When I was around ten years old, my mom started dating a guy named Mike. Mike had two adult children, and one that was two years older than me named Michael. During their courtship, the kids were often included on dates. My mom was always adventurous and so hiking at a nearby mountain seemed like a good family outing. We marveled at the reds and yellows of the maples, oaks, and hickories that surrounded Pilot Mountain as we hiked the well-marked trails. My brother, sister, and I were getting along with Michael and mom and Mike seemed to be hitting it off. Everything was going great, until it started to get dark.