We’d lost the light midway down the mountain. My brother and I were still very new to camping at this point so we hadn’t realized that watching a sunset from the mountaintop wasn’t exactly the brightest idea. So we found ourselves half running down loose shale and steep inclines with only one small pen-light between us.
I remember thinking how quickly night came in the mountains. No sooner had we stopped gazing in wonder at this magnificent sunset on the top of the mountain than darkness had swooped in. I twisted my ankle over a dozen times and, in the interest of expedience, we both decided we should just cut across the mountain toward camp rather than go back the way we had come.
Very bad idea.
Our stepfather eventually noticed our small little light up on the mountain and managed to shout to get our attention. It’s amazing how a voice can carry through the mountains. It’s nothing like in a town where buildings and populace seem to swallow up sound, out there is space enough for someone to bellow and have it carry for miles.
“STOP!” Our stepfather’s disembodied voice froze us in our tracks.
He started up his four-wheeler and shined the headlight onto the ridge line, instructing us to follow the light. My brother and I did as we were told and, after quite a bit of hiking, finally reached the bottom of the mountain.
The next morning he showed us where he saw our light, which was about five feet away from a cliff face.
My brother and I had been going so fast there was no way we would have seen that cliff in time to stop.
I might not have been frightened at the time, but I certainly had chills that morning.
Check out what my fellow authors have to say about their scary moments!
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A.J. Maguire https://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/ (YOU ARE HERE)
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AJMaguire 
How scary! Luckily, your stepfather saw your light.
Sometimes fear comes in the what-ifs and close calls. I’m sure glad your father saw and saved you!
We love camping and go as often as we can. But we taught the kids at a young age to never head out alone near dark. And now all of us have head-lamps, like miners use. As long as the batteries hold out, so will you. And lucky for you that your stepfather knew the mountain so well, even in the dark!