text:
**Heresy**
*by A. Heretic*

God is.  Long ago, before He created time and space and all it contains, He was very powerful – but did not have unlimited power.  He knew He would expend nearly all His power in the creation of the universe He wanted.  He had to plan carefully so He would not exhaust His power before it was completed.  This was probably fortunate, He reasoned; retaining power over His creation may corrupt even Him.

He would create a closed system with conservation of matter and energy governed by a set of natural laws and using the smallest form of matter as building blocks.  It all began with a single spark of incredible energy.  That ever expanding system became the universe we observe today and continues to evolve.

He knew that life would eventually emerge under the right conditions and that there would be a struggle to survive.  Life forms evolved into many different species of animals and plants.  His ingenious plan of natural selection allowed those species best suited for survival to replicate and proliferate.  Natural selection happens to be His plan for life in the entire universe.

He observes with keen interest the emergence and evolution of life throughout His creation, but does not interfere with or intercede in it.  He became particularly interested when intelligent life evolved in the form of humans on His tiny planet Earth.

They became capable of abstract thought and developed an innate curiosity about the world in which they live; at least, some of them did.  Most could not have cared less, perhaps because they are struggling just to survive.

God noticed that humans have emotions just like He does, except he never becomes angry.  He decided anger is a bad emotion for humans to have since it ends rational thought.  Perhaps it evolved at a time it was needed in natural selection, He concluded.

He is saddened by the manner that many humans regard and treat each other; after all, they are all the same species.  There are always wars ongoing with many deaths, and crimes – many involving murder.  He believes that humans killing other humans is the major downside of natural selection and hopes they will evolve out of this terrible behavior.  He looks forward to a time when the virtues of bravery and courage are no longer spoken of in terms related to humans killing humans.

God became very dismayed when humans invented religions to worship Him.  He knew they would be used to justify wars and inhumane acts; besides, He does not want to be worshiped.  He believes humility is a virtue.  He doesn't even care whether or not they believe He exists.

He wishes humans did not yearn for a paradise in a hoped-for afterlife.  There is none and He cannot create one.  Moreover, considering the human psyche, He thinks they would soon become bored with such an existence.  They should be content knowing every atom and molecule that is or has been part of their being will likely become part of another living organism or natural wonder.  Still, He wonders if it's acceptable for them to believe something that gives them hope and peace of mind, yet is delusional.  God doesn't know the answer.  He wants them to be inspired and creative, yet able to separate fantasy from reality.

He believes the soul they speak of is the essence of one's personality, develops over one's lifetime, and dies with one's body.  Surely, He thinks, if souls were immortal He would have met one by now.

He has spent many an hour trying to fathom the human mind, with little success.  He decided to turn to one of His Enlightened humans who also studies the human mind, a doctor of psychology.  Although inroads are being made, the human mind is still largely a mystery.  God began reading a book by one of them who expressed the way the mind works in metaphorical terms.^1  The writer compared the mind to an elephant and its rider.  The mind is governed by emotions that are centered in the primitive brain and reason that is centered in the neo-cortex or modern brain.  The elephant represents the emotional brain and the rider represents the rational brain.  It turns out that the emotional brain, through natural selection, still holds sway over the rational brain in most humans.  The rider may try to guide the elephant in the right direction – but, ultimately, the elephant goes where he wants to go.

Ah, thought God, this explains why humans who consider themselves moral beings keep getting into trouble with sex, corruption, and addiction.

God increasingly worries about the fate of His humans.  As their living standards rise, more of Earth's limited resources are consumed.  A warming climate will mean less land is available.  Modern medicine and cultural mores are leading to overpopulation.  Will overpopulation and pollution soon make their world uninhabitable?

Now that humans have developed nuclear weapons, will there eventually be a nuclear war, begun intentionally or not?

Their machines have already displaced humans in many areas.  Will the continued advancement of intelligent machines eventually make all humans unnecessary; or will technology be their savior?

=+=

God has Brothers and Sisters who also created universes.  Some of these universes succeeded and formed; others did not, perhaps because a constant in one of its natural laws was slightly off.

Occasionally, They visit to check on each others' work.  One of His Sisters came for a visit and asked about His universe.

He said to Her, “Of all the intelligent life in My universe, I have become most attached to humans on Earth and most concerned about their future.  I believe they are evolving to be more like Me, and I want them to succeed.  I know they have the ability to solve their problems, but I don't know if they can find the will.  I fear they are on a relentless path towards self-destruction.”

    1 - “The Righteous Mind” by Jonathan Haidt

title: Heresy - A short philosophical fiction piece [MF]

question: What makes this piece "heretical"?

answer: The author is a heretic because they are not a believer in God.

critique: While it may seem so, the answer is inadequate because it doesn't explain what a heretic is.

critique: This does not answer the question and is not a response to the question.

critique: The author is not a heretic because they are not a believer in God.

critique: The author is not named, and the piece is written in the second person.

critique: "The author is a heretic because they are not a believer in God." - is incorrect. The author is a believer in God, but is a heretic because they are not a believer in the traditional God, who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good.


split: train

text:
The sky is poetic when you consider it emotionally: sunsets draw tears and rolling tongues of clouds pull mouths open and vicious, wandering storms inspire dizzying cries for God or help or *someone*.

I am not poetic.

This is what makes me stare at the cottage-cheese ceiling in my room at night and wonder why I will never admire myself. I conjure you and watch you effortlessly twist nails into your hands, watch the wounds bleed ink and meaning, because you always told me you admired me but I never believed you, and the way your eyes would look not into me but behind me made me nervous and I think that’s why you could never really love me.

But I tried.

*Fuck you* I tried.

I tried and then I told myself that your angled good looks were beyond me and that your ancient, slippery tongue would never find mine and then I ached until I could convince myself of some flaw you weren’t aware of. I tangled myself into tight enough knots that I couldn’t walk straight and I couldn’t unwind myself for long enough to make hollow conversation or take deep enough breaths.

I wanted your easy wit and your offensive charm but I wanted you to give it to me like a lesson so I could hang it on the wall like a picture and remember the time I fell in love with the idea of a boy. And I didn’t care that I knew you would never feel awful, rooted things for me. I never cared about that.

And I made like I was finding myself or something because your body sitting next to mine made me feel shallow and hopeless and all I wanted to do was be *your* type of person and then you would let me crawl inside of you and decipher your secrets for myself.

You were different than anyone I knew with your swarming lies and your spangled lines of art and people and pale, tortured love stories. You drew me in with those choked eyes of yours like the depths of you were hungry for something you knew you would never have.

Storms strike first from a distance: all swirling, coked-up air and this graceful, rhythmic dance between high and low pressure that spins so far out of control it makes hearts grow restless even when all you can see of it makes it look like a gray, stretched-out cotton ball. I watch cagey men on National Geographic. I watch them crawl in head-first, greedy-eyed. I cringe at their middle fingers raised to the clouded sun.

You gutted me.

You gutted me and you didn’t realize that you’d done it because I didn’t turn myself inside-out for you like you thought I did. I absorbed you and leaked you back out and you smiled at me as if to say *you’re the girl I’ve been waiting for* and I was so drunk with your approval that I couldn’t look at my toenails without seeing them through your eyes.

But my heart pounded with each inch you let me head in your direction and you welcomed me with your spinning, wild arms and I smiled at you as if to say *you get all of me but you don’t get to know why* because that was my idea of mystery.

You didn’t ask questions.

I watch storm chasers and I watch twisters pick up houses and cows and spit them back out crumbled and worthless. I watch how the air, coiling, grins and doesn’t stop. I watch adrenaline-junkies point their cameras and get the shot and I watch their smiles: that kid on Christmas morning clutching a toy helicopter like it’s all he’s ever going to need.

I haven’t moved from this place since you left.

If I move I’ll get caught up in your backlash and your intelligent, twitching fingers with those sweet, tidy good-byes of yours. I’ll gag on the memory of you and your drugged march because you had to be going somewhere always, forced to inhale the comforting slant of your whole body, the one I knew like the curve of my own reflection.

I remember you gave me a notebook once, and you wrote my name in your earnest chicken scratch on the inside of the sturdy red cover and you told me *go crazy* but I didn’t. I sat and watched you scribble yourself into oblivion on your own blank pages. I could never dream up enough words to write a good sentence. You thought we were kindred, back then. You told me not to look for it, just to find it, and I would know. You told me a lot of things and I remember them all, but your words sit beside me like a pale sketch of you, eyes wide and shoulders slack. For a long time your words filled me up but now they’re just scraps of your character that I can’t seem to hide anywhere.

Sometimes I wish you were still here but mostly the riprap of ripped-up ground and shattered houses you have left me with feel like home enough to crawl into and sleep. The imprint of your body here is big enough so the sheets puff thick around my head and I’ll never have to breathe again.

You were poetic enough for the both of us.

title: Riprap

question: What does the story say about how the narrator feels about her ex-boyfriend?

answer: The narrator feels betrayed, irrelevant, and empty. She thinks about how the way her ex-boyfriend looks at her made her feel nervous and she thinks that's why he couldn't love her. She feels hurt because she did all she could to be a part of the kind of person he attracted. The narrator also feels used for the approval of being wanted by someone as attractive as he was.

critique: The narrator's ex-boyfriend didn't make her feel nervous.

critique: The narrator was willing to do anything for the man

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

critique: The narrator doesn't feel used for the approval of being wanted by someone as attractive as he was.

critique: The answer omits how the narrator feels about her ex-boyfriend after he left.

critique: The narrator's feelings are not relevant to the question.

critique: The response misses to mention that the narrator also feels like she's lost.

question: What does the story say about why they broke up?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer is incorrect. The story does mention why they broke up.


text:
THE NETHERLANDS ADVANCES CYBERSECURITY INNOVATION AND RESOURCES FOR GLOBAL COMPANIES

The Netherlands has a long history of IT innovation, serving as the birthplace of groundbreaking inventions like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and DVDs. Today, _ComputerWeekly_ reports that Holland’s newest technological export is cybersecurity, producing and employing security expertise across the world.

How does the Netherlands stay on the cutting edge of mitigating cybercrime and helping businesses stay digitally secure? In advance of Cyber Security Week, here’s a look at why Holland is considered Europe’s safeguard of the digital frontier.

1. GLOBAL IT COMPANIES INVEST IN HOLLAND

[]

With an unparalleled IT infrastructure and tech-savvy, English-speaking workforce, the Netherlands is Europe’s leading hotspot for international IT companies. Multinational firms like Cisco, Infosys, Huawei and Microsoft have all chosen to invest in Holland. In fact, 60% of all Forbes 2000 companies active in the IT industry have established operations in the Netherlands.

Thanks to continuous industry investment by these global brands, the Netherlands digital economy continues to rapidly grow. Today, Holland is the fourth largest exporter of IT services and approximately 70 percent of Dutch innovation is IT related.

Holland’s mild climate, central location and robust renewable energy market are also ideal for IT operations like data centers. For example, Google recently announced plans to purchase sustainable electricity from Holland’s largest solar park for their Eemshaven data center.

2. ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST WIRED COUNTRIES

_[]
_SOURCE: BROOKINGS.COM

Ranked one of the world’s most wired countries, Holland is ideal for multinationals seeking more than just speed and reliability. The Netherlands’ telecommunications network is 100% digital and extremely secure. According to Eurostat, the Netherlands is among Europe’s two safest countries in terms of protecting against cybercrime and Internet hacks.

The Netherlands also has the world’s second-highest penetration of household broadband connections, further supporting our business and personal networks. This secure connection expands far past the EU too, as most transatlantic sea cables between Europe and North America link directly to the Netherlands.

3. THE DUTCH BUILT EUROPE’S LARGEST SECURITY CLUSTER

Source: The Hague Security Delta

In the Netherlands, we know that collaboration generates success. That’s why Holland is home to Europe’s largest security cluster, The Hague Security Delta (HSD.) Comprised of three hubs, HSD is a network of businesses, governments and knowledge organizations which work together to advance cybersecurity. While each HSD hub specializes in unique fields, The Hague focuses on cybersecurity, including national security and critical infrastructure. In fact, there are over 400 security companies operating in the Dutch capital alone. Thanks to these firms, there are more than 15,200 employees working every day to keep Dutch assets cyber secure.

Dutch cybersecurity collaboration is further promoted through important events which draw in international audiences, including the second annual Cyber Security Week. Held September 25-29 in The Hague, this 4-day event brings together the latest developments, innovations and partners in global cybersecurity.

Apart from major events, The Hague also attracts a wide range of international cybersecurity organizations, like the NATO Communications and Information Agency and the European Cybercrime Center, which strengthens cybercrime law enforcement in the EU.

Finally, Holland pushes the field of cybersecurity with homegrown ventures too. For example, the Netherlands’ Center for Information Security and Privacy Protection develops frameworks for companies implementing new IT systems. Within academia, three Dutch universities created the Cyber Security Academy to offer multidisciplinary learning tracks for executives of all backgrounds.

THE SECURE GATEWAY TO EUROPE

As digital security increases as a global concern, Holland is at the forefront of fighting cybercrime and international security breaches. Through investment and collaboration, the Netherlands will continue to lead Europe, and the world, in cybersecurity innovation.

_If you are interested in doing business in Holland, please_ _contact us__ for more information._

18 September 2017

question: What does the text say about how the Netherlands maintains cybersecurity in the country?

answer:
In the Netherlands, they use the collaborative approach. The Dutch Cyber Security agenda is to bring together the public and private sectors. They communicate with three government-backed center. The Netherlands’ strategy of collaboration has brought them a natural network of IT security companies.
In Holland, there are over 400 IT security companies operating in the capital alone.

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


text:
Strange Encounters

"It's weird officer, real weird." Mark Henderson was at the local police station in Alberton, Ontario on 4: 36am August 8th, 1951. Strangely enough, a building he's never seen, in a town he's never been to before, yet familiar.

"All right smooth talker, let's take it from the top once more. I know there's not much to it as you've continued to repeat but let's see if anything else pops out at you and then we will pay for your gas home." Officer Dan Richardson was becoming more and more tired with the story was hearing.

There just can't be anyway. Dan thought becoming more and more enraged within. The moment he walks out of here I'm just going to throw this case out. Hocus pocus my ass, what does he take me for, an idiot?! At best this is the best damn way to get free gas.

"Well like I said before, I had just filled up at half past 10pm, so I could drive out and get to the place that sells tobacco by the pound still..."

Yes, yes we all go out to New Market for cheaper cigarettes, not relevant.

"...and I was driving out to Bakersfield like I said,"
He didn't refer to it as Bakersfield before? The puzzled Officer thought.

"...on the way there I had to swerved out of the way of a truck with these god forsaken bright lights. I guess I was a bit sleepy Officer and woke up in the nick of time but after that I found myself just driving around an unfamiliar road.

I was having awful headaches, for a bit around that time too. Images that started accompanying them are hard to distinguish but almost always included me in a white setting... I don't know it sounds crazy now. Anyways, I pulled over till they subsided and drove straight here in hopes that you could help me figure out where I am so I can get home, but I still can't remember where that was again. Some rest will cure this forgetfulness. I feel like I've been up all night." Mark felt like that was all the information that he could give, he couldn't remember what town he lived in nor his wife or his phone number. He kind of felt a helpless feeling fall over him.

"We'll now that you've told us where you were driving to we can call that regions station and see if there is a match to your name anywhere close to there. It should only take a few hours."

Not long after that another Office came into the room and asked if Officer Dan could speak with him for a moment.
What did the results turn up Frank?

"He wasn't lying when he said things were weird. It turns out that there isn't  even a Bakersfeild anywhere near here. In fact, you have to drive 14 hours north to get to a small town called Bakersfeild." Officer Frank said as he started to debrief.

"...here's where things get truly disturbing. When we searched his name through the local police department Mark has a missing person out because his wife...."

"Wow, his wife sure gets worried quickly. Seems a bit much don't you think he's only been gone for half a day at most. Can't remember his name or town he lives in, probably doesn't remember setting out on a road trip. Likely to get away from her if she's that crazy." Office Dan remarked crudely as if this was all an elaborate funny joke.

"If you'd let me finish, his wife reported him missing August 8th, 1950, sir. This was reported after she spent a full day returning home from a place that was 8 hours away from their town. She reported being in the passenger seat of a driverless car after being at a gas station for an unknown reason. All she could remember before waking up was that there was a blinding white light that she couldn't help but look at. It actually says 'forced' in the report." Frank said growing more and grimmer as he read from the file between his trembling hands.

Officer Dan, started to sit in the closest seat he could find. He couldn't believe that Mark was 14 hours away from home. That would make his whole time scale false. Not to mention the fact that he has been missing for a full year, a full year exactly he would later realize.

He began to think about the crazy aspects of them all, his wife's story at the time; driverless cars, being at a gas station for no reason, it all makes sense now, only after hearing Marks story.

"Sir there is one more thing in the reports." Frank said with a grave look in his eyes.

"What more could it be?"

"The wife had three cuts into her skin going the length of her back; she said that's the first appearance  of them in her life. It was like they were skillfully cut as the doctors said there was no way any doctor could stitch a cut that clean without some kind of pain. She reported none."

"All right Frank thanks for all the intel." Dan has a hard enough time giving gratitude in the first place and was finding it particularly challenging to give it with what he just learned.

The door opens to the interrogation; with it brought an energy that mimetic death. Officer Dan began relaying the frightening news to Mark, which still hasn't sunk in, himself.
"One last thing before we send you on your way home to your wife, if you will Mark. Your wife reported three cuts on her back that she had never seen before that night. Could you remove your shirt and pants please, I just want to know if we should have medical look at you first." Officer Dan asked Mark in the most genuine and sincere way he could.

"No problem Sir, it was starting to itch a bit anyways. It'll be nice to readjust it." Mark said in a cheerful way. For he sees this all as a blessing. Finally, he can see his wife and start the laughing process.

As Office Dan brought his coffee cup down from a big deep, delicious gulp, the liquid left his mouth as fast as it came in. in one fellow motion Office Dan vomited, dropped his cup, and tripped on his own two feet.

With his eyes wide open from shock; he gazed at a man whose skin, from head to toe, was scalped. Only his muscles were visible. Each and every muscle strand picked clean of its protective layer of skin. No blood was seeping through, it was as if there was its own invisible skin that covered him. Which is likely why he hasn't miraculously died.

As Mark turned around to confront a mirror, the last thing to pass through his mind was his beautiful wife; he pictured the way her soft cherry red hair flowed over her shoulders like a creek over an edge. Her rosy cheeks gently glowing in the sun. It was comforting to his mind to have such a lovely mental image cross it because once his  eyes focused on the mirror, his hideously deformed body sent his body into a trauma that it couldn't handle and  at  10:29PM August 8th Mark Henderson collapsed dead.

As for Dan Richardson, well he wishes that the story ended there.

title: [SF] Strange Encounters

question: Summarize the source of tension in the story.

answer: At the beginning of the story, a man named Mark shows up at the police station with nobody having any idea of where he came from or why he is there. He seems disoriented, but appears to hold on to his identity, at least at the beginning. As he tells his story, it's revealed that he stated getting lost three years earlier. It appears his wife was in the car with him at that time, as she reported a similar scenario, however, she was missing for a year.

critique: The answer is incorrect. Mark was missing for a year, not three years.

critique: It is omitted that when Officer Dan questions the man to remove his shirt and reveals that he is missing his skin. (And metal rods are instead what supports his muscles.)

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Mark's wife was missing for three years, however it was only a year.

critique: The answer is incorrect. Mark's wife was not in the car with him three years ago. She was in the car with him the night he disappeared.

critique: This is incorrect. The woman was missing for a year and the story happened in 1951, not three years earlier.

critique: The story does not state that Mark stated getting lost three years earlier.

critique: The story does not state that Mark got lost three years earlier.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Mark stated getting lost three years earlier, however he was missing for a year.


text:
Walking home late one night after last call at the tavern, alone on a lightless road, a flash ignites the sky above. As quick as it comes, I am disappeared from that tired avenue, and my surroundings are no longer the outdoors. I am in a red and orange striped and spotted room that I can only recognize as a holding cell of some sort. The colors are breathing; laughing. Slowly, a green and yellow gaseous cloud begins to build, and soon it's all I can breathe. Though I can breathe it simply enough, I do my best not to, but it keeps growing until it's the only thing I can inhale.

Hours? Days? All I know, when I finally regain consciousness in that red and orange cell, is that I have never felt more tired in my life. Ever. Groggy, shaky, weak and woozy, I try to prop myself onto my hands and knees, as I appear to have passed out on the floor of my cell. I survey the room by slowly crawling around, and find that the door is made of a glass like substance, and it feels different from the other three walls, but I can't actually see the difference. The pattern on the glass matches the pattern on the other three walls. Two days, three? How long have I been here? Has it been longer than a week? It's this moment that I realize just how famished I am. "Hello," I say with a dry voice, my throat parched and scratchy. "Water."

The wall that I believe is the door becomes clear. I can see through it into a gray hall, likely metallic walls, floor and ceiling. There are faint yellow lights spacing the hallway every twenty feet or so, but all I can see is darkness on either end. And footsteps. I hear footsteps. Finally, a shadowy figure appears at the far end of my vision down the left side of the hall from my cell. As it gets closer, my eyes begin to blur more and more, until I know whatever it is, though I am completely blind, it's standing directly in front of me. The sound of compressed air being released hisses out to my right, and I can feel a slight draft from the hallway. Were I to have use of my legs, I might attempt to run, but I can still barely sit up. Hands grab under both of my arms, and I am dragged out of the cell and into the hall.

After being taken into a lift, and what feels like being paraded around in front of whatever species is holding me, they drop me in a heap on the floor. My vision finally begins to return, and the first thing I notice is the size of the room I am in. Cavernous would be a mild attempt at a description, but I am starting to see better still, and I can see that I am before the seat of power. A large throne, sitting atop an island of a dais, and a ruler to occupy the seat. Humanoid in appearance, his flesh is a blueish green. He wields six mighty arms, and five horned ridges appear at the top of his head, rather than any hair.

"I am Xyzornat, ruler of Devil's Reach. You have been aboard my ship for three years today." He stands from his seat, and all around me, robed figures begin chanting a dark tattoo. They close in on me, and I still can't move. When they are within two feet of me, in a complete circle, they throw back their robes, revealing themselves to be of the same race as their leader. With a blade in each of their six hands, they individually and simultaneously sever their own heads. Blood pools around me, soaking into my clothes. Xyzornat, leader of Devil's Reach, leaps fifty feet into the air, and seems to hover above me for a moment, before crashing down. His eight limbs have me completely pinned and surrounded. He opens his mouth and two, foot long fangs pierce into my neck, just below my Adam's Apple. The pain is extreme, and I can feel the teeth push into my chest. I feel them slide, inch by inch behind my ribs, until they stab into my heart. The last thing I will ever hear is his voice as he says, "Your soul is now mine."

title: Xyzornat:  Ruler of Devil's Reach (Part 1/5)

question: Summarize the main conflict of the story.

answer: The narrator is walking home from the tavern when he is abducted by aliens. They take him to their leader, Xyzornat, who wants to take the narrator's soul. Xyzornat and his followers kill themselves in order to get close enough to the narrator to kill him.

critique: The narrator is not abducted by aliens; he is abducted by the ruler of Devil's Reach.

critique: The narrator is not abducted by aliens. He is abducted by Xyzornat and his followers.

critique: The aliens' race and lifestyle is not addressed.

critique: "They take him to their leader, Xyzornat, who wants to take the narrator's soul. Xyzornat and his followers kill themselves in order to get close enough to the narrator to kill him." - this is incorrect. Xyzornat and his followers don't kill themselves. They just reveal themselves to be of the same race as the leader.

critique: The narrator is not abducted by aliens. He is abducted by Xyzornat, the ruler of Devil's Reach.

question: Summarize the unpleasant sensations the narrator feels over the course of the story.

answer: The narrator is thirsty and parched. He is dragged out of his cell and into a lift by Xyzornat's servants. When he is finally able to see, he is in a cavernous room before the seat of power. Xyzornat's fangs pierce into the narrator's neck, and he feels extreme pain.

critique: Doesn't mention the sensation of having one's soul torn away.

critique: The narrator is not thirsty and parched. He is thirsty and parched.

critique: The answer omits the narrator's extreme hunger.

question: What does the story sa about Xyzornot's plan?

answer: He plans to take the narrator's soul.

critique: The answer should mention that Xyzornot is the ruler of Devil's Reach.

question: Summarize the casualties over the course of the story.

answer: The narrator is taken from their cell and paraded before Xyzornat, the ruler of Devil's Reach. Xyzornat kills the narrator and then consumes their soul. The narrator's captors are all killed when they are ordered to cut off their own heads by Xyzornat.

critique: The narrator's captors are not killed by Xyzornat. They are killed by Xyzornat's followers.

critique: The answer should mention that the narrator's captors are killed

text: There is no evidence Xyzornat ordered his followers to kill themselves.

category: accuracy


text:
The EU is set on a collision course with Donald Trump after its foreign policy chief called for Europeans to increase their business dealings with Iran in defiance of bellicose statements from the US president.

As Trump vowed to block those trading with Iran from the US market, the EU stepped up efforts to save the Iran nuclear deal by encouraging its companies to ignore the White House.

Federica Mogherini, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, said Brussels would not let the 2015 agreement with Tehran die, and she urged Europeans to make their own investment decisions.

The EU, China and Russia remain signatories to the joint comprehensive plan of action under which economic sanctions on Iran have been lifted in return for the regime curtailing its nuclear aspirations. Trump reneged on the deal in May, describing it as “a horrible one-sided deal that should never, ever have been made”.

The clash risks destabilising the wider transatlantic relationship weeks after the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Trump vowed in the White House rose garden to increase tariff-free trade between the EU and the US and to move on from recent disagreements.

What is the Iran nuclear deal? – video
During a trip to Wellington, New Zealand, on Tuesday, Mogherini said: “We are doing our best to keep Iran in the deal, to keep Iran benefiting from the economic benefits that the agreement brings to the people of Iran, because we believe this is in the security interests of not only our region but also of the world.

“If there is one piece of international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation that is delivering, it has to be maintained. We are encouraging small and medium enterprises in particular to increase business with and in Iran as part of something [that] for us is a security priority.”

Hours earlier, Trump had tweeted: “The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. These are the most biting sanctions ever imposed, and in November they ratchet up to yet another level. Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!”

He said in an official statement: “We urge all nations to take such steps to make clear that the Iranian regime faces a choice: either change its threatening, destabilising behaviour and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.”

The US economic sanctions against Iran came into force at 12.01am ET on Tuesday.

At the same time a blocking statute – last used to protect EU firms from sanctions against Cuba – was brought into force in an attempt to insulate European firms by threatening legal repercussions should they comply with Washington’s diktats and offering them a chance to sue the US for interference.

The efficacy of the blocking statue remains in serious doubt. The German carmaker Daimler AG said on Tuesday that it was suspending its “very limited” activities in Iran. In early 2016 the company announced plans for local truck production and cooperation with an Iranian partner. On Tuesday it said a representative office “will not be continued”.

A first set of reimposed US sanctions targets financial transactions that involve US dollars, Iran’s automotive sector and purchases of commercial planes and metals, including gold. A second batch of sanctions to be imposed in early November will hit Iran’s oil sector and central bank.

Mogherini said it was vital for Iran to feel the economic benefit of the nuclear deal, describing it as a “fundamental aspect of the Iranian right to have an economic advantage in exchange for what they have done so far, which is being compliant with all their nuclear-related commitments”.

The US move has strengthened calls in Brussels for a looser transatlantic alliance. The leader of the liberal group in the European parliament, Guy Verhofstadt, a former prime minister of Belgium, said: “This shows yet again why we as Europeans must strengthen our foreign policy to be able to shape relations with the greater Middle East independently from the US.”

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement: “We are deeply disappointed by US steps to reimpose its national sanctions against Iran. This is a clear example of Washington violating UN resolution 2231 [on the Iran deal] and international law.”

Moscow said the multi-party nuclear agreement Trump abandoned in May had “shown its effectiveness”. It called on the international community “not to allow such significant achievements in multilateral diplomacy to be sacrificed in the name of American aspirations to settle political scores with Iran”.

Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, in a live interview on state television on Monday night, reassured Iranians that his administration was prepared to stave off the impact of the return of sanctions. He dismissed the punitive measures as psychological warfare designed to help Trump in the upcoming midterm elections. “Our system is stable, we’re all standing together,” he said.

The sanctions have come at a critical time, when a combination of factors ranging from environmental challenges to economic grievances and a lack of political freedom is putting Iran’s leadership under unprecedented pressure. The Iranian currency, the rial, has lost at least half of its value since April, fuelling sporadic street protests across the country that are increasingly taking on a political dimension.

Iran’s central bank has eased foreign exchange rules in response to the sanctions, allowing the dollar to be traded in secondary, often black markets. Local agencies reported markets showing a positive response to the change in policy. The rial recovered some of its value against the dollar on Tuesday, but it was too soon to say how the policy will play out in the long run.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani, said the country could benefit from the new sanctions by focusing on internal renovation of the economy.

“By focusing on the domestic economy, reforming its structure and facilitating investment, the enemies cannot talk to Iran like that from now on because Iran’s resilience is increasing and this situation offers a good prospect for the country,” he said late on Monday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

question: What is the root cause of the war of words between the EU and the US?

answer: The Iran nuclear Deal.

critique: The answer should mention that the US is attempting to reimpose sanctions on Iran.

critique: The answer should mention that the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal.

critique: The answer should mention that the US is reimposing sanctions on Iran.

critique: Emphasizing the most important part of the answer.

critique: The answer should mention that the deal is being threatened by the US.

critique: The answer should mention that the US has pulled out of the deal.

critique: It is omitted that Trump decided to exit the deal, which causes the rift between the two countries.

critique: The answer could include a bit more information about the deal to explain its importance.

critique: The Iran nuclear deal is the cause of the US pulling out of the deal. More accurately, the reason for the EU and US conflict is the US pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.

critique: The question does not ask for the deal, but for the root cause.

critique: The root cause was the US exit from a multilateral deal. This does not refute the deal, but looking for a different answer.

critique: The answer should mention that the US pulled out of the deal.

question: How is Trump imposing his will on the EU?

answer: When speaking about the Iran Deal, Trump has imposed sanctions that threaten EU companies if they trade with Iran; though there is also a text also in effect that threatens legal repercussions. In response, the EU Commission has put in place a blocking statute.

critique: Doesn't go into detail of how Trump is imposing his will by saying EU companies will be stopped from trading with Iran.

critique: It is not clear how the blocking statue is related to Trump's sanctions.

critique: The text that summarizes Trump's tariff-free agreement with the EU is not relevant

critique: The answer should mention that the EU is trying to save the Iran nuclear deal.

critique: The response to Trump's sanctions is not part of the question.

critique: The question asks how Trump is imposing his will on the EU, not how the EU is going to react to Trump's will. The answer should focus on Trump's sanctions, and not EU's response.

critique: The answer should mention that the EU is trying to defy Trump's sanctions.

critique: The response does not answer the question of how Trump is imposing his will on the EU.

critique: The answer does not mention the EU's response to Trump's sanctions.

critique: The answer should mention the blocking statute.

critique: The answer is confusing and contains several problematic phrases/words.

critique: "the Iran Deal" - add the deal in full "the Iran nuclear deal, under which economic sanctions on Iran were lifted in return for the regime curtailing its nuclear aspirations."


text:
The ceiling is wide and white. Music and conditioned air issue from the holes made for their escape. Below, all them people eat. Fatty, not-so-fat, their kids, they all have dirty fingers. A guy can't wipe the smell of meat from his nose.
No napkins, goddamn it the napkin dispenser's empty. Impossible!
Dead molecules don't just go away. Leonard's shirt, and skin stink of grease. There's a good layer of the stuff beneath the bill of his cap. Tall, lanky Leonard needs special gloves that won't irritate his skin condition. He scoops sopping meat from the grill and slides it into paper lined containers that fit in a warmer. Other people in similar caps pile cheese on the beef.
"Extra buffalo sauce," the drive thru customer says.
"It should be in the bag." says a menstrual teenager.
A guy in a damaged red truck drives off leaving a trail of noxious fumes in his wake.
Leonard takes the bend out of his back and stands straight. He peers out from behind the grill. And he sees, dear reader, Spiral, the unconquerable wind, smash through the glass doors of the Burger King. Leonard's dark eyes fix on the massive mystical warrior.
Spiral, Leonard's hitherto-imaginary friend, is screaming, is twirling with reasonless rage. He produces hurricane force with his vibrating limbs. Chairs  fly and the people that were sitting in them are blown out of the windows. Kids get caught up in a gust, and the ball pit explodes. the walls shudder, the ceiling breaks wide. Everything flies, almost everything.
Only Leonard stands bravely as his hat is taken by the wind. He can't bring himself to hide. He has to bare witness to the amazing Spiral. Wood splinters and tiles peel from the floor. Leonard's heart leaps. He feels fear and terror and he loves it.
Then Spiral slows, stops, breathes deep and allows himself to be seen clearly. The super being is gold and sapphire, helmeted, and dangerously muscled. His eyes and teeth are glacier blue and godly bright. He locks eyes with Leonard, and his mouth moves to speak.
"Leonard Malkin, come with me. You are needed elsewhere beyond the stars in what you call the Krab Nebula. The Fedorian people are locked in a civil war, and only you can help them. Surely, our prophets can not be wrong. You are the savior of our starflung world."
Leonard clocks out leaving the Burger King in one healthy piece. He rides his second hand bicycle to his midtown studio apartment. There he prepares a mostly vegetarian meal. Carrots, green beans, and hermit bread, there's no need to turn the burner on the stove.
No surprise, Liz forgot to pick up the almond milk. Mother fucker! No... No, on second thought that's okay. He was lucky a girl like Liz could love a queer like him anyway. She could forget the almond milk if she wanted.
He lays down and watches kung fu television until one o'clock in the morning.
Suddenly it's six AM. Leonard's alarm plays an awkward beach theme that rouses him immediately. The slumbering Liz rolls over caught in the throws of a burgeoning hangover. Leonard skips his morning shower, but manages to wash his hands with shampoo. Now its time to pull the dull razor across his face. there, that's passable. He could work like this. He could come home and take a nap if he needed. If worse came to worse, and he was really unhappy, Leonard knew he could always kill himself and get it all over with.

title: Maybe Thursday

question: Summarize the source of tension in the story.

answer: Leonard is being called by an alien being to save his people. Being a rather unremarkable human, Leonard questions his own suitability for the role, but is also imbued with a sense of duty. He endeavors to look his best and make the effort to get a job, etc. Leonard also has a girlfriend who is supportive but forgetful, presumably due to her being hungover the last time she met him.

critique: The answer is not very clear on the source of tension.

critique: Leonard is not being called by an alien being to save his people.

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

critique: The answer is not related to the source of tension in the story.

critique: "Being a rather unremarkable human, Leonard questions his own suitability for the role, but is also imbued with a sense of duty. He endeavors to look his best and make the effort to get a job, etc." - is incorrect. Leonard was never questioned about his suitability. He already knows he's not special.

critique: It is omitted that Leonard "jokes" about killing himself if things get too bad.

question: Summarize the arc of tension in the story.

answer: It kicks off as Leonard takes a break at the burger joint where he works. He notices a mystical warrior named Spiral storming the place. He decides to leave the burgers behind and ride his bike back to his studio apartment. The scene is then broken with a jump to Leonard starting his day, only to sleep through to the next morning. He gets up, attempts to shave, then decides to nap instead. This continues for the rest of his life.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Leonard decides to nap instead of shaving.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Leonard decides to nap instead. However, he decides to kill himself.

critique: "The scene is then broken with a jump to Leonard starting his day, only to sleep through to the next morning. He gets up, attempts to shave, then decides to nap instead. This continues for the rest of his life." - this is inaccurate. Leonard doesn't nap, he just skips his morning shower and gets ready for work.

critique: The response could go into more detail about Leonard's actions then.

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

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Leonard decides to nap instead of shave.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Leonard decides to nap after he shaves, however he decides to nap before he shaves.

text: The last sentence makes no sense and is also inaccurate

question: Summarize Leonard's feelings at the beginning of his day.

answer: Leonard is initially excited to see Spiral, his hitherto-imaginary friend, but he is also afraid. He is excited to see Spiral, but he is also afraid. He is excited to see Spiral, but he is also afraid. He is excited to see Spiral, but he is also afraid.

critique: The repetition of the same sentence is unnecessary.

critique: "Leonard is initially excited to see Spiral, his hitherto-imaginary friend, but he is also afraid. He is excited to see Spiral, but he is also afraid. He is excited to see Spiral, but he is also afraid. He is excited to see Spiral, but he is also afraid." - repeats the same thing over and over again. Needs a full rewrite.

critique: The repetition of the phrase "is excited" is unnecessary.

question: Summarize some of Leonard's life goals.

answer: No answer

critique: There's an obvious goal in Leonard's summarized thoughts: he wants Liz to come back home so they can spend more time together as a couple.

critique: The response misses to mention that Leonard's life goals are not mentioned in the story.


text:
**BACKSTORY**

Thousands of years in the future, genetic engineering has advanced to the point where the upper-echelons of society can afford both immortality and perfect genetics. Bionic joints/muscles and steel bones give these super-rich ultra-strength, and even their children are astoundingly muscular and easily 100 times stronger than a child from today's standards. Societies of these bio-engineered humans become increasingly violent and elitist, and eventually leave Earth to inhabit another planet (presumably Mars) after developing an apocalyptic obsession with Greek and Roman culture/mythology. These people truly believe that they are Gods and “chosen ones”.

Our story revolves around a young man from this “New Planet” named Heracles. This man’s father (a super-child and 'Chosen One' living on Mars) had fallen in love with a girl named Sadie at a young age. Sadie was a “normal” human and outcast who, through a medical anomaly, was not born with these new freak-genetics and instead is similar to the people of the “Old World”, Earth. She is quite literally the most physically-weak person on the planet, although she is extremely intelligent.
After a secret relationship involving Heracles father that lasted many years, Sadie became pregnant with Heracles and eventually gives birth. Heracles resembles his mother, and is the smallest boy to be born on this new planet. Although he lacks physical strength, however, Heracles possesses an intelligence that far surpasses anyone else in the New World. Heracles later finds out that he received this gift of intelligence from his mother.
My story will pull many parallels to the story of Hercules, a man born of a God (Zeus) and a mortal (Alcmene).

***Virtus***

*Some have the strength to push a rock,*

*but the strongest of men have the strength to pull away*

*from someone they have loved for days.*

As the sun ascended atop the barren valley, I was awoken by the faint growling of a Jeep in the dusty, unreachable distance. My malnourished body shivered as I stared at the stone ceiling, hanging cold and bleak above my head. It took all of my strength to roll over and view the meager remains of the fire I had constructed the night before in an attempt to give warmth to my make-shift desert shelter. I sat up gingerly and paid thought to the acts Prometheus, a God that was revered and worshiped with an outright obsession in my culture. Most people on the New Planet viewed the gift of fire as an absolute wonder and marvel of unrivaled glory. I, however, viewed the guns and swords of man in bitterness. It seemed to me that these fire-forged weapons were borne into the world with the sole intention to destroy and conquer.  My humble residence was devoid of all luxuries save a Colt x87 Plasma Pistol and a weathered diary belonging to my father. Besides daily hunting and foraging, my days were mostly spent divulged in the delicate pages of the old book attempting to piece together the dusty and confusing events that had placed me in my current disposition. I clicked on the flashlight that laid patiently besides my bed and began to make out the fading letters my father had penned so many years ago:

**September 23, 2877**

Where I come from, everyone is strong. I can starkly remember the frigid air piercing my nostrils as I competed in the annual *Elit Virtus* competition at the tender age of eight years old. What a spectacle it was to witness boys of such youth achieving physical feats of Olympic grandeur. I was a marvel when it came to the Rolling Rock Event, handling a two-ton piece of stone as one would choose a rock to skip across still and patient waters. In the midst of the competition I recalled flipping the pages of my history book merely hours prior, reading of the children of the Old Planet. I felt nothing but pity for my cousins of a lost day; their strongest of my age were mortally brittle and utterly incomparable to the physical wonders my peers. Even the girls were stout, muscular, and offensively vascular in physical appearance. Truly I say every one of us were genetic marvels of *The Great Re-Engineering*.

Amidst the cascades of perspiration my concentration was pulverized by a pair of pretty, piercing eyes belonging to a girl named Sadie. She was astoundingly petite in contrast to the other girls, an anomaly that branded her as an outcast in a global village of physical behemoths. The Elders looking down upon Sadie with a shame so venomous that even the most casual of her acquaintances were questioned in confusion and disgust for their intentions to interact with the girl. There was not a soul at the school that would call themselves a friend of Sadie, and for this reason our veiled intimacy was kept all-the-more under wraps. To me, Sadie was different. She was most intelligent girl I had ever met. If I had known at the time the inevitable turmoil that would precipitate from the storm of our love, truly I tell you I would have walked away. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy.

title: The beginning of a short story I'm beginning to write, 'Virtus'.

question: Summarize everything related to Earth.

answer: In the future, genetic engineering has advanced to the point where the upper-echelons of society can afford both immortality and perfect genetics. Societies of these bio-engineered humans become increasingly violent and elitist, and eventually leave Earth to inhabit another planet (presumably Mars) after developing an apocalyptic obsession with Greek and Roman culture/mythology. These people truly believe that they are Gods and “chosen ones”.

critique: The answer omits the part where the societies of bio-engineered humans were once on Earth.

critique: The answer should mention that the people of the New Planet view the gift of fire as an absolute wonder and marvel of unrivaled glory.

critique: The answer should mention that the people of the New Planet view the people of Earth as weak.

critique: The line about "abandoning an apocalypse" is not understandable to a general audience

critique: The answer omits the mention of Earth in the story.

critique: The answer should mention that the people of the new planet are obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology.

question: Summarize everything relating to bioengineering.

answer: The people of the New Planet are bioengineered. They are immortal and have perfect genetics. Their children are easily 100 times stronger than a child from today's standards. The people of the New Planet are obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology.

critique: The people of the New Planet are obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology, not bioengineering.

critique: The people of the New Planet are not obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology.

critique: The people of the New Planet are obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology because they believe they are Gods.

critique: The answer misses to mention that their children are muscular.

critique: The people of the New Planet are obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology because they believe they are gods.

critique: The people on Mars are obsessed with the Greeks and Romans

text: The fact that the people are obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology has nothing to do with bioengineering.

category: coherence

question: Why does no one want to talk to Sadie?

answer: She is an outcast because she is not as strong as the other people.

critique: The answer should mention that she is also an outcast because she is not as muscular as the other people.

critique: This doesn't answer the question and should be omitted.

critique: "She is an outcast because she is not as strong as the other people." - is incorrect. Sadie is an outcast because she is petite and weak.

critique: The answer should include that Sadie is also an outcast because she is not as strong as the other people.

critique: She is not as strong as the other people, but the story doesn't state that this is the reason why no one wants to talk to her.

critique: Sadie's being short is irrelevant to the question

critique: The answer should mention that Sadie is also an outcast because she is not as muscular as the other people.

critique: The answer should mention the prejudice against her.

question: Describe the motif of Greco-Roman mythology in the story.

answer: The people of the New Planet are obsessed with Greco-Roman mythology and believe themselves to be gods.

critique: The answer should mention the planet they moved to.

critique: The answer should mention the planet they inhabit.

critique: "The people of the New Planet" - it is the people of Mars who are obsessed with Greco-Roman mythology.

critique: "mankind" - is inaccurate. Replace with "people".

critique: The people of the New Planet are obsessed with Greco-Roman mythology and believe themselves to be gods.

critique: "The people of the New Planet" - is inaccurate. Replace with "The people of the New World"

critique: The answer should mention the planet the people left.

text: The answer should also mention that the protagonist of the story is named Heracles.

category: coverage


text:
It was an eerie autumn night. She sat in the house alone, she always did, she had no friends left in this world. As she listened to the wind howl and a branch scratching an upstairs window she was sure tonight would finally be the night, her last ever night in this oversized old lonely house. She was being hunted and knew once caught it would be the end of her. How could this not be the night? She thought to herself. In truth it was just a bad feeling she had because of the eeriness of the night, the sounds and shadows from outside.

She woke. It was 09:02. She made it through the night she realised with great relief. The relief was short lived. Now she was confused, soon she would be angry. She remembered back to last night, she could recall it being about 5am, she must have drifted off then. She had spent the night watching come dine with me. She could remember watching the first three episodes but not the fourth. That means she missed the results. If I didn’t see the results, what was the point in watching the first three episodes she thought to herself raging? She threw a spoon at a window, luckily neither were hurt.

She had to leave this place, they will look here soon she knew. She had no mode of transport, her only option was to hitchhike. This was the countryside, cars were few and far between and the people driving them were likely dangerous. The countryside seemed to bring out the worst in people. The isolation, the questionable gene pool, farming; all ingredients that often produced monstrous results, murderous people at worst. Animal fuckers at best. And hitchhiking was never safe for a young attractive female travelling on her own. Fortunately she was ugly, and middle aged. She may have been younger, her age didn’t matter anyhow. It was her ugly face that may save her. Still she was a woman and travelling alone, so the danger was there.

30 minutes had now passed and she still stood with thumb out. Not one car had passed yet. All she could think about was Dave. She hated Dave. She really hoped Dave didn’t win. Dave was one of the contestants on last nights come dine with me and she hated him, he had stupid plates. “Fucking cunt,” she shouted. It was unrelated to Dave and his stupid plates, she has Tourette’s syndrome.

She was so deep in thought trying to work out who may have won come dine with me that she nearly didn’t notice the car stop. It was a pick up truck, and in truth had seen better days. So had the driver. A lone male, in his 50s, thin wiry hair, crooked yellow teeth, covered in boils, and breath that could kill. “Where you headed lady? He asked. “I need to go to Dukenbury, its about 22 miles from here. Please take me as close as you can”. Dukenbury was remote, it was unlikely he would be passing through to drop her off but anywhere close would be better than here. “As ‘appens, that is where I’m headed lady, I can take you all the way”. Perhaps she should have realised something wasn’t right at this point, but she didn’t. She knew the way to Dukenbury and she knew they had just gone past a right turning that they should have taken. That’s when she knew something was wrong. It was the drivers sat nav, must have been an old one without the new routes programmed in. She was gutted; she knew it would add at least 3 minutes to the journey. They arrived at Dukenbury safe. But 3 minutes later than she would have hoped.
She knew she couldn’t avoid her hunters forever, the hunted will get caught. But if she could just do this one last thing in Dukenbury it wouldn’t matter. She wouldn’t mind being caught then. It would mean the end of her life, but she would have achieved all that wished to anyway. First though she was tired and needed to rest for the task at hand. She checked into a bed and breakfast. It was 15:06 when she put her head down on the pillow. As she woke up she realised that she hadn’t been asleep, it then dawned on her that she hadn’t woke up. It was still 15:06 because literally nothing has happened; she just sketched out a little is all.

As she woke up she chuckled as she remembered earlier when she thought she had woken up but hadn’t even been asleep. She could be stupid some times she thought to herself, although not as stupid as Dave’s plates. That pleased her.

The cafe was only a two-minute walk from the bed and breakfast. Her daughter should be there, she worked there. If she could just find her daughter everything would be OK. As she approached the café however she realised she was being followed. “No not now” she thought, “I’m nearly done, you can’t take me yet”. She burst into a run, so did the pursuer. She ran into the café, the chaser was only a meter behind her now. But there she was, she could see her daughter. “All I have to do is avoid capture for another second” she thought as she sprinted towards her daughter. Her daughter was facing the other way so the woman called out, her daughter turned around, A split second later the woman drove a 7 inch carving knife through her throat. It was brutal.

The woman had been caught now but it didn’t matter, she had done it. She had murdered 10 people. She had always wanted to murder 10 people and finishing with her daughter made it perfect.

title: The Woman

question: What does the story say about why the woman was hitchhiking?

answer: The woman was being hunted and knew once caught it would be the end of her. She had no mode of transport and had to hitchhike. She was ugly and middle-aged, so she was unlikely to get a ride from a good Samaritan. She was also a woman traveling alone, so the danger was there.

critique: The answer is a summary of the story, not a reason for hitchhiking.

text: The answer contains extraneous information not useful for the task.


text:
GIULIO FIESCO (possibly born ?1519, fl. 1550–1570) was an Italian composer of the Renaissance, active in Ferrara, known for his madrigals. He was the first composer to set the poetry of Giovanni Battista Guarini, the most often-set poet by madrigalists of the late 16th century, and was an important court composer for the rich musical establishment of the Este family in Ferrara.

Life

Details of Fiesco's life are sketchy. He was probably born in Ferrara and seems to have spent most of his life there. François-Joseph Fétis, the 19th-century French musicologist, claimed dates of 1519 to 1586 for Fiesco, but as he did not give his sources, it is not known if he had access to some documentation no longer extant. Alfred Einstein also reports these dates in _The Italian Madrigal_, with the additional detail that Fiesco was likely a lutenist.[1] Fiesco was connected to the Estense court as indicated by the dedications in his madrigal collections, and may have been employed at the church of San Francesco, since he is buried there. It is also possible that he was employed personally by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este.[2]

[Alfonso II d'Este, Fiesco's patron]

In 1567 the poet Giovanni Battista Guarini entered into the service of Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. No poet was more influential on music history in the late Renaissance than Guarini, whose works were set more often by madrigal composers than those of any other poet; Fiesco was significant as the first composer ever to set Guarini's poetry to music. Not only did he set poetry by Guarini, but in the dedication to the madrigal book he claimed he wrote it at the poet's request: and he dedicated the entire group of compositions to Lucrezia and Leonora d'Este.[3]

Fiesco is not mentioned in any known payment records from Ferrara, a useful source of information on musicians, and he vanishes completely from written record around 1570. The publication dates of his madrigal collections range from 1554 to 1569.[4]

Works and influence

All of Fiesco's surviving works are secular and vocal. He published four books of madrigals, in 1554, 1563, 1567, and 1569, dedicating all four to members of the Este family. Of these four books, the first and last have gotten the most attention. His compositions in the first book of 1554 show most directly the influence of Cipriano de Rore, the most renowned mid-century composer of madrigals, who was then the _maestro di cappella_ in Ferrara for Duke Ercole II d'Este. Fiesco's compositions in this book are for four voices, and include madrigals in the classic style, chromatically experimental works (for example _Bacio soave_, which shows also the influence of Nicola Vicentino, who actively encouraged such experiments), as well as music likely intended for performance at dramatic events staged for the Este family. His poetry settings include works by Boccaccio, Giovanni Batista Strozzi, Bernardo Tasso, Sannazaro, Ludovico Ariosto, and Petrarch.[5]

Fiesco's last book of madrigals, the _Musica nuova_, for five voices, is his most famous, for it is the first appearance of the poetry of Guarini set to music. Fourteen out of the fifteen poems in the collection are sonnets, and the style matches the elegance of the language, attaining considerable virtuosity in text setting.[6] Some of the settings are innovative harmonically and rhythmically, with one madrigal, _S'armi pur d'ira disdegnoso ed empio_, foreshadowing the Baroque _stile concitato_ of rapid declamation over a homophonic texture.[7]

Not all of Fiesco's works are madrigals. He published a few secular songs in lighter current forms such as the _greghesca_ and the _napolitane,_ forms of Venetian and Neapolitan origin respectively.[8]

[1] Einstein, Vol. II p. 554

[2] Nutter, Grove online

[3]

[4]

[5] Einstein, Vol II p. 555-557

[6] Einstein, Vol II p. 557. Einstein writes: “For us this is ... the height of artificiality and mannerism; for Guarini's contemporaries it was the height of virtuosity, if not of wit.”

[7] Einstein, Vol. II p. 557

[8]

title: Giulio Fiesco

question: Summarize Giulio Fiesco's musical works.

answer: Giulio Fiesco was a composer of the Renaissance. He was usually active in Ferrara. He had an influence on the music history of the late Renaissance, being the first composer to set the poetry of Giovanni Battista Guarini to music. Fiesco published four books of madrigals, in 1554, 1563, 1567, and 1569. He published a few secular songs in lighter current forms such as the greghesca and the napolitane.

critique: The answer should mention that he published four books of madrigals.

critique: "Giulio Fiesco" - this must be corrected to reflect the style of composer's name, and include the spelling of the last name.

critique: It's omitted that all of Fiesco's surviving works are secular and vocal.

critique: The response is missing a few details about Fiesco's works.

critique: The answer should mention that all of his works are secular and vocal.

critique: The response should include that Fiesco's works are secular and vocal.

critique: The answer should mention that Fiesco's works are secular and vocal.

question: Summarize Giulio Fiesco's personal life.

answer: Fiesco was born in Ferrara. He died there, but the only details, such as his birthday, are all speculative.

critique: The response is missing the part about Fiesco's possible employment at the church of San Francesco.

critique: The answer should mention that Fiesco was active in Ferrara for most of his life.

critique: Giulio Fiesco was an Italian composer of the Renaissance, active in Ferrara. He was the first composer to set the poetry of Giovanni Battista Guarini, the most often-set poet by madrigalists of the late 16th century, and was an important court composer for the rich musical establishment of the Este family in Ferrara.

critique: The response does not mention that he lived in Ferrara for most of his life.

critique: There is no evidence that Fiesco died in Ferrara.

critique: The answer should mention that Fiesco was likely a lutenist.

critique: The answer should mention that Fiesco's life is sketchy.

question: Summarize Giulio Fiesco's relationship to the Este family.

answer: He was probably born in Ferrara and lived there most of his life. In 1567, he composed works for Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. He dedicated four books of madrigals to members of the Este family.

critique: The response does not mention that he was an important court composer for the Este family.

critique: Fiesco's final book of madrigals were dedicated to two of the Este sisters.

critique: The answer omits that Fiesco was an important court composer for the Este family.

critique: The response is missing the detail that Fiesco was an important court composer for the Este family.


text:
„Purge it!“ Ramsey looked down to the screen. His fingertips hovered above a small rectangle which would unleash hell. Again, the sharp voice cut through the mayhem on the bridge. „Commander, I need your acknowledgement. Purge it!" Since the spaceship was already shaking from missile hit after missile hit, nobody noticed his trembling hand.
His gaze wandered a little higher to the massive observation window. The curvature could clearly be seen, seperating ground and heaven. Ramsey remembered being down there once, sitting in a space port with some friends from the academy and listening to an interesting history talk.

He had purged a moon six months before. There were riots on the small colony Triton-4, and Benson had ordered the same command. It was just a small colony. But together with the eight other colonies on the moon they were building a new jumpgate in Neptun's orbit. The first one was fully operational and orbiting Uranus, about 12 billion spacemen had already traveled to their new homes a few dozen lightyears away. It was a slow process, and an expensive one. Luckily the people on the surfaces volunteered for the hard work – at least all the officers told so.

But now he was in doubt. A big fleet of construction ships was hovering near the sun, ready to install the solar panels for the giant Dyson sphere. Ramsey hadn't fully grasped the concept, but it was something like a bubble around the sun. It would still let some light pass through, but could harness the energy and solve all their energy problems.
Somehow, the people down their didn't like that and broke the 70 year long peace by blowing two of the construction ships up. Things escalated quickly and a week later the Omega's weapon systems were programmed to destroy 500 million km², ready to tansform the surface into a billowing, red-glowing mass.

Their spaceship was built for only one thing: Annihilating surfaces. With a length of 327 meters it carried an arsenal of the most devastating weapons ever created, and after its deployment the third world war came to a grinding halt. That was 90 years ago, and while much bigger ships were built, all of them combined still couldn't match the unique firepower of the Omega.
It was a tool of peace and stability, his captain said. Ramsey remembered watching the surface of Triton evaporate under their glowing beams and heavy bombardement, but he didn't feel peaceful at all.

"Shield system critical", the computer voice rattled. They could sustain the attack for another minute, maybe two. Unless he touched the small rectangle. But he couldn't do it. "Captain, this is insane. We can't decide the fate of 9 billion people." - "We can, and we must. As they shot our unarmed construction ships down, they knew what they did. And you know what to to, acknowledge my order and purge those surfacemen!" Captain Benson clenched her fist. "Commander, now!"
Surely she was right. Her orders came directly from the artificial intelligence, and it had never been wrong. If he touched the rectangle, he would be the hero of the day and the war was over. But if he didn't, the missiles from the surface would break their shield in a few seconds and then their armored hull in a few more. There was no more time to think. His finger jerked down.

In a millisecond, the computer scanned his DNA and initalized the launch process. "Authentication phrase", chattered the computer voice. Ramsey stared through the observation window at the soft glow of the atmosphere.   The authentication phrase glared in his thoughts like the sun. He chose it a long time ago, as he visited the planet. It was after a history talk – maybe an hour long and illustrated with lots of pictures. Beautiful pictures from the ancient times. Their history. Slowly, he uttered the authentication phrase. "Earth ... is ... beautiful."

title: I don't like happy ends [~650 words]

question: Summarize the source of tension in the story.

answer: The commander is confronted with a dilemma: either he can destroy the surface of the planet, and thereby save his crew and spaceship, or he can refuse and let the planet destroy his ship. He must also decide whether to obey his commanding officer or not.

critique: The response is missing the part about the AI commanding the ship.

question: Summarize the theme of this story.

answer: The collective whole seems to be that it is senseless to war, whether it's because of stupid emotion or overzealous colonization.

critique: There is no evidence that the theme is senseless to war.

critique: The answer is too vague and doesn't really get to the heart of the story.

text: This answer should be explained more with examples from the text.

question: Explain the meaning behind the authentication phrase.

answer: The authentication phrase is the phrase that the computer needs to hear in order to launch the missiles. The commander has chosen this phrase a long time ago.

critique: The answer should mention that the authentication phrase is the phrase that the computer needs to hear in order to launch the missiles.

critique: The answer should mention that the phrase is a reminder of the beauty of Earth.

critique: The response is missing the part about the planet being beautiful.

critique: The answer should mention that the authentication phrase is the phrase that the computer needs to hear in order to launch the missiles. The commander has chosen this phrase a long time ago.

critique: The answer could be more specific about the phrase.

critique: This response does not detail how and why the commander chose the authentication phrase.

text: It should be said that the phrase is "Earth is beautiful" which is ironic because it seems he will be blowing up Earth.


text:
[Jollywise]

What can we expect from the kids’ entertainment space in 2017?

The new year is well and truly upon us, and every other tech blog ready to impart their digital predictions for 2017 if they haven’t already. Whilst generally you can expect a lot of the same old – ‘this will be the year for VR’, etc. – we wanted to examine some of the things that we expect to see more specifically in the kids’ entertainment space this year.

Augmented and virtual reality

The underlying issues of accessibility and refinement prevented VR from slipping comfortably into the mainstream in 2016, while the Pokémon Go craze of the summer teased AR potential. While we might not have seen the ‘year for VR’ that we had hoped for, what we did see was a string of brands getting involved with VR just to say they’re in the VR game – regardless of whether they actually have something valuable to offer to the space. Ideally, this year we’ll see more companies offering valuable uses of the technology, rather than the ‘VR for VR’s sake’ that is born out of the fear of being left behind.

Furthermore, we’re hoping to see more defined areas for the use of virtual and augmented reality, be it gaming, education, or even live events – and we’re especially interested in how this will come to fruition in kids’ entertainment and education. However, while developers of VR work towards a tech-accessible, cost-friendly product, it’s likely that we’ll be looking more closely at AR for the time being. The challenge, we suspect, will be creating AR that outlives the initial gimmick, which means content is more important than ever.

There are a few great examples of recent children’s AR that we’d love to see more of. TILT Textiles weave their technology with animated stories in their Enchanted Duvet and Jungle Rug to create an interactive storytelling experience for youngsters, while Curiscope’s Virtuali-Tee (which got a mention in our post on augmented reality last year) is a strong example of the ways in which augmented reality might be integrated into the classroom as a tool for learning.

Web TV

As early as 2010 we’ve seen reports surfacing to indicate the shift from cable/satellite television to online show providers. Over the past few years in particular, web based TV has gained a lot of traction, but this area has been largely dominated by Netflix and Amazon Video, whose online exclusive shows (think Netflix’s recent A Series of Unfortunate Events and Amazon’s The Grand Tour) are able to pull more and more people into subscriptions. Newer or more niche services (Mubi, Twitch, Animax, Hulu) tend to be overshadowed by the bigger names and app versions of existing TV channels.

We’re excited to see what this shift could mean for kids’ TV this year, especially with the recent prototype demonstration of Disney’s own TV product at CES 2017. With tablet sales in decline, we could be looking at a resurgence of television that favours web-based, ‘watch anytime’ content. An expansion of the children’s web TV space is on the horizon.

We’re also anticipating further crossover between television and gaming in 2017. SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand) platforms like Azoomee, Sky, and Hopster currently operate as two separate services: a classic TV service, and then gaming. We’re hoping to see the lines between these two services begin to blur, as more crossover content is created. Interactivity is especially appealing to kids. So there’s no reason this can’t be geared towards younger viewers.

Live Video

As Facebook continued its attempt to undercut YouTube’s dominance in the video space, live video was everywhere in 2016. We’re seeing many kids turning away from traditional television and towards their favourite YouTube stars – the interactivity of the platform means that the viewing experience is more personal, intimate, and therefore valuable.

Web TV is allowing kids to watch what they want to, exactly when and where they want to watch it, but the appeal of the interactivity of YouTube has encouraged a flood of online video creators to start aiming their content at younger audiences. Live videos build on this to create a more ‘immediate’ interactive experience, so kids are especially engaged when consuming content from their favourite YouTubers (MirandaSings is a great example) this way.

As our Facebook and YouTube subscription feeds become more and more infiltrated with live video content, we’re anticipating an emergence of live video in the kids’ entertainment space – and we’re especially interested to see which broadcaster will be the first to truly capitalise on this demand.

AI and chat bots

While we blogged about the rise of the internet bot last year, we’re excited to see how this space will be refined in 2017, and how (if at all) the chatbot will find and secure its space in kids’ entertainment and education.

We saw the beginnings of this exploration in 2016; Unilever, for example, have used a chatbot campaign on Facebook Messenger called ‘Little Brush, Big Brush’ to create an interactive storytelling platform that encourages children to look after their teeth. Then there’s Oyoty, a bot app described as a ‘personal safety assistant’, that’s designed to connect with children’s social accounts, detect potential problems, and help them learn to stay safe online.

The trick, however, will be finding the line between being helpful/educational, and not stepping on parents’ toes.

OUR CEO JON MASON also indicates that we could see an increase in the use of bots outside of the sales and service bots that were everywhere in 2016. We’re looking, he suggests, towards,

  “Bots as entertainment, branching narratives, and stories – low cost ways of providing immersive brand extensions for entertainment companies”.

We’re ready to see interactive children’s storytelling secure a place in the chatbot game.

Fitness and educational tech

Despite the apparent need for “quality research and evidence” to support the claims of the negative impact of “increasingly screen-based lifestyles”, the media continues to be hot to report on the negative physical effects of children’s preoccupation with digital entertainment. To combat the negative association between digital entertainment and childhood obesity, we’ve seen toy companies invest in technical toys that incorporate gamification to encourage tech savvy children to take part in physical activity.

Fisher Price’s Think & Learn Cycle, for example, attempts to entice three to six years olds to exercise whilst playing screen-based games. It’s essentially a children’s exercise bike in disguise, that maintains the brand’s educational focus. This is just one example of how toy companies are shifting focus from toys that function purely as entertainment, to technical toys that provide longer-term value in the form of fitter and smarter kids. These attractive benefits could result in a surge in the production and popularity of fitness based toys this year – even the AR Jungle Rug that we mentioned encourages physical activity in the form of yoga.

We’ll also be seeing kids’ entertainment pay more attention to the development of emotional intelligence. Our upcoming game for The Next Step, for example, focuses on relationships; the player must figure out the best way to communicate with a variety of personalities to successfully navigate the story. We’re interested to see what other projects surface this year in kids’ entertainment to perpetuate values of empathy and good communication.

Overall?

In 2016 we saw a lot of digital trends extensively explored, but very few refined. This year, we’re hoping to see these trends consolidate, establishing their relevance and overall suitability to a young demographic.

OUR GAME FOR THE NEXT STEP, “TAKE IT TO THE TOP” IS NOW AVAILABLE TO PLAY HERE.

[]

Posted January 16th 2017

Steph Rathbone

Steph is Jollywise's Content Executive and resident bookworm.

question: What does the text say about VR's inability to slip into the mainstream on 2016?

answer: VR has underlying issues of accessibility and refinement. The author of the text mentions that VR might not have been the year for VR that many people hoped for.

critique: The answer should mention that VR has been around for a while, and 2016 was not the year for it.

critique: The answer could be more specific about VR's accessibility and refinement.

question: What does the text say about growth in live video?

answer: The text shows that there was an increase in the use of live video in 2016. This was due to the increased popularity of subscription services like Netflix and Amazon. The popularity of services like Netflix and Amazon have also reduced the need for live TV.

critique: The answer should mention the popularity of live video on social media.

critique: The answer should mention the popularity of YouTube.

critique: The response is missing the part about the rise of live video on Facebook and Youtube.

critique: The answer should mention that the popularity of live video is due to the interactivity of the platform.

question: What does the text say about Facebook?

answer: Facebook has become a dominant force in online streaming. The company has been undercutting Youtube with their own live videos. In 2016, Facebook was flooded with live videos. The company is anticipating an emergence of live video in the kids entertainment space.

critique: The second sentence is irrelevant and should be removed.

critique: The answer should mention the live video trend.

critique: "The company is anticipating an emergence of live video in the kids entertainment space." - extraneous information that should be deleted.

text: The answer omits that Unilever used a chatbot campaign on Facebook Messenger called ‘Little Brush, Big Brush’ to create an interactive storytelling platform that encourages children to look after their teeth. This sentence should be mentioned as well.

question: What does the text say about smartphones?

answer: Smartphones have become an important part of kids' entertainment in 2016. Some kids' content is available only on these devices and more kids' TV services are moving towards web-based content. There are several apps being developed to target kids. Developers are also looking into better ways to use AR and VR.

critique: The usage of the devices by kids isn't evidenced.

critique: The answer should mention the decline in tablet sales.

critique: The answer is too long and should be rewritten.

critique: The answer mentions content being available only on smartphones, which is incorrect.

critique: The answer is a bit too long and includes extraneous information not useful for the task.

critique: The last sentence is extraneous and irrelevant.


text:
Run. Stop. Run. Take a deep breath. Run some more. This is basically my night. I really shouldn't have taken up Gary's offer to hang out. I mean, I love Gary, he's really awesome. However, his friends, they're huge douche bags. They're always wanting to start some shit. Whether it be a fight with some random guy, or getting arrested for shoplifting, they're always in something. They just had to drag me into it. I swear to God, if I make it out of this night, I am beating their white asses into the ground.

I guess I should really start at the beginning, I do that a lot, get ahead of myself I mean. Gary lives two streets away from me, so I sort of grown up with the kid. We're 14 now. He started hanging out with the jackasses: Josh, Barry, and Mitchel, when he was about 13. At first. they seemed alright. Then they started to "live on the edge" as they like to say it. Anyways, Gary asked me to hang out with him tonight, since I was home alone, and I had nothing better to do, so I joined him. While I was expecting to just watch some movies and talk, his friends wanted to go start some shit, again.

I get there and they are already discussing how they wanna "live" today. Barry suggesting to go steal some stuff, while Josh wants to go get pick up some chicks.(All three of these assholes are swagfags by the way.) However, Mitchel actually had a legit idea; graffiti. An interesting idea from such a jackass, comes once in a blue moon. It seemed actually like a fun idea. I've always wanted to do something like that. I just want my opinion to be out in the world, to be honest. After everyone agreed and we got the things together, we set out to have an adventure.

Two hours later and we'll in alleys pasting pictures of war and words. Of course, Josh had to go and start being an idiot. He was throwing colors on to the wall and drawing penises and other dirty drawings. I tried to ignore it, until he dumped paint on top of my head. I was drenched in neon blue paint and holy shit, was I mad. I grabbed a pale of pink and threw it all over his shirt. In a matter of seconds, everyone started throwing paint on each other and started to laugh way to loudly.Porch lights went on and people came out. People started to yell, "We're calling the police!" But it took a few seconds to register what they were saying. Before we knew it, the police cars were being heard and we took off like lightning. "Shit, shit!" Was all I kept on saying as we sprinted in the opposite directions of the cars.

Corner after corner we turned hoping to lost the police. My heart started to beat faster and faster as we heard the sirens get closer closer. Gary soon yelled out, "SHIT." As we saw police cars coming towards you. We cut through lawn after lawn hoping to find a safe haven. All of us started to lose speed and Mitchell soon began to work, as he panted. More and more police cars began to swarm around us. Not knowing what else to do, I simply started to sprint in some random direction. The police had to deal with the other boys, since they had a record and I didn't. Street after street I passed, until I finally reached my home. I flew open the door and shut it with a loud bang. I found a mirror and looking myself over, I was covered in neon blue paint that dried over my head, my jeans have been ripped and I had small cuts from running through bushes. I couldn't help but chuckle at my appearance. This sure was one hell of a night, that I don't want to relive.

title: Here's a second story. Reviews? Be honest, bro.

question: What does the story say about how the narrator spends the evening?

answer: The narrator spends the evening with Gary and his friends. They go out to graffiti. The narrator is having fun until Josh starts to be an idiot. He throws paint on the narrator's head. The narrator throws paint on Josh's shirt. Everyone starts throwing paint on each other and they start to laugh way too loudly. The police come and they run away. The narrator manages to reach his home.

critique: Mitchel is not part of this sentence, "Everyone starts throwing paint..." he should be omitted.

question: What does the story say about the narrator's relationship with Gary?

answer: The narrator and Gary have been friends since they were kids. They live two streets away from each other. The narrator has known Gary since they were kids and Gary started hanging out with his friends when he was 13. The narrator has never been in trouble before, but Gary and his friends drag him into all sorts of shenanigans.

critique: The narrator's trouble is not the same as Gary's.

critique: The narrator says nothing about never getting in trouble with the police.

critique: The narrator has been in trouble before.

critique: The narrator is not in trouble, but Gary and his friends are.

question: What does the story say about the narrator's and Gary's school?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention that the narrator and Gary are only 14.

critique: The answer should mention that the narrator and Gary are in high school.

critique: The answer does not mention that there information can't be found.


text:
Us four sat ensuring my stay.
In conversation, Rick was indirectly called a liar by Rob and Megan
because of me.
The price of being a father.
Any words spoken to him sounded like "Liar".
Any words spoken to me were in question.
As if I was being interrogated.
I had nothing to say unless asked.
The house was a mansion.
My cousin played the role of Keith Cozart.
I looked forward to good times as the house was left mostly
unattended.
As we spoke my mind wandered into flashbacks and daydreams.
Rob was showing me the room where I was going to stay.
There were many rooms and hallways.
Some rooms were connected by doors and weren't connected to hallways.
I opened a door to a bathroom and there was someone in the bathtub.
At first I laughed and looked away but Rob quicly put his arm around me and
led me away, and as he did I caught another quick glimpse of the bathtub and
noticed that it was a body. I was shocked and Rob started to remind me that I
didn't see anything that there was no one there. I instantly protested to
staying in the adjacent room which was where we were headed. I threatened to say
what I saw if forced to stay there. I was led away. The confusion and
unknowingness turned into fear and Plan. We returned downstairs and played it
off, acting as if that didn't happen. Later I spoke with Rob's sister about
what I had seen and she told me that it was not infact a body but pieces of
bodies that were created from insecurities. That she herself had created some
of the pieces that were in the bathtub. We walked and talked. I thought about
what I heard. Generations of insecurities brought about what was in the
bathtub. They all knew. Did Rick know? Did Megan know? I didn't know.
Who was it? Was it one of their own. We ended up back at the bathroom and I
looked in again and what I saw shocked me to the point that I couldn't clearly
make out what it was. Was it a body or was it pieces? It was entirely
underneath the water. I faked emotion and accepted the pieces of insecurities
and agreed to stay in the adjacent room. It was the only way to survive.
I spent most of the first week alone in the room.
I heard them speaking about me. About how I spent time alone.
I was genuinely afraid. The first chance I would take it.
It was a Saturday. I had stolen a few grams of Rob's cocaine and
over the course of 2 days had made it injectable with no one knowing.
The owner of the mansion, the famous Dr. Bob, had syringes in the
downstairs bathroom. Everyone left late in the night.
The only ones left were Rob and Megan. Who were passed out. I stabbed Rob with
the needle and injected it. As he woke and saw me he knew what my
intentions were but could not prevent them as the high almost instantly kicked
in and he fell into a euphoric state. Megan didn't even wake up.
The thought crossed my mind. Did she know about the bathtub? Had she noticed the
change in my behavior? I weighed the risk of foiling my Plan in my mind before
deciding to leave her behind as I escaped into the night. I stole a car from
the mansions garage and left leaving no trace of where I was going.
The insecurity of being insecure. Being insecure was my only security, the
only thing that led me to escape the fate that awaited me. Where all others had
failed and gave in to become part of the fate themselves I had broken free.

title: the fate that awaited

question: Summarize Megan's descent into madness.

answer: No answer

critique: Megan is not described as descending into madness.