Prologue

"I was running. Suddenly, I got trapped in a sticky spider-like web, large enough to stick human beings. Like an insect, the more I tried to throw my limbs in all possible directions to get myself free, the more the sticky web pulled me towards itself.

I got frosted as I heard someone's steps. I swallowed a lump as the steps directed towards me crushing the dried leaves which were covering that portion of the earth where I was being trapped, helplessly. Neither the darkness of that dense forest nor the increasing level of a flood of fear in the heart allowed me to distinguish the sex of that someone.

Paced up heartbeats within the shivering body of mine gathered enough strength to shout at the top of my voice- "For god's sake please leave me! I am innocent. Don't punish me rather kill me." I started crying aloud pleading that someone.

"Haha... kill you? Killing would gift you a peaceful sleep but my ardent desire is to gift you sufferings," the same male voice echoed.

"Hey, girl get up!" Hearing a voice and feeling the sprinkles of water on my face I slowly opened my eyes and saw a girl sitting beside me. A fair girl, hairs tied into a messy bun who was in her blue jersey and black track pant. I was lying on the ground.

I enquired, in protest with a shivering voice, "Who are you? Where is the sticky web?"

She introduced herself, "I am the leader of a group who had come for camping along with their coach. So, feel free and protected to join us tonight." She passed a caring smile.

Her smile relaxed me a bit. Her eyes welcomed me to follow her. I was puzzled about whether to trust her or not. But out of fear, a companion felt like a mirage in a desert. Hence, I decided to follow her.

After walking about 1km, we reached their camping area. There were five tents and a burning bonfire. A girl was sitting, staring blankly towards the bonfire. She was wearing the same dress as the girl with me. She got a jerk and looked towards us. Maybe our footsteps havoced her thoughts. The way she eyed me as if my occurrence had baffled her.

She started growling, "Ruhi, who the hell is she? How can you trust anyone this way?" Ruhi quickly pulled me and that girl inside one of the tents and zipped up.

Then she replied, "To help someone do we really need to trust someone? Just listen quietly now." She described to her how we met.

Suddenly a manly voice from outside shouted, "Ruhi, Swati, is everything alright? Why are you not asleep yet?"

They looked at each other, took a long breath, and replied, "Yes Sir, everything is alright. We are about to sleep."

"Okay then, good night. Sleep well" - reply came from outside.

The two girls offered me to sleep and decided to discuss the matter the next morning with their coach. As I closed my eyes that voice echoed in my ears "Killing would gift you a peaceful sleep but my ardent desire is to gift you sufferings." Recklessly, I opened my eyes. Thoughts lingered - It seems like the voice of their coach resembles the voice that had  warned me.