 39). Such comprehensive list of factors evidently testifies that due to recent standards-based secondary school reform the requirements to academic performance raised substantially. Accepting this challenge special education teachers have worked hard to make sure that the special needs students are involved in these general reform efforts (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 511). They developed adoptive methods helping to ease the process of learning. For instance, when the student has difficulty in learning needed skills combined with incapacity to readily transfer or generalize learning to new environments or situations, they provide education in the actual environments that the student will be using, which allows for explicit teaching to the real-life demands of a particular environment and eliminates the need for the student to transfer skills (Spencer 2001, p. 884). At this all it is significant that emphasizing of an environmental curriculum on preparing the students of secondary school to functionate in main life domains (domestic, school, community, leisure, and vocational), efficient transition practices demand continuous assessment of the extent and quality of performance in each domain (Turner Szymanski, 1990, p. 22). Modern science in the sphere of special education developed several methodologies which allow achieving high academic performance by the secondary school students with disabilities. They include direct instruction, meta-cognitive reading comprehension strategies, peer-mediated instruction and interventions, and social skills training (Conderman Katsiyannis, 2002, p. 169). One of the important issues in secondary school transition services is inclusion of the students with disabilities in the general curriculum. Federal legislation gives the clear mandate for educating all children with disabilities in the regular classroom to the maximum extent appropriate or possible (Daugherty, 2001, p. 48). The inclusion of students who have disabilities in typical educational activities and environments is believed to promote student performance, offer rich opportunities for learning, provide age-appropriate role modeling, increase awareness among all students of diverse learning styles and abilities, and provide opportunities for relationship building that is so important especially during adolescent development (Scott Baldwin, 2005, p. 175). Age-appropriate placement does not mean that students with disabilities are simply placed in a typical class or at a community job site. Appropriate support services and resources that facilitate the students full inclusion and maximum participation in the environment must accompany these placements. Thus, IDEA recognizes that a students successful transition from school to adult life requires opportunities to learn and to practice skills in a variety of relevant school and non-school learning environments. These environments may include the classroom, school lunchroom, home, public transit bus, work site, community recreation facility, and a variety of other relevant settings (Daugherty, 2001, p. 49). But here a danger exists that content instruction could impede the goals of inclusion education. As more special needs students are included in general education curriculum, they often need supplementary assistance from the special education teacher to do class and home assignments, to review the learned material, and to prepare for the exams which sometimes is given by these teachers when their students pass the tests, for example. The pressure on special educators to provide academic progress of their wards could make more harm than good for them. Passing grades in school progress record sometimes do not mean quality of the student’s knowledge and skills (Conderman Katsiyannis, 2002, p. 170). Although the general education curriculum contains both academic (e.g., math, science) and nonacademic (e.g., career education, arts, citizenship) domains, student performance is assessed primarily in academics. As a result, it is not uncommon for portions of the general curriculum as well as transition goals to receive limited or no attention. There also may result a narrowing of curriculum and instruction to focus on content assessed in state or local tests. This may limit the range of program options for students due to intensified efforts to concentrate on areas of weakness identified by testing. Efforts must be undertaken to ensure that students with disabilities remain on a full curriculum track, with learning expectations that guide the instruction of general education students. IEP teams must work to ensure that high expectations are maintained and students are afforded opportunities to develop skills through a wide range of curriculum options, including vocational education, service learning, community work experience, and adult living skills (Repetto Correa, 1996, p. 553). The present challenge is to integrate the IDEA requirements concerning access to the general education curriculum with the transition service provisions. There is an urgent need to view these requirements as unified and complementary in helping students to achieve the broadest possible range of school and post-school goals and results. Strategies for accomplishing this include promoting high expectations for student achievement and learning, making appropriate use of assessment and instructional accommodations, and ensuring that students have access to the full range of secondary education curricula and programs (Benz et al., 2004, p. 41). Another important issue, especially concerning the students with mild disabilities, is availability of continuous instruction of basic skills within the curriculum at the middle school and high school levels. Those skills need to be taught within the context of real-life applications (Spencer 2001, p. 881). That is, in elementary school, students are taught to add, subtract etc. using worksheets and other materials but are rarely given the opportunity to apply those skills to balancing a checkbook or determining whether they have received the correct change during a purchase. Additionally, in elementary school little opportunity is provided to apply those skills to vocationally or occupationally relevant activities. Although to make a successful transition from high school to work, college, or community living, students need to possess basic academic skills in reading, writing, and computation, at both the middle school and high school level students need to be provided with continuing opportunities to practice those basic skills in real-life situations (Conderman Katsiyannis, 2002, p. 172). At the same time after the students with disabilities graduated from the school they are still eligible for the transition services. At this stage namely the student is a person who defines which areas are given emphasis. For instance, the student with learning disabilities planning to enter the college may not need to be provided with extensive vocational and occupational training in high school but may need to focus on the development of academic skills specific to admission to and success in college, and life skills specific to making a successful adjustment from high school to college. In contrast, the student with severe cognitive and physical disabilities may need to focus on vocational and occupational functioning and basic life skills necessary for independent living (Repetto, 1996, p. 553). Besides, several other factors have an effect on the design of the vocational syllabus. Local conditions often define the studens’ plans for the future such as urban or rural district, the peculiarities of local economy and labor market, the rate of employment, the personal traits of the student himself and the type of his/her disability, and indeed availability of transition services. The vocational syllabus has to be designed in such a way to prepare the students with disabilities for jobs in demand on local labor market, because as a rule such students do not leave their communities trying to find job (Levinson, 1998, p. 88). When we consider post-secondary transition services for the college-bound students it is important to pay attention to the differences between high school and college requirements, such as time spent in class, class size, time for study, testing approaches, grading methods, teaching strategies, and freedom and independence. They all pose additional challenges for students with disabilities who are making the transition from high school to college. Discussing those differences and assessing student practices are important for students survival and adaptation. When evaluating post-secondary options, the students need to assess the amount and type of learning disabilities support services they require to be successful (Shapiro Rich, 1999, p. 171). Assisting the students with special needs to cope with the new challenges most post-secondary educational settings have programs for such individuals that provide the necessary support for them. These institutions often have an Office for Students with Disabilities that employs counselors and tutors and that provides a wide array of services for all students with disabilities. For instance, structural accommodations such as ramps and elevators exist to accommodate students with physical disabilities. Large-print and Braille textbooks exist for students with visual impairments. Students with hearing impairments can be provided with prepared lecture notes (Levinson, 1998, p. 152). In addition, modifications in test-taking procedures, tutoring, and academic and personal counseling are available for the special needs students. Given the array of services available, post-secondary educational settings are now an appropriate option for many students with disabilities whose occupational aspirations require advanced formal education (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 513). Numerous methods are available to provide individuals with the additional post-secondary training they need in order to acquire the skills and credentials necessary for entry into their chosen occupations (Benz, Lindstrom Yovanoff, 2000, p. 510). In addition to the vocational training and work experience programs offered by most school districts, individuals with disabilities may gain additional training after high school via apprenticeship programs, the military, trade and technical schools, community colleges and junior colleges, and four-year colleges and universities. All offer programs that may be suitable post-secondary options for the students with disabilities (Johnson et al., 2002, p. 522). In general, the legislation includes the following in its description of post-school activities: post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, and community participation. Clearly, then, transition is meant to address not just employment needs, but future needs within the broader focus of life within the community (Repetto, 1995, p. 130). In any case, to the maximum extent possible, the individuals with disabilities should be placed in the least restrictive environment and in settings that facilitate the normalization process. Delivering transition services from high school to work-force, transition personnel should attempt to ensure that a full range of placement options exist for the individuals with whom they work. This often necessitates that transition personnel market individuals with disabilities to employers, neighbors, or admission personnel and conduct public relations campaigns on behalf of their clients. Because many people have unrealistic and faulty expectations and perceptions of individuals with disabilities, transition personnel also have to educate the public about disability issues and have to work hard to overcome the public resistance that so often accompanies the placement of those individuals in occupational, residential, and educational settings (Johnson et al., 2002, p.   520). Both scholars and special educators recognize the importance of specific career development skills to a students success in the workforce. Learning how to search for job openings, write a CV, establish and prepare for an interview, understand the relationship between employer and employee, and be knowledgeable as to the rights of workers are all important areas to address. Additionally, successful transition programs address work ethics, work habits, and motivation issues as well. For instance, the students with disabilities would greatly benefit from preparation regarding employers expectations in terms of work habits. For instance, they should learn the importance of taking responsibility for calling in if they were unable to be at work. Very often these major work habits and ethics are missing from the students skills. Besides, students with disabilities are excessively sheltered and are often not compelled to take responsibility for their own actions while responsibility is crucial for getting and keeping employment (Nuehring Sitlington, 2003, p. 28). Conclusion In summary, the study showed that the transition process is in fact a part of the broader process of career development. Moreover, transition is about societal empowerment not only of the individuals with disabilities, but of all of us. Our communities and our society will be enriched and empowered when all citizens, including those with disabilities, are valued and seen as contributing members. The challenge of transition professionals is to facilitate that empowerment through appropriate transition services that empower individuals and their families and through the actions as community catalysts who work in a respectful partnership with people with disabilities. The conducted study clearly demonstrated the concept of transition-focused education represents a shift from disability-focused, deficit-driven programs to an education and service-delivery approach based on abilities, options, and self-determination. This approach incorporates quality-of-life issues, life span and life space considerations, and suggestions for seamless transition approaches together with the key elements – outcome-oriented, community-based, student-centered, and family-centered transition services. At the same time the study proved that there is no one fitting all transition planning strategy able to effectively prepare students with disabilities who all have unique needs for successful, fulfilling adult roles. Only through continued attention to establishing effective transition services flexible enough to meet individual student needs, the society can arm students with information and opportunities on which they can build their futures. Thus, the society has to bend every effort to ensure that students with disabilities fully access and benefit from the general education curriculum, and leave our school systems prepared to successfully participate in post-secondary education, enter meaningful employment, live independently in communities, and pursue lifelong learning opportunities.       References Benz, M. R., Lindstrom, L., Yovanoff, P. (2000). Improving Graduation and Employment Outcomes of Students with Disabilities: Predictive Factors and Student Perspectives. Exceptional Children, 66, 509-516. Benz , M. R., Lindstrom, L., Unruh, D., Waintrup, M. (2004). Sustaining Secondary Transition Programs in Local Schools. Remedial and Special Education, 25, 39-44. Carter, E. W., Wehby, J. H. (2003). Job Performance of Transition-Age Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Exceptional Children, 69, 449-458. Conderman, G., Katsiyannis, A. (2002). Instructional Issues and Practices in Secondary Special Education. Remedial and Special Education, 23, 169-176. Daugherty, R. F. (2001). Special Education: A Summary of Legal Requirements, Terms, and Trends. Westport, CT: Bergin Garvey. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1990 (Public Law 101-476). 20 U.S.C., 1400. Johnson, D. R., Stodden, R. A., Emanuel, E. J., Luecking, R., Mack, M. (2002). Current Challenges Facing Secondary Education and Transition Services: What Research Tells US. Exceptional Children, 68, 519-527. Kohler, P. D., Field, S. (2003). Transition-Focused Education: Foundation for the Future. Journal of Special Education, 37, 174-186. Levinson, E. M. (1998). Transition: Facilitating the Post-School Adjustment of Students with Disabilities. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Place of Publication:. Publication Year:. Nuehring, M. L., Sitlington, P. L. (2003). Transition as a Vehicle: Moving from High School to an Adult Vocational Service Provider. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 14, 23-34. Repetto, J. B. (1995). Curriculum Beyond School Walls: Implications of Transition Education. Peabody Journal of Education, 70, 125-140. Repetto, J. B., Correa, V. I. (1996). Expanding Views on Transition. Exceptional Children, 62, 551-557. Scott, J., Baldwin, W. L. (2005). The Challenge of Early Intensive Intervention. In   D. Zager (Ed.), Autism Spectrum Disorders: Identification, Education, and Treatment (pp. 173-228). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Shapiro, J., Rich, R. (1999). Facing Learning Disabilities in the Adult Years. New York: Oxford University Press. Spencer, K. C. (2001). Transition Services: From School to Adult Life. In J. Case-Smith (Ed.),   Occupational Therapy for Children (pp. 878-894). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. Szymanski, E. M. (1994). Transition: Life-Span and Life-Space Considerations for Empowerment. Exceptional Children, 60, 402-407. Turner, K. D., Szymanski, E. M. (1990). Work Adjustment of People with Congenital Disabilities: A Longitudinal Perspective from Birth to Adulthood. The Journal of Rehabilitation,   56.3, 19-26. Wehman, P., Revell, W. G. (1997). Transition into Supported Employment for Young Adults with Severe Disabilities: Current Practices and Future Directions. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 8, 65-74.

Kipling’s Notions of Race in Plain Tales from the Hills Essay -- Essay

Kipling’s Notions of Race in Plain Tales from the Hills "No other Western writer has ever known India as Kipling knew it" "nobody can teach you British India better than Rudyard Kipling" "There will always be plenty in Kipling that I will find difficult to forgive; but there is also enough truth in these stories to make them impossible to ignore". Salman Rushdie, "Kipling", from Imaginary Homelands, London: Granta Books, 1991, 74-80. It may be discerned from the quotes displayed above that Rushdie, a writer not renowned for suffering fools gladly, accords Kipling some epistemological superiority. Yet when examining images of race and blood in Kipling, the critic turns most frequently to Kim, and I contend that the short stories of Plain Tales from the Hills have been undeservedly neglected in favour of the longer novel. This brief essay examines issues of alterity, going native, empire and blood in Plain Tales from the Hills. The short story "Lispeth" is a particularly rich field from which to examine notions of alterity. Kipling’s narrator points out that "It takes a great deal of Christianity to wipe out uncivilized Eastern instincts"(4). It would be tempting, given the author’s reputation as a right-wing apologist for empire, to take this comment at face value. However, I believe that "Lispeth", as a text, is centrally critical of the British in India. The missionaries and the young Briton that Lispeth idolises are repeatedly shown as being racially arrogant and duplicitous. Witness the Chaplain’s wife’s description of Lispeth’s love as a "barbarous and indelicate folly", while maintaining that the deceitful "Englishman,†¦ was of a superior clay". Similarly, after the Chaplain’s wife says that "There is no law w... ...ived from England, he was uneasy about many of the central pillars of the British will to power in India, such as the police, government, and missionary church. Kipling is guilty of a middle-class tendency to romanticise private soldiers and racial stereotypes, such as Mulvaney, or the "woild" and "dissolute" Pathan. Yet he should not be dismissed as unworthy of further study, and the common critical tendency that consigns him, along with Edmund Burke, to the dustbin of right-wing writers is intellectually weak, unquestioning and manifestly uncritical Useful Links: Imperial Archive Website: http://www.qub.ac.uk/english/imperial/imperial.htm Kipling Society Webpage http://www.kipling.org.uk/ The Victorian Web: http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/kipling/kiplingov.html Bibliography: Kipling, Rudyard. Plain Tales from the Hills. London: Penguin, 1994.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 17

The sweet scent of a white chocolate mocha woke me from a heavy sleep the following morning. For a few moments, as I stirred to consciousness, it was like waking up any other day. Then, as I opened my eyes and shifted position, my body's nerves came to life, reminding me what had happened yesterday. It wasn't the horrible torturous pain I'd experienced before, but I had enough aches and soreness to dissuade me from too much movement. Still, I managed to more or less sit up when Dante entered my bedroom. He held the mocha in one hand and what looked like a bakery bag tucked under his arm. In the other hand, he carried an enormous vase of blue and white hydrangeas, interspersed with orchids. I never would have pictured those particular flowers going together, but the arrangement worked. â€Å"Did you rob a florist?† I asked. Dante gave me a withering look as he handed me the mocha. â€Å"Why are you assuming the worst again?† â€Å"Because orchids aren't cheap,† I said. â€Å"They were out of crab grass, so I had to settle.† He gently placed the vase on my dresser and then freed the bakery bag. â€Å"And I beat up some kids for these.† After a long, delicious sip, I set the mocha on my bedside table and took the bag from him. Inside were chocolate croissants-my favorite kind of breakfast pastry. â€Å"All this because I got beat up?† I asked. He sat on the side of the bed. â€Å"I'm worried about you.† â€Å"I should get in fights with demons more often,† I teased, my last few words getting muffled as I bit into a croissant. Tiny flakes and crumbs fell onto my sheets, but I didn't care. â€Å"Not funny, succubus,† he said. And to my surprise, I could see that he meant it. None of his usual sardonic humor showed on his face. There was no bitter twist to his lips. â€Å"That's never happening again. And I'm going to make sure you get better, immortal healing or not.† â€Å"Never took you for a nursemaid.† â€Å"Be quiet,† he snapped. â€Å"And keep eating. Your body needs calories to heal.† Happy to oblige, I started to take another bite and then froze. â€Å"Do you think I might start putting on weight?† Calories were nothing I'd ever had to count before. I'd feared neither weight gain nor health effects from the things I ate. â€Å"I think that's the least of your worries.† I supposed he was right. I kept eating-but with a little less enthusiasm. He still looked so serious and worried that I couldn't shake my warm and fuzzy feelings. â€Å"Thank you for all of this. It's really great.† He smiled at me, and his gray eyes were lovely in the morning light. â€Å"Not many people in this world I feel deserve my help. You're in an exclusive club.† I started to make a comment about how the rest of the club members must be imaginary, but there had already been too much snark this morning. Nanette's attack had seriously shaken Dante up. â€Å"Thank you,† I said again. A thought struck me. â€Å"I might have some other way for you to help. Will you grab my purse?† He retrieved it from the living room and handed it over. Reaching inside, I was relieved to see the photo that I'd swiped from Mary was still there. I studied it for a moment, willing the medallion to yield some sort of revelation. All I saw was a translucent brown disc and runes or symbols that could easily be mistaken for a child's scribbles. With a sigh, I handed it to him. â€Å"Does this mean anything to you?† His brows knit thoughtfully as he looked it over. â€Å"No. Should it?† â€Å"I think it might be part of Jerome's summoning. Remember when I asked you about an artist who carved quartz? This is what I turned up. Supposedly, the stone and marks are clues, but I don't know what they are. I guess that's where I need people like you or Erik.† He gazed at the picture for several more moments, and to my surprise, I saw anger building in his features. Abruptly, he stood up and tossed the picture on the floor. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† he growled. â€Å"What's the matter?† I exclaimed. â€Å"This,† he said, gesturing at me and the fallen picture. â€Å"This is the matter. What good am I, succubus? I'm ten times more powerful than those people I sent you to go see. Aside from Lancaster, there's probably no one else in this fucking town who knows as much about the arcane as I do. And what good is it?† He paced around my room and ran his hand angrily through his hair. â€Å"Nothing. That's what it's good for. I can't seem to help you. I can't do a goddamned thing. I couldn't save you from that demoness. And I don't know anything about this medallion thing.† I was stunned by his reaction. â€Å"Hey, whoa. It's okay. Sit down. Don't beat yourself up.† â€Å"It's not okay.† He came to a halt. â€Å"I feel†¦powerless.† For someone who'd spent his life doing horrible things in the quest for power, I could recognize what a hard admission that was. â€Å"You're not obligated to do anything here,† I said gently. â€Å"You help me more than you realize. But this isn't your fight. This isn't your responsibility.† † You're my responsibility,† he said. â€Å"If I can't look out for you, then why do you need me?† â€Å"I'm not with you for what you can do for me.† â€Å"Yeah? You're with me for my winning personality?† The truth was, I still wasn't sure at times why I was with him. I couldn't help but recall his comments about me keeping him as a bed warmer, but true or not, now wasn't the time to bring that up. Plus, he'd been sweet lately-something I'd never expected when I'd turned to him in my post-Seth rage. â€Å"Dante, I'm serious. Don't worry about any of this. I'll take care of it and talk to my friends.† I saw from the look on his face that that wasn't quite what he'd wanted to hear. Knowing I had other people to go to seemed to make him feel more inadequate. â€Å"You shouldn't be involved in this at all,† he said. â€Å"What, in finding Jerome? Of course I have to be.† â€Å"There are others, people who are more powerful. I don't want you getting hurt again! Why can't you just lie low and keep yourself safe?† he demanded. â€Å"Because it's not what I do! And no one else is going to do it anyway. They're just letting this go. Letting Jerome go.† â€Å"Why don't you let it go?† he asked. â€Å"Would it be so bad to work under another demon? You've worked for others.† I turned and gazed out the window. The sky was blue, but something told me it was cold out. It was a quirk of Seattle weather. We often had warmer temperatures when it was cloudy out, colder ones when it was sunny. Dragging my eyes back to Dante, I said, â€Å"Yeah, I have. But this is different. This isn't right-it shouldn't have happened. I have to find Jerome.† â€Å"Yes. You do. It's written all over you. Why do you have to make everything so difficult and create these problems?† â€Å"If you're unhappy, no one's making you stick around,† I said quietly. â€Å"Of course I'm sticking around. And if there's nothing to be done for your impulsivity, I might as well help.† He snatched up the photo and glared at it. â€Å"Let me take this and ask some questions. I might not know what it is-yet-but there are resources I can tap.† There was a hard set to his face. He was a man with a mission, which I preferred to him being down on himself or ranting at me. I was about to send him off with my blessings, but something held me back. I couldn't let the picture go. â€Å"I want to keep the photo,† I told him. He stared. â€Å"You don't think I'll bring it back?† â€Å"No, I'm not worried about that. But I did a lot to get it, and besides, I want to show it to some people too. We'll make a copy of it. You can take that.† â€Å"Yeah? You got a copy machine in the bathroom?† â€Å"Can't you just draw it or something?† â€Å"Succubus.† â€Å"Well, I don't know! But if you want to do sleuthing, you're going to have to find a workaround. Until I feel like traipsing around the city with you, I want the picture to stay with me.† He glowered, looking very much like his usual bitter self. Finally, realizing I wasn't going to yield, he did a hasty trace of the medallion onto another sheet of paper. He added a few notes off to the side and did his best approximation of the symbols. He seemed miserable the entire time. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. â€Å"It's fine,† he said. â€Å"You're going now?† â€Å"If you think you'll be okay.† I assured him I would be. My phone was nearby, and I had a feeling if he stayed, he'd just grow more and more upset about how he'd let me down and about how I was putting myself at risk for reasons he didn't understand. At least this gave him a feeling of purpose. I promised to call if something happened and breathed a sigh of relief when he finally left. I stayed in bed for a while after that, consuming my calorie-laden breakfast and thinking about his extreme reaction. I hoped he'd find something out for me, and in the meantime, I needed to do some investigating of my own. First things first, though. I needed to shower. It turned out to be harder than I expected-but not impossible. I just had to move slowly when I walked to the bathroom, careful not to get too ambitious. Hugh's bandages still covered my back, and it took a fair bit of dexterity to remove them. They were soaked with blood, but underneath, the cuts showed signs of Mei's healing. They were still there, still uncomfortable, but had all scabbed over and were much smaller. I kept the water lukewarm as I showered and was careful when I toweled off to not break any of the scabs open. By the time I was sitting on my couch in the living room, I felt like I'd run a marathon. I'd never wanted shape-shifting so badly in my life. I wore loose clothes-drawstring pants and a T-shirt without a bra-but it had taken some effort to put them on. My hair I'd given up on completely, figuring combing it out would have to do. I didn't have the patience to dry it and didn't want to think about the frizziness I was inviting. Aubrey joined me on the couch as I rested from my morning labors and flipped through the channels. After cycling through twice, I gave up and left the TV on some sort of nature show about Siberian tigers. Aubrey watched it with wide eyes, but I wasn't interested. â€Å"This is your equivalent of reality television,† I observed. â€Å"The talk shows don't come on until later,† a voice suddenly said. â€Å"That's when things get good.† I sighed. â€Å"Carter. What a pleasant surprise.† The angel strolled into my line of sight and sat down on the armchair opposite me. Aubrey immediately left me and hopped onto his lap. â€Å"Traitor,† I said. He grinned and scratched her head. â€Å"Word on the street is that you had a bad day yesterday.† â€Å"I've had worse,† I said. â€Å"Marginally. You should have seen me before Mei healed me.† â€Å"Bah, demons can't heal. Not really. They lose the finesse it takes when they cross over.† â€Å"Hey, I'll take what help I can get.† I brightened. â€Å"And speaking of help, I think I've got a picture of the seal-â€Å" â€Å"No.† â€Å"No what?† â€Å"I know what you're going to ask, and the answer is no.† â€Å"You have no idea what I'm going to ask!† â€Å"You're going to ask me to help identify the seal so you can figure out where Jerome is.† I stayed silent. Damn. He rolled his eyes. â€Å"And the answer is no.† â€Å"But you could make this so much easier,† I argued. â€Å"Dante's out trying to figure out what the seal means. You could tell me right now.† â€Å"Georgina, I told you before. I can't interfere.† â€Å"Then why are you here?† â€Å"To see how you're feeling. Believe me, I wish I could interfere. I'd do a better healing job than Mei.† I fell silent, mind spinning. â€Å"Were you here yesterday?† â€Å"Doing what?† â€Å"Look, I won't consider it interfering, but just tell me if it was you.† Carter didn't look confused very often. If anything, he was usually the one messing with other people's minds. I think under normal circumstances, when the immortal state of affairs in Seattle wasn't in limbo, he would have faked it and hidden his confusion. Now, he just shook his head in exasperation. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"Someone was here after Nanette beat me up. A guy. He put me to bed and called Hugh.† â€Å"It wasn't me.† â€Å"Technically, it wouldn't even be interfering.† â€Å"Georgina,† he said sternly. â€Å"Listen. It wasn't me.† I held his gaze and shivered at the intensity in his eyes. His were gray, but whereas Dante's were like leaden clouds on a winter day, Carter's were like gleaming silver. â€Å"It wasn't you,† I said at last. He'd answered directly, with none of the half-truths and subterfuge angels normally employed. He'd answered directly, and angels couldn't lie. â€Å"I suppose you didn't blow up the stove either?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Who did, then? You said in Vancouver you'd try to protect me. I figured this was you.† â€Å"It's possible the stove blew up because of a gas leak.† â€Å"Maybe,† I grumbled. He smiled, instantly transforming him to the mocking angel I usually knew. â€Å"Believe me, Daughter of Lilith, I wish I could take credit for these things. And if it comes down to it, and I have the means and ability, I will try to protect you. For now, I've still got to stay out of this.† â€Å"House calls aside.† â€Å"Just a visit between friends.† He winked and stood up. â€Å"I really do wish I could help more, but you're going to have to find another way. Be careful, whatever you end up doing.† â€Å"You're not warning me away from all this?† He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Should I be?† â€Å"No,† I mused. â€Å"But everyone else is. They say it's dangerous.† â€Å"It is dangerous. But these are dangerous times, and honestly? You're the only one that I think has the means or desire to get us out of this mess. Good luck, Georgina. And don't leave the house without checking your hair.† He vanished. â€Å"Fucking angels.† I realized then that I was starving for real food, not sugar-filled sweets. My kitchen was sparse as usual, so I decided to risk the world and go pick up something. I was tired and certainly incapable of running a marathon, but Mei's healing really had gone a long way. I could manage the one block walk to a nearby take-out Chinese restaurant. I placed the order, and by the time I was out of my robe and out the door, the food was ready. I stopped at a convenience store as well to pick up some pop, and the whole endeavor only ended up taking about thirty minutes. From the look on Aubrey's face, you would have thought I'd been gone a whole day, but then, she just wanted my orange chicken. I changed back to my robe and relaxed with the food, pondering how to spend my day. As I'd told Dante, I didn't want to go traipsing about town, but I wanted some leads on the medallion. Erik was probably my best bet at this point, and I hoped he'd be able to ID my symbols from phone descriptions. Before I could do that, I heard a knock at my door. I expected it to be Hugh making a house call, but to my astonishment, it was Seth. â€Å"Hey,† I said, stepping aside so that he could come in. â€Å"Hey,† he returned. I stuffed my hands into the ratty robe's pockets, wishing I hadn't been so hasty to change back to casual mode. My hair was undoubtedly a lost cause, so there was no point stressing over that. â€Å"How's it going?† â€Å"Okay.† He met my eyes frankly, something he hadn't done in a while. It sent a tingle down my back. â€Å"I was just nearby and wanted to†¦well, that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed. â€Å"I just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday†¦.† Yesterday. The kiss. Something that only a demon attack could have dwarfed. I shook my head, trying not to recall how I'd felt that kiss all the way to my toes. â€Å"You have nothing to apologize for. I think†¦I think I was as much to blame. Besides, it was nothing.† â€Å"Nothing?† he asked, looking both surprised and hurt. â€Å"I mean, not nothing ,† I amended hastily. â€Å"But we were both kind of worked up, and things got crazy, and well, like I said†¦nothing to apologize for.† â€Å"Okay†¦I'm glad you're not upset. I don't want there to be anything†¦well, anything bad between us.† I thought about all the fights and arguments. â€Å"Well, I'm not sure we've reached that state. I mean, come on, do you think things will ever be normal and friendly between us?† â€Å"Yes,† he said bluntly. â€Å"No matter what has or hasn't happened romantically, I still feel like†¦like there's something between us†¦like, a connection, I mean. I feel like we're always destined to be important in each other's lives.† You are my life , I thought and promptly looked away, as though he might have heard me. â€Å"Do you regret it?† I asked before I realized I had. â€Å"Regret?† â€Å"Ending things.† I looked back at him, fearing his answer, no matter what it was. â€Å"I regret†¦well, I don't regret saving you from future hurt. I do regret the hurt I've caused you†¦if I'd known you'd react and spiral the way you have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You can't take that into consideration,† I said hastily. â€Å"That's not your fault.† I was surprised to be saying that, but it was true. My bad behavior these last months had been my doing. â€Å"I can't help it. I'll always worry about you. Like I said, I feel like no matter what, we're always going to be connected†¦like there's something bigger than us at work. As it is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† â€Å"Never mind.† I stepped forward, never taking my eyes off him. â€Å"Tell me.† â€Å"As it is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged. â€Å"Life is easier not dating you. But sometimes†¦it feels incomplete. Like there's a piece of me missing.† â€Å"And that's easier?† â€Å"Think of it as winning the lottery and having people waiting on all your needs, but it's at the cost of, I don't know, getting your leg amputated.† â€Å"Wow. You should be a writer with that imagery.† He smiled. â€Å"Yeah, yeah. But you know what I mean.† Except, I was missing a part of my life and things were harder, not easier. â€Å"You at least have Maddie.† â€Å"You have Dante.† â€Å"Dante's not Maddie, believe me.† â€Å"Fair enough. She's great†¦I care about her†¦love her†¦I don't know. It's all just different.† Silence fell, but it was comfortable. â€Å"Good lord. I can't believe we're discussing this rationally.† â€Å"See? Not so hard to be friends.† I had my doubts about that. â€Å"I guess.† â€Å"Don't worry. We'll keep trying. Before long, we'll be on a bowling league or something.† He spoke his words lightly, but there was a catch that belied the truth of his words. Being friends wasn't easy for Seth either. He still cared about me and was suffering just as much as me with this separation. Seeing that made something in me soften. â€Å"Hey, it's okay. We'll make this work.† I reached out to hug him, and he automatically returned it. I felt warm and safe and right in his embrace-until he casually squeezed my back. I cried out, jerking away at the pain that shot through me. We sprang apart, and he looked at me in alarm. â€Å"What's wrong? Are you okay?† â€Å"It's†¦complicated.† My standard answer to uncomfortable questions. â€Å"Georgina!† â€Å"It's nothing. Don't worry about it.† He strode toward me, reached a hand out, then pulled back. Intensity filled his face. â€Å"Are you hurt?† I tried to keep out of his reach. â€Å"Look, I got in a fight last night, and I'm sporting some, uh, residual effects. It's mostly gone, though, so there's nothing to worry about.† â€Å"You? Got in a fight? With who?† â€Å"Whom. And it was with Nanette. I told you, it's nothing.† â€Å"Who's Nanette?† â€Å"She's†¦a demon.† He gave me a level look. â€Å"A demon. A full-fledged demon.† â€Å"Something like that.† â€Å"Let me see your back.† â€Å"Seth-â€Å" â€Å"Georgina! Let me see your back.† There was anger in his words, not at me, but at the thought of someone hurting me. It reminded me a little of Dante's reaction, except that Dante always had a bit of anger in him. It was normal. To see it woken up in Seth†¦to see him so passionate and fierce†¦ Slowly, slowly, I turned around and undid the front of my robe, letting it slip halfway down my back. I heard Seth gasp at what he saw, and then a few moments later, he stepped forward and pushed my hair off my back so that he could get a better view. I shivered when his fingers touched my skin. â€Å"Georgina†¦this is horrible†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It was worse before.† I spoke flippantly, hoping to deflect his worry and realizing I'd only increased it now. â€Å"Worse?† I tugged the robe up and turned back around. â€Å"Mei healed it. I'm fine.† â€Å"Yeah, it seems that way.† â€Å"Look, it's nothing you have to worry about.† â€Å"Not worry about?† His eyes were filled with incredulity. â€Å"Even when you're†¦normal†¦a demon could still kill you, right?† â€Å"Yeah.† Seth put his hand to his forehead and sighed. â€Å"This is what it's like, isn't it?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"What you went through with me. Living with the fear that I could die. Having it tear you apart.† I didn't answer right away. â€Å"You don't have to worry about me. This'll work out.† â€Å"Did this†¦did Nanette do this because of your investigating?† I nodded, then crooked him a wry smile. â€Å"Still like how brave I am?† He stepped closer to me and looked me up and down in a way that was so serious, my smile faded. â€Å"Even after this, you aren't going to stop, are you? You're going to keep pushing to find Jerome?† â€Å"Do you want me to stop?† This was almost like my earlier conversation with Dante, when he'd made it clear he thought I was a fool for continuing with my quest. Seth's answer was a long time in coming. â€Å"I don't want you to get hurt. But I understand you, and I know why you have to do this†¦and it's still part of that strange, brave nature of yours that's so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish, but I saw the anguish in his eyes, the worry and heartache over something happening to me. It was mingled with something else, though. Pride. Affection. I put my arms around him again, wanting to comfort him now. â€Å"Hey, hey. It's going to be okay. I'll be okay.† His hands rested on my hips, careful of my back, but honestly, I barely noticed. My attention was on his lips, pressed against my cheek. â€Å"Georgina, Georgina,† he breathed against my skin. â€Å"You are†¦incredible.† And like in the car, I don't know who exactly was to blame, but our lips met and were kissing again. Unlike before, we didn't break apart out of shock. We kept kissing. And kissing. His lips were intoxicating and felt like they'd been designed especially for mine. Our bodies pressed against one another, though his embrace was still gentle. As the kiss continued, that same sensation came back to me: this was purely a kiss. Just an expression of love between two people with no dire side effects, no soul stealing. The longer it went on, the more amazed I was. By now, as a succubus, I would have begun to taste his energy and feel his thoughts. But not now. I was alone in my own head, savoring his body and not his soul. We pulled back slightly, and he moved his hands up to the side of my face, smoothing my hair away and touching my cheek. â€Å"Georgina. You are†¦beautiful.† We kissed again, and it was so sweet, so pure, that it didn't seem possible. I hadn't had a physical experience that could really be called sweet or pure since†¦well, since my mortal days. But this was. And by pure, I didn't mean non-sexual†¦because my body was definitely awake and yearning for his. But, it was pure in the sense that there were no ulterior machinations here, just our feelings. My love for him was the turn-on, and as his hands ran down my arms and back to my hips, it was the knowledge that it was Seth that made it all so powerful. His hands carefully moved down to the robe's tie and undid the knot. He broke the kiss and studied my face as he hesitantly, almost reverently, slipped the robe off me. It hit the floor, and I stepped away from it. Seth moved with me, running his fingers along my arms, leaning down to kiss my neck. I tilted my head back as my own hands began pushing up his T-shirt. When I had it half-way, he paused to push it up the rest of the way. Then his hands were on my waist once more, sliding down and feeling the curve of my hips. I had on plain cotton panties-sexily cut, at least-and his fingertips traced the edges down along my thighs, every touch soft yet quivering with pent-up energy. I don't think I was being quite as gentle. I was hungry to touch him, eager as I ran my hands along his chest and the lean muscles of his stomach. I wanted to kiss it and taste it and lose myself in all things Seth. I began backing up toward my bedroom, and he followed, turning hesitant once we reached the bed and I started to sit. â€Å"You can't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began. â€Å"I can lie down,† I said, doing exactly that. â€Å"I just can't slam my back down or anything.† After watching me for a moment, making sure I spoke the truth, Seth took off his jeans and lay down next to me. I rolled slightly to my side, pressing back to him. We resumed kissing, doing no more than that, just letting our nearly bare bodies wrap around each other. Having all this skin touching between us was heady. Never, never had I imagined it could really happen. Our hands explored each other, feeling every line and curve we'd always been denied. Every gesture between us was exquisite. Every caress was a prayer. We regarded each other's bodies with wonder and joy. When my hands slipped to the edges of his boxers, I found his own fingers were tugging at my panties. We hardly needed any communication, and once completely naked, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him toward me and seeking the completion with him I'd so long dreamed of. To my surprise, he pulled from my arms and scooted down the bed. â€Å"What are you doing?† I asked. â€Å"This,† he said. He smoothly pushed my legs apart, and I felt him shower my inner thighs with light, delicate kisses. Up and up his warm mouth moved until he made contact with my clit. I gasped softly at the fire that coursed through me from that light flick of the tongue. It was so light†¦yet so powerful. I'd been so intoxicated with the simple fact that we could touch that I hadn't been consciously aware of just how aroused I had grown. I ached and was wet and nearly melted at his touch. He lifted his mouth up slightly. â€Å"Do you know how long I've dreamed about this? To be able to touch you? To taste you?† I had little chance to ponder his rhetorical question because his lips returned to me, sucking and licking, somehow infinitely gentle and blazingly hot at the same time. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the pleasure of it, of Seth bringing me closer and closer to orgasm. As my muscles tightened and my cries grew more frequent, he intensified his movements, his tongue dancing and teasing harder and more rapidly. I wanted to hold off, to prolong this as I did his books, but I couldn't help it. My climax hit me hard and fast, and I moaned long and low as I came. All the while, Seth kept his mouth down there, refusing to let up as my body arched and trembled from the sparks of ecstasy that flowed through me. When my body finally quieted, he lifted himself up again and returned to my side, showering my chest with more of those tiny kisses. I brought my face to his, trading in the little kisses for one big one. His mouth tasted like me, and I opened my lips farther and farther as our tongues stroked each other. I might have come already, but I still burned between my legs and still needed him. I pressed myself against him, wrapping my legs around him so that there was almost no space between our hips. â€Å"Georgina†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said warningly. It was another sign of how well we knew each other that I realized he wasn't worried about asking permission about what came next. He was worried about my back again. So, shifting over, I rolled him to his back and straddled him, looking down at him with a small smile. He gave me an answering one, amused by my ready solution. As we held gazes, I was again overwhelmed with the emotion of the experience, of how indescribable it was to finally touch someone I loved. I had been terrified at the thought of dying, but I realized then that I was only afraid of dying uselessly. For Seth, to save him, I would have gladly laid down my life. He was right. We were connected in something bigger than both of us. Empowered by that realization, I lowered my hips, joining us at last. I felt him enter me, felt him fill me up. We both paused then, neither breathing or moving, half-expecting something to happen or end this. Nothing did, and after that, I didn't hesitate any further. I slowly moved my hips up and down, savoring the feel of him in me and underneath me as he glided in and out. My hands were on his chest and his were on my hips. Our eyes were on each other, never wavering, never breaking contact. How to describe sex with Seth? It's difficult. It was unlike anything I'd had in my existence as a succubus. Somewhere, in the back of my head, it resonated with memories of my marriage, when my husband and I had still been happy. Every other instance after that had been lacking†¦until now. Each movement and touch with Seth was a dream, a wonder. The intensity of our lovemaking steadily increased. My need for him grew stronger and stronger, and I rode him with a ferocity that was still tender and full of the love that burned between us. I loved the feel of him, loved how I could thrust him into me, hard and deep. And yet†¦ â€Å"It's not enough,† I murmured. â€Å"We're still not close enough.† It might have been a foolish sentiment, considering we were as physically close as two people could be. But Seth understood. â€Å"I know,† he gasped. â€Å"I know. We'll never be close enough.† Joy lit his face then, and when he came, his body arched up toward mine. I leaned down and increased my rhythm and hardness, wanting so badly to be even closer and have as much of him in me as I could. His mouth parted in a soft moan that mirrored my earlier one, and when he started to instinctively close his eyes, he quickly opened them again to stay locked with my gaze. There was no looking away between us, no avoiding what we felt. As I stared into his eyes and felt his body's trembling fade, energy seemed to crackle between our souls in a way that had nothing to do with succubus soul-stealing. Carefully, I eased myself off him and lay down on my side again, draping my body over his. I was drowning in feeling and emotion. â€Å"Georgina,† he murmured, pulling me closer. â€Å"You are the world.† I'd heard that somewhere before, but I was too overwhelmed to parse it much. I was too lost in Seth. Instead, what I said was unoriginal but absolutely true: â€Å"I love you.†

Capital Punishment And The Death Penalty - 947 Words

Ever since the eighteenth century there has been thousands of deaths in the United States because of the death penalty. While having an inmate sit in a jail cell for life can cost taxpayers a lot of money, I feel as if we should find alternative ways to hand down consequences because it does not decrease the murder rate, Taxpayers put millions of dollars into the death penalty system, The death penalty puts innocent lives in danger, and we force other civilians to kill another human being. Although capital punishment can decrease the population of many inmates that may have committed gruesome crimes, it cannot decrease the gruesome murders that are accruing every minute on the other side of prison walls. Since 2006, North Carolina has stopped executing inmates and since then the murder rate has declined. Most death row inmates committed their crimes because they are mentally ill, they are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, or just because they wanted too. This is because futu re consequences does not affect their behavior, which leaves them to continue to commit crimes regardless of if they get caught or not. Capital punishment will not straighten up America’s attitude. According to the Death penalty information center, states that abolished the death penalty has a murder rate that is almost 46% lower than states that still use it (‘NCCADP’). Unfortunately, executions are not of free service. Hard working people or taxpayers, sacrifice millions of dollars a year toShow MoreRelatedCapital Punishment : The Death Penalty1482 Words   |  6 PagesMrs. McElmoyl 12/12/14 Capital Punishment As stated by former governor of New York, Mario M. Cuomo, Always I have concluded the death penalty is wrong because it lowers us all; it is a surrender to the worst that is in us; it uses a power- the official power to kill by execution- that has never brought back a life, need inspired anything but hate. (Cuomo 1) This is one of the main arguments against capital punishment (also known as the death sentence.) Capital punishment is the ability for a governmentRead MoreThe Death Penalty And Capital Punishment931 Words   |  4 Pageswritten down (Robert). The death penalty was applied for a particularly wide range of crimes. The Romans also used death penalty for a wide range of offenses. Historically, the death sentence was often handled with torture, and executions, except that it was done in public. In this century, the death penalty, execution or capital punishment, whatever you’d like to refer it as, is the result for committing capital crimes or capital offences and it is not in public. The death penalty has been practiced byRead MoreCapital Punishment : The Death Penalty1410 Words   |  6 PagesCapital Punishment in America In 1976 the Supreme Court of the United States of America ruled the Death Penalty constitutionally permissible. The debate over capital punishment has always been a topic of great controversy. Before the Supreme Court ruling in 1976 America had been practicing capital punishment for centuries. At the current time some states enforce the death penalty, while some do not. There are differences of opinion’s relating to whether or not the death penalty is the proper wayRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty991 Words   |  4 PagesCapital Punishment Imagine your having a normal morning, eating breakfast doing your normal routine. Suddenly your phone rings and when you answer you hear the worst news possible. One of your family members has just been murdered in cold blood. You cry, mourn, then become angry. You attend the court hearing and you sit less than 20 feet away from the murderer. Do you truly believe this person deserves to live? Or should they face a punishment that is equal to their crime? Some may say CapitalRead MoreThe Death Penalty And Capital Punishment1569 Words   |  7 Pagesthe death penalty also referred to as capital punishment. The death penalty is both useless and harmful to not only criminals but also their potential victims. This paper uses these horrific facts to try and convince the reader that the death penalty should be done away with before it is too late, although that time may have already come. With supporting evidence to support my cause, I hope that the following information sways at least one reader to see the harm of keeping the death penalty an activeRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty1235 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is capital punishment? Why do people support it, but yet people cherish lives? Is it a moral thing to do? Should one be for or against the Death Penalty? Let’s take a look deep into the world of justices and why capital punishment still exists in today’s society. Capital punishment or the death penalty is a feder al punishment given to criminals who are convicted of murders. It is the highest law punishment available that can prevent future murders by developing fear within them. Capital punishmentRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty1017 Words   |  5 PagesName: Lucas Falley Topic: Capital Punishment Background: Capital punishment, or the death penalty, has existed for thousands of years. For as long as there has been organized society, the death penalty has existed in numerous cultures and civilizations. Throughout the years the methods have changed, but the use of capital punishment is becoming a pressing matter. Amnesty International reports that there are 140 countries worldwide that have abolished the death penalty, while over 50 countries stillRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Capital Punishment1271 Words   |  6 Pages What is the death penalty? The death penalty is a capital punishment that is punishable by death or execution. This is usually given to people that have committed serious offences or capital crimes. There are 31 states in the United States that are for the death penalty. Crimes that are punishable by the death penalty, vary from state to state. Examples of such crimes are; first degree murder or premeditated murder, murder with special circumstances, such as: intende d, multiple, and murder whichRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty1539 Words   |  7 PagesCapital punishment, otherwise known as the death penalty, has been the center of debate for a long time. Capital punishment may be defined as the â€Å"[e]xecution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense† (Capital Punishment). Up until 1846, when Michigan became the first to abolish the death sentence, all states allowed legal practice of capital punishment by the government (States). Currently, there 32 states still supporting the death penalty and 18Read MoreThe Death Penalty Of Capital Punishment1480 Words   |  6 Pagesjustice system, such as the death penalty. Capital punishment has been used many times in history all around the world, and it was quite popular. Many people argue that capital punishment is useful in deterring crime and that it is only fair that criminals receive death as punishment for a heinous crim e. On the contrary, others see the death penalty as a violation of the 8th amendment. It restricts excessive fines, and it also does not allow cruel and unusual punishment to be inflicted upon criminals