Under the graceful arms of the cedar tree, he stood in a small clearing, hidden from prying eyes. Dawn was breaking the cold night air with warm golden beams that caught in the morning mist; it rose from the earth and held on tight to the pine needles forming droplets that fell like tears on the already sodden earth. At his feet, he could see the freshly dug soil where he had buried her. He had put her to bed in the damp earth in the hope that she might sleep there in peace. His hands, still bore the signs and sores of frantic digging, with the dark, rich soil clinging to his fingers as if to tell the world what he had done. Worse, he felt such deep remorse for his actions and would be pained for a long time yet by the thought of letting go; and yet, he had mixed feelings of a terrible sadness and a weight lifted from his shoulders. And so, he said goodbye; and wiped the tears from his face. It had been a difficult night; the longest night of his life, and one that he would remember for the rest of his life.