Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Problems Related to Climate Change Essay examples

Climate change has been a topic of concern for humanity over the past two decades. In my opinion, it is the best example of the consequences of our actions on our planet. Most countries have taken some efforts and precautions to save the Earth from experiencing further damage. Decline of forests and global warming has affected our lives in more ways than one and in the future, the Earth and its inhabitants might see a more crucial period in their lives, if we neglect this issue. At this point in time, preventing further climate changes is the most important precaution, in my opinion. Unlike events like war, terrorism, and recession, which have direct impacts on the human population, climate change is an indirect consequence of our actions.†¦show more content†¦When trees and plants are cut down, more and more carbon dioxide lingers to the atmospheric air. Thus, deforestation contributes to the increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a major comp onent of the greenhouse gases and greenhouse gases are responsible for increasing earth’s atmospheric temperature. Global temperatures have risen by 0.74 in the last century with 0.55oC rise being observed in the last 30 years (Mertz et al., 2006). Hence an excess of carbon dioxide gets trapped in the air, it indirectly causes glaciers and polar icescapes to melt down. This, in turn, results in an increase in the sea levels, which can be fatal to the earth’s landscape. The rising sea levels have been noticed in the American state of Florida, European cities of Amsterdam and Venice. ( natgeo ). The varying patterns of precipitation also affect agriculture. The increase in carbon dioxide levels and temperature affects the production of crops like rice, wheat, and corn. According to the studies conducted by Easterling and Apps (2005), the percentage of yield for corn and wheat will decrease by 7% with every 1oC rise in temperature. Rice yields will decrease by 17% with every 4oC rise in temperature. Soil erosion due to deforestation and atmospheric pollution from industries and vehicles also affect the yield of cultivation. Extreme weather also threatens the cultivation of crops. Unusual precipitation can damage yield. All theseShow MoreRelatedThe Rate Of Countries With Climate Change And The Number Of Years1012 Words   |  5 Pagescurrently strengthening their resilience to climate change, wait x number of years, and then re-evaluate the percentage to see if more countries have indeed strengthened their resilience to climate change. 13.2 Yes. Evaluate the percentage of countries that are currently implementing climate change measures into their policies, wait x number of years, and then re-evaluate the percentage to see if more countries have indeed implemented new climate change policies. 13.3 Yes. Poll the global populationRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment Of Rwanda, Darfur, And The Democratic Republic Of The Congo1340 Words   |  6 PagesClimate change is a current event that many debate. The National Climactic Data Center reported that, as of June 2012, the average combined global land and ocean temperature was 0.63 degrees Celsius higher than the twentieth century average. This is the fourth highest temperature ever recorded. Many credible sources, such as a number of United Nation bodies, the International Panel of Climate Change, and academic scholars state that climate change cause resource scarcity. A lack of resourcesRead MoreClimate Change Is A Serious Problem For The Planet Earth975 Words   |  4 Pages Climate change is the rise in the temperature of the earth’s surface mainly credited to the increased levels of Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Climate change is a serious problem for the planet earth that have leaders fro m around the world worried about its effects. The rise of sea level, the melting of the glaciers on Antarctica due to the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is threatening the life of people living in many different big cities aroundRead MoreThe Economics Of Climate Change1400 Words   |  6 PagesThe Economics of Climate Change The world economy is a very complex system; in the system harmful externalities disrupt capital flows and determine economic productivity. Most notable of these externalities is inadvertent global warming. Spending towards research and regulation of climate change at both the national and international level are very important in determining current and future business trends. Economists and scientists worldwide continuously debate the pros and cons of emissions reductionRead MoreThe Economics Of Climate Change1384 Words   |  6 PagesTristan Ridley English 102 Professor Pontillo 28 January 2016 The Economics of Climate Change The world economy is a very complex system; in the system harmful externalities disrupt capital flows and determine economic productivity. Most notable of these externalities is inadvertent global warming. Spending towards research and regulation of climate change at both the national and international level are very important in determining current and future business trends. Economists and scientists worldwideRead MoreEvaluation Of Water Related Climate Change Adaptation Interventions At Thai Binh Province Essay1387 Words   |  6 PagesThe aim of this research is to develop a set of indicators for monitoring and evaluation of water-related climate change adaptation interventions at the local community level in Thai Binh province. This will help authorities at high levels, NGO officers, local residents and other beneficiaries as they can evaluate the â€Å"effectiveness† of water-related interventions. The robust indicators will help to adjust the adaptation targets for giv en times, to ensure the accountability to stakeholders, to provideRead MoreClimate Change : A Look On Public Health1261 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish Composition 3 November 2015 Climate Change: A Look on Public Health What will happen to the future of humanity if climate change is allowed to have its way with the human race? What disasters will climate change force upon civilization? Will the human race slowly be extinguished? What will happen to individual people as the Earth’s climate gets more and more violent? Climate change will affect the general public’s health; the only question is â€Å"How much?† Climate change’s effects are very realRead MoreClimate Change ´s Impact on the NY-NJ-PA Part of the US1088 Words   |  4 PagesRecently, the environment issues are becoming more and more serious. The increasing of greenhouse gas emission and pollutions lead to many environment problems related to climate change. The climate change impact our urban life in many aspects. As the biggest metropolitan area in US, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population about 19,831,858 by year 2012 (U.S. Department of Commerce, US Census Bureau, 2012) The population has been increased by 1.35% sinceRead MoreClimate Change And Its Impacts On The Environment935 Words   |  4 Pagesthe deterioration of the earth and one significant factor is due to the issues of climate change. Majority of environmental as well as social scientist that cares about the world defines climate change as the primary source of global risk since it could have severe impacts on the future generations. In addition, the general meaning of the term ‘climate change’ is defined as the change in regional or global climate patterns and it is mainly caused by human activities such as deforestation and emissionRead MoreClimate Change : Human Activity1015 Words   |  5 PagesClimate Change: Human Activity is to Blame Climate change is an extremely serious threat because it affects every living thing on the planet. Climate change can have destructive effects like causing extreme weather events, ocean acidification and increasing global temperature. These are only few of the effects of climate change and if it continues can even cause the extinction of humanity. Much of the scientific community agrees that our use of fossil fuels is the cause and our continued dependency

Monday, December 16, 2019

Blood Promise Chapter Fourteen Free Essays

string(56) " was noticing me for the first time-and was interested\." The encounter with Denis left me even more confused than before. It was a shocking illustration of Mark’s warning, an omen of what I too might become if I wasn’t careful. I wasn’t really the same as Denis, was I? I wasn’t aimlessly seeking danger. We will write a custom essay sample on Blood Promise Chapter Fourteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now I was seeking danger†¦ well, for a reason. I had to fulfill the promise I’d made to find Dimitri. Maybe it was suicidal and I was only deluding myself into thinking it was noble. Viktoria left me little opportunity to ruminate. Later that evening, as the family was settling down in the living room after way too much food, she glibly asked Olena, â€Å"Can I go over to Marina’s? She’s having a party before we go back to school.† Wow. It looked like Abe and the Alchemists weren’t the only ones keeping secrets around here. I glanced between Olena and Viktoria’s faces, curious as to how this would play out. Olena and Yeva were both knitting, but Yeva didn’t look up. Viktoria had spoken in English. Olena’s face turned thoughtful. â€Å"You have to leave early tomorrow to go back to school.† â€Å"I know. But I can sleep on the bus. Everyone else will be there tonight.† â€Å"? ®Everyone else’ isn’t a convincing argument,† scoffed Olena. â€Å"They’ll all be tired tomorrow too,† replied Viktoria, grinning. â€Å"You’ll miss your last night with Rose.† â€Å"I’ll hang out with her after I get back.† â€Å"Great. And stay up even later.† â€Å"Not that late. I’ll be back by two.† â€Å"Absolutely not. You’ll be back by midnight.† Olena returned to her knitting. But that had been permission if I’d ever heard it. Viktoria looked at the clock. It was almost eight thirty. Her face told me she wasn’t happy about the curfew, but she apparently decided to take what she could get. Karolina gave us an odd look as we left the room but remained silent. Sonya and Paul, engrossed in TV, barely noticed our departure. I had to find out what was going on. â€Å"Okay,† I said once we were heading upstairs, â€Å"what gives? I thought you weren’t going to Marina’s.† Viktoria grinned and beckoned me into her bedroom. I’d recently learned her bedroom used to be Dimitri’s, and every time I was in here, I had to resist the urge to go bury myself in the bed, even though I knew the sheets had been washed countless times since those days. Somehow, I could imagine them smelling like Dimitri and feeling warm as though we were both lying there together. â€Å"I’m not.† Viktoria began rifling through her closet and pulled out a short, sleeveless red dress with lace around the straps. The fabric was stretchy -the kind that looked like it’d show everything. I was shocked when she began putting it on. It was pretty trashy. â€Å"Is this a joke?† Nope. Viktoria took off her shirt and jeans and pulled the dress on. She had no trouble with it, but it was every bit as clingy as it had appeared. She wasn’t as filled out as I was on top, but in a dress like that, it didn’t matter. â€Å"Okay,† I said, catching on at last. â€Å"What’s his name?† â€Å"Rolan,† she said. â€Å"Oh, Rose. He’s amazing. And this is the last night I’ll get to see him before school.† I didn’t know whether to feel happy for her or sad for Nikolai. This Rolan guy must have been the reason she couldn’t give Nikolai the time of day. She was totally in love with someone else. Still, that dress†¦ â€Å"You must really like him,† I observed dryly. Her eyes widened. â€Å"Do you want to meet him?† â€Å"Er, well, I don’t want to interfere with your date†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You won’t. Just stop by and say hi, okay?† It felt pretty intrusive, yet at the same time†¦ well, I was kind of curious about a guy who could get her to leave the house in that kind of outfit, particularly when she started applying really heavy makeup: extra-dark eyeliner and bright red lipstick. So I agreed to meet Rolan, and we left the house as quietly as we could. Despite wearing a coat over her dress, Viktoria still didn’t want to run into her mother. We headed downtown, following a few twists and turns until we ended up behind what looked like an ordinary warehouse in an abandoned part of town. All was quiet, but a tall, tough-looking dhampir stood by a door leading into the building, his arms crossed in front of him. Viktoria brought us to a halt nearby, saying we had to wait there. A minute later, a group of Moroi men of mixed ages wandered up, chatting and laughing. The dhampir gave them a once-over and then opened the door for them. Light and music spilled out until the door shut-and all went silent again. â€Å"So this is Baia’s secret dhampir world,† I murmured. She didn’t hear me because suddenly, her face lit up. â€Å"There he is!† She pointed to two approaching guys. Both were Moroi. Well, who knew? Viktoria’s secret boyfriend wasn’t a dhampir. I guessed that wasn’t too shocking, really, though the way she’d dressed tonight still bothered me. She gave him a fierce hug and introduced us. His friend was named Sergey, and he smiled politely before hurrying inside where he was apparently meeting a girl too. I had to give Viktoria credit: Rolan was hot. His hair was dark auburn, soft and wavy. The green of his eyes reminded me-painfully-of Adrian’s. And when he smiled at Viktoria, it was dazzling. The look on her face was exactly like Nikolai’s whenever he was around her. Rolan took a hold of Viktoria’s hands and brought them to his lips, kissing each one. Those green, green eyes gazed at hers, and he murmured something I couldn’t hear. She blushed and replied in Russian. I didn’t need any translation to know the content was sexy and flirty. Still smiling, he glanced over at me, and although she’d introduced us, it was like he was noticing me for the first time-and was interested. You read "Blood Promise Chapter Fourteen" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"You’re new here, aren’t you?† he asked. Viktoria wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. â€Å"Rose is visiting. She’s a friend of the family.† â€Å"Ah,† he said. â€Å"Now I remember hearing about you. I had no idea such a fierce Strigoi killer would be so beautiful.† â€Å"It’s part of the job description,† I said dryly. â€Å"Will you be returning to school with Viktoria?† he asked. â€Å"No. I’ll be staying here a little longer.† I still had no clue, though, if â€Å"a little longer† was one hour or one year. â€Å"Hmm,† he said thoughtfully. He looked back down at Viktoria and pressed a kiss to her hair, running his fingers along her throat. His next words were to her. â€Å"I’m glad you were able to come here before you left. I don’t know how I’ll get by with you so far away.† She beamed. â€Å"There was no way I could leave without seeing you one more time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She trailed off, too overcome with emotion, and as he leaned down, hand still on her throat, I thought for an awful moment that they were going to start making out then and there. Fortunately, the appearance of an approaching dhampir girl interrupted them. Viktoria broke from Rolan and embraced the other girl. They apparently hadn’t seen each other in a while and chatted rapidly in Russian, ignoring Rolan and me. Free of her for a moment, he leaned toward me. â€Å"Once Viktoria has returned to school, you’ll be all alone here. Maybe I could show you around then?† â€Å"Thanks, but I’ve already seen everything.† He kept that big smile on. â€Å"Of course. Well, then, perhaps we could simply get together and†¦ talk?† I couldn’t believe it. This guy had had his hands all over Viktoria thirty seconds ago and was now trying to score plans with me the instant she left town. I was disgusted and had to restrain myself from doing something stupid. â€Å"Sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be around long enough.† I got the impression that women didn’t refuse him very often. He frowned and started to protest, but Viktoria returned and wrapped herself around him again. He studied me for several more puzzled seconds and then shifted his attention to her, smiling and turning on the charm. She ate it all up, and while the two tried to include me in their conversation, it was clear they were totally absorbed in each other. Rolan might be interested in me, but for now, she was an easier target-and one that wouldn’t be available much longer. I felt that disgust roil up in me again. The longer we stood out there, the more I realized what was going on. All the people going inside were Moroi guys or dhampir girls. And the girls were all dressed like Viktoria. This was a blood whore den. Suddenly, Baia’s secret dhampir world held no appeal. I hated it. I wanted nothing more than to get out of here. No, wait. I wanted nothing more than to get out of here and drag Viktoria away, even kicking and screaming. Rolan was sleazy, no question, and I didn’t want her anywhere near him. Yet it soon became clear they weren’t going to stand out in the alley all night. They wanted to go inside and do God only knew what. â€Å"Viktoria,† I said, trying to be reasonable, â€Å"are you sure you don’t want to come back home and hang out? I mean, I won’t get to see you tomorrow.† She hesitated, then shook her head. â€Å"I won’t get to see Rolan either. But I promise I’ll come see you as soon as I get home later. We’ll stay up all night. Mom won’t care.† I didn’t know what other protests to make. Rolan’s impatience, now that I’d refused him, was starting to show. He wanted to go inside. I wondered what was there†¦ a dance floor? Bedrooms? I probably could have gone with them to see for myself, despite being underdressed-or, well, overdressed as far as amounts of clothing went. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to do it. All my life, I’d been taught about blood whores and why their lifestyle was wrong. I didn’t know if Viktoria was becoming one-and I hoped she wasn’t-but there was no way I could set foot in there. It was a matter of principle. I watched them go with a heavy heart, wondering what I’d just let my friend walk into. Seeing her in that ultra-tight dress, plastered all over him, suddenly made me reevaluate everything. How much of this peaceful life in Baia was a sham? Was Viktoria-the girl who’d called me a sister really not the person I thought she was? Confused, I turned away to head back home-And almost walked into Abe. Again. â€Å"What the hell?† I exclaimed. He wore a tuxedo tonight, complete with tails and a silvery silk scarf. â€Å"Are you stalking me?† Stupid question. Of course he was. I hoped his formal wear meant he wouldn’t be dragging me off this evening. His guardians were equally well dressed. Idly, I wondered if a place like this had something to do with his illegal business dealings. Was he trafficking blood whores? Like some kind of pimp? Unlikely, seeing as most of these girls didn’t require much urging. Abe gave me that annoying knowing smile of his. â€Å"I see your friend is off to an interesting night. I had no idea Viktoria had such lovely legs. Now everyone knows, thanks to that dress.† I clenched my fists and leaned toward him. â€Å"Don’t you dare talk about her like that, old man.† â€Å"I’m not saying anything that isn’t obvious to everybody else. It’ll certainly be obvious to young Rolan soon.† â€Å"You don’t know anything about them!† Yet I didn’t believe my own words, not after seeing them walk off together. Abe, I could tell, knew what I was thinking. â€Å"These girls all say it won’t happen to them. But it always does. It’s what’ll happen to you if you stay.† â€Å"Oh, here we are,† I said mockingly. â€Å"I knew a threat had to be coming. The part where you order me again to leave the country or else bad, bad things will happen.† He gestured toward the door, where more Moroi and dhampirs were going. â€Å"I don’t even need to make anything bad happen. You’ll do it on your own by staying here. You’ll waste your life away, running errands for Olena Belikova. Potlucks will become the most exciting thing in your world.† â€Å"They’re good people,† I growled. â€Å"Don’t mock them.† â€Å"Oh, I’m not denying that.† He straightened his silk scarf. â€Å"They are good people. But they aren’t your people. This is a fantasy. You’re deluding yourself.† He was all sternness now. â€Å"Your grief has sent you here. Your man was ripped away from you, and you’ve ripped yourself away from your old friends. You’re trying to make up for it by convincing yourself that this is your family, that this is your home. They’re not. This isn’t.† â€Å"I could make this my home.† I still wasn’t sure of that, but my stubborn nature made me want to contradict him. â€Å"You aren’t meant for Baia,† he said, dark eyes blazing. â€Å"You’re meant for better things. You need to go back home, back to your school and the Dragomir princess.† â€Å"How the hell do you know about her? Who are you? When are you going to tell me who you work for? What do you want with me?† I had a feeling I was on the verge of hysterics. Hearing him refer to Lissa snapped something inside of me. â€Å"I’m merely an observer who can tell you’re wasting your time here. This is no life for you, Rose. Your life is back in the States. They say you were on track to be a great guardian. Do you know what an honor it is to be assigned to the last Dragomir? You could spend your life in elite, powerful circles. The reputation you’ve already gained will raise you in status and regard. You have a stunning career ahead of you, and it’s not too late to go back to it. Not yet.† â€Å"Who are you to talk about how I should live my life? I’ve heard that your hands are bloody-Zmey. You’re not exactly a good role model. What is it you’re involved in, anyway?† â€Å"My own affairs. And it’s exactly because of the life I lead that you should listen to me when I say abandon this path and go back home.† His words were urgent and authoritative, and I couldn’t believe he had the audacity to talk to me like that. â€Å"That’s not my life anymore,† I said icily. He gave a harsh laugh and gestured around us once more. â€Å"What, and this is? You want to go off and be a blood whore like your friend in there?† â€Å"Don’t call her that!† I shouted. â€Å"I don’t care if you’ve got bodyguards or not. I will hurt you, old man, if you say anything else about Viktoria.† He didn’t flinch at my explosion. â€Å"That was harsh, I admit. She’s not a blood whore. Not yet. But she’s one step away from it. As I said, it always happens in the end. Even if you aren’t used by someone like Rolan Kislyak-and believe me, he will use her, just like he did her sister-you’ll still end up alone with a baby you’re way too young for.† â€Å"Her†¦ wait.† I froze. â€Å"Are you saying he’s the guy who got Sonya pregnant? Why would Viktoria be involved with him after he did that and left her sister?† â€Å"Because she doesn’t know. Sonya doesn’t talk about it, and Mr. Kislyak thinks it’s a game, getting two sisters into bed. Too bad for him that Karolina’s smarter than the others or he could have had them all. Who knows?† He gave me a sardonic smile. â€Å"Maybe he’ll consider you part of the family enough to go after you next.† â€Å"Like hell. I’d never get involved with anyone like that. I’m never going to be involved with anyone again. Not after Dimitri.† Abe’s sternness gave way to momentary amusement. â€Å"Oh, Rose. You are young. You’ve barely lived. Everyone thinks their first love is the only one they’ll ever have.† This guy was really pissing me off, but I gained enough control to decide I wasn’t going to punch him. At least, I didn’t think so. I backed up a little, toward the building. â€Å"I’m not going to play your game here. And you can tell whoever you’re working for that I’m not playing theirs either and that I’m not going back.† One way or another, whether it was to hunt Dimitri or live with his family, I was staying in Russia. â€Å"You’re going to have to box me up and ship me there.† Not that I wanted to give Abe any ideas. I suspected he could do it if he wanted. Damn it. Who was behind this? Who would want to find me badly enough to send this guy after me? Weirder still, whoever it was was someone who cared enough about me to attempt reason. If Abe had actually wanted to abduct me, he already would have. He could have done it the night he brought me to Baia. All he would have had to do was keep driving to the nearest airport. I eventually needed to figure this out, but first I needed to get away from Abe. I backed up further. â€Å"I’m leaving, and you can’t stop me. And don’t spy on me anymore. This ends now.† Abe studied me for several seconds, his dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully. I could practically see the wheels of plots and world domination spinning in his head. At last he said, so quietly I could hardly hear him, â€Å"It won’t end with them, though.† â€Å"Who?† He pointed at the door. â€Å"Viktoria and Rolan.† â€Å"What are you getting at?† â€Å"You know what I’m getting at. She thinks she’s in love with him. He knows she’ll be back in school tomorrow. Tonight’s his last chance with her, and he won’t waste it. There are lots of bedrooms in there. They’re probably in one right now.† I tried to control my breathing. â€Å"Then I’ll go tell her mother.† â€Å"It’ll be too late. She’d never find them in time, and tomorrow, Viktoria will be on her way to school-and he’ll have no interest anymore. What can her mother do after the fact? Ground her?† I was getting angry, largely because I had a feeling he was right. â€Å"Fine. Then I’ll drag her off myself.† â€Å"That’ll never happen. She wants to do this. She won’t leave with you. Even if she did, she’d just find him again.† I eyed him. â€Å"Enough. You’re obviously hinting at something, so just get on with it.† He smiled, apparently pleased at my astuteness-or maybe my bluntness. â€Å"If you want to save her, you’ve got to go through him. Through Rolan.† I scoffed. â€Å"Not likely. The only way he’d leave her alone is if I offered to take her place.† And hey, friendship only went so far. â€Å"Not if I talk to him.† â€Å"What are you going to do, give him a talk on morality and sway him with reason?† â€Å"Oh, I’ll sway him, all right. But believe me, I won’t do it with reason-well, at least not the kind you’re thinking of. If I tell him to leave her alone, he’ll leave her alone. For good.† I stepped backward without realizing it and hit the wall. Abe looked scary as hell. Zmey. I didn’t doubt his words at all. He could get Rolan to leave Viktoria alone. In fact, he probably wouldn’t even use his dhampirs. Abe could deliver enough terror-and probably a good punch-to make it happen. â€Å"Why would you do that for me?† I asked. â€Å"As a sign of good faith. Promise to leave Baia, and I’ll deal with him.† His eyes gleamed. Both of us could feel the net closing around me. â€Å"That’s your tactic now? You’re offering me a trade? My leaving isn’t really worth you scaring some Moroi asshole.† The net grew tighter. â€Å"Isn’t it, Rose?† Frantically, I thought about what to do. Some part of me thought Viktoria was free to make her own choices, to love whom she wanted†¦ but I knew for a fact that Rolan didn’t love her. She was a conquest for him, as shown by his willingness to go after me-and Sonya, apparently. What would happen to Viktoria? Would she become like the rest of the women here? Would she be the next Belikov to have a baby? Even if she had no intentions of becoming a guardian, this wasn’t the right path for her. Karolina had declined to join the guardians and now lived a respectable life with her kids and a job that-if not exciting-was steady and allowed her to keep her dignity. I couldn’t let Viktoria turn down a road that could ruin the rest of her life. I couldn’t let that happen to Dimitri’s sister. Dimitri†¦ I knew him. I knew his protective nature. He would never let anything happen to those he cared about. I hated the thought of that blood whore den, but I still would have run in to get her-because that was what Dimitri would have done. But I didn’t know if I’d find her there in time. I knew, however, that Abe could-and that he could keep Rolan away forever. And so, I spoke without fully understanding the consequences of my words. â€Å"I’ll leave Baia.† How to cite Blood Promise Chapter Fourteen, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Chapter One free essay sample

Utter, simple, apathetic, tenebrous, tournaments darkness. I see a pinpoint of light, and try to swim toward It. Either I get closer to It, or it gets closer to me, but I cant tell In the Inky darkness. The pinhole expands as It gets closer, and I get pulled toward it. It expands, and suddenly engulfs me in a flash of light. Im in a perfectly cubical white room, apparently made of marble. I turn around and see the hole I came from. An human-sized black, inky hole. It seems strange in this perfectly white cube.I turn around and start to look for an exit, but as I walk way Inky black tentacles lunge out of the hole, gripping me tightly. I struggle, but their grip Is Iron. They pull me back, to the world of darkness, but I dont want to. I try to twist about, attempting to writhe free from the tentacles. I break free, go flying forward, toward the white wall. I brace myself for impact And go straight through the wall. I stumble, and almost fall. I find myself in a large room, but with an enormous hole in the center. I look around, but theres nothing but solid white marble walls.I turn around, and they wall I stumbled through is still there. I test Its solidity, and as I expect, its solid. I search around the room, looking for any way out. On closer Inspection, I see on panel of marble Is slightly loose. I lightly tap it, and the echo tells me its hollow. I pull the panel off and look inside the tunnel. I see a simple switch. I look around, looking for anything else I can do. I pull the switch, shrugging. Its not like I have anything to lose. Suddenly, the marble block right under the secret switch, goes flying outward, hitting me hard in the stomach.I fall backwards, into the hole. I spiral down, falling down the enormous hole. As I fall I think, I was wrong. I still have my life to lose. Oh well. Im surprised to see myself still alive. I look around, and hay_ Instead of a cubic marble room, Im in a cubic jade room. Nice improvement. I look around, once again looking to an answer to my new puzzle. At the top of the ceiling, I see a bright blue block, bulging out like a button. But from my height, its way to far up for me to push. Oh hay. I know what to do, but not how. I notice that some Jade marbles along the wall are also slightly more bulgy. O up to them and try pushing on the, but nothing happens. I wonder If this Is Like one of those things Like the button wont press In unless you press the other buttons first around It In a specific order. I start pushing, but get nowhere. I stare at the blocks some more, thinking hard. And thats when I realize my mistake. Thinking hard. I was over-thinking! The bulging jade blocks arent buttons! Only the blue one is. The jade ones are footsteps to climb up! I immediately start, and get to the ceiling easily, as I was always athletic.But as I look, I realize Ill have to Jump to hit the button. Suddenly, the Jade floor looks awfully hard. I collect my broken bits of courage together, and Jump, my hand barely slapping the button. I tart to fall, toward the jade floor. I try to steady myself out, but fail horribly. I brace myself for impact And once again fall through the wall. My feet suddenly hit solid ground, or, as I realize, solid obsidian. Now Im in an obsidian cubic room, but this time there is no ceiling. Cute. I walk up to the wall and try to pass through it.Once more, I fail. I growl at the wall In frustration. When I want to, you turn solid. I punch the wall with all my power, and all I end up with is a hurting fist. I yelp, flinching backwards. I look around, imagining what a bystander would think if they saw me. I look at the walls, and for the first time I realize that there is no source of light. Everything is Just evenly lit, but from no source. There are no shadows or highlights. Strange, I think. Now that I think about it, it look surreal. Lost in thought, I hear something falling. Something heavy.I look up and see an enormous Jade block falling toward me. I leap away, my foot Just barely evading the block. I look at the Jade block. It looks strange in the obsidian room. I wonder why I didnt realize something was falling when the block came down. Shouldnt the shadow have covered me first? And then I realize, in his world of no shadows, I wont know when something falls down. Another block comes falling down, Just next to me. I realize whats going on. This is the ultimate test, and I have to avoid getting hit. I stare up, trying to spot the next block. It hits across the room, but I realize that I dont see them until seconds before they hit. That means all I can do is run around the room, screaming like a little girl. Which is exactly what I proceed to do. Eventually the blocks fill up the floor of the room, and the only space left is the area Im in. Just enough area for the next cube. I become cognizant to the act that to avoid being crushed, Ill have to Jump on top of another block. I start from the corner. I start running toward the Jade blocks, and leap for all my life is worth. I make it, but Just barely.My shoe gets caught in the next blocks fall, and I have to leave it behind. I sigh in relief, thinking everything is okay now. But Im wrong. A voice, obviously synthesized to show no emotion, says, Subject has passed Level One. Level Two will initiate in 5. .. 4 3.. . 2 1. I look at the darkness that the blocks fell from in horror, hoping that the voice is wrong. But no, nothing works for me in this world. A block falls, and I repeat the entire process again. I pray and hope for the voice to say that I passed, that its done. Im exhausted, running and Jumping everywhere.The voice, know of voice of pure evil to my ears, says, Subject has passed Level Two. Level Three will initiate in 5 4 3 2. .. 1. I curse underneath my breath. Soon, with my breath haggard and barely being able to stand, I see a ladder on the side of the wall. It was definitely not there earlier. But I accept it gratefully. I climb up and find myself in another room. Again This room is slightly different. Its still cubical, but its split in half. One side is Jade, the other obsidian. The obsidian side has a black portal, the same one that I came from, the same one from which all this started.The Jade side has the same portal, black and all. But in the middle, dead center, is a white portal. I really didnt like my experience with the dark portal, so I close my eyes and step into the portal of light. The moment I enter, I feel refreshed. I start to walk, but the very same tentacles that attacked me earlier, only white this time, grab me, wrapping around tighter than before. I struggle, and the whiteness becomes blackness. Im in the very same looking portal. The tentacles push me forward. I see two exits. One of light and one of darkness. They move toward the darkness.I struggle, and try to escape, but dont get very far. They curl tightly around me, squeezing the life out of me. The move backwards for momentum, then Jerk forward, throwing me through the inky I find myself in a stony looking room chained to the wall. I see a door in front of me. The chains pinch into my skin, burning my wrists and ankles. I wish they would go away. And they do. They suddenly disintegrate into black gas, drifting away in the wind. I go to the door, expecting it to be locked, but it isnt, as always. I step through and find myself in a room made of marble.I see a round table, in the dead center of the room. Standing on the table is a stone statue, made of obsidian with green veins flowing through it. I squint to get a better view, and see that the green veins looks like liquid Jade (if it exists) flowing through the weird statue. Two hooded figures discuss in voices to quiet for me to hear next to the table. As I step closer, one of the hooded figures turn toward me. He straightens and begins to pull his hood off. I step closer, trying to get a closer look. His face enters my vision, and suddenly Im on the ground, blackness everywhere.