The night was still and quiet. Not even the sound of the water rippling could be heard, not even the wind stirring the leaves.

"Absolutely, perfectly pristine,"thought Amanda as she lay there, gazing at the stars. Her year had been so hard, full of so much change. There had been Shane. He had both amazed her and challenged her. Days had been filled with so much laughter in the beginning, they could hardly get enough of each other. Somehow, though she still didn't know why, something happened. Something changed that she wished she knew how to fix. Her heart ached so bad. Emotionally Amanda could feel everything, as though the weight of the world was pressing in on her from all sides. This was her place though, her thinking spot. If she could regather herself anywhere, it would be here. Amanda breathed in deeply. Crisp, cool, refreshing mountain air filled her lungs and eased her soul.