She was on her bed reading a book, when the lights turned off. She was thinking it was just a simple power outage but, she felt strange. She looked at the window only to find out that it was left unclosed. The bed curtains were flapping as the wind howled in the night.
There was a total silence.
Suddenly, she heard someone was whistling a song. Her heart was beating so fast, as she was listening to the whistle. She looked out the window and from a distance, she saw a man looking at her.
“Ryle!”, she uttered.
She hurriedly ran downstairs and went outside. The man was still there, whistling a song.
“Ryle! Is that you?”, she asked.
She went closer to clearly see his face. But it was blurry like the man in her dreams.
“Zacky? Is that you?”
But the man did not answer. He just looked at her and continued whistling the song “One Day In Your Life”.
“Why did you know this song? Ryle, it’s you right? You are the man in my dreams! This is our song. This is the piece of my soul. You are the piece of my lonely soul.”, she said while tears were streaming down her face.
“It’s me dear”, the man replied.
“Zacky?” she asked in confusion.
“Take care dear”, the man said and then turned away until his manly figure totally blurred her vision.
The lights went back, and she was awakened. She was dreaming again.
Her whole body was sweating and her face was totally wet. She stood up to drink a glass of water and to change her clothes as well. She looked at her alarm clock and it was still 1:00 0’ clock in the morning. She laid down in bed and tried to recall her dreams.
She remembered the man was whistling a song “ One Day In Your Life”. The song was the piece of her soul.
“Ryle…
“Ryle…
She kept uttering the name.
“Was it really him?”
“Why did he call me dear?
If it’s Zacky, why did he know the song?
Those were questions in her mind that she did not know the answer.
*********
She stood up because she could not get back to sleep, no matter how much she tried to close her eyes. She went downstairs and went to her music room.
She sat on the piano bench and started playing.
After some time, her face was already wet with tears. Until she found herself sobbing at the corner of her music room.
She remembered him. She missed him so much. She was longing for him.
“Ryle, why did you leave me?”
Her tears kept flowing from her eyes.
**********
JA was hiding at the back of the school’s library. She was wiping her tears with her hands.
Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke.
“JA, we’re glad we found you here. Are you okay? We’ve been looking for you all this time. We are so worried of you”, Ryle said with so much concern in his eyes.
“Sweetie, are you okay?” her brother asked.
Jareed pulled her a hug and combed her hair with his fingers.
“Stop crying now sweetie, don’t mind what they say. It’s not true.”, Jareed said while caressing her back.
JA felt relieved knowing that her brother and Ryle were there to comfort her every time she feels her world is tearing apart.
“Let’s go home now sweetie, dad is already waiting for us outside”, Jareed said.
The three of them went out from school.
“Hi sweetheart, honey buns, Ryle”, JA’s father greeted them.
JA hugged her dad so tight.
“What’s wrong sweetheart? Are you okay?” her father asked.
Tears started to form in her eyes again.
“I’m fine dad.”, she answered softly as she went inside the car.
She was sitting at the backseat with Ryle, while her brother was sitting at the passenger’s seat.
“Ryle, you may take your dinner with us at home”, said JA’s father.
Ryle just smiled and nodded. He was already closed to JA’s parents because they treated him as a member of their family and for that he was so grateful.
His aunt’s house was not too far from the Arcelo’s residence, so anytime he could go to JA’s house for some school-related matters or if he wanted to sing and play instruments.
Ryle also loved music. He can play guitar, but he only had a little knowledge in piano.
********
At Arcelo’s residence.
JA told her parents what happened in school. She tried to control herself not to cry in front of her parents because she doesn’t want them to worry about her. She told them, that Ryle saved her when Sophia accused her that she was cheating and had stolen the teacher’s test questionnaire.
“Thank you Ryle, for helping JA”, said Mrs. Arcelo.
“You’re welcome Auntie. I am always here for JA”, Ryle responded.
After dinner, JA’s parents were watching TV at the sala, while Jareed went to his room because he had something to do about his school assignment.
JA and Ryle on the other hand, went to the music room to play instruments and sing some of their favorite songs.
“JA do you know the song, “One Day In Your Life” by Michael Jackson?”, Ryle asked.
“Yes, I know how to sing it, but I don’t know how to play it in the piano”, JA responded.
“Let’s have a try”, Ryle said.
They were seated on the rectangular piano bench and they started singing.
JA tried to hit possible keys of the song in the piano until she was able to master it.
Suddenly Ryle looked at her. After a moment of glaring, he took away some strands of her hair that were covering her face.
Her heart was beating so fast. She felt an inexplicable spark deep inside her heart especially when Ryle stared at him.
Ryle held her hand and brought it to his chest.
“Can you feel it?” he asked.
JA just nodded and smiled at him.
“But we are still young Ryle”, she said trying to imply something.
“Yes, I know. It’s not yet time. But I wanted to let you know, about my feelings”, he said.
She clearly understood what he meant to say. The feelings were mutual. Deep inside her heart, she loved Ryle not just a friend but more than that.
“Can I call you Dashuri?”, Ryle asked.
Her eyes widened because she did not know what’s the meaning of it.
“What does it mean to say?”, she asked.
“It is an Albanian language, which means ‘love’”, Ryle told her.
“Dashuri…dashuri…it’s cute”, she uttered.
They both chuckled.
“Can I call you dashuri?” Ryle asked again.
“It’s up to you”, she responded.
Once again, they sang the song “One Day In Your Life”.
“I like this song”, she said.
“Me too. This is the piece of my soul.”, Ryle said.
“This is also the piece of my soul Ryle”
“Umm, dashuri, can we go for an outing on Saturday?” Ryle asked.
“Outing? where? only the two of us?”, she asked.
“Yes, somewhere where there are plenty of flowers. You love flowers right?”
“Only us?” she asked.
Ryle nodded and smiled at her.
“I will ask permission from your parents and Jareed. So don’t worry okay?”
*******
The day of the outing finally came.
Ryle and JA were riding a bus in going to the Garden City. JA felt very happy because that was her first time riding a bus. While they were looking for their seats, JA suddenly bumped into someone who was also looking for a seat. The man almost lost his balance so she hurriedly held his hand.
A certain scene was flashing in her mind as she was holding the man’s hand. She looked at him.
The man was wearing a black bonnet hat covering his nose and mouth. He was wearing a plain black tshirt underneath a blue denim jacket with distressed ripped jeans and a black rubber shoes.
JA, suddenly felt uneasy when she held the man’s hand because she was able to read his mind.
The man was planning to do something bad to them.
When they were already seated, she told Ryle about it.
“Relax, dashuri. Nobody can hurt us.”, he said.
JA, did not really feel comfortable upon looking at the man who was seated apart from them.
But after some time, the man got off the bus, so she was relieved.
“Are you okay now?” Ryle asked.
She just nodded.
After one hour of travel, they reached at the Garden City.
The place was really fantastic. Flowers and plants were in full bloom. Benches were beautifully designed with flowing water and fountains at the center.
Ryle held her hand as they were looking for something to buy. Afterwards, they seated on a bench.
“How did you know this place Ryle?”
“Of course, I researched it”
“Umm, how did you ask permission from my parents and my brother? They never allowed me to go out without them”
Ryle smiled at her and pinched her nose.
“Well, that’s my secret, dashuri”.
They enjoyed each other’s company, while taking photos together. They were laughing and joking around like there’s no more ending. But she never had expected that her precious moments with him would go downhill in just a wink of an eye.
Because without their knowing someone was watching over them from a distance. Someone who wanted to hurt and destroy them at any means. A person, who planted hatred in his heart for over eight years, and now seeking for revenge.
“It’s time to go dashuri. I promised your parents that we’ll be back home before 5:00 0’ clock in the afternoon.” Ryle said.
She did not notice how the hours passed very quickly, and now it’s time for them to go home.
They were walking towards the entrance gate when a man wearing a bonnet approached them. That was the man whom JA had bumped into when they were riding a bus. They could not clearly see his face because his nose and mouth were covered with a bonnet hat.
Suddenly the man put his right arm around JA’s neck while his other hand was holding a knife.
“Walk, and do not talk”
“The same with you Ryle. Continue walking and do not make unnecessary noise if you don’t want this girl's belly will be inflicted with stab wounds. Remember I am holding a very sharp knife”, said the man in a baritone voice.
JA, was shocked upon hearing what the man said. She was really scared and her tears started to form in her eyes.
They continued walking, until they reached to a place where only few people were around.
The man ordered them to enter the narrow pathway going to an abandoned building.
“Who are you, why are you doing this to us?” she cried.
The man looked at her. He removed his bonnet for her to recognize him.
“Now, look at me! Haven’t you remembered this face? Look at me Ryle!”
Ryle looked at the man and he was so shocked when he recognized him to be his stepfather. He was sure that he escaped from prison just to take his revenge to him and JA.
“How about you young lady, or I must say a psychotic girl, who has the ability to read minds! Have you remembered me? Did you know how much I suffer in prison because of your damn ability?”, the man was laughing sarcastically.
“It’s not my fault Mr, why you were put in jail. It’s your wrongdoing that brought you to prison”, JA’s voice quavered in fear.
The man laughed loudly like a devil, as he slowly pointed the knife on her neck.
“Now, it’s my turn. Say goodbye to each other because this is the end of your worthless life”
“No! Please dad, don’t do this to JA. It’s not her fault. Kill me instead!”, Ryle shouted.
The man was about to stab her, when Ryle suddenly grabbed the knife.
“Dashuri, run! Call the police”
“No Ryle I won’t leave you”.
She picked up a big stone and struck it to the man’s head three times until he fell down.
“Ryle, are you okay?” she cried.
She looked at Ryle’s hands who were already bleeding.
“I’m fine dashuri, let’s get out of here”, Ryle said
JA helped him to stand and as they were about to go, the man tried to get up and picked up the knife ready to stab her, but Ryle protected her, so stab wounds were inflicted into his back that caused him to fell down.
The man totally lost his consciousness after stabbing Ryle three times.
“Ryle, Ryle! No! No!!!”
She was sobbing and shaking with fear as she tried to reach her cellphone.
“Ryle!!!”
She did not know what happened next…
-End of flashback-

‘Sweetie, are you okay?” Jareed went inside the music room and hurriedly pulled her a hug.
“It’s okay sweetie. Please don’t cry”
“Ryle, Ryle…” she sobbed.
After a moment, Nanny went inside and brought a glass of water.