Lost in the Mountains

The air was crisp and cold, the sun a pale disc in the sky. I had been hiking for hours, the trail winding its way through the towering pines. I had been so focused on the path ahead, that I hadn't noticed the sun beginning to set. Now, the shadows were lengthening, and the forest was growing darker. I stopped, realizing with a jolt that I had no idea where I was. Panic started to rise in my chest. I pulled out my phone, but there was no signal. I tried to retrace my steps, but the trail seemed to have vanished. The trees all looked the same, the forest a maze of dark green and brown. I was lost. I sat down on a fallen log, trying to calm myself. I knew I had to stay put and wait for help. But the cold was creeping into my bones, and the darkness was closing in. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stay warm. As the night deepened, the forest came alive with sounds. The wind whispered through the trees, and the owls hooted in the distance. I felt a sense of dread, a feeling of being utterly alone. But then, I heard a sound. A faint, distant sound. It was a human voice. I jumped to my feet, my heart pounding. I followed the sound, stumbling through the darkness. And then, I saw them. A group of hikers, their headlamps cutting through the darkness. They had heard my shouts, and they had come to help. Relief washed over me. I was safe. I had been lost, but I had been found. And as I walked back to the trail with them, I knew that I would never forget this night, the night I was lost in the mountains.