text:
It had been thought that nothing intangible could ever take the place of actually feeling and experiencing events in life. Video games were great for an escape, but couldn't beat experiencing something important to a person. Sure people had dreamed of the concept of a virtual reality for well over a century. The idea was first made popular to the masses by a movie 150 years ago called The Matrix, where all that one experienced was essentially a program made to appear real.

And so it went until 2130 when man finally made a respectable attempt at merging themselves with technology. The body we learned could truly be but a vessel delivering the mind to a place falling between reality and dreams. All thanks to one company - OmniLife - which made the first virtual reality chamber, called a Cocoon. When the amount of money at stake made evident by the consumers money couldn't be raised fast enough from entrepreneurs looking to cash in on the next craze. This huge financial backing led to the product developing faster then anyone anticipated. The research made another break-through seemingly every month and never really slowed down.

Huge companies, GE, IBM, and many others had their own version of the nuclear arms race of the 2100s, except it was much more harmless then that, companies today were racing with cocoon applications. Still the technology was as cutting edge as it could get.

There were black market apps made, though no one really knew exactly who made them. The more risque experiences of life were now available. They were relatively harmless at first, and as long as you knew someone to "jailbreak" - excuse the old 2010 phrase - your cocoon for you then these more morally ambiguous experiences could be had.

Churches shunned Cocoons as evil, and the faithful resisted for a while. But when cocoon apps began to bring the bible's lessons to the coon-world many churches used them as a tool for teaching. But even for the faithful the other apps were too tempting. Nearly everyone began to incorporate them into their weekends. It was pure pleasure.

Most people recognized the dangerous possibilities that arose from these new time consuming machines. Yet everything had been alright so far, so most people didn't bother creating any stir in regards to taking measures to avoid the downsides that co-inside with Cocoons. Society had their fun right in front of them, resisting was too hard, and the companies too large.

Next thing you know the majority of Americans spent 50% of their weekends in a cocoon. People stop showing up for jobs. There was software for just about everything - fucking, swimming, shopping, even for sleeping - a random, somewhat nonsensical software played like a dream.

The black market developed a much darker side - rape, murders, torture, riots - it could all be done in the virtual world, twisting already twisted minds further and allowing the depraved to get their first taste of blood. When those sick people had their crimes down in the virtual world they wanted to cause real people pain. Thousands began to go missing.

Cocoons weren't all bad - quite the contrary most were relatively clean fun. Cave v3.2 was the best selling software of 2142 - the cave went on for years of playing time, it was extraordinary. Clean experiences which were too dangerous, or simply unobtainable, for any ordinary person were there for the taking. Climbing Mt. Everest could be "done" by a 400 pound man with asthma. Sure there wasn't the feeling of accomplishment, but the view was spectacular.

As the apps for cocooning became more sophisticated it began to dominate the life of the majority of Americans. The technology developed and while at one time only the basic parts of taste could be had - sweet and sour - now eating food in the virtual world was indistinguishable from real life. Touch became increasingly refined too, silk felt like real silk, and skin felt like real skin. Society spent more and more time in the coon-world.

It wasn't good for humanity. Why cut your grass when you can cocoon? Why work? The cocoons were quickly regulated, and no longer was it a private industry, but the government now made the cocoons. Time limits were installed and for a few years things began to return to normal. People were angry with the government though, they had their lives inside the cocoon to get back to. There was an uprising. Suddenly people were being taken from their homes by those sworn to protect us, forced into cocoons which gave the experience of civil unrest, such as riots, but the app ended by giving the user a truly horrific experience so that no one would think a riot would be a good idea. Still the civil uprising won and the regulations were gone.

Something had to be done, there were still the people who chose to live a real life. No one had any answers. Cocoon users began attaching feeding tubes to cocoons, as well as other medical tools so that people's bodies didn't degrade into just skin and bone from those who refused to exit their cocoons even for nourishment or medication. It was everything that we all feared, but only few spoke about a decade ago. No one knew what to do.

The government had a secret meeting and a decision was made "for the greater good."

91% of the population cocooned with an average of 92% of their time. But the few people who decided to live life in reality began to notice a difference in cocooners even when they weren't cocooning. They seemed to be much more mellow, with a low range of moods, it was like they were on auto-run. No one who cocooned noticed the difference, they were essentially hypnotized.

Hospital workers then began to notice a correlation between the disease of Uralomex (a horrific alzheimer's like disease) and cocoon users. Since any evidence of the correlation was stuck in the hospital's government produced software, there was only the word of doctors and nurses - the few who didn't cocoon at all - to explain the worrying new trend. People began to die by the millions.

*I wasn't sure where to go from here. Thanks for reading if you got this far. I would love to expand on any advice about on what direction to take. I'll write a more concrete ending tomorrow but for now that is the ending.*

title: Virtually Lifeless

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the theme of this story.

answer: The theme of this story appears to be about the gradual rise, domination, and fall of virtual reality. It warns about what happens when people become absolutely obsessed with their virtual lives, to the detriment of their real, actual lives. The story also warns that addiction is a very real thing, and sometimes it is easy to undermine both your personal values and the values of the society that produces and sustains your way of life. When it comes to addictions, for everything earned, there is a moment of sacrifice. Here, society as a whole is regressing from a sensible, impactful worldview to one devoid of consequences. In the end, the only thing that is truly immortal and unchanged is change.

text: Sounds great, but there are some glittering generalities in here, especially in the final line. Also "when it comes to addictions..." both of these sound incredibly profound but mean nothing and should be removed.

refinement: The theme of this story appears to be about the gradual rise, domination, and fall of virtual reality. It warns about what happens when people become absolutely obsessed with their virtual lives, to the detriment of their real, actual lives. The story also warns that addiction is a very real thing, and sometimes it is easy to undermine both your personal values and the values of the society that produces and sustains your way of life. Here, society as a whole is regressing from a sensible, impactful worldview to one devoid of consequences.

text: "Devoid of consequences" is not the best description for the transformation going on

refinement: The theme of this story appears to be about the gradual rise, domination, and fall of virtual reality. It warns about what happens when people become absolutely obsessed with their virtual lives, to the detriment of their real, actual lives. The story also warns that addiction is a very real thing, and sometimes it is easy to undermine both your personal values and the values of the society that produces and sustains your way of life. Here, society as a whole is regressing from a sensible, healthy society, to a diseased one where citizens do not live productive lives.

answer: This is a dystopian story that demonstrates the dangers of technology and science. The virtual reality machine, or cocoon, in this story has led to people refusing to live a monogamous physical existence, unhappiness, and a focus on frivolous pursuits. A team in the government outlaw cocoons, but the people respond with an uprising. At this point, many of them are suffering from Alzheimer's or a similar disease, and the exponential growth of cocoon technology has cost us billions. The cocoon brings scary things, harm, and unhappiness to society.

text: They are not suffering from Alzheimers. They are suffering from a specific disease unique to the story, called Uralomex that is similar to Alzheimers

refinement: This is a dystopian story that demonstrates the dangers of technology and science. The virtual reality machine, or cocoon, in this story has led to people refusing to live a monogamous physical existence, unhappiness, and a focus on frivolous pursuits. A team in the government outlaw cocoons, but the people respond with an uprising. At this point, many of them are suffering from Uralomax, a disease similar to Alzheimer's, and the exponential growth of cocoon technology has cost us billions. The cocoon brings scary things, harm, and unhappiness to society.

text: "Scary things" sounds childish and should be removed

refinement: This is a dystopian story that demonstrates the dangers of technology and science. The virtual reality machine, or cocoon, in this story has led to people refusing to live a monogamous physical existence, unhappiness, and a focus on frivolous pursuits. A team in the government outlaw cocoons, but the people respond with an uprising. At this point, many of them are suffering from Uralomax, a disease similar to Alzheimer's, and the exponential growth of cocoon technology has cost us billions. The cocoon brings harm and unhappiness to society.

answer: The theme of this story is about the dangers of technological advancements and how a lack of regulation is dangerous for the enhancement of humanity.

text: The relationship between regulation and technological advancement in the story is complex. The author cannot be said to be in favor or against government regulation. Rather, they are exploring the consequences of what happens when a new technology enters society and disrupts existing social structures.

refinement: The theme of this story is about the dangers of technological advancements.

text: The specific technological advancements involved were virtual reality

refinement: The theme of this story is about the dangers of technological advancements, particularly virtual reality. The story explores the impact virtual reality could have on society if taken to the extreme.

answer: This is a dystopian story that demonstrates the dangers of technology and science. The virtual reality machine, or cocoon, in this story has led to people refusing to live real, actual life - they become trapped in the cocoon. A team in the government outlaw cocoons, but the people respond with an uprising. At this point, many of them are suffering from Alzheimer's or a similar disease, and the exponential growth of cocoon technology has cost us billions. The cocoon brings scary things, harm, and unhappiness to society.

answer: The theme of the story is about exponential technological advancement unchecked; this technological advancement overtakes society's ability for moderation.

text: Make sure that it is specifically about virtual reality

refinement: The theme of the story is about exponential technological advancement unchecked, particularly virtual reality; virtual reality becomes more enticing than actual reality and subsequently destroys human society.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize how the Cocoons were received by different sectors of society.

answer: Churches shined a bad light on Cocoons as evil, and any of the faithful who used them often. The more pleasurable Cocoon apps were too tempting for those who called themselves faithful. Nearly everyone tried to get the experiences the Cocoons offered later on. However, society embraced Cocoons, and the companies producing them were too big for them to be opposed.

text: Add coverage about: the black market, and the government

refinement: Churches shined a bad light on Cocoons as evil, and any of the faithful who used them often. The more pleasurable Cocoon apps were too tempting for those who called themselves faithful. Nearly everyone tried to get the experiences the Cocoons offered later on. However, society embraced Cocoons, and the companies producing them were too big for them to be opposed. A black market for illegal experiences developed, such as rape and murder. The government, on the other hand, tried to regulate cocoons because they were destroying productivity. This did not work; people rioted, and the regulations were removed. For all the government tried to control the situation, they could not.

text: It should be cast, not shined.

refinement: Churches cast a bad light on Cocoons as evil, and any of the faithful who used them often. The more pleasurable Cocoon apps were too tempting for those who called themselves faithful. Nearly everyone tried to get the experiences the Cocoons offered later on. However, society embraced Cocoons, and the companies producing them were too big for them to be opposed. A black market for illegal experiences developed, such as rape and murder. The government, on the other hand, tried to regulate cocoons because they were destroying productivity. This did not work; people rioted, and the regulations were removed. For all the government tried to control the situation, they could not.

answer:
Religious groups initially did not approve of the Cocoons because they were seen as something evil. Over time, however, churches used them as tools to teach their lessons. Eventually, the churches began incorporating Cocoons because the fans were too enticing with their multitude of applications. But, churches also made sure that their monks and seekers were also on Cocoon, for learning purposes. Cocoons became a part of the weekends for everyone.

Elderly people felt that Cocoons were not healthy, but the Cocoons became so important to everyone and became the default software for practically doing anything. Forcing people to take it off and live a normal life was not possible because no one wanted to eat or go to work or bathe when in a cocoon and the demand for their use was too essential for productivity.

Initially people also used Cocoons for better learning and muscle recollection because they did yoga exercises there, but as the apps offered more unearthly experiences, the users remained indoors.

Eventually people started using cocoons as an immersive experience and totally different realms of knowledge became available to them.

text: Most of this is extrapolations not extant in the text and should be removed

refinement: Religious groups initially did not approve of the Cocoons because they were seen as something evil. Over time, however, churches used them as tools to teach their lessons. Eventually, the churches began incorporating Cocoons because the fans were too enticing with their multitude of applications. Cocoons became a part of the weekends for everyone.

text: Add coverage about the government and the black market

refinement: Religious groups initially did not approve of the Cocoons because they were seen as something evil. Over time, however, churches used them as tools to teach their lessons. Eventually, the churches began incorporating Cocoons because the fans were too enticing with their multitude of applications. Cocoons became a part of the weekends for everyone. A black market for illegal experiences developed, such as rape and murder. The government, on the other hand, tried to regulate cocoons because they were destroying productivity. This did not work; people rioted, and the regulations were removed. For all the government tried to control the situation, they could not.

answer: Cocoons were shunned by the church as they were worried about mixing the virtual world with the real world. However as the market began to take off, churches took advantage of the opportunity and began to teach their followers with the virtual world. However even for the faithful, the temptations were too great. In the end, most people recognized the downsides of spending their lives in the cocoon and many spoke out but it was too late. No one was prepared for the extremes people got up to in the virtual world such as rape and murder.

text: Repeated anaphora from the last line "However" is ill-advised prose

refinement: Cocoons were shunned by the church as they were worried about mixing the virtual world with the real world. However as the market began to take off, churches took advantage of the opportunity and began to teach their followers with the virtual world. Yet even for the faithful, the temptations were too great. In the end, most people recognized the downsides of spending their lives in the cocoon and many spoke out but it was too late. No one was prepared for the extremes people got up to in the virtual world such as rape and murder.

text: These line should be removed as they do not concern the question in specifics

refinement: Cocoons were shunned by the church as they were worried about mixing the virtual world with the real world. However as the market began to take off, churches took advantage of the opportunity and began to teach their followers with the virtual world. Yet even for the faithful, the temptations were too great.

text: Information about the Black Market and the Government should be added

refinement: Cocoons were shunned by the church as they were worried about mixing the virtual world with the real world. However as the market began to take off, churches took advantage of the opportunity and began to teach their followers with the virtual world. Yet even for the faithful, the temptations were too great. A black market for illegal experiences developed, such as rape and murder. The government, on the other hand, tried to regulate cocoons because they were destroying productivity. This did not work; people rioted, and the regulations were removed. For all the government tried to control the situation, they could not.

answer: Churches shined a bad light on Cocoons as evil, and any of the faithful who used them often. The more pleasurable Cocoon apps were too tempting for those who called themselves faithful. Nearly everyone tried to get the experiences the Cocoons offered later on. However, society embraced Cocoons, and the companies producing them were too big for them to be opposed. Cocoons were perfect spheres, spherical with rooms.

answer:
The churches initially shunned Cocoons because they were seen as something evil.

As time passed, the churches began using them as tools to teach their lessons.

So many people wanted to obtain cocoon apps or programs since they increased the app count and some of the users got hooked on the systems that even the churches used to participate.

text: Add in information about the Black Market and Government

refinement: Churches cast a bad light on Cocoons as evil, and any of the faithful who used them often. The more pleasurable Cocoon apps were too tempting for those who called themselves faithful. Nearly everyone tried to get the experiences the Cocoons offered later on. However, society embraced Cocoons, and the companies producing them were too big for them to be opposed. A black market for illegal experiences developed, such as rape and murder. The government, on the other hand, tried to regulate cocoons because they were destroying productivity. This did not work; people rioted, and the regulations were removed. For all the government tried to control the situation, they could not.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize some of the foreseen consequences of a population's becoming reliant on the Cocoon for pleasure, experience, and entertainment.

answer: The government will have to regulate them, and there will be an uprising. The government will have to regulate them due to an increase in crime and people going missing. There will be an uprising when people are forced into the cocoons, which will give the experience of civil unrest. People will die by the millions due to the disease of Uralomex.

text: The use of the future tense in this paragraph makes it odd. This is a story, not a prophecy. It should be reworded to be in the present tense and referential to the story

refinement: The Cocoon is a virtual reality device that allows people to experience anything they want. The Cocoon can be used to experience any number of things, from playing a game to having sex to doing a job. The Cocoon takes people away from reality, and they stop participating in the real world. The government regulates the Cocoon, but people rebel and the regulations are eventually removed. The population is left with a disease called Uralomex, which is a horrific form of Alzheimer's.

answer: The government will have to regulate them, and there will be an uprising.

text:
Add in more information about:
The consequences of the uprising
The disease like Alzheimers
And the draw of the cocoons

refinement: The Cocoon is a virtual reality device that allows people to experience anything they want. The Cocoon can be used to experience any number of things, from playing a game to having sex to doing a job. The Cocoon takes people away from reality, and they stop participating in the real world. The government regulates the Cocoon, but people rebel and the regulations are eventually removed. The population is left with a disease called Uralomex, which is a horrific form of Alzheimer's.

answer: The Cocoon is a virtual reality device that allows people to experience anything they want. The Cocoon can be used to experience any number of things, from playing a game to having sex to doing a job. The Cocoon takes people away from reality, and they stop participating in the real world. The government regulates the Cocoon, but people rebel and it's eventually removed. The population is left with a disease called Uralomex, which is a horrific form of Alzheimer's.

text: Replace "it's" with "the regulations are"

refinement: The Cocoon is a virtual reality device that allows people to experience anything they want. The Cocoon can be used to experience any number of things, from playing a game to having sex to doing a job. The Cocoon takes people away from reality, and they stop participating in the real world. The government regulates the Cocoon, but people rebel and the regulations are eventually removed. The population is left with a disease called Uralomex, which is a horrific form of Alzheimer's.

answer: The population became reliant on the cocoon for entertainment, experience, and pleasure. They started to spend up to 50% of their weekends in the cocoon. This led to a lack of productivity, a lack of interest in real life, and a lack of interest in socializing.

text: Mention should be made of the riots, regulations, and disease

refinement: The population became reliant on the cocoon for entertainment, experience, and pleasure. They started to spend up to 50% of their weekends in the cocoon. This led to a lack of productivity, a lack of interest in real life, and a lack of interest in socializing. The government regulates the Cocoon, but people rebel and the regulations are eventually removed. The population is left with a disease called Uralomex, which is a horrific form of Alzheimer's.

answer: The Cocoon is a virtual reality device that allows people to experience anything they want. The Cocoon can be used to experience any number of things, from playing a game to having sex to doing a job. The Cocoon takes people away from reality, and they stop participating in the real world. The government regulates the Cocoon, but people rebel and it's eventually removed. The population is left with a disease called Uralomex, which is a horrific form of Alzheimer's. The Cocoon has a negative effect on the human body, causing it to become malnourished and weak.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Considering this information about the Cocoon, what are some actions societies could take to prevent abuse of the Cocoon, or to alleviate social and health issues resulting from excessive time spent in the Cocoon?

answer: The government could create more regulations for the Cocoon, such as limiting the amount of time people can spend in the Cocoon. The government could also make the Cocoon illegal.

text: These actions are all tried in the story, to ill effect.

refinement: The author does not provide any answers to this question.

answer: The government could regulate the Cocoon, or take it away altogether. The company that makes the Cocoon could make it less addictive, or create a way to limit the amount of time people are allowed to spend in them.

text: These actions are all tried in the story to ill effect.

refinement: The author does not provide any answers to this question.

answer: The government could regulate the Cocoon, or take it away altogether. The company that makes the Cocoon could make it less addictive, or create a way to limit the amount of time people are allowed to spend in them. The government could also make it illegal to use Cocoons for immoral purposes, such as rape and murder.

text: These actions are all tried in the story, to ill effect

refinement: The author does not provide any answers to this question.

answer: The author does not provide any answers to this question.


split: train

text:
from Love & Chemicals: The Memoir

dispatches from abroad
original letters

bashkortostan, russia
june 2007

hello hello
it is monday, not the weekend, but better late than never?
though i have said i will write every week
in this town i cannot promise that i can 100% do so
my schedule demands that i work in the afternoon & evenings
the exact times the internet cafe is open -- but i will try...
so, what's it like standing at an open door of an airplane,
and then being told you have to jump?
it wasn't as scary as i thought, the day before was probably worse
no one in my group had had a good night's sleep, including me
we had all attended 2 hours of training from knowledgeable instructors
they even separated me from the group with an English teacher
so the head instructor/owner could make sure i understood, one-on-one
i was the third foreigner to jump at his school, the first american
and he was beaming with pride at the achievement
but even after the training, you still ask yourself 'am i crazy?'
and the answer you get back from your head is
'yes, you're purposely jumping from an airplane in mid-air'
but the morning of the jump, the fear is gone
even when you see the plane, dirty & old, with a single-propeller engine
but it was good to have familiar students around,
we helped each other keep spirits high
and then with a flimsy red helmet
& a 100lb. parachute strapped to my back
the plane lifted off with a sudden shake & jolt with black smoke
and the loud grinding of the engine became even louder
the instructors were yelling in unintelligeable russian a few final commands
i felt like i was on my way to invade germany
i was the first to go, because the heaviest jumped first
that's right, i was the heaviest, believe it or not
i haven't mentioned that 'the students' were all beautiful young women
so i had to maintain that i was fearless, the strong 'man'
and so there it was, adzin, dva, t-ree (1,2,3)
staring out the open door, not looking straight down, as i was taught
staring out at the hills, the barren countryside,
a few lakes glistening in the distance
they patted my shoulder and yelled 'pashoh!!!' (go!!!)
without hesitation i leapt forward, and started free-falling to the earth
2 1/2 seconds of nothing but descending rapidly, 100 feet per second
my head started to move forward, my body trying to become horizontal
then...pooooof...the whistling in your ears stops, your body jerks
and i looked up, and i had my own white cloud above me
the parachute had opened correctly, in a perfect circle, no twist or turns
i disabled my emergency chute which was set to open after 6 seconds
and from then on, my only job was to float, and enjoy the view
and then 2 1/2 minutes later, the ground was getting very close
i prepared to land, the 2nd most dangerous part, after the leap
and then wham!, with a surprisingly shocking force, i met the earth again
and my body instinctively crumpled, and managed to stay in one piece
the head instructor was so excited, and he shook my hand like a child
he even invited me on the next jump,
but not to go out from the plane, just for a ride,
sitting in the co-pilots seat,
no, thank you, 'nyet, spaceeba'
- even though i’d finally felt so alive for the 1st time
they are kicking me out of the cafe now
dosvedanya
jaime

title: [NF] Skydiving in Bashkortostan

question: What is the story about?

answer: The story is about a person's experience skydiving in Bashkortostan, Russia. They describe the process of preparing for the jump, the jump itself, and the landing.

answer: The story is about a man who goes skydiving in Bashkortostan, Russia.

answer: Skydiving.

text: I think this needs context in the answer.

refinement: It is about a man who goes skydiving in Russia.

answer: The narrator describes his experience of skydiving.

text: I added details for context.

refinement: The narrator describes his experience of skydiving in Russia.

question: Where does the narrator go skydiving?

answer: Russia.

text:
bashkortostan, russia
june 2007

answer: The narrator skydives in Bashkortostan, Russia.

text:
bashkortostan, russia
june 2007

answer: Bashkortostan, Russia

text:
bashkortostan, russia
june 2007

answer: The narrator skydives in Bashkortostan, Russia.

text:
bashkortostan, russia
june 2007

question: What happens to the narrator?

answer: The narrator jumps out of an airplane.

text: without hesitation i leapt forward, and started free-falling to the earth

answer: The narrator jumps out of an airplane.

text: without hesitation i leapt forward, and started free-falling to the earth

answer: The narrator jumps out of a plane and experiences free-falling before opening their parachute. They then land safely on the ground.

text: without hesitation i leapt forward, and started free-falling to the earth

answer: They are scared at first but they make it to the ground intact. Then they decide to not to go up in the plane again.

text: I have added the important detail that they went skydiving.

refinement: They go skydiving. They are scared at first but they make it to the ground intact. Then they decide to not to go up in the plane again.

text: without hesitation i leapt forward, and started free-falling to the earth

question: What form is the story told in?

text: No answer.

refinement: It's told in the form of a letter or an email.

answer: It is in epistolary form, or, told as a letter.

text:
bashkortostan, russia
june 2007

hello hello

answer: The story is told in a personal narrative style.

text: This is true, but I think the question is more regarding the type of form.

refinement: The story is told in a personal narrative style, via handwritten letter or email.

answer: The story is told in the form of a letter.

text: It could also be an email, considering it was written in 2007.

refinement: The story is told in the form of a letter or email.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The author describes their experience skydiving in Bashkortostan, Russia. They say that it was not as scary as they thought, and that they felt alive after the jump. They also say that landing was the most dangerous part.

answer: The author writes about their experience skydiving in Bashkortostan, Russia. They describe the process of skydiving, the fear they felt before the jump, and the exhilaration they felt after the jump.

answer: The narrator describes their experience of skydiving. They describe the experience as scary, but not as scary as they thought it would be. They describe the experience as being alive.

text: I think the location is an important part of the story so it should be included in this.

refinement: The narrator describes their experience of skydiving in Russian-it seems they are Russian. They describe the experience as scary, but not as scary as they thought it would be. They describe the experience as being alive.

text: The last sentence is unnecessary and grammatically strange.

refinement: The narrator describes their experience of skydiving in Russian-it seems they are Russian. They describe the experience as scary, but not as scary as they thought it would be.

answer: This is a story about a man who skydives in Russia. It is told as a letter. When he reaches the ground he decides he does not want to go up in the sky anymore.


text:
Hey guys, thanks for reading; I am still adding onto this story, this is only the first part.

The horizon gleamed with a sterility usually reserved for more dire and artificial moments. I said her name twice and then once more: “Isabella, Isabella, Isabella.” We had walked at least a mile under the shade of trees and now rested on a sandy perch elongated on the shore of the Chattahoochee. With a gentle nudge she awoke; “Isabella! I thought that you would never open your eyes!” The sunlight was receding behind the brown trees across the river and the nip in the air made the fabric on Isabella’s dress stiffen and crinkle. Each time I touched her she would breathe sharply and then promptly smile as if she was anticipating something. I knew little of seduction, for I was bred into a modest life with people who suspected that there were no better things than what they had already been presented with. My families prominence had dispelled the need for convention- we were of a fortunate lineage and we lived properly but still on terms that we created for ourselves.  The afternoon’s wake had crashed long before we had wound up together beneath the spruce and I was starting to wonder what forces were at play.  I stood up and offered her my hand. “We should go before it gets too dark-I’m not as familiar with this side of the river.” I could smell the cedar that my father had cut into logs burning on the other side of the river; I was certain the estate was farther away. My Mother would always worry when I was gone for too long, but I was incensed with a desire that I had never felt before. I stood and brushed off the red and yellow leaves that had torn as I was lying on them. I offered her my hand as she still remained silent; I wished to get inside of her mind, feel her desire, swim in her thoughts- as if by doing so would make her existence even more real; surely there was a sequence of words to un-muddle  her mind. She looked up at me and smiled. The right strap on her purple sundress had fallen down her shoulder and her high cheekbones rose in such a way that made her eyes squint slightly. “Come, and lie back down- we have at least thirty minutes of sunlight left.” I didn’t want to refuse her, so I laid back down resting my head on a log that had been softened by rain. She rested her head on my chest, and I picked bits of leaf out of her long blonde hair. We both lied still for a while and enjoyed the dusk, and listened to the birds sing beneath an ethereal moon that was starting to appear in the still light, late afternoon. After a few moments she looked up at me: “Do you believe in god?” I didn’t know what to say to her; somehow my mind’s recesses had become filled at that moment and I was unable to ponder an answer. I quipped back nervously: “Sometimes.” I looked away from her and back to the darkening sky. She continued speaking: “I’m just curios. That’s all. Sometimes I don’t believe in him. I remember sitting next to my mother as she died. The hospital didn’t smell at all by the way- it was like they cleaned the death out of the air and made everything neat and they even had a cafeteria! How can you serve food in a place where people are dying all the time? Anyways, I always believed in god; my Mom raised me like that-even as I sat there and watched her die, and watched the tubes pump life into her, I still believed. She had barely enough strength to say anything, but she did say one thing. Before she died, she looked at me and said: even if there’s no heaven, I’ll be with you. No heaven? I thought she was crazy. How could there be no heaven? The next few weeks I thought about what she said over and over, and I still don’t know what to make of it. “I chuckled nervously and said something ridiculous like “yeah well that sure is something” “You’re adorable,” she said, and kissed my cheek. She stood up and I felt a light relief from my chest. She stood in front of me and started to dance. I said: “how can you dance with no music?” She didn’t respond as she did a twirl; I could see beneath her dress as she twirled in the still night air. She stopped and looked at me seriously. Her right strap was still caressing her shoulder. She looked at me for a while and then slowly took her right hand and let her left strap slide down her shoulder and her whole dress came sliding off of her. It was the first time I had seen her nude; she was beautiful.  She was so bold and still so very youthful and I didn’t know what to make of anything so I just sat there amazed. She walked over to me slowly: “What about right now?” “What do you mean?” I asked. “Do you believe in God right now?” Without responding I stood up and kissed her right there on that sandy perch by the Chattahoochee- right there in front of all the birds and crickets, and maybe even in front of god. We steadily made our way to the ground.

title: Isabella (900 words)

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize everything relating to nature.

answer: Nature plays a central role in this passage. The horizon is sterile and the woods are shady. Coupled with being absent of music, the environment sets the tone for Isabella's questioning of God. The perch where the pair rest is outdoors by the sides of the Chattahooche and the trees across the river create a somber backdrop. At the end of the passage, Isabella sheds her dress without notice in front of the narrator. Overall, nature serves as a delicate backdrop for the pair's interaction.

answer: The narrator and Isabella walk for at least a mile under the shade of trees and rest on a sandy perch on the shore of the Chattahoochee. The sunlight recedes behind the brown trees across the river. The narrator can smell the cedar his father had cut into logs burning on the other side of the river. He lies down and rests his head on a log that's been softened by the rain. They lie still and listen to the birds sing. They kiss in front of the birds and crickets.

answer: The landscape around the couple appears relatively lifeless. They walk for a long time through the shade of trees, and towards the end of the story, the universe darkens, which is symbolic as it represents the man's dark and confusing inner world. The girl talks of her mother, who died, and her one strange comment to the girl; that even though they don't believe in heaven she'll be with the girl. The girl feels unsure of what to make of this, and begins to question if her mother really believes that since now the girl has much more information about life and death than she did when she was younger. In the end, she's still confused.

text: The response does not seem to answer the question. The points it references relate to God, death, and the girl's mother, not nature.

refinement: The landscape around the couple is filled with life, with the sun setting and the cold snap in the air affecting Isabella's dress. There are a few bits of dried leaves littered around, with the narrator picking bits of it off Isabella's hair. Both made love right on the sandy perch by the Chattahoochee, right in front of birds and crickets.

category_text: The response does not answer the question at all.

answer: The passage primarily focuses on Isabella and the natural elements present around her. The horizon is sterile and the sunlight fades away behind brown trees across the river. There is a noticeable nip in the air and leaves crinkle under Isabella's dress. The sun sets behind a moon while Isabella dances without music before eventually shedding her dress. The natural environment sets the stage for their eventual coupling.

answer: In this story nature is the setting for the story. The characters are on a sandy perch on the Chattahoochee reserve and the sky is darkening. The story mentions the ashes, and one can presume that since the protagonist loves nature, he finds it necessary to confront death. The darkness brings out an ethereal moon. The birds chirp in the background.

text:
- The story does not mention ashes.

- The third sentence about the narrator confronting death is not referenced in the story.

refinement: In this story nature is the setting for the story. The characters are on a sandy perch on the Chattahoochee reserve and the sky is darkening. There are dried leaves in the vicinity, with the narrator picking bits out of Isabella's hair. The darkness brings out an ethereal moon as the birds chirp in the background.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the narrator's interactions with Isabella.

answer: The narrator says Isabella's name three times after they've walked a mile under the shade of trees and rest on the shore of the Chattahoochee. He wakes her with a gentle nudge. Each time he touches her, she breathes sharply. He offers her his hand, but she urges him to lie back down. She asks if he believes in god and then  stands up and starts to dance. She removes her clothes. They kiss and make their way to the ground.

answer: The narrator says her name twice and then once more. He wakes her after she had been sleeping and, holding on to his information with both hands, she smiled. He requests that they leave before it gets too dark. She asks "Do you believe in God?" and he replies sometimes. They both lay down and listen to birds singing. Then she takes her dress off without warning, something which shocks him into kissing her.

text: The phrase "holding on to his information with both hands" is incoherent and makes little sense.

refinement: The narrator says her name twice and then once more. He wakes her after she had been sleeping and offered his hands. He requests that they leave before it gets too dark. She asks "Do you believe in God?" and he replies sometimes. They both lay down and listen to birds singing. Then she takes her dress off without warning, something which shocks him into kissing her.

answer: The narrator meets Isabella and becomes fascinated with her. The two eventually lay down together on the shore of the Chattahoochee River and begin to explore their desires for one another. After Isabella takes off her dress, she asks if the narrator believes in God right then. The narrator kisses her and they make love.

text: - There is no setting in the story where the narrator met Isabella

refinement: The narrator and Isabella walk together on the shore of the Chattahoochee River. Then they lie down and begin to explore their desires for one another. After Isabella takes off her dress, she asks if the narrator believes in God right then. The narrator kisses her and they make love.

text: - There are not enough details in the response.

refinement: The narrator and Isabella walk together on the shore of the Chattahoochee River. Then they lie down and Isabella dozed off with the narrator removing bits of leaves from her hair. Isabella soon wakes up and talks about her deceased mother and asks the narrator if he believes in God. The narrator gives an incoherent answer. After Isabella takes off her dress, she asks if the narrator believes in God right then. The narrator kisses her and they make love.

answer: The narrator and Isabella walk under shade of trees and lie in a spot near a river to spend time together. The narrator takes the lead and is expressive throughout, wanting to connect with Isabella's mind and thoughts. At first Isabella spoke slightly and was still, but then she began to ask questions of the narrator and placed herself in most intimate situations with him.

text: The response, though correct, is a bit abstract. Concrete examples and details would have made it better.

refinement: The narrator and Isabella walk under shades of trees and lie in a spot near a river to spend time together. The narrator takes the lead and is expressive throughout. He touched Isabella as she sleeps and removed dried leaves from her hair. He wanted to connect with Isabella's mind and thoughts. At first Isabella spoke slightly and was still, but then she began to ask questions of the narrator, removed her clothes, and placed herself in most intimate situations with him.

answer: The narrator has strong feelings for Isabella and he is fascinated by her. Isabella originally woke up from a nap as the sun was setting and the two of them walked together by a river before stopping to rest. The narrator had to resist his initial desires but he eventually gave in and kissed her, leading to more physical intimacy. The narrator perceives Isabella to be a beautiful and bold person who openly lets her guard down and expresses her thoughts openly.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about the time of year during which it takes place?

answer: It's autumn. After sundown, the narrator takes Isabella to a sandy perch along the shores of a river. There was crickets and birds singing, and a bit more later: a late-afternoon moon.

answer: No answer

text: There are many hints in the story that tells the time of the year it was set in.

refinement: The presents of bits of leaves in Isabella's hair suggest autumn. The nippy air and the crinkle in Isabella's dress confirm it. The couple was lying down at sundown, with birds singing and crickets chirping, showing that nightfall is near.

answer: The nip of the air makes the fabric on Isabella's dress stiffen and crinkle. The narrator brushes off the red and yellow leaves that had torn as he was lying on them. They listen to the birds sing at dusk.

text: The response misses the final answer as to what time of the year it may be.

refinement: The nip of the air makes the fabric on Isabella's dress stiffen and crinkle. The narrator brushes off the red and yellow leaves that had torn as he was lying on them. They listen to the birds sing at dusk. These signs show the events between the narrator and Isabella happened on a late afternoon in autumn.

answer: The story takes place in autumn, between the end of summer and winter. The sun sets early, leaves are falling from the trees and the onset of colder weather is imminent.

answer: The story takes place during the final hours of daylight at the close of autumn.

text: Little bits of details would have made the response much better.

refinement: The story takes place during the final hours of daylight at the close of autumn. The presence of bits of leaves in Isabella's hair and the nippy air confirms it.


text:
The writing is a bit choppy due to the vocab I had to incorporate, but here it is. Sort for the lack of paragraphs.

       I slowly strolled into the restaurant, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible. I kept my head down, as if some sort of wandering eye might notice my appearance. And there the man was, sitting in the corner booth. He had a nebulous feel about him, as if I wasn't even sure if he was really even sitting there in front of me. But it was all real, almost, just almost too real. All of his emotions just seemed to barren, as if any sort of expression was some elusive happening. His face was desolate, so void of any uniqueness an overwhelming neutrality washed over me. His posture, formidable, his manners laudable, his movements so conscientious and exact, yet his face so bland. It was almost disturbing. It was like staring into an infinite loop of television static, a bland mesmerization permeating every ounce of my body. Even though his stark aura would have seemed to hypnotize every living entity in a mile range, his presence was hardly noticeable. I sat down in front of him, ever so gingerly, as if I had made a wrong move he would viciously pounce or I would elicit a din and alert everyone of my being there.  To my surprise he gave me a cordial welcome "Good afternoon, how are you today?" He said in a cool, subtle, and ceaseless tone. "Fine, fine." I replied. He could sense my nervousness and lapse of repose. I suppose I had never encountered such a enigma before. He was rather empathetic, and did his best to keep me calm. I placed the envelope from my jacket in his hands, and he carefully tucked it away into his pocket. After which, he placed his hands on the table, palms to the ceiling, in a very deft and exact manner. He spoke in innuendo, as if he was trying to avoid confessin. He preferred implication rather than a cold matter-of-factness. I suppose that's what I needed at the time, any statement which held a lick of reality would have sent me into panic. The gravity of the matter was just too much to handle. I quickly tried to calm myself, seeming serene yet not apathetic. I didn't want him to think any less of me, even though it would be the last time we meet. He then opened his mouth, speaking slow and cool, making sure I understood the message he was trying to convey. "I am willing to help you, in fact I am glad to help. And I don't mean to impose or offend you, however you have peaked my curiosity and I can't help to ask why? Don't feel obliged to answer, I just raise the question because I have never done such a job before." He didn't seem very vehement about knowing, but I supposed I owed it to him. I opened my pursed lips to speak, and my chest fluctuated due to my massive amounts of bottled emotions. "It's not really one thing I suppose. I just want to subdue that routed feeling. I usually happy, even extatic, it's just that I feel a serf to all the things around me. There is no moksha from this endless cycle, just a perturbing repiditiveness. I know it seems ilocgical, probably even erroneous to you, it's just..." "It's alright." He interjected abruptly, yet neccisarily. "I understand, I've felt that way an innumerable amount of times, I just guess you could say I'm an optimist." I was dumbfounded, I would have never expected he was cappaible of such warmth. I gave him the closest thing to a smile I could manage and said "I'm ready" I said in an almost languid tone. He slowly reached under the table and into his coat pocket. He looked me in the eyes, and I reciprocated, and I nodded reassuring him. A loud "BANG" erupted from the booth. My body slumped over,my face hit the booths soft leather padding, and blood slowly trickled forth.  He stood up, and calmly walked away, disappearing into the night. Anon, all of the patrons of the restraunt had quite an incredulous look on their face. They didn't know quite what was going on, nor will they ever.

title: A short story I wrote in my Sophomore year for a vocab assinment.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the excerpt say about the man in the booth?

answer: The man in the booth is unnamed. He is nondescript, unremarkable with a bland face, having a mesmrzenizing neutrality that warms the narrator up to him.

text: Typo: mesmerizing

refinement: The man in the booth is unnamed. He is nondescript, unremarkable with a bland face, having a mesmerizing neutrality that warms the narrator up to him.

text: Missing trait: the man's presence (important detail since the man is paid to kill)

refinement: The man in the booth is unnamed. He is nondescript, unremarkable with a bland face, having a mesmerizing neutrality that warms the narrator up to him. Despite this unique trait, his presence is barely noticeable.

text: Mention the job that the man performed.

refinement: The man in the booth is unnamed. He is nondescript, unremarkable with a bland face, having a mesmerizing neutrality that warms the narrator up to him. Despite this unique trait, his presence is barely noticeable. The man accepts a job to kill the narrator from the narrator themselves, so the man is likely to be an assassin. He acts professionally, converses in a slow and cool manner, takes payment for his work, does not speak directly about the job, and he executes it efficiently.

answer: The man in the booth is unique and enigmatic. His reserved nature makes him unsettling to most people, but despite this he is immensely empathetic and understands what the protagonist is feeling. He is also willing to help her with her problem, and the potential danger of their meeting is outweighed by his curiosity to learn more. Lastly, he kills the protagonist with a gunshot.

text:
Use narrator instead of protagonist.
There is no gender associated with the narrator, change pronouns referring to the narrator appropriately.

refinement: The man in the booth is unique and enigmatic. His reserved nature makes him unsettling to most people, but despite this he is immensely empathetic and understands what the narrator is feeling. The man is also willing to help the narrator with their problem, and the potential danger of their meeting is outweighed by his curiosity to learn more. Lastly, he kills the protagonist with a gunshot.

text: There is no implied danger in the narrative.

refinement: The man in the booth is unique and enigmatic. His reserved nature makes him unsettling to most people, but despite this he is immensely empathetic and understands what the narrator is feeling. The man is also willing to help the narrator with their problem. Lastly, he kills the protagonist with a gunshot.

text: Expound on the job that the man does.

refinement: The man in the booth is a unique and enigmatic paid assassin. His reserved nature makes him unsettling to most people, but despite this he is immensely empathetic and appears to understand what the narrator is feeling. The man treats the narrator warmly throughout their exchange. He acts professionally, converses in a slow and cool manner, takes payment for his work, does not speak directly about the job, and he executes the job efficiently. This is the man's first time to have a job where the client and the target are the same person.

answer: The man greeted the protagonist cordially and helped him calm down. Then, he told the protagonist that he would do anything he could to help but asked the narrator why he needed help. The narrator chose to tell him about his lack of peace and that he was desperate for it. For some reason, the man didn't press for more information and just exposed himself as an optimist before departing after he shot the narrator in the chest.

text: Add details about the job that the man took. Use narrator instead of protagonist

refinement: The man greeted the protagonist cordially and helped him calm down. Then, he told the narrator that he would do anything he could to help and asked the narrator why he needed help. The narrator chose to tell him about his lack of peace and that he was desperate for it. The man acted professionally, conversed in a slow and cool manner, took payment for the work to be, did not speak directly about the job, and he executed the job efficiently -which is to shoot the narrator. This is the man's first time to have a job where the client and the target are the same person.

answer: The man in the booth has an aura of neutrality, but has a gentle nature regardless. He seems to understand the protagonist's feeling of being adrift in a perpetual cycle, and offers his help. The man does, however, carry out a violent action at the end of the passage, shooting the protagonist in the head.

text: Use narrator instead of protagonist. It was not stated which body part was shot, but since the man fired from under the table, it is likely that the narrator's head was not shot. Lastly, provide better details of the job that the man took.

refinement: The man in the booth has an aura of neutrality, but has a gentle nature regardless. He seems to understand the protagonist's feeling of being adrift in a perpetual cycle, and offers his help. The man acted professionally, conversed in a slow and cool manner, took payment for the work to be, did not speak directly about the job, and he executed the job efficiently -which is to shoot the narrator. This is the man's first time to have a job where the client and the target are the same person.

answer: The protagonist says he had a nebulous feel about him, as if he wasn't even sure he was really sitting there in front of him. All his emotions were barren, as if every expression was elusive. His face was desolate, void of any uniqueness, and overwhelmingly neutral. His posture formidable, his manners laudable, his movements conscientious and exact, yet his face bland. It was like staring into television static. Even though his aura seemed to hypnotize everything, his presence was hardly noticeable. After conveying his tumultuous emotions about requesting the job from him, the protagonist found him very empathetic. He was understanding, and capable of great warmth. He accepts the job to end the protagonist's life.

text: Use narrator instead of protagonist.

refinement: The narrator says he had a nebulous feel about him, as if he wasn't even sure he was really sitting there in front of him. All his emotions were barren, as if every expression was elusive. His face was desolate, void of any uniqueness, and overwhelmingly neutral. His posture formidable, his manners laudable, his movements conscientious and exact, yet his face bland. It was like staring into television static. Even though his aura seemed to hypnotize everything, his presence was hardly noticeable. After conveying his tumultuous emotions about requesting the job from him, the protagonist found him very empathetic. He was understanding, and capable of great warmth. He accepts the job to end the narrator's life.

text: Expound more on what is implied about the man's occupation.

refinement: The narrator says he had a nebulous feel about him, as if he wasn't even sure he was really sitting there in front of him. All his emotions were barren, as if every expression was elusive. His face was desolate, void of any uniqueness, and overwhelmingly neutral. His posture formidable, his manners laudable, his movements conscientious and exact, yet his face bland. It was like staring into television static. Even though his aura seemed to hypnotize everything, his presence was hardly noticeable. After conveying his tumultuous emotions about requesting the job from him, the protagonist found him very empathetic. He was understanding, and capable of great warmth. He acts professionally, takes payment for his work, does not speak directly about the job, and he executes the job efficiently. The job he performs is assassination. By the nature of his work, he does not disclose his name.

text: The coverage on the man's features and traits are redundant; for parts that use highly figurative speech, provide a simpler description or omit it.

refinement: The man sitting in the booth, despite his uniquely and overwhelmingly neutral expression, had a presence that would not be noticeable. He acts professionally, converses in a slow and cool manner, takes payment for his work, does not speak directly about the job, and he executes the job efficiently. The job he performs is assassination. By the nature of his work, he does not disclose his name.


text:
I saw her again last night. Her visits have gotten more and more infrequent as time passes. Before this past night it had been 6 days, 13 hours, and 42 minutes since our last encounter.

I was drunk. I spend most of my time in an alcohol-induced stupor these days. A fist smashed my door several times, yanking me from my whiskey nirvana. After a brief but brutal fight with gravity and the floor, I managed to navigate my way to the knocking sound. But I was cautious. It could have been another one of my "friends" claiming they were there to help me. I'm too smart for them. All they want to do is strip away my life-preserving elixir, the one thing getting me through every morning and every night. My mud brown orbs peep through the eye-hole and meet a pair of Caribbean blue eyes. Her eyes.

It's hard for me to recollect what happened next but I remember flinging open the door with such force it's a mystery the hinges didn't come undone. Then she's in my arms, bringing me warmth greater than Hell but everything in this moment is so perfect that I know we must be in a place even higher than Heaven.

Strawberries. That's what her hair smells like. I had almost forgotten. Immediately I curse my memory and fight back tears of frustration. But before I have the chance to cry, she leans in and whispers, "I miss you, darling" and I melt into a sweet, steaming pile of yearning. Our eyes meld into a navy black mess. I hate my own eyes for dirtying the beauty of this union.

That old, tangled knot in my chest returns. It slowly expands and I know it's going to explode soon so I go for the only cure I know. My lips seek the warmth of her lips. Instead they meet a finger, stiff and icy. She shakes her head, wearing the same kind of smile a mother does when her three year old son asks for the meaning behind "you'll be a big brother soon".

The rest of the night was a blur of love. Hours dripped into hours. At some point the alcohol and strawberries took their toll. She didn't visit my dreams that night and when I awoke to the light of the morning she was gone. The knot in my chest unwound and sunk back into its bottomless void. I poured myself a glass of whiskey and stared out at the blindingly bright sun. Though it stung, it helped bring back a bit of glowing comfort.

I finished my drink and grabbed my car keys. For once I actually had a destination in mind. The drive was uneventful. The sun hid behind a shield of clouds and did not return for the rest of the day. On the way there I stopped at a farmer's market and picked up a bouquet of forget-me-nots. They had been her favorite flowers.

I placed the forget-me-nots on the cold stone and stared at nothing for three hours in somber silence. Then I drove home, opened a new bottle of Jack Daniels, and drank myself into another coma. As I drifted into death I promised to spend tomorrow the same way. And the day after that. And the day after that. And that was how my life would be spent from now. I don't need anything or anyone other than my alcohol and the occasional visit from her. Maybe if I take one more shot than I did the night before I can see her again. And maybe next time she won't leave once the sun rises. And maybe we'll be together forever, like those two stupidly innocent children promised each other underneath the thousand year old oak tree in that field of gold forever ago. Maybe.

title: Good Night, World.

question: Who is the person with 'Caribbean blue eyes'?

answer: The narrator's deceased lover.

text: The fact that the narrator makes love with this girl's ghost can be evidence that they were lovers before her death.

text: "They had been her favorite flowers." - Shows that she is dead.

text: We can infer that she is dead because the narrator bought flowers and placed them "on the cold stone", which I think means tombstone.

answer: The narrator refers to this person as "my love".

text: The narrator does not call this person "my love" anywhere in the text but they did spend the night in a blur of love so we can infer they were lovers.

text: Later in the text, the narrator buys some flowers and remarks that they were her favorite flower and goes and place them on a "cold stone". From this, it seems the narrator's love is dead.

text: The narrator does not call this person "my love" but from their interaction (her saying:  "I miss you, darling" him wanting to kiss her and them having a night that was a blur of love), we can deduct she is his love.

answer: An ex-lover

text: The answer is incomplete. She is his ex-lover not because they broke up but because she died. And we can infer this from: the narrator buys some flowers and remarks that they were her favorite flower, then he goes and place them on a "cold stone"

text: She is his ex-lover: her saying:  "I miss you, darling" him wanting to kiss her and them having a night that was a blur of love.

question: What does her hair smell like?

text: There is no answer

answer: Strawberries.

text: From the text: "Strawberries. That's what her hair smells like".

answer: Strawberries

text: From the text: "Strawberries. That's what her hair smells like".

question: What flowers does the narrator pick up?

answer: Forget-me-nots.

text: From the text: "picked up a bouquet of forget-me-nots.".

answer: Forget-me-nots

text: From the text: "picked up a bouquet of forget-me-nots.".

answer: Forget-me-nots

text: From the text: "picked up a bouquet of forget-me-nots.".

question: What does the narrator do with the flowers?

answer: Lays them at her grave.

text: "I placed the forget-me-nots on the cold stone"

answer: He places them on the cold stone.

text: "I placed the forget-me-nots on the cold stone"

answer: They place them at her grave.

text: Wrong pronoun usage. The narrator is a he.

text: "I placed the forget-me-nots on the cold stone"

question: How is the narrator coping with the death of his lover?

answer: By drowning himself in alcohol and avoiding his loved ones who try to help him.

text: It seems he is also coping by having vivid fantasies about his deceased lover.

refinement: By drowning himself in alcohol, avoiding his loved ones who try to help him, fantasizing about his deceased lover.

text: "I was drunk. I spend most of my time in an alcohol-induced stupor these days"

text: "But I was cautious. It could have been another one of my "friends" claiming they were there to help me."

answer: He consumes alcohol until he is dead drunk every day.

text: He is avoiding his friends that want to help him. - " But I was cautious. It could have been another one of my "friends" claiming they were there to help me"

refinement: He consumes alcohol until he is dead drunk every day, avoiding his close ones that want to help him.

text: It seems he is also coping by having vivid fantasies about his deceased lover.

refinement: He consumes alcohol until he is dead drunk every day, avoiding his close ones that want to help him, fantasizing about his deceased lover.

text: "I was drunk. I spend most of my time in an alcohol-induced stupor these days."

answer: The narrator appears heavily drunk, mired in despair, and is trying to immortalize her by ignoring everything else in his life.

text: He does not appear to be heavily drunk, he states that he is and states he does this every day.

refinement: He spends his days drowning in alcohol, mired in despair, and is trying to immortalize her by ignoring everything else in his life.

text: He is not trying to immortalize her by ignoring everything else in his life but by continuing to drink every day, which helps with him having vivid fantasies of her.

refinement: He spends his days drowning in alcohol, mired in despair, having vivid fantasies of her.

text: He is also ignoring his friends that try to help him stop drinking.

refinement: He spends his days drowning in alcohol, mired in despair, having vivid fantasies of her and ignoring his friends that try to help him.

text: Appears heavily drunk: "I was drunk. I spend most of my time in an alcohol-induced stupor these days."

text: Ignores his friends that want to help: "But I was cautious. It could have been another one of my "friends" claiming they were there to help me."

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator and a woman recently separated who he believes is dead have made contact again by appearing in the narrator's dreams. After the duo makes love, the woman disappears.

text: There is no evidence of them being recently-separated.

refinement: The narrator and a woman who he believes is dead have made contact again by appearing in the narrator's dreams. After the duo makes love, the woman disappears.

text: It's not that he believes she is dead, she is indeed dead as he visits her grave.

refinement: The narrator and a dead woman have made contact again by appearing in the narrator's dreams. After the duo makes love, the woman disappears.

text: This woman is not any woman but it was his lover before she died.

refinement: The narrator and his dead lover have made contact again by appearing in the narrator's dreams. After the duo makes love, the woman disappears.

text: On this particular night, she did not appear in his dreams but appeared to him as a vivid fantasy.

refinement: The narrator fantasizes about his dead lover and after the duo makes love, the woman disappears.

text: In the morning after the fantasy disappears, he goes and buys flowers: "I stopped at a farmer's market and picked up a bouquet of forget-me-nots" and takes them to her grave: "I placed the forget-me-nots on the cold stone"

refinement: The narrator fantasizes about his dead lover and after the duo makes love, the woman disappears. That morning, the narrator buys some flowers and goes to place them on her grave.

text: They make love: "The rest of the night was a blur of love.".

text: The woman disappeared: "when I awoke to the light of the morning she was gone".

answer: The protagonist hopes to drink himself to death as it would mean he would see his beloved again. He buys flowers, and places them on the grave of a lover.

text: There is no evidence that the narrator hopes to drink himself to death in the hopes that he'll see his beloved again. He heavily drinks as a coping mechanism to his lover's death.

refinement: The narrator drinks every day to cope with the death of his lover. He buys flowers and places them on the grave of a lover.

text: It is also omitted that he actually sees her in a fantasy when he was very drunk and he goes to her grave after she disappears.

refinement: The narrator drinks every day to cope with the death of his lover. One morning, after his drunk fantasy of her dissapears, he goes to buy flowers and place them on her grave.

text: He buys flowers: "I stopped at a farmer's market and picked up a bouquet of forget-me-nots".

text: Place them on the grave of his lover: "I placed the forget-me-nots on the cold stone".

answer: The narrator's days are an endless cycle of drowning his grief in alcohol and hallucinating the return of his deceased lover. He takes forget-me-not flowers to her grave and fantasizes about being reunited.

text: The narrator's days are an endless cycle of drowning his grief in alcohol: "I was drunk. I spend most of my time in an alcohol-induced stupor these days"

text: Hallucinating the return of his deceased lover: "Then she's in my arms,", "she leans in and whispers, "I miss you, darling".

text: He takes forget-me-not flowers to her grave: "picked up a bouquet of forget-me-nots.", "I placed the forget-me-nots on the cold stone".

answer: A man drinks often and sees a woman again after waiting a time for her. He is very excited and the woman is equally happy.

text: It is not just any man, it is the actual narrator.

refinement: The narrator drinks often and sees a woman again after waiting a time for her. He is very excited and the woman is equally happy.

text: The narrator is more than drinking often, he drinks daily.

refinement: The narrator drinks daily and sees a woman again after waiting a time for her. He is very excited and the woman is equally happy.

text: He doesn't actually see the woman but hallucinates her.

refinement: The narrator drinks daily and hallucinates seeing the woman again after waiting a time for her. He is very excited and the woman is equally happy.

text: It is not just any woman but his dead lover.

refinement: The narrator drinks daily and hallucinates seeing his dead lover again after waiting a time for her. He is very excited and the woman is equally happy.

text: The fact that he is excited and the woman he hallucinated is happy is irrelevant for the summary.

refinement: The narrator drinks daily and hallucinates seeing his dead lover again after waiting a time for her.

text: It is omitted that the next day after he hallucinates his lover, he takes flowers to her grave.

refinement: The narrator drinks daily and hallucinates seeing his dead lover again after waiting a time for her. After his hallucination ends, he takes flowers to her grave.

text: Drinks often: "I spend most of my time in an alcohol-induced stupor these days"

text: Waiting a time for her: "Before this past night it had been 6 days, 13 hours, and 42 minutes since our last encounter."

answer: The narrator looks for comfort in the arms of an attractive woman who smells like strawberries. The story ends with the narrator staring at a gravestone and swearing to spend more time drinking.

text: It is omitted that the attractive woman is his hallucination of his dead lover.

refinement: The narrator looks for comfort in the arms of the hallucination of his dead lover who smells like strawberries. The story ends with the narrator staring at a gravestone and swearing to spend more time drinking.

text: It is omitted that he had this hallucination because he was heavily drunk.

refinement: The narrator looks for comfort in the arms of his dead lover that he hallucinated whilst being heavily drunk. The story ends with the narrator staring at a gravestone and swearing to spend more time drinking.

text: It is omitted that it is his dead lover's gravestone.

refinement: The narrator looks for comfort in the arms of his dead lover that he hallucinated whilst being heavily drunk. The story ends with the narrator staring at his lover's gravestone and swearing to spend more time drinking.

text: It is not relevant to the story that he swears to continue drinking.

refinement: The narrator looks for comfort in the arms of his dead lover that he hallucinated whilst being heavily drunk. The story ends with the narrator staring at his lover's gravestone.

answer: The narrator mentions that they were well-drunk the night the previous incident took place and that the next time they were to see the mysterious woman again was 6 days, 13 hours, and 42 minutes later. The event is left as a cliffhanger without any further information.

text: The response is not related.


text:
Just a disclaimer, this story was written with as the story for "The Seven Chairs" illustration from the *The Mysteries of Harris Burdick*.

De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia

The human race has created many things, many great, and terrible things. The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Wall of China, created via slave labor. So many lives lost, just to showcase the power of the ruling class. But what kept the ruling class in power, besides military might? Religion, some argue. Charisma. The fact that the general population is easy to fool. These all were factors in how those in power were able to keep control, but there is another, hidden explanation. De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia, or The Seven Seats of Imperial Power, were seven chairs created by the Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, the sixteen Roman Emperor. Marcus Aurelius is well known as one of the greatest Roman Emperors, having expanded the borders of the Empire to their greatest bounds. During his war with the various Germanic tribes and the Sarmatians, Aurelius discovered an enormous tree, in what is now the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic.

The tree in question was colossal, a yew. According to secret journals of Aurelius, the Germans believed that the tree was planted by the goddess Thrud, granddaughter of Wodan. They believed that whoever controlled the tree had the favor of the gods. Marcus Aurelius, upon slaughtering the Germans, he ordered the tree to felled, and brought back to Rome. There, he had his master artisans create the Seven Seats of Imperial Power. Each chair was was crafted in the image of the six most powerful gods of the Roman Pantheon—Jupiter, Minerva, Apollo, Venus, Mars, and Neptune. The seventh chair was crafted with the image of the Caesar in mind.

Upon the completion of the chairs, Marcus Aurelius had them put away in a hidden cache in the Alps, except of course, the chair that was crafted in the likeness of the Caesar. This chair, the First Seat of Imperial Power, would be passed on down the line of Emperors until the fracture of the Empire. It would then be taken to Constantinople. There it remains, to be used by the Byzantines Basileis, and Ottoman Sultans.

The remaining six chairs would stay hidden within their cache in the Alps for several centuries, until Pepin the Younger, King of the Franks, discovered it shortly before his death. The chairs were willed to his son Charlemagne, who would form the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne chose to distribute the chairs to his chief advisers, giving one to Viceroys of Neustria, Austria, Aquitaine, Lombardia, and one to Pope Leo III, in return for his crowning of Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor. Charlemagne decided to keep one of the chairs for himself, which he kept at the Imperial Capital of Aachen.

For many centuries, the chairs remained dormant, not surfacing during the time of the Karlings, or the first few crusades. The chair given to Pope Leo III—the Fourth Seat of Power—remained within the walls of the Vatican, and is currently occupied by Pope Francis. Much like the First Chair of Power, it moved very little.

The chair granted to the Viceroy of Lombardia—The Third Seat of Power—has a more bloody history. It remained in Lombardia for several centuries, and its power was forgotten by almost all. So, in a gesture of good faith, the Duke of Milan gave it to the Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick III von Hasburg, the first of the Hasburgian Emperors. Fredrick knew of the power that the chair possessed, as Hasburgs held the Fifth Seat of Power. In an attempt to improve their diplomatic reputation, and their relations with the newly formed Spain, Fredrick gifted the Third Chair of Power to Isabella I of Castile, and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon. The chair was used by the Spanish to fuel their conquest of the New World. The Sixth Seat of Power, the one held by the Hasburgs, was the same that was granted by Charlemagne to the Viceroy of Austria. The Hasburgs would use the power of this chair to secure the Holy Roman Empire for the five centuries, eventually gaining control of the crowns of Bohemia, Germany, Hungary, and Bavaria, to name a few.

Charlemagne's chair, the Second Seat of Power, would pass through many hands over time. It stayed in northern Germany though, and it was utilized by the Fredrick the Great when he formed Prussia, and the First Reich. The chair stayed in the hands of the Germans through World War II, when it was taken to Moscow by Stalin. It remains within Kremlin, and is currently held by Vladimir Putin.

The Seventh Seat of Power was granted by Charlemagne to the Viceroy of Neustria. The chair would remain in the region for quite some time, finding its home in what is now known as Normandy. The seat eventually ended up in the hands of William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy. It was through the Seventh Seat's power that William was able to take England, becoming William the Conqueror. The chair remains within Britain. The exact location of the chair is uncertain though, as during the London air raids in World War II, Prime Minister Churchill had it moved to a protected, undisclosed location.

The fifth one ended up in France. The Fifth Seat of Power was granted by Charlemagne to the Viceroy of Aquitaine, which was his son, Louis the Pious. The chair was passed on to his son Charles the Bald, and his son Louis the Stammerer. It would be passed back and forth between the rulers of the Kingdoms of Aquitaine and West Francia until their eventual union, with the formation of the Kingdom of France. It was during the the reign of King Louis XVI that the Fifth Seat of Power finally was moved again. Louis XVI, facing massive internal strife, and being good friends of the Americans, gifted the chair to General Washington. Washington used it to win the Revolutionary War, and it was passed from that point on from president to president, and is currently held by President Obama.

That is the story of De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia; The Seven Seats of Imperial Power. Crafted from a yew sacred to the Germanic tribes of Bohemia by Caesar Marcus Aurelius, the chairs were used by the rulers of nearly every major Western power after. From the German Kaisers to Spanish Kings and from the Austrian Archdukes to the American Presidents, the chairs were used by those in power to rule over their citizens, and to expand their spheres of influence across the globe.

title: [FN] De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia and its founder?

answer: De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia or The Seven Seats of Imperial Power, were seven chairs built by Marcus Aurelius, the 16 Roman Emperor which were made from the very same yew found in Bohemia (the Czech Republic). Aurelius was known as one of the greatest Roman Emperors, having expanded the borders of his Empire to its greatest bounds.

answer: The chairs were crafted from a yew tree sacred to the Germanic tribes of Bohemia by Caesar Marcus Aurelius. The discovery was made during his war with the various Germanic tribes and the Sarmatians. In the secret journal of Marcus Aurelius, it was written that the Germans believed that whoever controlled the tree had the favor of the gods and when he conquered the Germans, he brought it back to Rome and ordered his master artisans to craft it into the Seven Seats of Imperial Power.

answer: De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia also known as the Seven Seats of Imperial Power were seven chairs created by Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, the sixteenth Roman Emperor. This was often used in wars. During his war with the various Germanic tribes and the Sarmatians, Aurelius discovered an enormous tree that the Germans believed was planted by the goddess Thrud. They believed that whoever controlled the tree had the favor of the gods. Aurelius brought the tree back to Rome. From this, he used it to create the Seven Seats of Imperial Power. The chairs were passed down for many centuries.

answer: The story says that the Seven Seats of Imperial Power were created by Caesar Marcus Aurelius, the sixteen Roman emperor. The chairs were created in order to help the ruling class retain power, both through military might and through religious and political influence. The founder intended to use the chairs as a way to keep domination over their subject citizens.

answer: The Seven Seats of Power were created by Marcus Aurelius of the Roman Empire. The chairs are instruments of power that allow their holders to control those around them. Marcus Aurelius obviously saw the great potential power of these chairs, and used them to significantly expand the borders of the Roman Empire.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the story say about the chairs of the seats of power?

answer:
The chairs were crafted using the image of the six most powerful gods of the Roman pantheon. Months before his death, Marcus Aurelius sent his master artisans to fell the tree and return with the chairs.

Pepin the Elder passed the chairs to his son, Charlemagne, and they remained in the Western region and changed hands to his grandson, Otto the Great. Charlemagne distributed the chairs to his lords and Constantine and Leo III as a form of gift.

The Sixth Seat of Imperial Power ended up in France. The Fifth Chair of Imperial Power gave the throne of England to William the Conqueror in the year 1066.

text: The response incorrectly references Pepin the Younger as "Pepin the Elder"

refinement:
The chairs were crafted using the image of the six most powerful gods of the Roman pantheon. Months before his death, Marcus Aurelius sent his master artisans to fell the tree and return with the chairs.

Pepin the Younger passed the chairs to his son, Charlemagne, and they remained in the Western region and changed hands to his grandson, Otto the Great. Charlemagne distributed the chairs to his lords and Constantine and Leo III as a form of gift.

The Sixth Seat of Imperial Power ended up in France. The Fifth Chair of Imperial Power gave the throne of England to William the Conqueror in the year 1066.

text: There is no evidence in the passage to support that the chairs were passed down to Pepin the Younger's grandson, "Otto the Great".

refinement:
The chairs were crafted using the image of the six most powerful gods of the Roman pantheon. Months before his death, Marcus Aurelius sent his master artisans to fell the tree and return with the chairs.

Pepin the Younger passed the chairs to his son, Charlemagne, and they remained in the Western region. Charlemagne distributed the chairs to his lords and Constantine and Leo III as a form of gift.

The Sixth Seat of Imperial Power ended up in France. The Fifth Chair of Imperial Power gave the throne of England to William the Conqueror in the year 1066.

text: The response inaccurately mentions that the Sixth seat ended up in France, however it was the Fifth seat.

refinement:
The chairs were crafted using the image of the six most powerful gods of the Roman pantheon. Months before his death, Marcus Aurelius sent his master artisans to fell the tree and return with the chairs.

Pepin the Younger passed the chairs to his son, Charlemagne, and they remained in the Western region. Charlemagne distributed the chairs to his lords and Constantine and Leo III as a form of gift.

The Fifth Seat of Imperial Power ended up in France. The Fifth Chair of Imperial Power gave the throne of England to William the Conqueror in the year 1066.

text: The response inaccurately mentions the Fifth Chair gave William the Conqueror way to the throne of England, it was the Seventh chair. Also, there's no evidence to suggest it was in 1066.

refinement:
The chairs were crafted using the image of the six most powerful gods of the Roman pantheon. Months before his death, Marcus Aurelius sent his master artisans to fell the tree and return with the chairs.

Pepin the Younger passed the chairs to his son, Charlemagne, and they remained in the Western region. Charlemagne distributed the chairs to his lords and Constantine and Leo III as a form of gift.

The Fifth Seat of Imperial Power ended up in France. The Seventh Chair of Imperial Power gave the throne of England to William the Conqueror.

answer: The seats of power were created by Marcus Aurelius. The chairs themselves were made from the tree that the Germans believed to be planted by their goddess, Thrud, and it was believed to bless those that possess it. This was later passed down to different Western powers.

answer: The first seat of Imperial Power was made in the likeness of the Emperor and was kept by Emperors at the time. It would be passed to the Byzantine and Ottoman Sultans. The other six chairs were created and stored in a hidden cache in the Alps. Pepin the Younger found them, and he gave one to his son Charlemagne who went on to form the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne gave one to Pope Leo III.

answer: The story says that the chairs of the seats of power were crafted by Marcus Aurelius and distributed to his advisers to consolidate power and rule over the masses. They were also used to help conquer new land and expand spheres of influence. The seven chairs are currently in the hands of five different groups, each being utilized to help maintain power.

answer: The story says that the chairs of power were created by Marcus Aurelius, an emperor in the Roman Empire, and each one of the seven chairs grants power to the ruler in possession of it. The purpose of the chairs is to help those in power expand their spheres of influence across the globe.


text:
 Charles stumbles up the stairs mumbling complaints about his bad leg, the broken elevator and his good for nothing landlord who had procrastinated in fixing it. The leg that had carried him up the stairs solo now throbbed with agony of strain. Standing on the last platform before his floor he sweat and began hopping and tossing his body up each step. At last he reaches the flat floor and dramatically throws his hands in the air and rejoices for the flat ground he could now swagger upon. Charles opens the door to find a pair of shoes he hadn’t seen in a while. “At least she had the dignity to let me know she is here” he thought. He flipped the main room’s light on and immediately noticed one of the bulbs was out, “Just one more thing” he said aloud to nobody.
 Charles turned to find both the mother of his child and his sweet innocent Chloe sitting in a chair placed in the center of the room. It was unfair she had brought her now, at this time of night. Sharon was dressed in red and the dim light sketched her eyes with red. “The Devil in flesh” he thought. Even though he smelled of sweat and alcohol Chloe approached and hugged her father. He hated himself at that moment, for not being a better father; for not doing more with his life, his time, for not being sober. She looked up at him smiling and stood hugging his waist. They stood like that for a moment, “How was your day” he wanted to say. But his moment was lost when Sharon stood and approached the little girl. Gently yet sternly she said “Daddy and I are going to have to talk now ok? Why don’t you go try to sleep?” Chloe turned and said “Night daddy.” And ran to the part of his home he dedicated to her privacy.
Once she was out of earshot the apparently tender and loving mother turned into the biblical creature she reminded him of. With malice in her voice she said “What’s wrong with you? You haven’t said a word outside of the shout you gave outside and the mumble you made when you came in.” “Whaz it got to do with me and you?”  He said, not completely understanding why he had said it.  His eyes swam over her mocking smile and suddenly she had her hand out and was speaking. He realized she was demanding money and something about the car.
He sobered up pretty fast at that moment and said “That’s mine thank you, there’s a few things you can’t get your greedy hands on that’s mine, and my daughter and my car are completely beyond you.” Her face reddened matching her choice of clothing and suddenly she was ablaze full of anger and hate. “It’s our daughter actually!”, she screamed he had been blown away by how loud she suddenly got. “and she is more mine than yours simply because I birthed her you snotty, drunken, imbecile.” She raised her hand and smacked him square in the face making it more of a palm punch and less of a smack. In a flash of drunken stupor and adrenaline he threw his arm up and caught her in chin. She flailed her arms and screamed loudly as she stumbled over the chair, luckily the floor caught her.
He heard a sad sound that made his heart drop, he heard crying. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t even trying to..” he was cut off as she turned and said to him with dry eyes “Look what you’ve done now you idiot”. He turned and let his heart break. She stood huddled against the frame of the door crying and frightened, of him.

title: The Loser

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize Charles's views on his landlord.

answer: Charles finds his landlord difficult to get along with. He says that his landlord hasn't dealt with his broken elevator and that their apartment is on the fifth floor. He is angry toward the landlord for not keeping him informed about the broken elevator and for maintaining the elevator for the rest of the tenants. Charles is aggravated at the landlord for procrastinating in fixing the elevator.

text: The summary is redundant, focus on how Charles feels about the landlord with regards to the broken elevator how this makes it difficult for Charles to climb the stairs with his bad leg.

refinement: Charles considers his landlord as good-for-nothing since the landlord has not fixed the elevator despite the fact that Charles has a bad leg and has trouble climbing the stairs to his flat.

answer: Charles feels frustrated with his landlord for neglecting to quickly fix the broken elevator. He feels the landlord is incompetant and good for nothing.

answer: Charles views his landlord as negligent and unhelpful. He also sees him as one of the reasons for his current situation, which is disappointing and frustrating.

text: mention the reason why Charles thinks that way

refinement: Charles considers his landlord as good-for-nothing since the landlord has not fixed the elevator despite the fact that Charles has a bad leg and has trouble climbing the stairs to his flat.

answer: Charles views, his landlord, quite cautiously. The landlord had left the lights on to let Charles know they were there. Charles gets irritated with the landlord because he sees his lights broken and know they are not fixed. Charles is also annoyed because he has a bad leg and there is a broken elevator in his apartment.

text: Only the last sentence is correct. The first two sentences are not in the sample.

refinement: Charles considers his landlord as good-for-nothing since the landlord has not fixed the elevator despite the fact that Charles has a bad leg and has trouble climbing the stairs to his flat.

answer: Charles was fed up of the broken elevator and not getting it fixed by the landlord who procrastinated it being fixed. He was frustrated and complained about it. Charles gets angry at his landlord for not getting his things sorted. He was glad the elevator no longer worked and again muttered complaints, although he was relieved because he could not use it anymore.

text: The last sentence is inaccurate.

refinement: Charles considers his landlord as good-for-nothing since the landlord has not fixed the elevator despite the fact that Charles has a bad leg and has trouble climbing the stairs to his flat.