[Larken]

The 297/298 can't run away on a stepper motor. It only moves if you send it pulses. SO
The PIC is sending it pulses. Probably your code is stuck in a loop and not exiting.
It takes 1000's of compile-test-fix-recompile steps to get all the bugs out.

Have the step routine output a flag or character when it hits the end of the routine. This way you see if it ever got there and exited.