Nuclear Waste Storage free essay sample

Examines alternatives, safety, types of waste, regulations, costs, technology, reprocessing, natural human hazards, examples. The power of nuclear reactions was demonstrated in the most conclusive and drastic way possible in 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. But nuclear reactions can be harnessed for peaceful, no-military uses, as well. Namely, nuclear power can be used as a source of energy. One side effect of energy generation by nuclear fission is that waste is produced and this waste is itself radioactive. The storage of the radioactive waste is, therefore, a problem, and one, in fact, with both scientific and political aspects. One state which has been repeatedly mentioned as a place within which radioactive waste could be stored is Nevada. Storing nuclear waste in Nevada has both positive and negative aspects for the states population. Although Nevada would receive many benefits from storing nuclear waste, in actuality it poses many possible threats to the people living there. We will write a custom essay sample on Nuclear Waste Storage or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Philosophy Of Science (Falsification) Example

Philosophy Of Science (Falsification) Example Philosophy Of Science (Falsification) – Coursework Example Philosophy of Science: Falsification Response to the First Criticism A falsificationist can indeed propose theories that he/she believes that are nottrue, but subject to falsification. But despite this fact, a falsificationist would find it practically difficult to practice science because science mainly involves the application of scientific theories in different kinds of situations that the theory promises to explain, but not looking for an evidence to refute the theory. Many discoveries in science are made through the application of scientific theories in many situations that the theory promises to explain. For this reason, therefore, although a falsificationism is a theory of whether science produces theories, and a falsificationist can, indeed, propose a scientific theory, in actual practice, however, a falsificationist would find it difficult to practice science. The actual practice of science requires the application scientific theories to different situations so as to uncover and discover more facts, rather than looking for an evidence to contradict the theory. In some instances, scientists even ignore some anomalies or some falsifying evidence in a scientific theory, and go ahead to apply the theory in different situations. If scientists strictly follow Popper’s falsification method, some scientific theories such as those of Copernicus, Newton, and Darwin, would have been thrown in their infancy. For this reason, therefore, it is practically impossible for a falsificationist to practice science.Response to the Second CriticismFor Karl Popper, the more a scientific theory resists falsification, the stronger the scientific theory. What this means for Karl Popper is that, as long there are ways to prove a scientific theory false, the more the theory resists falsification the stronger the scientific theory. This, however, does not mean that the more evidence we have of a theory, the stronger is the theory. For Popper, actually, the more evidence doe s not a scientific theory stronger. By saying that the more a scientific theory resists falsification, the stronger the scientific theory, Popper means that, the more a scientific theory resists falsification, the longer will the theory be held as a true account of reality.

Curruption in Russia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Curruption in Russia - Research Paper Example It has been reported that $35 billion were stolen from government funds in 2010. Corruption in Russia has put a massive burden on the economy and the society and is badly affecting the country as a whole. It has slackened the growth of the economy, and has devalued the government’s efforts to establish a strong infrastructure and a social welfare system. It is mostly fueled by Russia’s weak control over the government sectors and the judiciary system as a whole. Unfortunately, this phenomenon cannot be controlled without threatening the lifestyle and regime of the influential people in the country, who control a large share of the country’s economy. A well-governed lawful state is the only hope to reduce corruption in the country, but it cannot be established without the support of the elite society in the country. The fact that a new system of government has to be formed by breaking the old structure has daunted all past presidents of the country, and has made t hem even more reluctant to bring changes in the country. (Corruption Grows in Russia) Foreign investors have concluded that Russia is a very risky place to invest their money, which has come as a big blow to the country’s economy. Foreign investors are continuously being cheated and plundered, which has made them ever more reluctant to invest. Hermitage Capital Management, one of the largest investors in the Russian stock market, was occupied in a case that showed the ever-increasing corruption in the Russian justice system, and the level its credibility. Hermitage has accused the Russian judiciary and the police force, to have taken bribes from local gangsters, in order to sell three of Hermitage’s Russian subsidiaries. Furthermore, these subsidiaries were used to steal $230 million from the Russian budget. Hermitage has also informed the Russian State Audit Chamber, of other cases where similar fraud has occured with other companies, which ultimately cost the Russian budget a loss of $240 million. Hermitage has also declared that all these frauds were interlinked, and the police, judges and organized criminal groups, were all involved in the conspiracy. (The Hermitage case and corruption in Russia). There have been numerous other corruption cases regarding the Russian government. In 2010, The U.S. Justice Department revealed documents, which accused the German carmaker Daimler to have paid the Russian government officials, millions of euros in bribe. This was to seal the sales of patrol cars for the police and sedans for the presidential motorcade. For some time, there was no reaction from the Russian government, and things remained quiet. At last, Russian Ministry of Interior, declared an investigation regarding car sales and purchase in the recent year. Although, some government officials, who promised to solve it, met this Daimler case with much vigor the case remains one of the foremost examples of the corruption existing in Russia, and how vulnerable the government officials are to bribes and other forms of corruption. In addition, in 2007, prosecutors in Germany, who were accused of taking bribes from the multi-national company, Siemens, revealed numerous names of Russian government officials. (Russia Slow to Pick Up the Lead in Bribery Cases) Corruption in Russia is not only affecting the economy, but is also slowing down the country’s transition from communism to capitalism. Russia is still recovering from its communism policies, but the

Internal Control System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Internal Control System - Essay Example Internal Auditing is defined as an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization to accomplish its objectives by evolving a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes. The internal audit activity evaluates the adequacy and effectiveness of controls that encompass the organization's governance, operations, and information systems (Arens, Loebbecke, Lemon, & Splettstoesser, 2006). Internal audit reviews include the reliability and integrity of financial and operational information, effectiveness and efficiency of operations, safeguarding of assets, and compliance with laws, regulations, and contracts. These reviews ascertain the extent to which operating and program goals and objectives have been established and whether they conform to the requirements of the organization. It also examines the extent to which results are consistent with established goals and objectives and whether operations and programs are implemented or performed as intended. One of the primary responsibilities of internal auditing is the assessment of internal control system of a company. ... It also examines the extent to which results are consistent with established goals and objectives and whether operations and programs are implemented or performed as intended. One of the primary responsibilities of internal auditing is the assessment of internal control system of a company. The French Institute of Chartered Accountants defines internal control "as a set of security measures which contribute to the control of a company. Its aim is to ensure, on the other hand, the security and safeguard of assets and the quality of information, on the other hand, the application of instructions given by the Senior management, and to encourage improvements in performances. It is evidenced through the organisation, methods, and procedures for each of the company's activities, so as to ensure the continuity of that company." There are two identified types of controls, Preventive and Defective Controls. Preventive controls are intended to foil errors or irregularities from happening. It is a positive control that helps avert losses. On the other hand, detective controls are devised to identify or uncover inaccuracy and irregularities after they have occurred. Both of these controls play an important role to an effective control system. Preventive controls are essential because they are proactive and emphasize quality. However, detective controls play a critical role in providing evidence that the preventive controls are working and thwarts losses. Internal Control Objectives There are seven pre-defined internal control objectives, namely, authorization, completeness, accuracy, validity, physical safeguards & security, error handling, and segregation of duties. 1) Accountability, authorization and approval- the

The emancipation proclamation Essay Example for Free

The emancipation proclamation Essay The emancipation proclamation was an historic moment in the history of the United States. It did not only come at a time when the country was being faced by slavery problems but also at the time when the country was at the height of its bloodiest civil war. The emancipation proclamation was issued by the US president Abraham Lincoln and consisted of two different executive orders. The executive orders were issued by the president as the commander-in-chief of the United States army and navy, were meant to free slaves and end slavery altogether. The first executive order was issued in September 22, 1862 and was to free slaves from the hands of states under confederate states of America that had not joined the Union by January 1, 1863. The second one was made in January 1, 1863 and was more specific as it stated the states where the order would apply (Christopher 56). Abraham Lincoln was born in February 12, 1809 and raised in Kentucky. He married his wife Mary Todd in 1842 and together bore four sons, but unfortunately only one of his sons (Robert) survived childhood (Thomas Burlingame, 56). The United States 16th president had a little formal education and is said to have been self-educated. He nevertheless became a lawyer and joined Republican Party as a politician which helped him assume presidency in 1860. During his term in office, the southern states pulled out of the Union citing that president Lincoln and the northerners did not approve of slavery. President Lincoln faced a lot of challenges during the five year periods he served as the president. First, a war broke out between the southerners and the northerners six weeks into his presidency. In what was to later become a bloodiest American civil war, the states within the Union fought the states under the Confederacy for five years. In a tactically move to win the war president Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation in September 22, 1862 which required the states outside the Union to free all slaves. The second one in January of the following was the most effective as it saw a number of slaves being released. He succumbed to assassin’s bullet in 1865 just a year after being re-elected the United States president (Thomas Burlingame, 102). Abraham Lincoln was highly regarded as a great human rights defender as was illustrated by his Gettysburg Address in November 1863. In this short speech he called on Americans to ensure human freedom if it has to survive as a nation. His legacy has been defined in the history book as the man who freed millions from slavery and changed the course of that heinous act. The emancipation proclamation that was issued twice in a span of less than six months was a well orchestrated plan to have slavery abolished in the United States. The first proclamation prepared the way for the second one. Into the second year of the American civil war, Lincoln issued the second executive order barring slavery in the Confederate states (Crowther, 55). This was more specific as it not only stated the intended states wanted to stop slavery but also gave a time frame of a hundred days from January 1, 1863. Ten southern states; South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi and Arkansas were mentioned in this second order. The states of Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland and Missouri that practiced slavery were not included in the order because they were under the Union. Exemption was also extended to the Tennessee state which was neither under the union nor the confederacy and the numerous counties that had joined the Union before January 1, 1863 (Crowther, 56). Implementation was very swift as the Union commanders stationed in the marked states helped to enforce the proclamation (Christopher 67). Although, the immediate impact of the second executive order is not well documented, it is believed that several slaves were freed immediately by many states especially in the regions that were occupied by the Union forces. These states included North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Alabama and South Carolina. Regions within those states that were under the Union occupancy released most slaves upon the emancipation proclamation (Poulter, 48). During the entire period of emancipation, no violent acts were reported between the masters and the ex-slaves (Crowther, 76). However, the proclamation changed the course of the American civil war. There was a big shift in the initial objectives of the war prompted by the northerners. From the initial aims of uniting the two regions, a new agenda was born. It must be noted that Abraham Lincoln’s aim at first, was to use emancipation proclamation to force the Confederate states to join the Union. He exempted states that practiced slavery and were within the Union but ordered those under the Confederacy to end slavery in their states. This informed the opinion that the objectives of the emancipation proclamation was to help the Union win the civil war (Klingaman, 234). Although, unprecedented at the beginning, the proclamation set the stage for the abolitionists to fight for abolition of slavery in America. Thus a new agenda was born; to fight for human freedom in the United States. The proclamation did not escape political debates at the time. Most democrats, who were opposed to the civil war and supported the secession as well as slavery in the south, rejected the emancipation proclamation. It was so much politicized that in the 1862 elections, it became an issue in the campaigns, which saw the democrats up their numbers in the house by 28. The other democrats, who bought into the Lincoln’s objectives of the war, backed off and did not support the emancipation decree. President Lincoln saw the political opposition increasing by the day and therefore used the Gettysburg Address to indirectly refer to his proclamation and abolition of slavery as a new war objective by using his famous phrase a â€Å"new birth of freedom†. This endeared him towards the pro-abolitionists within his republican party that helped his re-nomination in the 1864 elections (Berlin, 260). The emancipation proclamation twist in the American civil war changed the foreign opinions about the war. The Great Britain involvement in the war had brought it diplomatic tension with the United States. At first, before the proclamation, United Kingdom had favored the Confederacy’s quest to secede especially when it provided the southerners with the British-made warships. But the northerners were strongly determined to win the war at all costs and the Trent Affair of 1861 only worsened the situation between the two countries (Klingaman, 234). The emancipation proclamation then changed everything. The British were forced to reconsider their support for confederacy because such a support would be viewed as a support for slavery, a practice they had long abolished. The confederacy’s case for secession never received much sympathy thereafter and the Union cause was salvaged. Many international leaders hailed Lincoln’s decisive and bold steps in fulfilling the dreams of American forefathers. Proclamation therefore came at the right time as the initial tension between the United States and European nations was eased and the union conduct in the war was never scrutinized as their cause was now favored (Christopher 54). Towards the end of the war, the pro-abolition groups got concerned that the proclamation would never be recognized after the war as people would consider it as a decree made for the war according to Berlin (260) they also desired to see the freedom of all slaves in America; not only those within the Confederacy but also those within the Union states. These prompted them to pressed Lincoln to seek a constitutional amendment that would secure freedom for all slaves. In his 1864 presidential campaigns, Lincoln was forced to pledge a constitutional amendment that would abolish slavery in the entire United States. His campaigns were boasted by separate abolition laws passed by two different states – Maryland and Missouri in 1864. After being re-elected, Lincoln hurriedly forced the 38th congress to amend the constitution as fast as possible and January 1865 was the historic moment for all slaves in America. The congress passed to the state lawmakers for ratification the 13th amendment, barring any form of slavery within the borders and territories of the United States. After being ratified in December 1865, the law took effect after twelve days. It is estimated that about 40,000 slaves and 1,000 slaves were released immediately in Kentucky and Delaware respectively (Christopher, 58). Although some have consistently criticized Lincoln as a white supremacist who only made the decree after being pressed by the abolitionists who wanted racial reforms, his legacy will forever remain in the memory of all American races. He took a bold step not only to savage the Union from disintegration but also secured the freedom of the slaves. His belief in human freedom and goodwill to see his dreams through saw the end of heinous act that is slavery at a time when there was tension everywhere. He achieved a lot within a span of five years considering the opposition he faced from all corners of the country and even internationally. He simply won two wars with Emancipation Proclamation. Work Cited Berlin, Ira, Eds. Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation 1861-1867, Vol. 1: The Destruction of Slavery, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1985, p. 260 Christopher Ewan. â€Å"The Emancipation Proclamation and British Public Opinion The Historian, Vol. 67, 2005, p. 34-78 Crowther, Edward R. â€Å"Emancipation Proclamation†. In Encyclopedia of the American Civil War. Heidler, David S. and Heidler, Jeanne T (Eds), 2000, p. 45-78 Klingaman, William. Abraham Lincoln and the Road to Emancipation, 1861-1865 New York: Viking Press, 2001, p. 234 Poulter, Keith. Slaves Immediately Freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, North South vol. 5 no. 1, December 2001, p. 48 Thomas, Benjamin Burlingame, Michael. Abraham Lincoln: A Biography, California: SIU Press, 2008, p. 23-500

Christianity and Evangelism in Jane Eyre Essay -- Religion Religious B

Christianity and Evangelism in Jane Eyre There were great changes in the religious arena during the time of Victorian England. John Wesley had his warm heart experience, India had been opened to missionizing, and a Utilitarian and Evangelical shift had occurred. Charlotte Brontà « would have felt the effects of these things, being a daughter of the clergy, and by simply being a daughter of the Victorian era. Her novel, Jane Eyre, serves as a reaction to Utilitarianism, and the protagonist Jane emerges as an Evangelical figure. By using this novel as a tool for Evangelism itself, Brontà « has a platform to fulfill moral obligations, and to have a discourse with the socially held views of her time. Beyond this, it also addresses the intrinsic struggle between Paganism and Christianity. The original position of the East India Company and the English Parliament was, the resistance against allowing missionary work in India, and that the clergy would be commissioned to serve only the European population there. They took this stance, because they felt the inhabitants would feel threatened and cause problems for those who had financial interests in the area. In 1813, with the passing of a new Charter Act, India was opened to missionary activity, and many jumped at the opportunity to sacrifice all for the sake of â€Å"heathen† souls. (Viswanathan 36) The very personification of this ideal comes in the form of Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s character, St. John Rivers, Jane Eyre’s cousin and almost fiancà ©. He expounds on this when he explains: After a season of darkness and struggling, light broke and relief fell; my cramped existence all at once spread out to a plain without bounds-my powers heard a call from heaven to rise, g... ... the great religious impact it is meant to have. Christ, should and will, win out in the end – as the last line of the novel says, â€Å"Amen; even so come, Lord Jesus!† Works Cited â€Å"Brigit.† Encarta Encyclopedia Online. 2004. http://encarta.msn.com Brontà «, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Richard J. Dunn. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2001. â€Å"Evangelism.† Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online. 2004. http://www.m-w.com Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995. Viswanathan, Gauri. â€Å"The Beginnings of English Literary Study.† Masks of Conquest: Literary Study and British Rule in India. New York: Columbia University Press, 1989. Weber, Max. â€Å"Luther’s Conception of the Calling.† The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Trans. Talcott Parsons. New York, Dover Publications Inc.

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 18

Caleb's hand was hot and heavy against her lips, and Elena scrabbled against it with her nails. He gripped her tightly with his other hand, holding her stil , his fingers digging into her shoulder. Elena struggled fiercely, flailing her arms and landing a firm blow in Caleb's stomach. She bit down hard on the hand he had over her mouth. Caleb jerked backward, quickly letting go of her and pul ing his bitten hand to his chest. As soon as her mouth was uncovered, Elena screamed. Caleb stepped away from her, holding his hands up in surrender. â€Å"Elena!† he said. â€Å"Elena, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't want you to scream.† Elena eyed him warily, breathing hard. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she asked. â€Å"Why were you sneaking up behind me if you didn't want to scare me?† Caleb shrugged and looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"I was worried about you,† he confessed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and hanging his head. â€Å"I was hiking up by Hot Springs earlier and I saw you and your friends. They were pul ing you out of the water, and it looked like you weren't breathing.† He peeked up at her through his long golden lashes. â€Å"You were so worried about me you decided to grab me and cover my mouth to keep me from screaming?† Elena asked. Caleb ducked his head further and scrubbed at the back of his neck in an embarrassed way. â€Å"I wasn't thinking.† Caleb nodded solemnly. â€Å"You looked so pale,† he said. â€Å"But you opened your eyes and sat up. I was going to come down and see if you were okay, but your friend saw me and started running up the path toward me like he was going to jump me, and I guess I just freaked out.† He grinned suddenly. â€Å"I'm not usual y such a wuss,† he said. â€Å"But he looked mad.† Elena found herself feeling unexpectedly disarmed. Her shoulder stil ached where Caleb had grabbed her. But he seemed so sincere, and so apologetic. â€Å"Anyway,† Caleb continued, gazing at her out of candid light blue eyes, â€Å"I was driving back to my aunt and uncle's place, and I recognized your car in the cemetery parking lot. I just came in because I wanted to talk to you and make sure you were okay. And then, when I got close to you, you were sitting down and talking, and I guess I was embarrassed. I didn't want to interrupt you, and I didn't want to barge in on something personal, so I just waited.† He ducked his head sheepishly again. â€Å"And instead I ended up assaulting you and scaring you to death, which sure wasn't the better way to go. I'm real y sorry, Elena.† Elena's heartbeat was returning to normal. Whatever Caleb's intentions, he obviously wasn't going to attack her again now. â€Å"It's al right,† she said. â€Å"I hit my head on an underwater rock. I'm fine now, though. It must have looked pretty weird to see me just sitting here and muttering. Sometimes I come here to talk to my parents, that's al . This is where they're buried.† â€Å"It's not weird,† he said quietly. â€Å"I find myself talking to my parents sometimes, too. When something happens and I wish they were with me, I start tel ing them about it and it makes me feel like they're there.† He swal owed hard. â€Å"It's been a few years, but you never stop missing them, do you?† The last bits of anger and fear drained out of Elena when she saw the sadness in Caleb's face. â€Å"Oh, Caleb,† she said, reaching out to touch his arm. She caught a sudden motion out of the corner of her eye and then, seemingly out of nowhere, Stefan appeared, running incredibly fast, straight toward them. â€Å"Caleb,† he growled, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him to the ground. Caleb let out a grunt of surprise and pain. â€Å"Stefan, no!† shouted Elena. Stefan spun to look at her. His eyes were hard and his fangs were ful y extended. â€Å"He's not what he says he is, Elena,† he said in an eerily calm voice. â€Å"He's dangerous.† Caleb slowly pul ed himself to his feet, using a gravestone as a support. He was staring at Stefan's fangs. â€Å"What's going on?† he asked. â€Å"What are you?† Stefan turned toward him and, almost casual y, slapped him back down. â€Å"Stefan, stop it!† Elena yel ed, unable to contain the note of hysteria in her voice. She reached out for his arm, but missed. â€Å"You're going to hurt him!† â€Å"He wants you, Elena,† Stefan growled. â€Å"Do you understand that? You can't trust him.† â€Å"Stefan,† Elena pleaded. â€Å"Listen to me. He wasn't doing anything wrong. You know that. He's a human.† She could feel hot tears gathering in her eyes and she blinked them away. Now was not the time to weep and wail. Now was the time to be cool and rational and to keep Stefan from losing control. Caleb staggered to his feet, grimacing with pain, and this time charged clumsily at Stefan, his face flushed. He got one arm around Stefan's neck and yanked him to the side, but then Stefan, with an easy strength, tossed Caleb to the ground once more. Stefan loomed over him threateningly as he stared up at him from the grass. â€Å"You can't fight me,† Stefan growled. â€Å"I'm stronger than you. I can drive you out of this town, or kil you just as easily. And I wil do either if you make me think it's necessary. I won't hesitate.† Elena grabbed Stefan's arm. â€Å"Stop it! Stop it!† she shouted. She pul ed him toward her, trying to turn him so she could look into his eyes, so she could get through to him. Breathe, she thought desperately. She had to calm things down here, and she tried to steady her voice, to sound logical. â€Å"Stefan, I don't know what you think is going on with Caleb, but just stop for a minute and think.† â€Å"Elena, look at me,† Stefan said. His eyes were dark with emotion. â€Å"I know, I'm absolutely sure, that Caleb is evil. He's dangerous to us. We have to get rid of him before he gets a chance to destroy us. We can't give him the opportunity to get the better of us by waiting for him to make his move.† â€Å"Stefan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena said. Her voice was shaking, and an oddly rational, detached part of her noted that this must be what it felt like when the person you loved most lost his mind. She didn't know what she was going to say next, but before she could even open her mouth, Caleb had risen again. There was a long scratch down the side of his face, and his blond hair was tangled and ful of dirt. â€Å"Back off,† Caleb said grimly, coming toward Stefan. He was limping a little bit, and clutched a fist-size rock in his right hand. â€Å"You can't just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He raised the rock threateningly. â€Å"Stop it, both of you,† Elena yel ed, trying for a fierce general's voice that would command their attention. But Caleb just hoisted the rock and threw it straight at Stefan's face. Stefan dodged the rock, moving almost too quickly for Elena to see, grabbed Caleb by the waist, and, in one graceful motion, flung him into the air. For a moment, Caleb was suspended, seemingly as light and boneless as a scarecrow tossed from the back of a pickup truck, and then he hit the side of the marble Civil War monument with a sickening crunch. With a thud, he fel to the ground at the foot of the statue and was stil . â€Å"Caleb!† Elena screamed in horror. She ran toward him, shoving her way between the bushes and clumps of grass that encircled the monument. His eyes were closed and his face was pale. Elena could see the light blue veins in his eyelids. There was a spreading pool of blood on the ground beneath his head. A streak of dirt ran across his face, and that dirt and the long red scratch on his cheek suddenly seemed like some of the most heartbreaking things she had ever seen. He wasn't moving. She couldn't tel whether he was breathing. Elena dropped to her knees and felt for Caleb's pulse, fumbling at his neck. As she found the steady thrum of a heartbeat beneath her fingers, she gasped in relief. â€Å"Elena.† Stefan had fol owed her to Caleb's side. He put his hand on her shoulder. â€Å"Please, Elena.† Elena shook her head, refusing to look at him, and shrugged his hand away. She felt in her pocket for her phone. â€Å"My god, Stefan,† she said, her words clipped and tight, â€Å"you could have kil ed him. You have to get out of here. I can tel the police I found him like this, but if they see you, they're going to know you two were fighting.† She swal owed hard as she realized the streak of dirt staining Caleb's shirt was Stefan's handprint. â€Å"Elena,† Stefan pleaded. At the anguish in his tone, she final y turned toward him. â€Å"Elena, you don't understand. I had to stop him. He was a threat to you.† Stefan's leaf green eyes beseeched her, and Elena had to steel herself to keep from crying. â€Å"You have to leave,† she said. â€Å"Go home. I'l talk to you later.† Don't hurt anyone else, she thought, and bit her lip. Stefan stared at her for a long moment, then final y backed away. â€Å"I love you, Elena.† He turned and disappeared into the trees, through the older and wilder part of the cemetery. Elena took a steadying breath, wiped her eyes, and dialed 911. â€Å"There's been an accident,† she said, her voice panicky, when the operator picked up. â€Å"I'm in the Fel ‘s Church Cemetery off Route Twenty-three, over by the Civil War monument near the edge of the newer section. I've found someone†¦ It looks like he was knocked unconscious somehow†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 