Theoretical Foundations of Family Mediation

Introduction The family is a vital social organization. Members of one family grow to develop a very close bond with each other. This makes the members seek each other’s psychological, social and economic support among other things. People in the family find comfort in each other’s company, and the separation or death of one member affects other members in adverse manners. Sally is a minor who is still undergoing emotional development.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Theoretical Foundations of Family Mediation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Her mother has left home to stay with Sally’s grandparents, and this has a great toll on Sally. Sally is affected by this, and she seeks to change her lifestyle. Evidently, she has started losing faith in the family institution, and she wants to move out. This gets her in to trouble with her father, her school grades starts dropping, and she starts to lo se friends. Sally needs to be helped out of this situation; she needs to be guided to accept the state of things and lead a life that will not hurt her. Theories of Assessing this Conflict One of the theories that can be used to assess the conflict between Sally and bob is Family Systems Theory proposed by Dr. Bowen. This theory takes the family as a unit, and it says that people are best understood in the context of their families. He classifies the family as an emotional unit whose members share an emotional bond. A member of this unit cannot be studied in isolation; understanding one member of this unit will not be possible without considering other family members (Folberg, Milne Salem, 2004). Bowen says that every member of a family has a role to play so as to maintain a harmonious relationship with other members. The other members will respond to each other according to the roles assigned to them. These roles are given according to the family relationship agreements. Therefore , based on this interaction, the behavior of one member of the family is shaped by the interaction with other members (Regina, 2011). The failure of one member can lead to the collapse of the whole family. Bowel comes up with some concepts that interlock to support this theory. These concepts act as a basis for understanding the relationships among family members, and each member is assigned a place in the family. When a member’s place in the family is toppled, conflicts occur (Taylor, 2002). In Bob and Sally’s case, the problem occurs since the role that Sally’s mother used to play has been left open. The father is trying hard to maintain a stable relationship with the daughter, but he is unable to fill the vacuum left by the mother. This has a great impact on Sally, and Sally feels that she no longer fits in the family; she wants to move out. Probably, the father does not know about this theory of family conflicts, and he does not understand Sally’s rea ction. Sally has been affected by the separation between the mother and father. She is used to staying with both parents, and she cannot stand the separation. This proves Bowen’s theory by showing that members of the family are much connected with each other.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sally’s pattern of behavior, including failure in school and loss of friends, is triggered by the instability in her family. She does not see her mother as frequently as she used to do, and she feels that moving out of her house will solve her problems. She feels that she will lose nothing since her mother has also left the home. Analysis of the Problems The main problem between Bob and Sally is the lack of proper communication. Sally could be secretly blaming her father for her mother’s withdrawal from home. Bob is trying to save the situation by trying to be a good fath er, but he fails in that he is unable to talk to her daughter about the things disturbing her. Therefore, the daughter, Sally, has reacted to this by resulting to her own decisions to move out of the family. Sally is very disturbed about her mother’s departure, and this has a very big impact on her. It is important to note that Sally is still undergoing emotional development, and any disagreement with parents can be disastrous to her. She feels the loss of her parents’ love for her, and she goes to seek love from other people. It is critical to note that Sally’s friends are now people much older than her. Sally’s father also feels that Sally is unrealistic; she should appreciate what he has to offer her, and she should not make things difficult for him. He loves her and wants the best for her. That is the reason that makes him deny her the chance of staying with these friends; he figures out that she could drop out of school. His claims could be justified since Sally has already started failing in school. Things to Do as a Mediator The people involved in this conflict have problems that they are facing differently. The best thing to do is make these people come in to terms with heir situation. This way, they understand each other, and the conflicts will cease. Developing dialogue will be a major step towards reconciling the members once again. The parents need to be there for Sally, and this will ensure a productive relationship among all family members. References Folberg, J., Milne, A., Salem, P. (2004). Divorce and Family Mediation: Models, Techniques, and Applications. New York: Guilford Press. Regina, W. (2011). Applying Family Systems Theory to Mediation: A Practitioner’s Guide. New York: University Press of America.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Theoretical Foundations of Family Mediation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taylor, A. (2002). The H andbook of Family Dispute Resolution: Mediation Theory and Practice. San Francisco: Josse-Bass. This essay on Theoretical Foundations of Family Mediation was written and submitted by user Nahla Adkins to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

LANG Surname Meaning and Family History

LANG Surname Meaning and Family History The last name Lang originated as a descriptive surname given to an unusually tall individual, from the Old English lang or long, meaning long or tall. LANGE is a common German variant, while LANG is more prevalent in Scotland and northern England. LONG is another common English variant. Lang may also have originated as a Hungarian surname, from  lng, meaning flame, perhaps a descriptive name for a passionate individual, or for someone who worked with fire, such as a blacksmith. The Lang surname is also found in China,  adopted by descendants of the founder of  Lang City in the state of Lu. Lange  is the 26th most common German surname, while  Lang is the 46th most common.  Long is the 86th most popular surname in the United States. Surname Origin: German, Scottish, English, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Chinese Alternate Surname Spellings:  LANGE, LONG, LUNG, LAING, DE LANGE Famous People with the LANG  Surname Fritz Lang  - Austrian-born film directorDavid Lange -  former New Zealand prime ministerJessica Lange  - American actressJosephine Lang - German composerAlgot Lange - Swedish explorerJoseph Lange - Vienna actor and painter; Mozarts brother-in-law Where Is the LANG Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from Forebears, the Lang surname is most common in Austria, where it ranks 24th in the nation, followed by Germany (35th), Switzerland (61st), Luxembourg (104th), Liechtenstein (132nd), China (193rd) and Vietnam (203rd). The Lange spelling of the surname, on the other hand, is most common in Germany (26th), followed by Greenland (47th) and Denmark (107th). Lang is more common in the United States than Lange. WorldNames PublicProfiler indicates a similar distribution, with the greatest percentage of individuals named Lang in Austria, followed by Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. Lange is most common in Germany, especially northern Germany, followed by Denmark. Genealogy Resources for the Surname LANG Meanings of Common German SurnamesUncover the meaning of your German last name with this free guide to the meanings and origins of common German surnames. Lang  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Lang  family crest or coat of arms for the Lang surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. LANG  Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Lang  ancestors around the world. There is also a separate message board for discussion of the Lange surname. FamilySearch - LANG  GenealogyExplore over 5.8  million results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Lang surname and variations such as Lange on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. LANG  Surname Mailing ListA free mailing list for researchers of the Lang  surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages. They also host  a mailing list for the Lange surname. DistantCousin.com - LANG  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Lang. GeneaNet - Lang  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Lang  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Lang  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Lang  surname from the website of Genealogy Today. References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. https://www.thoughtco.com/surname-meanings-and-origins-s2-1422408

Organization behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organization behavior - Essay Example The planning was so poor that they could not even produce the final product in time as they wanted to. While Igor and Roman, the musicians, were busy brainstorming to create the product, all the other works relating to organization and finance fell on Sasha's shoulders. There was too much work to be done and too little resources to help accomplish that. Making use of external talent would have helped reduce the burden on the founders, but outsiders either didn't get along with the founders or they were not able to visualize the project the way the founders did. In any case, working with outsiders didn't seem to be effective and by looking at the initial conversation between Igor and Henry, it didn't look like the founders did anything about analyzing as to why it wasn't effective. The founders were from the same ethnical background and so could relate to each other well. They ended up forming a comfortable zone which wasn't open enough for the outsiders. This resulted in a serious sh ortage of experience and resources required to effectively market and distribute their product. By avoiding flow of ideas from outsiders, the founders narrowed their view of the directions in which the project could have been taken. Moreover, the founders lacked the knowledge pertaining to the music industry. Though Sasha had prior experience and the educational background required in the business world, it was only general management skill that he had developed all this while, and not an experience in the music industry. All in all, the project was too big for just the three of them to handle considering the limited knowledge and experience they had. (2) The greatest strength that the MGI team had was their high level of commitment towards the project as well as the team. There were many disagreements and misunderstandings between Sasha and Roman, but they somehow seemed to get past it. There was an unspoken implied commitment among the three that they would never walk away from the team. The next strength that is evident in the team is the combination of the three. Roman is the one with the creative ideas, Igor is able to relate to Roman's creative ideas and keeps the company together by acting as a moderator between Sasha and Roman, and Sasha organizes and manages the finance. Most importantly, they were creative and hence, were able to come up with a unique product. Their product was a critical success and was appreciated for its high quality and originality. If I had to evaluate the MGI team 'on paper', I would give them a perfect ten for their degree of creativity and innovation. So would be the case even with respect to the potential of the business to create value. The product would be helpful in educating children and teenagers, and in promoting good music. However, I would not be equally generous when it came to other aspects. There was no proper strategy that the team adopted to exploit the opportunity. They stunted their thoughts when it came to the market they should be aiming at; they limited themselves to just the teenagers. Also, when it came to the finances of the team, they were not reasonable. They never planned it well and as a result, they ended up broke with no money to take the project any further. The team's ability to actually implement the proposal was poor. A lot of time was spent on creation of the product, but they never spent time on implementing their plans with respect to

Principles of Information Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Principles of Information Security - Essay Example Health facilities strive to develop efficient and reliable information systems capable of providing real-time access to vital information that may always mean the death or life of a patient. The health facility provides an effective environment for assessing the importance of information systems thus formulating policies that would enhance service delivery in the facility. The members of the group carried out research on the health facility and interviewed some of its employees and managers who offered reliable information on the nature and importance of the information system. The research included studying and testing the various features of the facility’s information including the functionality of its website, its employees and managers . The report has various sections that provide in-depth analysis of the information system in the facility, the proposition of the policies and their anticipated effects. Overview of the company is a key section of the report that provides a dequate information about the existing information system of the hospital, its information needs and the need for functional information policies to guide the utilization of the system. Subsequent sections of the report address related topical issues including the existing information policy in the facility and the subsequent issue specific policies proposed after the study. Overview of the chosen company New York Presbyterian Hospital just as the name suggests is a health facility and a university hospital.

Answer questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Answer questions - Assignment Example secured loans such as account receivables, freezing accounts of the business, placing a lien on property owned, in addition to filing a legal suit may well be recommended avenues to collect such loans. The law often prohibits creditors from taking/seizing certain types of properties. Such include collective family equity, furniture, and clothes. As such, first right to property with many interest involved fgalls to the collective owners other than the lender to a specific individual borower. A spouse and/or child cut out of a will can contest the will in a court of law. Such cases can be successful if the established laws or rules in a given state regarding family property are on their side. A prenuptial agreement only affect a will to the extent that its conflict with the terms of the will. One can donate part of her/his property through a written devise -- a gift of property made in a will. A lien is but a legal claim against the assets of a noncompliant taxpayer. If one receives an insurance policy with property tax lien, I file a "withdrawal" notice, notifying the public that I am not competing with other creditors for my property. Application for the Lien Withdrawal is also applicable for income tax lien. Easement is usually part of the deal and does need to be mentioned. For a mortgage and a mechanic lien, virtually impossible for you to sell a property with them, a law suit against such will be quite in order. Property lines are determined through a number of ways such as thorough checking of deed, visiting local assessors’ office for maps on the same or simply visiting the assessors’ official website for the same. One can also hire a surveyor to do the same work. Should problems be found, an agreement with the neighbors can as well resolve any issues arising from the

Mars Essay -- essays papers

Mars In today's world, there exist many problems that affect the way human beings live their life. Human beings struggle through life, with a dream of high standards, which they try to pursue, but can not obtain. This form of hopefulness is called Utopia which the dictionary defines as: "having impossibly ideal conditions especially social organization; a place of ideal perfection in laws, government, and social conditions." Every person has their own idea of an ideal community of perfection, but one that I believe could be and ideal community would be life on Mars. This perfect world can be achieved through societal values, living conditions, and the limitations on governmental control. In a large community, Societal values are very important in that they create the moral values in which the human race bases all their decisions on. In a utopian society on Mars, everyone would treat each other equally. There would be no human greed which in majority, cause most of all world suffering. Everyone would care for each other and there would be no titles among the people. The community would act as one family, helping each other out during difficult times, situations and problems among the community. This utopian society would be like a true family, know who everyone is, help each other out and teach them new ideas and concepts never heard of. This in effect would generate and give them all true moral values that would only generate the good in all of them and not the evil side of humanity. The goal would be to eliminate all human suffering due to human greed. Besides having a good conscience, living conditions would also play a very important role in creating this unthinkable life. Although Mars is a hazardous planet now, due to technological advances, scientists have created a way to make the planet livable. By pumping carbon into the air, it clashes with the nitrogen in the atmosphere causing a chemical reaction producing the one item all life needs. Water. By creating a habitat on the surface of Mars, protected by a polarized electronic field, like in the movies of Star Trek, and force fields, it can make Mars livable for a certain amount of people, the utopian community. Although variety is needed to create a diverse community, all families would have a home, each different to their taste. My home would be a two-story house with four rooms,... ...would include, being a leader in the community, having successfully accomplished a good education, relate to the people very well, money means nothing to them, and etc. Ten elected officials would be chosen to run these positions out of voluntary service and would run for five years. These people would not get paid. Thus this eliminates the need for a president. There would be no taxes also, because in the community, everything that society needed would be self manufactured. The community itself would be the police and if one speculates the greediness and finds a person disobeying law, they report to the community and that individual would be dealt with. Thus law and order would be present to assure the outlaw of human greed. In conclusion, although Martian society sounds like a great place to live, human greed would always be present because that is how human nature is. But if selected individuals were chosen to obey to these laws, a society with pure goodness and no human suffering can be achieved from the impossible. But a utopian society can not be accomplished with out societal values, a good set of living conditions and a restricted government among circle of the tribe.

The Host Chapter 48: Detained

The red and blue lights swirled in time with the siren's cry. Before the souls had come to this place, these lights and sounds had had only one meaning. The law, the keepers of the peace, the punishers of offenders. Now, again, the flashing colors and angry noise had only one meaning. A very similar meaning. Still the keepers of the peace. Still the punishers. Seekers. It wasn't as common a sight or sound as it had been before. The police force was only needed to help in cases of accidents or other emergencies, not to enforce laws. Most civil servants didn't have vehicles with sirens, unless the vehicle was an ambulance or a fire truck. This low, sleek car behind us was not for any accident. This was a vehicle made for pursuit. I'd never seen anything quite like it before, but I knew exactly what it meant. Jared was frozen, his foot still pushing down on the gas pedal. I could see that he was trying to find a solution, a way to outrun them in this decrepit van or a way to evade them-to hide our wide white profile in the low, gaunt brush of the desert-without leading them back to the rest. Without giving everyone away. We were so close to the others now. They slumbered, unaware†¦ When he gave up after two seconds of frantic thought, he exhaled. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Wanda,† he whispered. â€Å"I blew it.† â€Å"Jared?† He reached for my hand and eased up on the gas. The car started to slow. â€Å"Got your pill?† he choked. â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. â€Å"Can Mel hear me?† Yes. The thought was a sob. â€Å"Yes.† My voice only barely escaped being a sob, too. â€Å"I love you, Mel. Sorry.† â€Å"She loves you. More than anything.† A short, aching silence. â€Å"Wanda, I†¦ I care about you, too. You're a good person, Wanda. You deserve better than what I've given you. Better than this.† He had something small, much too small to be so deadly, between his fingers. â€Å"Wait,† I gasped. He could not die. â€Å"Wanda, we can't take the chance. We can't outrun them, not in this. If we try to run, a thousand of them will swarm after us. Think of Jamie.† The van was slowing, drifting to the shoulder. â€Å"Give me one try,† I begged. I fumbled quickly for the pill in my pocket. I pinched it between my thumb and forefinger and held it up. â€Å"Let me try to lie us out of this. I'll swallow it right away if anything goes wrong.† â€Å"You'll never lie your way past a Seeker!† â€Å"Let me try. Quick!† I pulled off my seat belt and crouched be-side him, unfastening his. â€Å"Switch with me. Fast, before they're close enough to see.† â€Å"Wanda -â€Å" â€Å"One try. Hurry!† He was the best at split-second decisions. Smooth and fast, he was out of the driver's seat and over my crouched body. I rolled up into his seat while he took mine. â€Å"Seat belt,† I ordered tersely. â€Å"Close your eyes. Turn your head away.† He did as I said. It was too dark to see it, but his new soft pink scar would be visible from this angle. I strapped my seat belt on and then leaned my head back. Lying with my body, that was the key. It was simply a matter of the right movements. Imitation. Like the actors on the TV program, only better. Like a human. â€Å"Help me, Mel,† I murmured. I can't help you be a better soul, Wanda. But you can do this. Save him. I know you can. A better soul. I only had to be myself. It was late. I was tired. I wouldn't have to act that part. I let my eyelids droop, let my body sag against the seat. Chagrin. I could do chagrin. I could feel it now. My mouth turned down into a sheepish grimace. The Seekers' car did not park behind us, the way I could feel Mel expected. It stopped across the road, on the shoulder, facing the wrong way for that lane's traffic flow. A dazzling light exploded through the window of the other car. I blinked into it, raising my hand to shade my face with deliberate slowness. Faintly, past the glare of the spotlight, I saw the gleam of my eyes bounce against the road as I looked down. A car door slammed. One set of footsteps made a pattern of low thuds as someone crossed the pavement. There was no sound of dirt or rocks, so the Seeker had emerged from the passenger side. Two of them, at least, but only one coming to interrogate me. This was a good sign, a sign of comfort and confidence. My glowing eyes were a talisman. A compass that could not fail-like the North Star, undoubtable. Lying with my body was not the key. Telling the truth with it was enough. I had something in common with the human baby in the park: nothing like me had ever existed before. The Seeker's body blocked the light, and I could see again. It was a man. Probably middle-aged-his features conflicted with one another, making it hard to tell; his hair was all white, but his face was smooth and unwrinkled. He wore a T-shirt and shorts, a blocky gun clearly visible on his hip. One hand rested on the butt of the weapon. In his other hand was a dark flashlight. He didn't turn it on. â€Å"Having a problem, miss?† he said when he was a few feet away. â€Å"You were going much too fast for safety.† His eyes were restless. They swiftly appraised my expression-which was, hopefully, sleepy-and then ran along the length of the van, darted into the darkness behind us, flashed forward to the stretch of highway ahead, lit by our headlights, and came back to my face. They repeated the course another time. He was anxious. This knowledge made my palms sweaty, but I tried to keep the panic from my voice. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† I apologized in a loud whisper. I glanced at Jared, as if checking to see whether our words had woken him. â€Å"I think†¦ well, I think I might have fallen asleep. I didn't realize I was so tired.† I tried to smile remorsefully. I could tell I sounded stiff, like the too-careful actors on the television. The Seeker's eyes traced their route again, this time lingering on Jared. My heart jumped painfully against the inside of my ribs. I pinched the pill tighter. â€Å"It was irresponsible for me to drive for so long without sleep,† I said quickly, trying again to smile a little. â€Å"I thought we could make it to Phoenix before I would need rest. I'm very sorry.† â€Å"What's your name, miss?† His voice was not harsh, but neither was it warm. He kept it low, though, following my cue. â€Å"Leaves Above,† I said, using the name from the last hotel. Would he want to check my story? I might need someplace to refer him to. â€Å"Upside-down Flower?† he guessed. His eyes flickered around their course. â€Å"Yes, I was.† â€Å"My partner, too. Were you on the island?† â€Å"No,† I said quickly. â€Å"The mainland. Between the great rivers.† He nodded, perhaps a little disappointed. â€Å"Should I go back to Tucson?† I asked. â€Å"I think I'm quite awake now. Or maybe I should take a nap right here first -â€Å" â€Å"No!† he interrupted me in a louder voice. I jumped, startled, and the little pill slipped from my fingers. It dropped to the metal floor with a faintly audible clink. I felt the blood drain from my face as though a plug had been pulled. â€Å"Didn't mean to startle you,† he apologized quickly, his eyes repeating their restless circle. â€Å"But you shouldn't linger here.† â€Å"Why?† I managed to whisper. My fingers twitched anxiously at the empty air. â€Å"There was a†¦ disappearance recently.† â€Å"I don't understand. A disappearance?† â€Å"It could have been an accident†¦ but there might be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated, unwilling to say the word. â€Å"Humans may be in this area.† â€Å"Humans?† I squeaked, too loud. He heard the fear in my voice and interpreted it the only way he could. â€Å"There's no proof of that, Leaves Above. No sightings or anything. Don't be anxious. But you should proceed on to Phoenix without unnecessary delay.† â€Å"Of course. Or maybe Tucson? That would be closer.† â€Å"There's no danger. You can continue with your plans.† â€Å"If you're sure, Seeker†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'm quite sure. Just don't go wandering off into the desert, Flower.† He smiled. The expression warmed his face, making it kind. Just like all the other souls I'd dealt with. He wasn't anxious about me, but for me. He wasn't listening for lies. And he probably wouldn't recognize them if he was. Just another soul. â€Å"I wasn't planning on it.† I smiled back at him. â€Å"I'll be more careful. I know I couldn't fall asleep now.† I glanced at the desert out Jared's window with a wary expression, so the Seeker would think that fear was making me alert. My expression tensed into a taut mask as I caught sight of a pair of lights reflected in the side mirror. Jared's spine stiffened at the same time, but he held his pose. It looked too tight. My eyes darted back to the Seeker's face. â€Å"I can help with that,† he said, still smiling but looking down now as he fumbled to remove something from his pocket. He hadn't seen the change in my face. I tried to control the muscles in my cheeks, to make them relax, but I couldn't concentrate hard enough to make it happen. In the rearview mirror, the headlights got closer. â€Å"You should not use this often,† the Seeker went on, searching the other pocket now. â€Å"It's not harmful, of course, or the Healers wouldn't have us give it out. But if you use it frequently, it will alter your sleep cycles†¦ Ah, here it is. Awake.† The lights slowed as they approached. Just drive by, I begged in my head. Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop. Let it be Kyle at the wheel, Melanie added, thinking the words like a prayer. Don't stop. Just drive. Don't stop. Just drive. â€Å"Miss?† I blinked, trying to focus. â€Å"Um, Awake?† â€Å"Just inhale this, Leaves Above.† He had a thin white aerosol can in his hand. He sprayed a puff of mist into the air in front of my face. I leaned forward obediently and took a sniff, my eyes darting to the mirror at the same time. â€Å"It's grapefruit scented,† the Seeker said. â€Å"Nice, don't you think?† â€Å"Very nice.† My brain was suddenly sharp, focused. The big moving truck slowed and then idled on the road be-hind us. No! Mel and I shouted together. I searched the dark floor for one half second, hoping against hope that the little pill would be visible. I couldn't even make out my feet. The Seeker glanced absently at the truck and then waved it forward. I looked back at the truck, too, a forced smile on my face. I couldn't see who was driving. My eyes reflected the headlights, shot out faint beams of their own. The truck hesitated. The Seeker waved again, more broadly this time. â€Å"Go ahead,† he muttered to himself. Drive! Drive! Drive! Beside me, Jared's hand was clenched in a fist. Slowly, the big truck shuddered into first gear and then inched forward through the space between the Seeker's vehicle and ours. The Seeker's spotlight outlined two silhouettes, two black profiles, both facing straight forward. The one in the driver's seat had a crooked nose. Mel and I both exhaled in relief. â€Å"How do you feel?† â€Å"Alert,† I told the Seeker. â€Å"It will wear off in about four hours.† â€Å"Thank you.† The Seeker chuckled. â€Å"Thank you, Leaves Above. When we saw you racing down the road, we thought we might have humans on our hands. I was sweating, but not from the heat!† I shuddered. â€Å"Don't worry. You'll be perfectly fine. If you'd like, we can follow you to Phoenix.† â€Å"I'm just fine. You don't need to trouble yourself.† â€Å"It was nice to meet you. I'll be pleased when my shift is over, so that I can go home and tell my partner I met another green-first Flower. She'll be so excited.† â€Å"Um†¦ tell her, Brightest sun, longest day' for me,† I said, giving him the Earthly translation of the common greeting and farewell on the Flower Planet. â€Å"Certainly. Have a pleasant journey.† â€Å"And you have a pleasant night.† He stepped back, and the spotlight hit my eyes again. I blinked furiously. â€Å"Cut it, Hank,† the Seeker said, shading his eyes as he turned to walk toward the car. The night turned black again, and I forced another smile toward the invisible Seeker named Hank. I started the engine with shaking hands. The Seekers were faster. The little black car with the incongruous light bar atop it purred to life. It executed a sharp U-turn, and then the taillights were all I could see. They disappeared quickly into the night. I pulled back onto the road. My heart pumped the blood through my veins in hard little bursts. I could feel the fierce pulse throbbing through to my fingertips. â€Å"They're gone,† I whispered through my suddenly chattering teeth. I heard Jared swallow. â€Å"That was†¦ close,† he said. â€Å"I thought Kyle was going to stop.† â€Å"Me, too.† Neither of us could speak above a whisper. â€Å"The Seeker bought it.† His teeth were still clenched in anxiety. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I wouldn't have. Your acting hasn't improved much.† I shrugged. My body was so rigid, it all moved together. â€Å"They can't not believe me. What I am†¦ well, it's something impossible. Something that shouldn't exist.† â€Å"Something unbelievable,† he agreed. â€Å"Something wonderful.† His praise thawed some of the ice in my stomach, in my veins. â€Å"Seekers aren't all that different from the rest of them,† I murmured to myself. â€Å"Nothing to be especially afraid of.† He shook his head back and forth slowly. â€Å"There really isn't anything you can't do, is there?† I wasn't sure how to respond to that. â€Å"Having you with us is going to change everything,† he continued under his breath, talking to himself now. I could feel how his words made Melanie sad, but she was not angry this time. She was resigned. You can help them. You can protect them better than I could. She sighed. The slow-moving taillights did not frighten me when they appeared on the road ahead. They were familiar, a relief. I sped up-just a little, still a few miles below the limit-to pass them. Jared pulled a flashlight out of the glove compartment. I understood what he was doing: reassurance. He held the light to his own eyes as we passed the cab of the truck. I looked past him, through the other window. Kyle nodded once at Jared and took a deep breath. Ian was leaning anxiously around him, his eyes focused on me. I waved once, and he grimaced. We were getting close to our hidden exit. â€Å"Should I go all the way to Phoenix?† Jared thought about it. â€Å"No. They might see us on the way back and stop us again. I don't think they're following. They're focused on the road.† â€Å"No, they won't follow.† I was sure of this. â€Å"Let's go home, then.† â€Å"Home,† I agreed wholeheartedly. We killed the lights, and so did Kyle behind us. We would take both vehicles right to the caves and unload quickly so they could be hidden before morning. The little overhang by the entrance would not hide them from view. I rolled my eyes as I thought of the way into and out of the caves. The big mystery I hadn't been able to solve for myself. Jeb was so tricky. Tricky-just like the directions he'd given Mel, the lines he'd carved onto the back of her photo album. They didn't lead to his cave hideout at all. No, instead they made the person following them parade back and forth in front of his secret place, giving him ample opportunity to decide whether or not to extend an invitation inside. â€Å"What do you think happened?† Jared asked, interrupting my thoughts. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"The recent disappearance the Seeker mentioned.† I stared ahead blankly. â€Å"Wouldn't that be me?† â€Å"I don't think you would count as recent, Wanda. Besides, they weren't watching the freeway before we left. That's new. They're looking for us. Here.† His eyes narrowed, while mine widened. â€Å"What have they been doing?† Jared suddenly exploded, slapping his hand loudly against the dashboard. I jumped. â€Å"You think Jeb and the others did something?† He didn't answer me; he just stared out across the star-bright desert with furious eyes. I didn't understand. Why would the Seekers be looking for humans just because someone had disappeared in the desert? Accidents did happen. Why would they jump to that particular conclusion? And why was Jared angry? Our family in the caves wouldn't do anything to draw attention to themselves. They knew better than that. They wouldn't go outside unless there was an emergency of some kind. Or something they felt was urgent. Necessary. Had Doc and Jeb been taking advantage of my absence? Jeb had only agreed to stop slaughtering people and souls while I was under the same roof. Was this their compromise? â€Å"You okay?† Jared asked. My throat was too thick to answer. I shook my head. Tears streamed down my cheeks and fell from my chin to my lap. â€Å"Maybe I'd better drive.† I shook my head again. I could see well enough. He didn't argue with me. I was still crying silently when we got to the little mountain that hid our vast cave system. It was actually just a hill-an insignificant outcropping of volcanic rock, like so many others, sparsely decorated with spindly creosote and flat-bladed prickly pears. The thousands of tiny vents were invisible, lost in the jumble of loose purple rocks. Somewhere, smoke would be rising, black on black. I got out of the van and leaned against the door, wiping my eyes. Jared came to stand beside me. He hesitated, then put a hand on my shoulder. â€Å"Sorry. I didn't know they were planning this. I had no idea. They shouldn't have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But he only thought that because they'd somehow gotten caught. The moving truck rumbled to a stop behind us. Two doors slammed shut, and then feet were running toward us. â€Å"What happened?† Kyle demanded, there first. Ian was right behind him. He took one look at my expression, at the tears still running down my cheeks, at Jared's hand on my shoulder, and then rushed forward and threw his arms around me. He pulled me into his chest. I didn't know why this made me cry harder. I clung to him while my tears leaked onto his shirt. â€Å"It's okay. You did great. It's over.† â€Å"Seeker's not the problem, Ian,† Jared said, voice strained, his hand still touching me, though he had to lean forward to preserve that point of contact. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"They were watching the road for a reason. Sounds like Doc's been†¦ working in our absence.† I shuddered, and for a moment, it seemed like I could taste silver blood in the back of my throat. â€Å"Why, those -!† Ian's fury robbed him of speech. He couldn't finish his sentence. â€Å"Nice,† Kyle said in a disgusted tone. â€Å"Idiots. We're gone for a few weeks, and they've got the Seekers on patrol. They could have just asked us to -â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, Kyle,† Jared said harshly. â€Å"That's neither here nor there at the moment. We've got to get this all unloaded fast. Who knows how many are watching for us? Let's grab a load and then get some more hands.† I shook Ian off so that I could help. The tears did not stop running. Ian stayed close to my side, taking the heavy flat of canned soup I picked up and replacing it with a big but light box of pasta. We started down the steep pathway in, Jared leading. The utter blackness did not bother me. I still didn't know this path well, but it wasn't difficult. Straight down, then straight up. We were halfway there when a familiar voice called out from a distance. It echoed down the tunnel, fracturing. â€Å"They're back†¦ ack†¦ back!† Jamie was shouting. I tried to dry my tears on my shoulder, but I couldn't get them all. A blue light approached, bouncing as the carrier ran. Then Jamie bounded into view. His face threw me. I was trying to compose myself to greet him, assuming he would be joyful and not wanting to upset him. But Jamie was already upset. His face was white and tense, his eyes rimmed in red. His dirty cheeks had rivulets through the dust there, tracks made by tears. â€Å"Jamie?† Jared and I said together, dropping our boxes to the floor. Jamie ran straight for me and threw his arms around my waist. â€Å"Oh, Wanda! Oh, Jared!† he sobbed. â€Å"Wes is dead! He's dead! The Seeker killed him!†