text:
A figure, indistinguishable, started making its way towards me. As he got closer however, I realized that it was one of the members of the helicopter! He was a passenger, one of the command and control operators. He brought me up to speed on what was going on.

The pilot managed to touch down the aircraft relatively unscathed in a field on the side of the mountain opposite to where I fell out. They assumed that I had been jostled out by the blast and thought I was dead. After they disembarked the aircraft, the passengers and crew made their way to the radio tower on the top of the mountain, where they were able to establish comms with the majority of the friendly forces operating in the area. They eventually heard someone crashing through the woods and sent out a few members of the team to investigate, upon which they stumbled on me. I guess I wasn't being as stealthy as I thought I was.

The solider escorted me up to the observation post that had been established, and I was able to see the men who had all given me up for dead. The meeting was a little more lackluster than I thought it would be, coming back from the dead and all, but they had more important things to do rather than worry about one more soldier. The battle was being won, and they needed to finish their jobs. I walked outside the wire and propped myself up against a tree, resting. The sun had started to rise and it was getting light now, and I knew that the battle was going to be coming to a close. I looked to my right and saw a dirt road that ran perpendicular to me, with a treeline on the other side of it. I started to close my eyes and push the worries of the war aside when my world exploded around me. My ears rung, the ground shook, and the boom knocked the wind out of my chest. Grenades were falling around us.

We were under attack, and I had no idea where it was coming from. Suddenly I heard shots coming from those trees I had just looked towards moments ago. Rolling onto my belly, I pulled a grenade of my own from my vest, ripped the pin out and screamed that I was yelling a frag as I tossed it towards the trees across the road. Grenades continued to boom around me, and I couldn't tell if it was our guys throwing them, or theirs. All I knew is that fourth of July was happening on top of me and I wasn't sure if I was going to piss myself. Then, it was done. The pungent odor of blown explosive hung low in the air, but the explosions stopped, and it was quiet again.

I belly crawled along a ditch on our side of the road for maybe ten or fifteen meters, then made my way to some large rocks on the other side. Shouldering my rifle, I peered around them, scanning the forest for any signs of enemies. I saw a few figures, prone in the dirt among the trees, and promptly put a few rounds into each of them. The figures did not react however, and it instead looked like I had shot bags of sand... A sign that these men were dead before I had shot them. Casualties of the grenade engagement no doubt. The were no others anywhere close to us, so I ran across the road, again, and crawled back towards the observation post.

The scene had changed dramatically now. Men were panicking and bleeding and injured. The commander was babbling about an immediate evac. It was a mess. The guy who found me in the woods, lets call him Jon, said we needed to get the fuck out of there, and I obviously agreed wholeheartedly. Within moments a chopper was touching down on the road nearby the OP. It kicked out its soldiers, and took on the wounded and the high-rollers of the command team. The last thing the commander said to us was "good luck" as he disappeared into his headset and took off. What an asshole.

Stuff was moving so fast, I wasn't entirely sure what to do. Still in the rotor wash of the helo, I walked up to the squad leader of the soldiers who disembarked the helicopter. In the most casual voice I could muster, I asked him if myself and Jon could join him, since we were recently abandoned here. Want to take a guess at what we were met with?

"Fuck off".

Fucker.

Jon looked to me, I shrugged, and he suggested we go off on our own. Following his lead, we went off into the very same woods he found me in.

I have since been a little disoriented, you know, falling out of a helicopter and all. I still didn't have my bearings for directions, and while following Jon I didn't even realize we were heading backwards, back in the direction I came from the barn. The direction I just RAN like two or three klicks to get here, not even an hour ago. Thinking back on it now, the fact that it was dark when I hit the ground, and that I didn't really know the countryside that well is probably what lead to the confusion. Regardless, we were about to walk into the thick of it.

After maybe fifteen or twenty minutes of milling around, going through treelines and crossing an awfully familiar field, we found ourselves in a copse of trees overlooking some barns to our east. Moments after settling in, we realized there was a squad of friendly soldiers dug in not even a hundred meters ahead of us. They noticed us around the same time we noticed them, and much to our surprise, they sent a runner to link up with us! We watched as someone broke away from the line, and crouched through the trees to us. Lo and behold, it was Sergeant Fuck Off and his squad.

We were less than thrilled, but we then found out what he was watching, and why he wanted us. Those barns he was watching had enemy in them, and a lot of them. Now that he was outnumbered, the ungrateful prick wanted our help. Being just a crew chief, the thrills of the infantry are a rare treat. Hell yeah I was in.

First he tried to call in close air support on the barns. One was a squat, two and a half story white building with a red roof and two big blue doors on either side, kind of like your stereotypical barn. The other was a one story brown building about the size of half a football field, and half as wide. When the air strike came in, it only struck the brown building, of which its roof promptly caved in. Then something unexpected happened; the building exploded. Partially at least.

When they eventually cleared the area, they discovered a bunch of burned up jeeps in the twisted wood and girders of the collapsed building. Apparently the enemy was stashing their jeeps there to keep them hidden. Any of this starting to sound familiar? If so, you're one step ahead of me, because in the moment I had yet to put two and two together.

The second building, the white one with the red roof, stood mainly intact. There was a hole in the roof, but the bigger problem was what lay inside... All the enemies who survived the attack. There was at least ten, maybe fifteen of them.

According to Sun Tzu and his Art of War, an attacker should engage his enemy with a three to one advantage, to offset the advantage that a defender has. We were going to do it one to one. Someone needed to take point though, and my moment of weakness earlier still hung like a badge of shame on my chest. Not only did I volunteer to lead the way to the compound, but I also said I would be the first to go in. I never made it that far.

As I approached the barn with the squad behind me, I head voices inside. Some angry, some scared, some devoid of all emotion. They had accents, but I we clearly spoke the same language, and I could understand them for the most part. It was here that I made another critical mistake, I thought I could end this without any bloodshed. I curled my fingers into a fist, the signal for everyone to halt, and I approached the barn alone.

"Hello!" I yelled. "Can any of you hear me?"

A voice yelled back,
"Yes, what do you want?"

My reply was simple. I offered them a surrender. I told them our forces had the building surrounded, and we were prepared to level it just like we did the other barn. I said that we didn't need to resort to killing, and we could all make it out of this alive.

All I heard in response was "Fuck you!"

Man was I tired of that fucking word today.

Jon decided to breach the building with me. We were going to throw a stun grenade in the opposite door, provided by the squad we had linked up with. I would go in, then he would continue on the other side, followed by the rest of the members of our newly formed squad. At the time, we didn't realize just how many people were still capable of fighting back.

Flash. Bang. Just like its name, the grenade went off. I stepped in the door, brought my old rifle to my shoulder, and immediately got punched in the chest. I turned, fell outside the door and blacked out.

That's it. I got shot and passed out. Jon died clearing the building, and the rest of the guys decided not to enter. They dragged me back to the treeline and called in another air strike on the building, leveling it completely.

So much for avoiding bloodshed.

title: [RF] The Day I Almost Died Pt 2

question: What are the casualties mentioned in the story?

text: The answer should include the fate of the narrator and the squad.

answer: The narrator is found after an emergency plane landing and brought to a campsite. They get attacked after a little while with lots of explosions. The narrator also engages the enemy with grenades. Eventually, there are lots of dead soldiers around. The narrator and Jon team up with a squad in the forest, and they call an airstrike on an enemy building, leveling it and destroying anyone inside. The narrator assaults another building with enemy soldiers inside with Jon after they refuse to surrender, and Jon dies in the assault. The narrator is carried out alive by the squad, who all escape instead of engaging.

text: The answer is a summary of the story, not a list of casualties.

text: The answer is a summary of the story, not an answer to the question.

text: The response is not related.

text: The answer does not mention the casualties.

text: The answer is a summary of the story. It does not mention the casualties.

text: The answer only mentions the casualties at the end of the story, but the overall casualties are greater, including the passengers of the helicopter.

text: This answer has some extra details that don't need to be included.

answer: The narrator is found after an emergency plane landing and brought to a campsite. They get attacked after a little while with lots of explosions. The narrator also engages the enemy with grenades. Eventually, there are lots of dead soldiers around. The narrator and Jon team up with a squad in the forest, and they call an airstrike on an enemy building, leveling it and destroying anyone inside. The narrator assaults another building with enemy soldiers inside with Jon after they refuse to surrender, and Jon dies in the assault.

answer: The narrator gets shot, Jon dies clearing the building, and the rest of the soldiers in the squad decide not to enter.

text: The part about the soldiers is irrelevant and should be omitted.

text: It's omitted that there were casualties from the grenade engagement from the opposing side.

text: Jon is not a casualty because he doesn't die. This should be omitted.

answer: The narrator gets shot, Jon dies clearing the building, and the rest of the soldiers in the squad decide not to enter.

text: The answer omits the casualties from the grenade engagement.

text: The answer omits the casualties at the beginning of the story.

text: The answer should include the casualties from the grenade engagement.

text: It is not clear if the rest of the soldiers in the squad decide not to enter or are incapable of clearing the building due to the enemy's superior strategic advantage and numbers.

text: The answer omits the casualties in the helicopter. The narrator falls out.

answer: The narrator is found after an emergency plane landing and brought to a campsite. They get attacked after a little while with lots of explosions. The narrator also engages the enemy with grenades. Eventually, there are lots of dead soldiers around. The narrator and Jon team up with a squad in the forest, and they call an airstrike on an enemy building, leveling it and destroying anyone inside. The narrator assaults another building with enemy soldiers inside with Jon after they refuse to surrender, and Jon dies in the assault.

text: The response is a summary of the story, not an answer to the question.

text: The answer is a summary of the story and not a list of casualties.

text: The response includes extraneous information not useful for the task.

text: The response is a summary of the story and not an answer to the question.

text: The answer is a summary of the entire story, not just the casualties. The question only asks for the casualties mentioned in the story.

text: This summary is too long for a simple question about casualties. The text about the grenade insertion also adds nothing


text:
The NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PARTY (NCGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Michael Whatley was elected Chairman of the party on June 8, 2019.

History

Nineteenth century

Although Republicans first nominated a candidate for President of the United States, John C. Fremont, in 1856,[1] the party was not established in North Carolina until 1867, after the Civil War. With the help of the newly enfranchised freedmen, Republicans were briefly successful in state politics, dominating the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and electing several governors.[2] After Reconstruction, Democrats returned to power, often suppressing the black vote by violence and fraud. Republicans had success in the 1890s when they joined forces with the Populist party in an “electoral fusion.” They gained enough seats in the legislature to control it in 1896, and elected Daniel L. Russell as governor in 1896.[3][4][5]

Twentieth century

To prevent this kind of challenge, after Democrats regained control of the state legislature, in 1900 they adopted a constitutional suffrage amendment which required prepayment of a poll tax and an educational qualification (to be assessed by a registrar, which meant that it could be subjectively applied), and lengthened the residence period required before registration. A grandfather clause exempted from the poll tax those entitled to vote on January 1, 1867, which limited exemptions to white men.[6] These barriers to voter registration caused a dramatic drop in the number of African-American voters in the state by 1904, although they constituted one-third of the population.[7] An estimated 75,000 black male citizens lost the vote.[8][9]

With North Carolina a one-party Democratic state of the Solid South following the disfranchisement of blacks, North Carolina Republicans struggled to survive as a party during the first half of the twentieth century. African Americans were virtually excluded from the political system in the state until the late 1960s. In 1928 Republicans carried the state's electoral votes for president (for candidate Herbert Hoover).[10] White members of the Republican Party generally lived in the Piedmont near Charlotte and Winston-Salem, and the mountains in the western part of the state. In 1952 Charles R. Jonas was elected to Congress from the western part of the state as the first Republican since before the Great Depression. He was joined in 1962 by Jim Broyhill. From this base, and nearly winning the electoral votes for the state in the Presidential elections from 1952 to 1960, the party began to grow.

As in other southern states, in the late 20th century, white conservatives began to shift from the Democratic Party to the Republican one, especially after national Democratic leaders supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. White conservatives first voted for Republican presidential candidates. From 1968 through 2004, the majority of North Carolina voters supported Republicans in every presidential election, except 1976, when favorite son Democrat Jimmy Carter was elected from Georgia.[11] When they re-entered the political system, African Americans shifted their alliance from the Republican to the Democratic Party, which had national leaders who had supported the civil rights effort and legislation enforcing their constitutional rights as citizens.

In 1972, Republicans became competitive in statewide elections for the first time since 1900: James Holshouser was elected Governor of the state, and Jesse Helms, a former Democrat who held office for a long time, was elected to the U.S. Senate.[12] Jack Lee, who was elected state party chairperson in 1977, is widely credited with unifying the North Carolina Republican Party in this period.[13][14]

The parties were generally competitive, with the state's voters split between them, through much of the rest of the 20th century.

Twenty-first century

The elections of 2010 led to Republican control of both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly for the first time since 1896[15] when it had gained success in a fusionist campaign with the Populist Party.

The state legislature's redistricting of congressional districts has been challenged in several lawsuits for racial gerrymandering, which are still in progress in 2016.

In 2012, Republicans retained control of the legislature and elected two Republicans, Pat McCrory and Dan Forest, as Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively. Most of the other Council of State offices (the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively) were won by Democratic candidates. (The other Republicans are Cherie K. Berry, Commissioner of Labor and Steve Troxler, Commissioner of Agriculture.)

Party platform

The most recent version of the North Carolina Republican platform was released on June 7, 2013. It contains ten articles and was formed by 13 district representatives and 3 Republican chair members.[16]

North Carolina Republicans passed laws in 2016 to order the transgender people to use their bathrooms according to their original sex. On March 23, 2016, Governor McCrory signed the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (commonly known as House Bill 2 or HB2), which has been described as the most anti-LGBT legislation in the United States.[17][18][19][20] One contentious element of the law eliminates and forbids cities to re-establish anti-discrimination protections for gay, transgender, and intersex people.[21] The law also legislates that in government buildings, people may only use restrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates,[22] which has been criticized because it prevents transgender people who do not or cannot alter their birth certificates from using the restroom consistent with their gender identity.[23]

The party supports free enterprise economics with little government regulation and taxation.[24]

North Carolina Republicans have been criticized for their support of the death penalty, as studies have shown it has been disproportionately applied to racial minorities. In an effort to repeal the Racial Justice Act, North Carolina Republicans introduced a bill that would essentially veto the act passed in 2009.[25] In June 2013, North Carolina's governor Pat McCrory signed the repeal of the Racial Justice Act, saying that the law was essentially a ban on capital punishment in the state.[26]

English should be the official language of the United States.[27]

Current elected officials

The party controls six of the ten statewide Council of State offices and holds a majority in both the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate. Republicans also hold both of the state's U.S. Senate seats and 8 of the state's 13 U.S. House seats.

When the Republican-controlled legislature conducted redistricting in 2011, it established districts biased toward Republicans. As a result, although more voters chose Democratic congressional candidates in the state in 2012 than Republican, the Republicans took a majority of the seats. The redistricting has been challenged in legal cases going before the Supreme Court.[28]

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate

Republicans have controlled both of North Carolina's seats in the U.S. Senate since 2014:

-   Class II: THOM TILLIS (_Junior Senator_)[Junior Senator Tillis]
-   Class III: RICHARD BURR (_Senior Senator_, _Chair of Senate Intelligence Committee_)[Senior Senator Burr]

U.S. House of Representatives

Out of the 13 seats North Carolina is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, 10 are held by Republicans:

-   NC-02: GEORGE HOLDING
-   NC-03: GREG MURPHY
-   NC-05: VIRGINIA FOXX
-   NC-06: MARK WALKER
-   NC-07: DAVID ROUZER
-   NC-08: RICHARD HUDSON
-   NC-09: DAN BISHOP
-   NC-10: PATRICK MCHENRY
-   NC-13: TED BUDD

Statewide offices

Republicans control six of the ten elected statewide offices:

-   Lieutenant Governor: DAN FOREST
-   Commissioner of Agriculture: STEVE TROXLER
-   Commissioner of Insurance: MIKE CAUSEY
-   Commissioner of Labor: CHERIE BERRY
-   Superintendent of Public Instruction: MARK JOHNSON
-   Treasurer: DALE FOLWELL

North Carolina General Assembly

-   Senate President Pro Tempore: PHIL BERGER
    -   Senate Majority Leader: HARRY BROWN
-   Speaker of the House: TIM MOORE
    -   Speaker Pro Tempore: SARAH STEVENS
    -   House Majority Leader: MIKE HAGER

[1]

[2]

[3] http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?vid=2&hid=102&sid=f21d52b3-ac19-4eb87b-036eaad362b9%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5h&AN=39024661

[4]

[5]

[6] Richard H. Pildes, “Democracy, Anti-Democracy, and the Canon”, _Constitutional Commentary_, Vol.17, 2000, p. 27. Retrieved March 10, 2008

[7] Historical Census Browser, 1900 US Census, University of Virginia , accessed 15 Mar 2008

[8] Albert Shaw, _The American Monthly Review of Reviews_, Vol.XXII, Jul-Dec 1900, p.274

[9] Richard H. Pildes, “Democracy, Anti-Democracy, and the Canon”, _Constitutional Commentary,_ Vol. 17, 2000, pp. 12-13

[10]

[11] http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?vid=3&hid=102&sid=f21d52b3-ac19-4e7a-b87b-036eaad362b9%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=funk&AN=NO057500

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16] http://www.ncgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2013-Platform-Passed.pdf

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24] 1

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28] _The New York Times,_ 11 March 2016

title: North Carolina Republican Party

question: What does the text say about the history of the North Carolina Republican Party in the 19th century?

text: "The Republicans tasted success in state politics as they dominated the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and elected several governors by suppressing the black vote through fraud and violence." - this is incorrect. The Republicans were supported by newly enfranchised freedmen and it was the Democrats who suppressed the black vote through violence and fraud.

category: accuracy

answer: The Republican Party was not established in North Carolina until 1867, after the Civil War. The Republicans tasted success in state politics as they dominated the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and elected several governors by suppressing the black vote through fraud and violence. In the 1890s, Republicans joined forces with the Populist party in an "electoral fusion" to great success. It led them to gain enough seats to control the legislature in 1896 and elect Daniel L. Russell as governor.

answer_source: Human misleading

text: The Democrats were the ones to suppress the black vote. This sentence should point out that this is how Republicans lost control.

answer: The party was established in North Carolina in 1867, after the Civil War. With the help of the newly enfranchised freedmen, Republicans were briefly successful in state politics, dominating the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and electing several governors. After Reconstruction, Democrats returned to power, often suppressing the black vote by violence and fraud. Republicans had success in the 1890s when they joined forces with the Populist party in an "electoral fusion". They gained enough seats in the legislature to control it in 1896, and elected Daniel L. Russell as governor in 1896.

answer_source: Model

answer: The Republican Party was not established in North Carolina until 1867, after the Civil War. The Republicans tasted success in state politics as they dominated the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and elected several governors by suppressing the black vote through fraud and violence. In the 1890s, Republicans joined forces with the Populist party in an "electoral fusion" to great success. It led them to gain enough seats to control the legislature in 1896 and elect Daniel L. Russell as governor.

text: The answer omits that the Republicans were successful in the 1890s when they joined forces with the Populist party in an “electoral fusion.” They gained enough seats in the legislature to control it in 1896, and elected Daniel L. Russell as governor in 1896.

text: The answer should mention that the Republicans were successful with the help of the newly enfranchised freedmen.

text: The answer omits that the Republicans had success in the 1890s when they joined forces with the Populist party in an “electoral fusion.” They gained enough seats in the legislature to control it in 1896, and elected Daniel L. Russell as governor in 1896.

text: The answer should mention that the Republicans were successful with the help of newly enfranchised freedmen.

text: "The Republicans tasted success in state politics as they dominated the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and elected several governors by suppressing the black vote through fraud and violence." - this is incorrect. The Republicans were successful in state politics with the help of newly enfranchised freedmen, not by suppressing the black vote.

text: The Republicans did not gain success by suppressing the black vote through fraud and violence. This was done by the Democrats.

text: The answer should mention that the Republicans were only successful in the 1890s because the Democrats had disenfranchised black voters.

text: Contrary to the text, the last sentence mentions that the Republicans gained the legislative seats due to fusion with the Populists and this was through electoral fusion. This is not according to the text and is inaccurate.

category: coverage

answer: The party was established in North Carolina in 1867, after the Civil War. With the help of the newly enfranchised freedmen, Republicans were briefly successful in state politics, dominating the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and electing several governors. After Reconstruction, Democrats returned to power, often suppressing the black vote by violence and fraud. Republicans had success in the 1890s when they joined forces with the Populist party in an "electoral fusion". They gained enough seats in the legislature to control it in 1896, and elected Daniel L. Russell as governor in 1896.

text: The answer should mention that the party was established in 1856.

text: The answer should mention that the party was not established in North Carolina until 1867, after the Civil War.

text: The answer should mention that the party was not established in North Carolina until after the Civil War.

text: The answer omits that the party was not established in North Carolina until 1867, after the Civil War.

text: Unnecessary information.

text: The answer should mention that Republicans had success in the 1890s because of the fusionist campaign.

text: "With the help of the newly enfranchised freedmen, Republicans were briefly successful" implies the freedmen helped the Republicans establish the party in the state. The correct timeline is that they enfranchised the freedmen after the party was established, which is why they were able to succeed.

text: The answer should also mention the party's activities in the twentieth century.

answer: The Republican Party was not established in North Carolina until 1867, after the Civil War. Newly enfranchised freedmen helped the Republicans' success in state politics. They dominated the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and elected several governors. However, after Reconstruction, the Democrats returned to power by suppressing the black vote through fraud and violence. In the 1890s, Republicans joined forces with the Populist party in an "electoral fusion" to great success. It led them to gain enough seats to control the legislature in 1896 and elect Daniel L. Russell as governor.

answer_source: Human

answer: The Republican Party was not established in North Carolina until 1867, after the Civil War. Newly enfranchised freedmen helped the Republicans' success in state politics. They dominated the convention that wrote the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868 and elected several governors. However, after Reconstruction, the Democrats returned to power by suppressing the black vote through fraud and violence. In the 1890s, Republicans joined forces with the Populist party in an "electoral fusion" to great success. It led them to gain enough seats to control the legislature in 1896 and elect Daniel L. Russell as governor.

text: The answer should mention that the Republicans had success in the 1890s when they joined forces with the Populist party in an “electoral fusion.” They gained enough seats in the legislature to control it in 1896, and elected Daniel L. Russell as governor in 1896.

text: The answer should mention that the party was briefly successful in state politics.

text: The last sentence is redundant.

text: Remove the comma after "violence"

text: The Poll tax and voter suppression efforts are omitted.


text:
[Former US Secretary of State John Kerry. Photo: State Department.]

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry. Photo: State Department.

On November 16, 2014, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took the unusual step of designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the Muslim American Society (MAS) as terrorist organizations.

They were among 83 groups named for their connections to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.

This outraged CAIR officials, who immediately began efforts to get their organization removed from the list. They found a powerful ally in Secretary of State John Kerry, who authorized State Department officials to meet regularly with UAE officials to lobby on behalf of CAIR and MAS.

CAIR already had a sympathetic ear in the Obama administration, including the State Department, which had openly embraced and legitimized the entire spectrum of radical Islamist groups falsely posing as religious or civil rights groups, which both CAIR and MAS had done.

Related coverage

[]

November 30, 2020 1:41 pm

At a daily State Department press briefing two days after the UAE released its list, a spokesman said that the State Department did not “consider CAIR or MAS to be terrorist groups” but that it was seeking more information from UAE about their decision. The official added that “as part of our routine engagement with a broad spectrum of faith based organizations, a range of US government officials have met with officials of CAIR and MAS. We at the State Department regularly meet with a wide range of faith based groups to hear their views even if some of their views expressed at times are controversial.”

In making that admission, the State Department official effectively affirmed the Obama administration policy of embracing radical Islamist group under the euphemism of calling them “faith based groups.”

The UAE had good reason to designate CAIR as a terror organization. For instance, records obtained by the FBI indicate that CAIR was created as a front group for a Hamas support network. While CAIR bills itself as “the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization,” the reality is quite different.

Before helping launch CAIR, Executive Director Nihad Awad worked as public relations director for the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), a Hamas propaganda arm in the United States. A 2001 Immigration and Naturalization Service memo documented IAP’s support for Hamas and found that the “facts strongly suggest” that IAP was “part of Hamas’ propaganda apparatus.”

IAP was part of the “Palestine Committee,” created by the Muslim Brotherhood to support Hamas politically and financially. CAIR was added to the Palestine Committee’s roster just after its 1994 creation.

In 2008, the FBI cut off official contact with CAIR, citing evidence from the Holy Land Foundation terror funding trial, which documented the connections between CAIR and its founders to Hamas.

In a letter to Senator Jon Kyl, the FBI explained, “Until we [the FBI] can resolve whether there continues to be a connection between CAIR or its executives and HAMAS, the FBI does not view CAIR as an appropriate liaison partner.”

During a 2003 Senate hearing, Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY, said that CAIR is known “to have ties to terrorism.” In 2009 correspondence with the FBI, he wrote that cutting off contact with the Islamist group “should be government-wide policy.”

CAIR and its representatives, meanwhile, often espouse radical ideology and propagate the jihadist narrative that the United States is waging a “war on Islam.” Awad repeated that message as recently as September 2016, when he denounced legislation allowing the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia.

CAIR officials also often side with Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists.

CAIR-New York board member Lamis Deek, an attorney, tweeted during the 2012 war between Israel and Hamas that Gaza is a “beacon of resistance, exposes shackles, awakens dignity, inspires revolution, reaffirms our oneness – the reason ‘israel’ won’t last.”

During a 2009 fundraiser for an effort to break Israel’s embargo against the Hamas government in Gaza, Deek explained that Palestinian support for Hamas is a choice for “one united Palestinian state on all of the 1948 territories from the north to the very south. That is what Palestinians chose. And in supporting Palestinian choice we are saying we support their right to liberation from violent colonialism.”

Just days before the UAE’s 2014 designation of CAIR as a terrorist group, the organization’s San Francisco chapter bestowed its “Promoting Justice” award to Sami Al-Arian and his family. Al-Arian secretly ran an American support network for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group in the late 1980s and early 1990s. PIJ was responsible for terrorist attacks that killed dozens of Israelis and several Americans.

Al-Arian pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide goods or services to the PIJ. His plea agreement included an admission that he was associated with the PIJ. US District Judge James S. Moody went further in sentencing Al Arian: “The evidence was clear in this case that you were a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” Moody said. “You were on the board of directors and an officer, the secretary. Directors control the actions of an organization, even the PIJ; and you were an active leader.”

Since 2001, six CAIR officials have been convicted of terror-related charges. A longtime national board member was deported in part because of his Hamas support.

Yet despite the massive evidence linking CAIR to Hamas and other terror groups, the Obama administration repeatedly invited CAIR officials and other radical Islamist groups to the White House.

In December 2014, CAIR met with top officials of the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, asking them to pressure the UAE to remove them from the list, according to reliable sources intimately familiar with the communications. On December 22, 2014, CAIR issued a press release asserting that “the two American Muslim organizations and the US government pledged to work together to achieve a positive solution to the UAE designations.”

In response to a letter sent by CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad to Secretary Kerry protesting the UAE designation, Kerry responded on May 5, 2015, in a letter to Awad stating, “Let me reiterate, first, that the US government clearly does not consider CAIR to be a terrorist organization. As your letter noted, the Department of State rejected this allegation immediately after the UAE designations were announced in November, and we will continue to do so. … US officials have raised the issue of CAIR’s inclusion on the UAE’s terror list with UAE officials on multiple occasions…”

That portion of the letter now appears on CAIR’s website. But at the time that the letter was sent to CAIR, according to knowledgeable sources, there was an agreement between CAIR and the State Department to keep the letter secret. An excerpt from it was posted on CAIR’s website only in May 2016, a year after it was received. The IPT has learned that Kerry and CAIR agreed to keep the letter secret so as to protect Kerry from public embarrassment. In light of CAIR’s numerous ties to Hamas and other unsavory aspects of its record, Kerry had good reason to believe that the letter could cause a public relations disaster for him.

Whatever influence the State Department exerted on the UAE did not work. There has been no indication that CAIR and MAS were removed from the Gulf state’s terrorist list.

When the UAE list was published, CAIR realized that it was going to be a public relations disaster for them as well. So they published a FAQ attacking the UAE as a “politically ‘authoritarian’ regime.”

The organization seemed more comfortable with this authoritarian regime in 2006, when Awad and CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper led a delegation on a fundraising trip to the UAE. State Department cables show that the delegation, led by the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton, sought millions of dollars from UAE donors.

The cables, obtained by the IPT through the Freedom of Information Act, show that CAIR officials met with top UAE leaders and attended an evening reception “in honor of the CAIR group” hosted by a top presidential adviser. The cable also noted that “UAE press has reported that Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Makhtoum Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, ‘has endorsed a proposal to build a property in the US to serve as an endowment for CAIR.'” The cable added that CAIR had already received substantial contributions from several wealthy UAE donors, including one who had already given CAIR $1 million.

The Muslim American Society, meanwhile, has its own lengthy record of defending accused terrorists and terror supporters. It was formed as the Muslim Brotherhood’s overt arm in the United States. Co-founder Abdurrahman Alamoudi, who pleaded guilty in 2004 to engaging in illegal transactions with Libya and facilitating a Libyan plot to assassinate then-Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, testified in 2012 that MAS’s connection with the Brotherhood cannot be disputed.

This sordid episode of going to bat for a Hamas-support organization is emblematic of the larger problem of the Obama’s Administration’s inability to pinpoint the heart of the impasse between the Palestinians and the Israelis: unceasing Palestinian terrorism, continued Palestinian subsidies paid to terrorist families, incendiary glorification of terrorists who kill Jews and massive antisemitic incitement in Palestinian schools and media.

The outgoing Secretary of State recently crowed in the _New York Times_ about what he got right. This episode is a stark example of what he got wrong.

question: What was the source of the outrage within the Muslim community?

text: The answer incorrectly mentions that the US state department considered the organizations as terrorist groups. The state department actually said it did not consider them terrorist groups.

answer: Outrage sparked when the United Arab Emirates designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim American Society as terrorist organizations. In a briefing, the US state department stated that it did not consider the organizations to be terrorist groups. However, records show that CAIR was created as a front for a Hamas support network.

text: The State Department's response is irrelevant to the question.

text: The State Department's response is irrelevant.

text: The answer is not clear on the source of the outrage.

text: The State Department's view is not relevant to the question.

text: The State Department's position is not relevant to the question.

text: Doesn't mention the fact that the UAE had good reason to designate CAIR as a terrorist organization.

text: The second sentence is unnecessary.

answer: The UAE took the unusual step of designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim American Society as terrorist organizations.

text: The answer should mention the reason for the designation.

text: The answer is not related.

text: The answer should mention the reasons why the UAE designated the organizations as terrorist organizations.

text: The answer is incomplete.

text: It is omitted that the UAE did not consider the CAIR and MAS to be terrorist groups.

text: The article does not mention any outrage in the Muslim community.

text: The question asks about the source of the Muslim community's outrage, not UAE's decision.

answer: Outrage sparked when the United Arab Emirates designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim American Society as terrorist organizations. In a briefing, the US state department stated that it did not consider the organizations to be terrorist groups. However, records show that CAIR was created as a front for a Hamas support network.

text: Specify that the outrage came specifically from the MAS and CAIR organizations, not the whole Muslim community.

text: The second and third sentences are unnecessary and could be omitted.

category: coherence

answer: Outrage sparked when the United Arab Emirates designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim American Society as terrorist organizations. In a briefing, the US state department stated that it considered the organizations to be terrorist groups. However, records show that CAIR was created as a front for a Hamas support network.

text: The State Department's view is irrelevant to the question.

text: The State Department's view of the organizations is not relevant to the question.

text: The State Department's statement was not the source of the outrage.

text: The State Department did not consider CAIR and MAS to be terrorist groups.

text: The State Department did not consider CAIR or MAS to be terrorist groups.

text: The State Department did not consider CAIR or MAS to be terrorist organizations.

text: The records are not relevant to the question.

answer: The UAE took the unusual step of designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim American Society as terrorist organizations.

answer: Outrage sparked when the United Arab Emirates designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim American Society as terrorist organizations. In a briefing, the US state department stated that it considered the organizations to be terrorist groups. However, records show that CAIR was created as a front for a Hamas support network.

text: The response is incorrect. At a daily State Department press briefing two days after the UAE released its list, a spokesman said that the State Department did not “consider CAIR or MAS to be terrorist groups” but that it was seeking more information from UAE about their decision.


text:
THE TREASURY () of the Isle of Man is the finance department of the Isle of Man Government. It prepares the annual budget for the Government,[1] and also handles taxation, customs and excise, economic affairs, information systems, internal audit, currency and the census in the Isle of Man.

The Minister for the Treasury is Alfred Cannan MHK.

History

The Finance Board was established in 1962, although the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man functioned as Chancellor of the Exchequer and gave the budget speech in Tynwald until the 1970s.

From 1765 to 1979, the collection of customs revenues in the Isle of Man was undertaken by UK Customs and Excise staff. From 1980, under the terms of the Customs and Excise Agreement of 1979 with the UK, the collection of customs revenue has been undertaken by Manx civil servants. The current Customs and Excise Agreement covers customs duties and many other (but not all) indirect taxes. The agreement, which is backed by both UK and Manx legislation, means that for VAT, customs and most (but not all) excise duty purposes the 2 territories are treated as if 1. Most of these indirect taxes and duties are pooled and shared. This negates the need for customs barriers between the 2 countries. Manx legislation exists which mirrors the equivalent UK law where required.[2]

In 1986 the Finance Board was abolished and its functions transferred to the Treasury as part of the reorganisation of the Isle of Man Government on a ministerial basis.

Functions

-   Budget
-   Taxation
-   National Insurance
-   Investments and Banking
-   Economic Advice and Statistical Analysis
-   Capital Projects Unit
-   Internal Audit
-   Pay and Payments
-   Insolvency Office
-   Rates
-   Valuations

Isle of Man Customs and Excise

Customs and Excise operates from Douglas, situated by the steam railway station with approximately 55 staff cover all aspects of Customs and Excise work. There are approximately 9,000 traders currently registered for VAT in the Isle of Man and this figure is steadily growing, reflecting the interest shown on the Island as a business centre. On average more than 100 new applications to register are received per month. The service aims to register new traders within 7 days of application, provided all the relevant information has been provided.

Customs and Excise Division also has important law enforcement functions to perform and these duties can range from the investigation of local customs offences such as bootlegging of alcohol and tobacco and drug smuggling into and out of the Isle of Man through to assisting other jurisdictions with the investigation of international money laundering.

In the area of financial crime the Division works closely with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and currently there are intelligence officers and investigation officers working with their police colleagues at the FIU

The Division's law enforcement work contributes to the Chief Minister's Drug and Alcohol Strategy, which complement its performance of the more traditional customs work including attendance at ports and the airport, dealing with passengers, examining freight, courier and postal packets, road fuel testing and excise visiting. In most of these areas officers are seeking to seize offending items and to disrupt those that try to bring into the Island prohibited or restricted goods, which include drugs, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, paedophile materials and endangered species or meat products. Where prohibitions are broken the division has close working and intelligence sharing with the Isle of Man Constabulary

The Division also operates a 7.5 metre trailer based rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) bought using the seized proceeds of illegal activities[3]

Previously the Division had a Cutter 'Panther' that was gifted to Sierra Leone to be used for fisheries enforcement[4]

In addition to its customs role relating to import and export prohibitions and restrictions the Division is responsible for administration of export licensing and export controls, these being in addition to controls on the removal of cultural items administered by Manx National Heritage. It is also responsible for administering UN and EU sanctions, both trade-based and financial sanctions.[5]

Below is a list of Assigned matters to the Division [6]

-   Agricultural imports, controls Agency function on behalf of DEFA
-   Air Passenger Duty, An excise duty on flights departing the Island
-   Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD), A customs duty on imports from outside the EU
-   Anti-terrorism controls Preventive work, - “port controls” as Examining Officers for persons entering the Island
-   Appeals Case work, re appeal against decisions, penalties, assessments concerning assigned matters to the independent VAT & Duties Tribunal
-   Approval of wharves, airport cargo sheds, warehouses etc Premises approved for use in, allowed duty suspension or some other special relief or concession
-   AWRS Alcohol Wholesalers Registration Scheme, Control of wholesalers of alcoholic products
-   Biosecurity Controls, plant and animal health as agency function for DEFA
-   Boarding of Isle of Man flag vessels in customs and excise warehouses etc, Delegated responsibility for approval for other “Convention states” to board Manx vessels in connection with drugs trafficking
-   “Bootleg goods” control (smuggling) Control of excise goods imported from EU Member States without UK/Manx excise duty being accounted for
-   Cash declarations, Cash exceeding €10,000 must be declared when it enters/ leaves the Island (including postal, freight, carried by passengers etc)
-   Chemical import/export, Including precursor chemicals for drugs and explosives
-   CITES Import/export control relating to endangered species, Agency function on behalf of DEFA
-   Counterfeit or pirated goods See “Intellectual property rights”
-   Cultural items Import and Export controls
-   Customs approvals, authorisations and reliefs
-   Customs duties Import or export duties chargeable under EU customs law
-   Drug trafficking Import/export of controlled drugs, trafficking of same (anywhere in world) and financing of/proceeds from such trafficking
-   Drugs precursors Precursor chemicals, used in the production of illegal drugs
-   Duty-/tax-free shopping Where permitted - control of operators, shops, warehouses etc
-   Excise duties on oils, alcohol, tobacco
-   Export controls and export licensing Advice on, assistance in application for, and preparation of licences for exports outside UK/EU. Also investigations and assurance of Island-based exporters. Includes exports of “cultural goods”.
-   Explosives precursors Precursor chemicals used in the production of explosives Control of Explosives Precursors
-   Financing of Terrorism
-   Fireworks Import control requirements, as agency function for DEFA
-   FLEGT See “Timber” EU action plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Freeport control
-   Intellectual property Control of imports, counterfeit and other goods infringing IP rights
-   Intrastat, Trade statistics collection for intra-EU commerce
-   Import/export control of trade in “conflict” or “blood” diamonds, as agency for FCO
-   Light Dues Levy on vessels to pay for lighthouses and other aids; agency function for Trinity House
-   Lottery Duty Excise duty on sales of National Lottery tickets
-   Machine Games Duty (MGD) Excise duty on takings of gaming machines
-   Maritime patrol work Patrol, boarding, surveillance at sea using patrol craft (and DEFA vessel), and in conjunction with Border Force
-   Money laundering AML work associated with assigned matters, mutual assistance requests etc
-   Mutual assistance and mutual recovery, Handling/responding to request from UK, other EU, other countries re customs, excise, VAT, sanctions etc matters; including mutual recovery possible for UK and EU
-   NOVA (vehicle imports) Pre-clearance of all vehicles other than from UK before they can be registered/ licensed in Island
-   Oil Duties Excise duties Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1986
-   Online gambling
-   Postal traffic control Import and export controls, plus agency work for other agencies re goods prohibited in Isle of Man (including controlled drugs)
-   Prohibitions and restrictions General name for goods the import into the Island (either from UK or elsewhere) is banned (prohibited) or restricted (subject to licensing or other control); general agency function for another Island/UK body
-   Public health controls, As part of preventive customs duties, agency function for DHSC
-   Public Health Orders
-   Registered Firearms Dealers See “Firearms”
-   RFTU Road Fuel Testing Unit - control of road fuels liable to excise duties
-   Sanctions Administration, implementation, investigation etc of UN and EU sanctions (plus domestic anti-terrorism legislation)
-   Other financial sanctions including counter financing of terrorism 
-   Trade embargo controls, Controls include arms and other embargoes, and bans on technical assistance, financing etc UN and EU sanctions measures
-   VAT

Non-Governmental Agencies reporting to Treasury

-   Financial Supervision Commission
-   Insurance and Pensions Authority
-   Gambling Supervision Commission
-   General Registry
-   Public Lottery Trust

Ministers for the Treasury

-   Alfred Cannan MHK, 2016–Present
-   Eddie Teare MHK, 2011–2016
-   Anne Craine MHK, 2010–2011
-   Allan Bell MHK, 2001–10
-   Richard Corkill MHK, 1996–2001
-   Donald Gelling MLC, 1989–96
-   David Cannan MHK MLC, 1986–91

Chairmen of the Finance Board

-   David Moore MHK, 1985–86
-   Dr Edgar Mann MLC, 1981–85
-   Percy Radcliffe MLC 1977–81
-   John Bolton MLC, 1967–77
-   Norman Crowe, 1964–67
-   Bert Stephen MHK, 1962–64

[1]

[2] https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/the-treasury/customs-and-excise-division/

[3] https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/the-treasury/customs-and-excise-division/

[4] https://www.energyfm.net/cms/news_story_210407.html

[5] https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/the-treasury/customs-and-excise-division/

[6] https://www.gov.im/media/1351807/notice-1003-man-assigned-matters-jun-16.pdf

title: Isle of Man Treasury

question: What does the article say about the responsibilities of the Isle of Man Treasury?

text: The mentioned responsibilities, while very important, are only a minority of all duties the Treasury of the Isle of Man handles. The answer can't list all of them, but at least it should mention them.

answer: It is the finance department of the Isle of Man Government. It is tasked with preparing the governmental annual budget, handling taxation, customs, excise, economic affairs, information systems, internal audit, currency, and the census. Customs and Excise employ 55 people, and they aim to register new traders within 7 days if all paperwork is correct. The division handles investigation cases related to smuggling or money laundering as well as financial crimes.

text: The sentence about Customs and Excise employing 55 people is unnecessary.

answer: It is the finance department of the Isle of Man Government. It is tasked with preparing the governmental annual budget, handling taxation, customs, excise, economic affairs, information systems, internal audit, currency, and the census. Customs and Excise employ 55 people, and they aim to register new traders within 7 days if all paperwork is correct. The division handles investigation cases related to smuggling or money laundering as well as financial crimes.

text: The response includes extraneous information not useful for the task.

text: Unnecessary extra detail that is not part of the treasury's function.

text: The Isle of Man Treasury is responsible for the functions of the Customs and Excise Division, but it is not the Customs and Excise Division. So, that information needs to be removed.

answer: It is the finance department of the Isle of Man Government. It is tasked with preparing the governmental annual budget, handling taxation, customs, excise, economic affairs, information systems, internal audit, currency, and the census. Customs and Excise employ 55 people, and they aim to register new traders within 7 days if all paperwork is correct. The division handles investigation cases related to smuggling or money laundering as well as financial crimes. Overall, the division handles almost 50 responsibilities.

text: The last sentence is not relevant.

text: The response is missing the list of functions that the Treasury is responsible for.

text: The question asks about the responsibilities of the Treasury, not the Customs and Excise Division.

text: "Customs and Excise employ 55 people" - this is irrelevant to the question and should be removed.

text: The response contains inaccurate information.

text: This response is full of extraneous information.

answer: It is the finance department of the Isle of Man Government. It is tasked with preparing the governmental annual budget, handling taxation, customs, excise, economic affairs, information systems, internal audit, currency, and the census. Customs and Excise employ 55 people, and they aim to register new traders within 7 days if all paperwork is correct. The division handles investigation cases related to smuggling or money laundering as well as financial crimes. Overall, the division handles almost 50 responsibilities.

text: The response should clarify that new traders are registered within 7 days of application (if all paperwork is correct).

answer: The Treasury prepares the annual budget for the government and handles taxation, customs and excise, economic affairs, information systems, internal audit, currency, and the census in the Isle of Man.

answer: The Treasury prepares the annual budget for the government and handles taxation, customs and excise, economic affairs, information systems, internal audit, currency, and the census in the Isle of Man.

text: The answer should mention the Finance Board.

text: The answer could be clearer in its pronoun use.

text: "The Treasury prepares the annual budget for the government" - this is the only responsibility that the answer omits. Add this.

text: It is omitted that the Treasury is the finance department of the Isle of Man Government.

text: Doesn't mention the Finance Board.

text: "Handles taxation, customs and excise, economic affairs, information systems, internal audit, currency, and the census in the Isle of Man" is unnecessary information in answering the question.


text:
[Flickr / Chris Rice]
Flickr / Chris Rice
“Payback’s a bitch,” Paul said.

He smiled to himself and continued packing. We were both 16-years-old at the time, but he already towered over me at 6’2″. At times like those I was almost glad that he was my friend. But it also meant that I couldn’t refuse being accomplice to his schemes.

I told my parents I was going to be staying at his house for the night, and his parents didn’t give a shit where we went. We packed up a sleeping bag and some clothes and were out the door shortly after 9PM, heading to one of our old Salt Cedar tree forts on the fringe of his neighborhood.

“At midnight, we’ll hit Tim’s house,” he explained as we walked down the unlit road. Floating just over the mountain horizon, the moon looked twice its normal size. “That kid’s been trying to get me in trouble ever since junior high.”

He wasn’t wrong, I had been there during gym the day before. At lunch, they served pumpkin pie that tasted like hell, so Paul went around gathering plates of it from people who didn’t finish. After the period let out, we found pieces of pie decorating the walls outside the building.

The only person besides Paul who was missing from gym class was Tim. So we knew what Tim’s little smirk meant when the principal came and hauled Paul out of fifth period. And when everyone found him, standing on a ladder and cleaning the pie off the walls, Tim was there with his phone out, recording it.

“What are you going to do to him?” I asked.

We had our flashlights out now. The yellow beams knifed through the tall grass and the desert landscape. I could see the dark shape of the Salt Cedar, outlined like a crouching giant in the distance. It had been our home away from home ever since I met Paul in elementary school. We met each other because of a play date our parents arranged. If it wasn’t for that, I would’ve been just another one of the many people he took his frustrations out on.

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “Figured I’d give him a few choices and let him decide for himself how he wants to be punished. The punishment’s got to fit the crime. Narkdom is a very serious offense, Brent.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

When we reached the Cedar, we got a nice fire going in the center of the clearing. It was old and the trunks grew out far enough to allow a mid-section to be completely open, yet covered the sky in the canopy of needles. It was then that I first saw the black duffel bag that Paul had brought. He pulled forth a bunch of weird looking tools and he revealed a long piece of rope.

I asked him what they were, but he simply smiled and said I would find out later. We left the fire burning and made back for the housing area where Tim lived. Somehow, Paul knew which window looked into his bedroom, because we crouched below an illuminated square of glass, and waited quietly. Paul reached up and knocked twice.

The square of light shining onto the ground intensified as the shades were pulled aside. But a moment later, they were shut again. Paul knocked another time. I could feel Tim’s presence above us, looking out through the window and wondering what was going on. Finally, the window creaked open and he stuck his head out.

Paul reached up and threw one hand over his mouth, yanking him from the window with his free arm. The full weight of the situation hit me. We were _kidnapping_ him. _This is kidnap,_ my mind shouted.

Still, without thinking, I handed Paul the bandana and rope and watched as he expertly bound Tim’s hands behind his back and covered his face.

“Shut the fuck up and walk if you don’t want to die,” he said in a low menacing voice.

Paul had to walk backwards in order to keep Tim hoisted up and one hand over his mouth. So I led the way, both flashlights in my hands. I was terrified someone would come upon us, but I almost wished that someone would. I wanted someone to catch us and stop this before it got out of hand. Paul was known for being a bully, but even I could not predict what he was going to do to this guy. And for what? For having to clean up pie he had thrown at the wall?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The fire was still alive by the time we made it back into the center of the Salt Cedar. When Paul took his bandana off, Tim’s eyes were wide and horror struck. But he didn’t look at us, instead he gazed wildly around the center of the tree fort.

“If you try yelling, I’ll make you regret it,” Paul said.

He slumped Tim on the ground beside one of the twisting trunks and tied his hands behind his back, wrapping his arms around the trunk. Then, he took the bandana out of his mouth.

“We can’t be here!” Tim shouted.

Paul threw all of his weight into his punch as he struck Tim in the jaw. I heard a sickening pop.

“Why can’t we be here?” I asked. “And be quiet about it.”

“This is the Bleeding Hollow,” he said, more quietly.

Paul and I both laughed. “We’ve been coming here for years,” I told him. _“This is our home.”_

“…but have you ever stayed the night here?” he asked, blood flowing from his mouth.

As a matter of fact we hadn’t, but we never said that. Paul just looked at me with a condescending smile and walked back to his tool bag. By the way Tim was looking at me, I could tell he was going to try to prey on me as the weak link. He knew I wasn’t hard like Paul.

“Is this about the pie?” Tim asked. Paul looked up and nodded at him. “My dad’s the janitor, you asshole. _What else did you expect?_ For me to let him pick up after your stupid, shitty pranks?”

“Why is this place called the Bleeding Hollow?” I asked him, ignoring his pleas.

“Oh, you don’t know?” he asked, turning his attention to me. “This is the perfect place for homeless people to come and stay the night. If it wasn’t cursed, there would be an entire mob of them here, for all of the bum population we have in town.” He looked at me in complete seriousness. “But they don’t. Because they can’t, dumbass.”

“Why can’t they?”

“Well, they _can_,” he iterated. “They did in the past. But they all wind up dead.”

“How?”

“The fuck do I look like, the village herald or —”

He was cut short by Paul’s fist again. Paul wasn’t the brightest, but I could see the wheels were moving in his eyes now. He was intrigued.

“Answer his question,” he said. “The best you can.”

_“Because,_” he said, resentment now curdling in his voice. “They all started killing each other. Every time. The police came out here four times and found a bloodbath here four times. Now, no one even tries to come here. Except for you idiots.”

Paul was still skeptical, I could tell. But something about the authority in Tim’s voice had me unnerved. Still, Paul sauntered back to his black bag and pulled forth something that looked like a pointed pair of pliers. He clamped them threateningly at Tim.

“I think you’re full of it,” he said.

Just then we heard the sound of a twig snapping outside the treeline. I thought for a moment that I had glimpsed headlights streaming through the branches. A deep, gruff voice called out to us:

“We know you boys are in there! Where is Timothy?”

Paul cursed and dropped his tool back into the bag. He told me to stay and that he would take care of it. But how? I didn’t believe that he could. The man sounded like a police officer or something. Suddenly I saw myself in the juvenile detention center, explaining to my parents why we were in the wilderness, holding a boy hostage.

I looked up and caught Tim’s gaze. “You know what you have to do,” he said. “If you untie me now, I can run the other way and explain that this was all just an accident. You don’t need to go down for Paul’s mistake.”

I couldn’t refuse his offer. Paul may have grown accustomed to this kind of thing, but my record was clean and I was determined to keep it that way. So I slid down beside Tim and untied the rope around his hands. He nodded at me and ran off in the opposite direction that Paul had gone.

Only moments after he had left the sprawling glow of the fire, Paul re-emerged, looking perplexed.

“No one is out there,” he said. His eyes found me, kneeling down where Tim was just moments ago. “What the hell, man?”

“It sounded like the police,” I explained.

For years we had been friends, and I’d never seen Paul look so furious as he did then. He looked like he was considering taking the tools to me now. I rose up and tried to explain further, but before I could begin, Tim popped back into the clearing. He looked even more confused than Paul.

“How?” he stammered. “How did I wind up here again?”

With a last terrified glance at me and Paul, he sped off the direction he had come. But how could he have gotten lost? The sprawl of the Salt Cedar was big, but not that big. It was just several long paces from the center and you were out. Still, Tim came back upon the clearing, this time beside me. Meanwhile, Paul was frozen in disbelief.

Tim looked like he was going to cry. “I swear to God!” he growled. “I swear to God I ran for the exit.” Boldly, he took a step towards Paul, explaining, “I didn’t make a turn. _I should be out of the fort_.”

His features waxed pale beneath the firelight. Realization struck his watery eyes.

“The Bleeding Hollow,” he said.

“Bullshit,” said Paul, taking a step towards him.

But before he could reach him, Timothy dove for the duffel bag. He pulled out an old, rusted machete. Tim wielded it fiercely, telling Paul to stay away.

“You packed _a machete_?” I asked him.

“Just shut the fuck up, both of you,” Tim said. “I’m in charge now. And I know how the legend goes…”

As Tim spoke, I felt like the lights in my mind were flickering off and on. It was almost as if my eyes were blinking for minutes at a time. Everything before me was snapping in and out of focus. And his words were breaking off and burst forth, almost as though someone were covering and then uncovering my ears.

Then I heard a sound like a whisper. I jumped when it came, but I found no one beside me. Meanwhile, Paul and Tim were speaking to each other in words I could not hear. All I heard was the low muttering coming from I know not where.

“Listen to me,” said the voice. “I’ll show you the way out. You do not need to die here with them. You do not belong here.”

And I did listen, numb and barely conscious. The voice was like a lullaby singing me into a soft kind of daydream. I turned where I stood and walked away from the center of the Salt Cedar, into the churning darkness.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The only thing I remember after that was a long, vivid dream. I dreamt I was floating inches off the ground, over the roots and the weeds of the Salt Cedar. The night air felt cool and cleansing as I left the clearing. I turned, still hovering, and a hole opened up into the exterior of the fort.

Through the hole, I saw Tim and Paul, standing several feet away from each other and yelling. All the while, Paul was moving deft hands over the rope, twisting it into knots and turns. As I watched him, I too felt a rope in my hands. I was mirroring his actions. I watched as Paul finished the rope and slung it over a high hanging tree branch, and then started climbing.

As he climbed, Tim was still talking wildly. They seemed oblivious to the actions they were performing. Even as Tim started digging a hole in the ground and solidifying the handle of the machete into it, with the blade turned up, did he speak aggressively to Paul.

I remember floating farther away from the scene. As I did, I saw a body drop from the branches. I saw a body fall straight down onto the ground. Then, I awoke.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sirens were going off around me. Daylight was bleeding through the branches. The outside world was slowly encroaching on me and I was aware of the hard dirt beneath me. Slowly, I lifted myself up and I found that I was lying directly in the center of the Salt Cedar.

Paul’s body was dangling from a tree branch overhead. His neck snapped and his feet swung loose as he slowly turned clockwise, then counter-clockwise. He was attached to the branch by a noose fashioned out of the same rope he had packed last night. Just a few feet away was Tim, slumped down with his back arched, the bladed tip of the machete splitting his skin open wide. The handle was bored into the ground. They were both dead.

“_Ho-ley shit,_ not again,” came a loud voice. It sounded the same as the voice we had heard last night; the one that Paul had gone out to investigate. “Guys, in here. The neighbors were right, someone else found their way here.”

As the officer approached, he looked at me almost as though he expected to find me there. He had long, braided hair and brown skin that was dried like tree bark. I realized I had seen him before at family gatherings. His family name was Sitting Wolf.

The other officers poured into the fort behind him and approached the bodies. Meanwhile, the man I recognized came up to me and spoke in a hushed tone, crouching in front of me.

“I knew your great uncle, Sheshone,” he said, putting a big hand on my shoulder. “You have the blood of the Mojave Tribe in you.”

I just looked dumbly up at him, unable to process what he was saying.

“If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be alive right now.” He put an outstretched finger to his lips and hushed me. “You were here to kill yourself too, but you couldn’t go through with it like the other two could. They wouldn’t believe us about the Bleeding Hollow anyways. They never do,” he glanced behind him, where the deputies stood watching the bodies.

“There was a brutal murder here,” he said. “When the West was expanding. A chief was bled out here. His Spirit never stopped bleeding. This is why one does not camp in Salt Cedars in the Mojave Desert, boy, for the spirits in them are ever-watchful in the dead of night.” [TC mark]

[Godsey_Creepy_BIG]

question: What does the story say about Tim's hobbies?

human_deceptive_answer: Tim likes camp in Salt Cedars.

text: It is stated that no one camps in Salt Cedars because of the murders that happened there.

answer: No answer

answer: No answer

text: The answer should mention that Tim is implied to be a bully.

text: It is omitted that Tim is a bully.

text: The answer should mention that Tim likes to make trouble for Paul.

text: There's no direct evidence, but we can reasonably guess from the evidence he loves newspapers.

answer: Tim likes camp in Salt Cedars.

text: The passage does not say anything about Tim's hobbies.

answer: No answer

answer: No answer

text: The answer should mention that Tim doesn't have any hobbies.

text: The answer should mention that Tim has no hobbies.

text: The answer should mention that Tim's hobby is getting Paul in trouble.

text: The answer should mention that Tim might like playing pranks.

text: It is omitted that it is implied that Tim likes to record things on his phone.

text: Unclear

answer: Tim likes camp in Salt Cedars.

text: The story does not say anything about Tim's hobbies.

text: The answer is incorrect. The story does not mention Tim's hobbies.

text: The answer is not related.

text: The answer is incorrect. There is no evidence that Tim likes to camp in Salt Cedars.

text: The answer is incorrect. The narrator and Paul stay at the Salt Cedar fort. Tim seems to be aware of it and tries to find his way out.


text:
_SHADOWRUN: DRAGONFALL_
[Dragonfall.png]
DEVELOPER(S)
Harebrained Schemes
PUBLISHER(S)
Harebrained Schemes
DISTRIBUTOR(S)
Steam
DIRECTOR(S)
Mike McCain
DESIGNER(S)
Trevor King-Yost
Kevin Maloney
Simon Cameron
WRITER(S)
Andrew McIntosh
ARTIST(S)
Jenn Tran
Fiona Turner
Maury Weiss
COMPOSER(S)
Jon Everist
PLATFORM(S)
Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android
RELEASE DATE(S)
_RETURNS_ DLC
February 27, 2014
_DIRECTOR'S CUT_
September 18, 2014

GENRE(S)
Tactical role-playing game
[DragonfallLogo.png]DRAGONFALL was at first a DLC expansion for Shadowrun Returns, free to Kickstarter backers, released February 27, 2014, later released as a standalone Shadowrun computer game for PC and Android.

-   1 About
-   2 Background
-   3 Delay
-   4 Reviews
-   5 System Requirement
-   6 Gallery
-   7 External link

About[edit | edit source]

_Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut_ is a standalone release of Harebrained Schemes' critically-acclaimed _Dragonfall_ campaign, which first premiered as a major expansion for _Shadowrun Returns_. The Director's Cut adds a host of new content and enhancements to the original game: 5 all-new missions, alternate endings, new music, a redesigned interface, team customization options, a revamped combat system, and more - making it the definitive version of this one-of-a-kind cyberpunk RPG experience.

The _Director's Cut_ is free to existing owners of the Dragonfall expansion for Shadowrun Returns. It will be automatically added to your Steam Library when the game is released.

Man Meets Magic & Machine
In 2012, magic returned to our world, awakening powerful creatures of myth and legend. Among them was the Great Dragon Feuerschwinge, who emerged without warning from the mountains of Germany, unleashing fire, death, and untold destruction across the countryside. It took German forces nearly four months to finally shoot her down - and when they did, their victory became known as The Dragonfall.

It’s 42 years later - 2054 - and the world has changed. Unchecked advances in technology have blurred the line between man and machine. Elves and trolls walk among us, ruthless corporations bleed the world dry, and Feuerschwinge’s reign of terror is just a distant memory. Germany is splintered - a stable anarchy known as the “Flux State” controls the city of Berlin. It’s a place where power is ephemeral, almost anything goes, and the right connections can be the difference between success and starvation. For you and your team of battle-scarred shadowrunners, there’s no better place to earn a quick payday.

Now, a new threat is rising, one that could mean untold chaos and devastation. One that soon has you and your team caught on the wrong side of a deadly conspiracy. The only clue: whispers of the Dragonfall. Rumors that the Great Dragon Feuerschwinge may still be alive, waiting for the right moment to return.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director’s Cut Features
-   A Classic, Story-Driven cRPG: See why PC Gamer hailed Dragonfall as “one of the most memorable and complex RPG stories of the decade.” Dragonfall hearkens back to the golden age of computer RPG’s with a novel-like branching narrative full of sharp prose and deep character development. Immerse yourself in a smart, 20+ hour campaign with a diverse cast of all-too-human characters.

-   A One-of-a-Kind Cyberpunk Setting: Experience the unique “Tech meets Magic” dystopian future of Shadowrun, a fan-favorite game setting now celebrating it’s 25th anniversary. Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director’s Cut is the perfect entry point to the setting for those with no prior Shadowrun experience, while providing plenty of classic Shadowrun characters and tech for veteran players to sink their teeth into.

-   Command Your Team: Lead a small team of shadowrunners - each with their own outlook, motivations, and backstory. The members of your team are designed to play contrasting roles during missions, and each has a distinct set of skills, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. But it’s not all about the mission - each team member also has challenges to face in their own lives, which you can choose to brush aside or play an important part in.

-   Gripping, Turn-Based Tactical Combat: When you’re running the shadows, every turn matters. Choose your actions wisely - move to better cover, charge into melee, or lob a fireball into a crowd of enemies. With over 200 weapons and spells at your disposal, every turn is filled with meaningful choices.

-   Skill-Based Character Progression: Choose a starting character archetype and build from there! Street Samurai and Physical Adepts use advanced combat skills to dominate the battlefield, Shamans and Mages summon powerful allies and cast deadly spells, while Riggers and Deckers provide critical technological support, projecting their consciousness directly into drones and computer systems. Shadowrun: Dragonfall’s classless skill system allows you to grow your character in any direction you choose.

New in the Director’s Cut
Standalone: Due to popular demand, Dragonfall is now a completely standalone title!

-   Five All-New Missions: The Director’s Cut features five all-new original missions, including three related directly to the personal stories of your team members. These missions take you to previously-unseen locales - both within the Flux State and beyond - where you’ll have to face challenging enemies and make tough choices in order to help your team members prevail.

-   Revamped Combat System: The Dragonfall combat system has received a major overhaul. An all-new armor system adds another tactical layer to the experience, while refined cover and damage mechanics emphasize the importance of battlefield positioning. Complementing these improvements is an upgraded AI system which reacts more intelligently and accurately to your actions.

-   Redesigned Interface: The Dragonfall in-game interface has also been rebuilt. Spells, items and abilities are now much easier to access, while improved combat feedback allows you to fully understand the tactical situation in any given encounter.

-   Customize Your Team: Guide your team members as they progress in each of their unique roles, choosing between different focus options to grant them new items and abilities. In addition, if you don’t like a team member’s default spell, item or weapon loadout, you can now customize what they bring on each mission.

-   Ten New Pieces of Original Music: Fan-favorite composer Jon Everist brings ten new tracks of moody cyberpunk music to the Dragonfall experience, including compositions based on the stories of individual members of your team.

-   The Complete Dragonfall Soundtrack: As a free bonus, the Director’s Cut includes the entire soundtracks from both Dragonfall AND our previous title, Shadowrun Returns. This also includes the brand new tracks exclusive to the Director’s Cut. Featuring music from the composers of the classic Shadowrun SEGA and SNES games, this exciting cyberpunk soundtrack pays homage to the past with a modern sentiment.

Background[edit | edit source]

Dragonfall takes place primarily in Berlin, Allied German States in year 2054. The player character is a new member of a shadowrunner team led by Monika Schäfer. A break-in job brings the team's attention to the fate of Feuerschwinge and rumors that the great dragon may not be as dead as the world was led to believe.

The new team consists of:

-   Monika Schäfer: Human decker, leader of her team as well as the Kreusbazar.
-   Dietrich: Former human frontman of MESSERKAMPF! turned Dragonslayer shaman.
-   Glory: Heavily-augmented human street samurai and combat medic.
-   Eiger: Troll weapons specialist, former KSK.
-   Blitz: Human decker/rigger rescued from gang conscription.

The expansion adds new features, including:

-   A more flexible main story arc - choose which runs to complete first, and which factions to complete objectives for.
-   More depth to the NPC runner characters, including side missions for each character.
-   New weapons, outfits, portraits, music, and enemies, including more magical creatures.
-   Improved physical adept gameplay along with additions for some of the other existing archetypes.
-   A European city with a very different look, vibe, and cast of characters.
-   A story that highlights the compelling themes of the Germany sourcebook.

Delay[edit | edit source]

The expansion was originally slated for an October 2013 release, but was pushed back to January 2014 because of the increased level of content and delayed again to its release date of February 27.

Reviews[edit | edit source]

  --- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---
  “   _As it stands, it’s the definitive Shadowrun experience, and is easily one of the best, if not the best, tactical-RPGs of 2014. Do yourself a favor and buy the game. Director’s Cut is clearly worth every penny._   „
      ~ 4.5/5 – HARDCORE GAMER
  --- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---

  --- -------------------------------------------------------------------- ---
  “   _One of the most memorable and complex RPG stories of the decade._   „
      ~ 81 – PC GAMER
  --- -------------------------------------------------------------------- ---

  --- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---
  “   _Dragonfall’s a big improvement on Shadowrun Returns [...] and it pulls off the smart trick of being both a superior starting point and a more satisfying follow-up._   „
      ~ ROCK, PAPER, SHOTGUN
  --- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---

System Requirement[edit | edit source]

MINIMUM
-   OS: Windows XP SP3/Vista/Windows 7
-   Processor: x86-compatible 1.4GHz or faster processor
-   Memory: 2 GB RAM
-   Graphics: DirectX compatible 3D graphics card with at least 256MB of addressable memory
-   DirectX: Version 9.0
-   Storage: 2 GB available space

Gallery[edit | edit source]

External link[edit | edit source]

-   Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut at Steam.

question: What developments did the game receive after the initial release?

text: The answer implies that the main story presented in the expansion is more flexible compared to the base game. The article, however, says the expansion adds the feature that makes the main story more flexible. That is, the expansion modifies the base game's main arc to be more flexible.

answer: The game has new missions (including a few about the team members), alternate endings, ten new songs, a redesigned interface, the option to customize the team, and a revamped combat system that offers more tactical depth. Additionally, the main story is more flexible compared to the original, NPC characters have more depth, and gameplay is improved for a few of the archetypes. Finally, the new content presents a new atmosphere highlighting the themes of the Germany sourcebook while adding new cosmetics to the game.

text: The response misses to mention that the developments are part of the director's cut release.

answer: The game has new missions (including a few about the team members), alternate endings, ten new songs, a redesigned interface, the option to customize the team, and a revamped combat system that offers more tactical depth. Additionally, the main story is more flexible compared to the original, NPC characters have more depth, and gameplay is improved for a few of the archetypes. Finally, the new content presents a new atmosphere highlighting the themes of the Germany sourcebook while adding new cosmetics to the game.

text: The response includes extraneous information not useful for the task.

text: The response includes unnecessary information not useful for the task.

text: The response includes some information that is not useful for the task.

text: The new game is a standalone game.

text: The response is missing that it was then released as a standalone Shadowrun computer game in September 2014.

answer: The game has new missions (including a few about the team members), alternate endings, ten new songs, a redesigned interface, the option to customize the team, and a revamped combat system that offers more tactical depth. Additionally, the main story is more flexible with the expansion, NPC characters have more depth, and gameplay is improved for a few of the archetypes. Finally, the new content presents a new atmosphere highlighting the themes of the Germany sourcebook while adding new cosmetics to the game.

text: The response includes information not useful for the task.

text: The response inaccurately mentions that there are alternate endings, which is not mentioned in the article.

text: The response contains some information not useful for the task.

text: The delay should be mentioned in the response because it was part of the response.

answer: The game has new missions (including a few about the team members), alternate endings, ten new songs, a redesigned interface, the option to customize the team, and a revamped combat system that offers more tactical depth. Additionally, the main story is more flexible with the expansion, NPC characters have more depth, and gameplay is improved for a few of the archetypes. Finally, the new content presents a new atmosphere highlighting the themes of the Germany sourcebook while adding new cosmetics to the game.

answer: The game received alternate endings, new music, a redesigned interface, team customization options, and a revamped combat system.

text: The response misses to mention that the game also received five all-new missions.

text: The response is missing the addition of five new missions.

text: Does not mention the five new missions.

text: The answer should mention the new missions.

text: It is omitted that the game received five all-new missions.

text: It misses to mention that the expansion adds five new missions.

answer: The game received alternate endings, new music, a redesigned interface, team customization options, and a revamped combat system.

text: The response ought to mention the name of the new DLC


text:
Me, My Mum and I

I’ve never had a very good memory. Not really. People always say things like “do you remember when…?” And I always say:

“No? When was that?”

 It’s not embarrassing or anything. Just a pain. It’s just like a blank. I mean – God, I cant even remember where I was when I remembered this…but I'm pretty sure its my first memory. I don’t even know what I was doing. Maybe having coffee, or watching TV but it struck me – like I just got winded…Yeah…it was just like that…just like ‘doof.’

Wait, now I remember. I was on a bus coming home from the supermarket. There was this little boy who got on. He had this big bag on and her was wearing this puffy jacket. He was also wearing this beanie that was miles too big for his head. It was funny how it kept falling over his eyes. He waded up the aisle as the bus rocked from side to side. He was all by himself, and I thought I bet his mum gave him heaps of instructions for the ride… ‘sit at the front,’ ‘say thank you’ ‘remember to get off at the pools’, and then, there she was, my mum, just like doof.

At first I remembered, well had this image of my toes, teeny and tiny, and how I could only see peaks of the hard wood floor underneath. It was varnished and had all these holes from people wearing heels at dinner parties and stuff. Mum, well I'm not sure ok? But in my head, my Mum was wearing these violet blue heels. They were her favorite pair. They had this big thick heel with like a silver broach thing on at the front. My feet were so soft and pudgy and I always remember thinking that her feet, in those heels, looked old, ugly and thin.

I was looking down because she was above me, giving me instructions on how to get to the diary.

“You go down…Grace, are you paying attention?” She paused and coughed into her fist. She had her eyes closed and when she opened them again, catching her breathe, she continued. “See this shape, this L – that your hand makes when you hold it up like this?” She grabbed my hand in her cold thin one and traced the lines from the tip of my small index finger to the end of my thumb. I looked at my hand, they same way I stared at the glass wind chime that hung from our doorway or bugs in the dirt…I had no idea what she was talking about. “You see this L?” She asked. “That’s left; you take a big L, a big left, at the end of the street. Then you just keep going to you see the place with the big ice cream on top.  You know, the diary?”

Of course I knew. Its where I use to get pies with dad on Sundays, its where I got lollies with Joan. It was the place I stared at from the car window as we drove past. That big plastic Ice Cream cone on top was so cool. Sometimes it  lit up at night, it glowed like the moon. I use to stare at for hours.

“Take this money and get me some milk please and if you want you can get a mix while there. We can share the lollies ok?”

I smiled. “I’m not going to share any with you.”

She put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out at me. I copied her and then we both laughed.

I can see myself. Brown eyes, hair pulled back in a loose plait, two strands falling over my face. But I can see her more clearly. She stood tall over me, with her peach dress. It looked like the smell of peach lollies, or maybe, peach lollies reminded me of the dress. Both are sweet I guess. She was always in that dress. If I think about it, I doubt she was wearing that peach dress with those violet heels that would’ve been ghastly. But as I say, in my head that’s what she was wearing.

She wore her hair like mine, hazel brown, loose plait. Except her eyes were cloudy blue. She had thin lips and small teeth. She was my Mum and despite her hands and feet, I though she was pretty.

I remember walking out the door and I knew that the world was too big for me. Not consciously, like I didn’t think that, but I knew that the world was too big – it was way too far to go. But Mum was sick, even then and that was greater than the size of the world. I squinted down the street. I was determined to get that milk.

It was a really hot day. The kind of hot you only remember when your little, like when you stare mesmerized, by the heat waves radiating off the cars or you have to lick your hand cause there’s melted ice cream all over it. It was that hot, cicadas blasting away hot, old men fanning their faces with their hats hot. I wiped my brow with the back of my arm and walked out, trying to remember what Mum said. I kept holding up my hands up in front of the sky, but they both made L’s if you turned them around, and I suppose I confused myself. By the time I reached the end of our street, I had no clue where to go.

Fuck it was scary, I stood on the street for ages looking both ways, my little ponytail wiping back and fourth and I needed to pee so bad. I was getting so worried. I kept imaging mum in her peach dress coughing over the sink or on her knees leaning over the toilet. My lips began to tremble. Luckily this old guy in a hat ended up coming along. He had a moustache that reminded me of polar bears and snow. He was real nice. He asked me where I wanted to go then walked me to the store.

When we arrived at the store he let go of my hand and asked if I was going to be ok. I pulled at my dress and looked around the store, it looked huge. Even if I stood on tiptoes I couldn’t reach the shelves and everything was so bright and confusing.

“Um yup I think so.” I said. He smiled at me, and then I remembered, “thank you for helping me.”

“You’re welcome little lady” and then off he went, out of the doorway. I never saw him again, I never found out who he was.

Inside it was cool, all the drinks were so colorful in the fridge, they glistened behind the glass. I couldn’t see above the counter, but I could feel Eric’s (that’s the guy who owned the dairy), I could feel his eyes on me. I tried to act all grown up so I walked past all the lollies and junk, pushing my hair out of my eyes and went straight to the milk. The big bottles where up top and they were really hard to reach.

“Do you want a hand?” Eric called out

“No thanks” I called back and I grabbed the biggest one I could.

It was so slippery, I remember it just falling to the ground and plopping open. Milk went everywhere. Eric came over and I was just standing there watching the milk move slowly across the floor, like it was invading the shop. I looked up at Eric with my mouth open, my eyes big like circles.

He said, “Now what has happened here?”

It was then, that I burst into tears.

Eric must have come over mopping up the white milk as it seeped into the store, but I can’t remember any of that. The next thing I remember was Mum. She was there in her peach dress. She stood flushed in the face. She looked round the store then down at me, and gave me the best smile in the world. For most of the journey home, I had my face buried in her shoulder. I could smell her skin. It smelt just like powdered peaches.

 “Ssssshhhhh” she said. “ssssh sssssh its ok, its ok, Mummy’s here now, everything’s going to be ok, I promise” Her words tickled my ear, they were soft and flawless.

I raised my head, wiped at my eyes with my fist, and licked the ice cream she bought me, before it melted all onto my hand. The last thing I remember about that day, was that her promise came true and everything was ok.

*

Later, I remembered, I was holding her much older, much thinner and much more spotty hand. She lay on her side and breathed in slowly, they spaces in between filled only with my heartbeat. She stared at me with her big blue cloudy eyes. I looked back; my brown eyes were red and wet. Mum was waiting to die.

Her mouth was open and she had no more of her little pretty teeth. Just a black hole. Her long hazel hair had turned white and curly.

She continued to breathe slowly…slowly, slowly. She never blinked. She never took her eyes off me. There was no one else in that room. Just me and Mum. Outside, everything carried on as usual but inside my Mum was dying and there was nothing I could do.

I squeezed her hand and said to her “Mum, its ok, I'm here now, you can go, don’t be scared, everything is going to be ok”

She looked back at me until something inside disappeared. My mum had continued to breathe, until she stopped. Her old, thin, spotty hand, cold already, grew colder. I realized I was no longer holding a hand. Now it just felt like a cold thing. She no longer moved. Not even a flutter. The little that was left behind those blue eyes had gone. I continued to stare at her only now there was no one looking back.

I breathed in as my eyes grew wet and said, “Its ok, its ok, you’re alright now mum, I promise, everything’s going to be alright now.”

And as I breathed out, I hoped that it was.

title: Short Story i wrote for a competition, theme was full circle - any critique would be great!!

question: What happens to the narrator in the store?

text: Grace drops a jar of milk, not juice.

answer: Grace, the narrator, attempts to grab a jug of juice but isn't tall or strong enough to carry it. She drops it and juice spills everywhere. Grace's mother arrives to save her and calm her down.

text: It was not juice that she was attempting to buy but milk.

text: It must be mentioned that after Grace drops the milk, she gets embarrassed and starts crying.

text: Grace's mother does not arrive to save her and calm her down but to calm her down and take her back home.

answer: She drops the milk.

text: The answer should add that the narrator saw her mum in the store, and her mum carried her home after the incident.

answer: Grace, the narrator, attempts to grab a jug of juice but isn't tall or strong enough to carry it. She drops it and juice spills everywhere. Grace's mother arrives to save her and calm her down.

text: The narrator is named Grace, but the question is asking about the narrator.

text: The narrator is Grace, but the question is asking what happens to Grace.

text: The narrator is named Grace, but the question is asking what happens to the narrator.

text: The answer is incorrect.

text: The narrator's name is not Grace.

text: The narrator is not named Grace. Additionally, the milk spills rather than juice.

text: It is milk not juice

answer: She drops the milk.

text: The answer should mention the narrator's emotional reaction.

text: The answer should mention that the narrator also cries.

text: The narrator also cries.

text: The answer could include more details about what happened in the store.

text: The answer should include the narrator's emotional state.

text: It is omitted that she cries.

answer: Grace, the narrator, attempts to grab a jug of milk but isn't tall or strong enough to carry it. She drops it and milk spills everywhere. Grace's mother arrives to save her and calm her down.

text: The answer should mention that Grace cries.

text: The answer omits the narrator's crying.

text: The answer could mention that Grace cries.

text: It's omitted that Grace starts to cry.

text: The answer omits the narrator's emotional reaction to the incident.

text: It omits key details.

answer: Grace, the narrator, attempts to grab a jug of milk but isn't tall or strong enough to carry it. She drops it and milk spills everywhere. Grace's mother arrives to save her and calm her down.