Sometimes taking a step with a stranger is the right decision. As you have no idea what that stranger might become for you.

There was this eerie feeling in the air. I stepped in the room. It was completely dark. I took a step forward but stumbled upon something. I took out my cell phone to shed some light. Suddenly it started ringing. An unknown number. I debated about picking up the call. After 5 seconds I received the call but there was silence at the other end. I tried to listen carefully but nothing. I concentrated on why i was in this room. I switched my flashlight on and saw a ball next to my right foot. I took another careful step forward and felt surrounded. I searched for the switch board and went near it. I tried to turn on the lights but nothing. I was searching the room with the flash light of my cell phone slowly and then i heard a loud noise.

My alarm was going on. I woke up and acquired my senses. I thought about the dream. I switched off the alarm and saw the time on the clock. It was 5 o'clock in the morning. I quickly remembered i had school picnic today. My school, Mount Revell, organizes a picnic for the students in the fall after the summer holidays so as to build up a school atmosphere. I struggled to get off my bed and went to the bathroom. While brushing my teeth there were a thousand questions running through my mind. What kind of dream was it? Whose room was it? Why was i there? Why was it so dark? Why was the room so dirty? Why was i scared to be there? Whose call did i receive? Why nobody spoke from the other end?

I heard my mom calling Lisa. Yes, that's me. A 12 year old girl who stays with her mom. I have no idea about my father. Whenever i ask mom about him she always changes the subject. So now i am living with it. I gave a quick reply to her that i will freshen up and join her soon on the breakfast table. My mom is possibly the best mom in the world. She works for the United Ltd. United Ltd covers news from distinct corners of the state. Mom writes the articles about those news for the press. She is busy always but somehow she finds time for all the things she has to do for me. She prepared breakfast for me and then lunch too. She listens to me when i have stuff from school to tell. She makes me study and she knows all my friends. Sometimes i really wonder if she ever goes to work. But she must be as she never falls short of money to give to me. She also shows me her articles with her name at the bottom right corner.

I was ready for school after breakfast. The moment i reached school i sensed something but couldn't exactly figure out what was it. So i ignored it and joined the Que of my class. We were placed in an order and then we climbed aboard. Everybody along with the teachers said a prayer and commenced the journey. The journey was hardly about an hour. It was quite boring as mostly all but me were sleeping. Anyways, this place we halted at was at the outskirts. It was something that looked like a garden surrounded by a jungle. We were again placed in an order. Then we formed groups and reserved a place to sit. All were chattering and singing and dancing when one of the teachers asked us to explore the place but not go too far. Everybody was full of excitement. It was like the forbidden fruit was handed over to us. The atmosphere was thick with excitement. Me and a girl from my group started walking in the jungle. We walked for a while and then saw an opening for something that looked like a cave in the middle of nowhere. I was still walking forward when my friend stopped me.

Oh i forgot to introduce her. My friend, Elizabeth, Beth as we call her, lives in the next lane from my place. She is my friend ever since i can remember. She is full of love and care. But she is kind of having cold feet when the situation is frightening.

So we were standing outside that cave look thing and she stopped me.

Beth: we don't know what lives inside.

Me: and we wont until we enter. Beth: we are not going inside.

Me: of course we are. Didn't u listen,"explore the place children"?

Beth: i don't know. I am certainly not going inside.

But i was adamant on going inside. But in order to go alone i will have to send Beth away. So i agreed with her and were returning to the garden area when i stopped walking but Beth didn't notice. This was the perfect opportunity for me to go back to that cave.

I stepped inside. The feeling i felt at school overpowering now. I was suddenly scared but i decided against it. I took another step forward when something came under my foot. I took out my cellphone and then it started ringing. I thought for a while before picking up the call. Another strange thing, it was silence and nothing else. I checked my phone network and realized its minimal. I switched on the flashlight and saw a ball next to my right foot. I suddenly remembered my dream from today's morning. I searched for the switch board and then found it. I switched on the lights and to my astonishment there was electricity. The lights flickered to a stand by. I searched the cave and realized it was somebody's house. I searched the walls for any photograph but found none. And then i felt the vibration of my cellphone under the palm of my hand. The same unknown number. I picked up the call and this time it wasn't silent. I heard my teacher from the other end and felt a bit relieved. She ordered me back to the picnic site and i did though i wanted to search a bit more.

When i reached back to the garden area everybody was staring at me, my teacher at the lead. But to utter surprise everybody started clapping for me. First i thought it was some sort of way to make me realize that i did something wrong. And trust me i knew i was doing something wrong the entire time but curiosity killed my senses. But then i saw a genuine smile stretch on my teacher's face. I was decoding the meaning when she patted my back and told the students that i was the bravest of the lot. It was a lot to take in after the cave cum house encounter. She then started explaining to all how "exploring the place" meant taking adventure in your hands and how everybody ran from it and i was the only one who was brave enough to enter that habitat. Ok so that's the word for cave cum house- habitat. Everybody started asking me questions but i was too absorbed with everything to answer their questions. I made way towards my teacher and asked her questions that were running through my mind. She answered all my questions patiently and later on congratulated me on the achievement. But she warned me about the hurdles life has to offer.

When i reached back home i just wanted to tell my mother all that was going on inside me. But she wasn't home. In the past twelve years this is the first time something like this has happened. I wanted my mother and now she was nowhere to be seen. I called her up and inquired about where she was. She was sorry that she wasn't home when i reached. But she was on her way back. Its not her fault actually i reached home early. When she was home i told her everything leaving out the answers of the questions. She didn't ask me the answers. But she was scared more than happy. She gave me a lecture on life and its ways. She told me to be thousands time careful from now on. I don't blame her. She is my mother. She is the only one who has truly cared about me. I loved her and so i promised her i would not jump into anything like this from now on.

After this peaceful conversation with my mother i was standing in the balcony when a car came to a sudden stop in-front of me. Two people came out and entered my house. I went in the room and mom delightfully greeted them. Mom then introduced me to them. The elder male was mom's colleague and the younger male was his son. Mom asked me to take the son to my room. Mom didn't tell me the name and i was hesitant to ask the same.

When we entered my room he saw my bed and started complaining how dirty it was. I apologized to him and made my bed. While doing so i was thinking why i apologized. It was my room and my bed. And i did not invite him for a sleep over. But i did apologize to him for some unknown reason. We started talking about random. He and me had some strange connection. He was still a stranger to me for the fact that i didn't know his name. But we were so involved in the conversation that nobody cared for the names. While talking i blurted out my picnic experience and the dream and the questions and answers. Yes the answers too. And he was very understanding about everything. He wished he was there with me at that time and we would have made the horror thing into a fun thing. I actually believed that we would make for a fun crime pair.

Mom called us for dinner. And we proceeded for dinner. While eating i was constantly looking at him from the corner of my eye and questioned myself as to why i blurted out the answers to him and not my mother. When we were bidding good nights to each other he said, "good night?", and i made face as to what more.

He: this is the que where you tell me your name...finally...

Me: oh! Sorry.

He: sorry is your name?

Me: Lisa. That is my name. I am sorry i didn't realize we don't know each other's name. I thought to myself that it doesn't matter we know the names or not. He told me his name but that has no significance here.

The bottom line is sometimes taking a step forward with a stranger is a good decision.

We became friends and kept each other's secrets.