The darkness was gathering as she wobbled(颤颤巍巍）in high heels along the side of the highway. The car had come to an unexpected stop,and like a teenager she did the only thing she could think of...get out and walk.

It was cold and late,and home was far away. This could be a long night. If.only someone would stop and offer her a ride. She prayed for help and dragged herself forward.

The lights of a truck shone from behind as it approached. “Maybe he will stop," she hoped. The brake lights flashed on as it stopped. Next instant, the cab door opened. A wordless invitation was extended and she understood. Without hesitation the girl climbed up into the cab and closed the door. Slowly the truck pulled back onto the road and disappeared into the night, never to be seen again.

I woke up in a cold sweat, alarmed. Was that a dream or was it a vision? It was unbelievably real, and the girl was my daughter! I jumped from my bed and ran to her room. Her bed was empty.

I stood in horror trying to think why she had not come home. As the mental fog began to lift,I remembered she was visiting her friend that evening. Perhaps she stayed there for the night. It was 1:30 a.m.,but I raced to the phone and dialed a number.

“Hello?”The voice was heavy with sleep.

“Hey. Sorry to wake you. Becki didn't come home tonight and I was wondering if she stayed at your place?"

“No,she left here a few hours ago. She should have been home at least by midnight!” The voice on the other end began to reflect my own panic.

Over the next forty-five minutes I alternated between lying in pray and pacing the floor in anxiety.

At 2:15 a.m. lights appeared as a car turned up on our long driveway. I could tell immediately that it was not my daughter's car.

My face pressed against the window and I found it hard to breathe.

“Mom,she gave me a ride home."Becki said.

On a nearly winter afternoon, my dad and I decided to climb the Carpathian Mountains, about 4, 500 feet high. My dad said it would be an easy three-hour trip in a natural habitat. I couldn’t wait. Having spent spring, summer, and early fall climbing the mountains, I felt confident I’d have no trouble in climbing it.

The hillside we started was rather sloping (陡峭的). This side of the mountain was covered with a pine forest. The trees were incredibly high and thick; their knotted large roots cut the ground here and there, forming natural footsteps and making the climbing a little bit easier. The air was fresh and clean. After about 30 minutes of climbing, we heard the sound of a stream and rushed to it for a drink.

After about two hours of climbing, we found ourselves traveling over snow-covered ridge (山脊). The road became harder and more dangerous. It seemed that my dad had made a mistake — the trip was not that easy a she described. Watching the steep and rocky climb ahead, I knew I was finished. My original confidence gave way to tiredness completely. My knees were in great pain and my legs were trembling, reaching the point where I couldn’t move them at all. The peak (山顶) seemed unreachable. To make matters worse, snowflakes were starting to fall and strong winds were gathering around me. I hopelessly stared at my dad. “Dad, let’s go back. I can’t move an inch,” I said tiredly with tears pooling in my eyes.

“Just one small step at a time,” Dad encouraged me.

Eventually, we made it to the peak.

This past summer, my family went on our annual vacation in a cottage on a lake. There were various activities to keep everyone busy: swimming, fishing and building sand castle on the beach. In the evenings, we gathered on the beach, having great fun.

However, by the third day of our vacation, I noticed my sister, Jane, spent most of her time watching videos and looking through online shops indoors. She was so addicted to her cell phone! Over dinner, I told Jane we would hike to the top of the mountain across the lake the following morning. I stared at her, “Put your phone away and enjoy the scenery. It’s really amazing.”

“Well,” Jane shrugged her shoulders and answered unwillingly, “there are some bargains tomorrow in several online shops, so I’ll not be available.”

“Come out to enjoy the fresh air and many views. Hiking is fun!” (嘟囔),“I can not walk that far.”

When I said it only took half an hour of steady walking to climb to the top, she nodded, “OK. I’ll go.”

The next morning was perfect for a hike, with sunny clear skies and gentle winds. I got up early and packed some sandwiches and bottles of water into my backpack along with the camera. Jane came slowly downstairs, and announced in a very unenthusiastic voice, “I’m ready to go, Jim.”

Anyway, we stepped out of our cottage and quite a different view unfolded before our eyes. Against the blue skies, a rough path wound to the top of the mountain across the lake with wild flowers and grass   on both sides. The sunlight brightened on the glassy surface of the lake. We began from the path.

“I’m still wondering if this is a good idea, but if you could do it, I could also do.” She complained, frowning.

She followed me, her mind wandering.

Reaching the top, Jane widened her eyes, shouting, “How awesome!”.