The Ringbacks

"Congratulations, you are our 1000th customer. We give you 2 hours free Karaoke session at room 307. Please follow our staff to the room, thank you"

Rey took a glance out of his cellphone for a while, couldn't believe of what he has just heard. He never got that much luck before. He didn't even know about that promotion. It's not that he couldn't afford to rent a room. He usually came here to have some nice drinks and Karaoke session at the bar. It's cheaper. But who cares, as long as it's free.

"Here we are, sir, please." The karaoke staff opened a high wooden door with 307 metal plate number's hanging in there. "Please come in, enjoy your time."

The Karaoke staff smiled and allowed him to come in.

And that door was the last thing he cannot remember.

-------------------------------------------

Sarah Wilson, October 2013, Chicago

UBS Tower Building

Her shoe dropped down the building. She couldn't believe she had reached this point. Fear, anger, guilt all blend into one. Sarah had at last, here already at the top of UBS Tower. This was the time to end this. Let all this pain went away. She stepped her foot to the emptiness of air, prepared to take the leap. The cold wind crawled behind her neck, little by little, strangled her. And the slight tremble came out of control in all part of her body as she tried to step forward. She breathed deeply, like it was for the last time. The tears started to fill her eyes in, broke it into a thousand pieces, blurred her sight out. This was the time..

The chest pain was real. The burden got heavier. No she wasn't ready. She stepped her foot back. It felt like something held her back. Someone watched her behind. She turned her head back.

"Sarah, please! Go out of there! For the love of God, would you? Please?!"

"Josh! What are you doing here? Why do you even think of coming back? Go Away!" shouted Sarah with her eyes full of tears

"Please can you come back here for a while. Sarah I beg you, please! Don't go this way."

“But for what in the world, I would have to live anymore? Josh! I gave up everything! My parent, my career! All so that I could be with you! D**n it Josh!" And with that word, all the tears started to break out of her defense, she couldn't bear it any longer.

"You know, I just ask you one thing! One thing! No shut it!" She added quickly "I know what you were gonna say, but long distance won't work, Josh! No it won't! And after all that I have sacrificed to be with you! I don't want to be the one who sacrificing myself all over again. So here, I make this sacrifice for the last time. And all these pain, all these big mistake that I had thrown my life away, has to end!" She continued with uncontrollably sob.

"No Josh, now just tell me that you won't go to Virginia again. Tell me you will quit the CIA, tell me you'll never leave again! You call them now!" Shouted Sarah hysterically. She shrugged her cellphone.

"Here, I'll call the CIA, I'll go tell them, but please would you go inside first Sarah, please!"

"I love you Josh" She stepped behind, moved back, came inside the window.

"I love you Sarah"

Afterall, she wasn't ready.

-------------------------------------------

Reynold Mckenzie, June 2014, Missouri

Pacsetter Electronic Inc

He breathed deeply, felt relieved. From now on, everything’s fine, everything would always be fine. With the proud on his face, he stared at his balance on the ATM receipt. He officially had his first permanent job, he had his life back on track at last. All these fears and insecurities had ended already. All the random jobs, he did it to collect some money. He finally had settled. Reminded of all the dark times when he barely even ate, lived alone in the roadside, had no education. Now he was living in a small flat, happily in a relationship and has a settled job.

"Hey kid, answer me?" Rey awoke from his deep thought, apparently didn't hear anything said before.

"I am sorry sir, I'm Reynold, Pacsetter operator for today, could you please repeat your complain?"

"Yes, so here, this cellphone hasn't work for at least the past 3 days, but I am in a hurry. So can I leave it here and I'll get back, umm, let's say tomorrow to take back my cellphone, Reynold?"

"Okay, I'll try to take a look at it first, see what I can do to fix this. Here, I made you the receipt, you can show this when you want to grab your cellphone tomorrow. I'll try to fix this as soon as I can." Reynold gave the receipt and got back to the counter. He took the cellphone, opened its casing and examined every little part of it. The electronic device was one of his expertise lately. He used to take a lot of different job until there was an opening in Pacsetter where he then tried to apply and got some training session in his probation period. But today was his first day as a permanent employee. He had to finish it tonight. But it was still a long ride there.

He thought, he knew that today would be different because today was his first permanent employment.

But that day passed differently because of another reason.

"Sarah!"

-------------------------------------------

Josh Gallagher, August 2014, Virginia

CIA Headquarter

I stare at my cellphone receipt on the table. It's been almost 2 months and I have never get it back. I know it might sounds weird but somehow I lost some part of myself that night. Or some of my memory? Or some of my heart? I guess I lost a lot of things in life.

So yes, me and Sarah. We broke up that night at the top of UBS Tower building. And she wasn't that devastated on the break-up. She accepted that pretty well actually, after I took her cellphone.

I tell it like this, not that I don't love her. In fact, she is the love of my life. I just had reached the stage of love which made me realize that I couldn't really make her happy so I have to let her go, find her own happiness one more time. Yes she always said she was having enough happiness with me, but deep down, I knew she didn't. She started to have a lot of nightmares and hallucinations. And in some other times, she said something about leaving her parent and her dream. It made me even sadder. For instance, she lived her dream as an Executive Financing at UBS which located at UBS Tower building, one of the skyscrapper in Chicago. And she still lived with her parent, occasionally, usually during Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or even 4th of July holiday, while spending the rest, being my fiancee.

I didn't know what had happened to us recently. We didn't even have a real issue. All I knew that day, I gave up upon Sarah torturing herself most of time. I couldn't stand it anymore. So I took her phone, left her right there at UBS tower, let her go. And I have to keep that phone away from her. Then as my gut has told me, she is happier than ever.

I knew about this weird cellphone for some more time but always refused to believe in it. I wasn't ready to take that away from her, to break the bond, to be out of her life. I had tried to throw the cellphone away and bought her a new one, but it was always back. One day I just knew that I had to be the one who thrown it away out of her life, just to make her happy once and for all. I had to go away and brought that cellphone with me. And yes, the cellphone was still with me, up until 2 months ago, when the cellphone was broken and I sent it to the repairman, his name is Reynold if I am not mistaken.

I show him the receipt on my table. Yes, Gio, I have lost it 2 months ago. I am so sorry, but the cellphone you're looking for isn't with me anymore. You can search that Rey-guy if you want, but I've searched the entire Missouri and I didn't find him.

Giovanni stares me across the desk, pauses for a while to understand what I have just told him. However, it is all too much to take. He looks like considering something before at last talks to me in a low-pitched voice.

"You have to be careful if you find that cellphone Josh, I mean the chip in that cellphone. The cellphone itself is harmless, you see a ton of this model circulate in the market. This is the top secret from CIA but since you will be assigned for this project then we have to tell you the information that might be useful for the investigation. And you have to understand why they made this cellphone "ringing" into people's head at the very first place. Oh yes, our code-name for this chip is Ring307." Gio explains the division-introduction brief to me. Curiousness and fury are mixed in a way that I cannot describe. This chip has destroyed Sarah and our engagement, and half part of me. Giovanni continues, breaks the silence.

"Some of our smarter underground researcher developed the device to alter people mind, to broadcast the same frequency as hypnotize. Because mastering people's mind is everything. You can ask someone do every favor you want, alter their mind, if it is the right person, you'll get everything you want in this world. The secret research started behind us, behind the CIA, a few years ago." Gio memories something before moves ahead.

"But apparently one of the researcher suddenly got the right mind and he stopped them by locked the function of Ring307, and hid it away. While this chip is locked pretty well, it still broadcasts some weak signal in that hypnotize frequency, so that would be the explanation of what happened to your ex-fiancee, Ms Sarah Wilson. Our source told us that they didn't find it in most people but well, some people's mind can be really triggered by Ring307. I cannot be sure why, but I guess because it's connected with her really good. There's few person needed to unlock this chip, one of them, is your Sarah, I have also ever heard about the face-detector for a girl in Missouri named Frysanthia" Gio suddenly pause for a while before he wipes his nose and continues.

"I didn't know more details about that, nor the reason why these girls were chosen as the key to unlock that chip. The Professor (that's how people here named him), unfortunately, had disappeared- protected for his own safety, so we couldn’t ask him anymore. They also hide The Professor identity as a part of their protection program. So yeah, we will never really find out everything"

-------------------------------------------

Reynold Mckenzie, June 2014, Missouri

Morris State Park

Suddenly, a bright light flashed from somewhere near. Then dimmed and disappeared seconds later. The frightened stare appeared in his face. Reynold was there, in the park, all of the sudden, he didn't even realize. He held the cellphone tightly, apparently had just took a photo. Someone watched him behind. He turned his head back.

"Sarah!"

"Rey! What are you doing here? I was looking for you everywhere. Why you didn't come home yesterday?! I worried about you!" shouted Sarah with her eyes full of tears

"Sarah, I beg you, please! Don't go this way. I didn't mean to hurt you. I really have no idea why I am here. All I remembered, I was still worked in Pacsetter yesterday and suddenly these all happened. It's all just blurred out." explained Rey with all the confusion on his face

"Wait what is it in your hand?" Sarah quickly took the black-rectangle-thing out of Rey's hand. Something really familiar slapped her face so hard, something from her past. The frightened stare quickly spreaded into her eyes too.

"Rey, I remember everything!"

-------------------------------------------

"What are you talking about Sarah? Please I don't understand. Please I want to see it too." Rey pointed the cellphone on Sarah's grip.

"No, you cannot have this! This thing had changed you entirely! See, you just have this for one night, one night Rey, again! And you’ve even already gone away from me without any news! This thing has a bad influenced on you, repeatedly, all over again! You couldn't be near this cellphone!" Sarah started to play with the cellphone before continued. "Wait, are you cheating on me?" Sarah showed the cellphone displaying a photo-montage of a girl, mostly sitting in a park bench as its wallpaper.

"So you like her huh! You collected her photos!" She started to cry more hysterically.

"Sarah, I don't know why I am here! I don't know anything. I don't understand! Rey held his tears and started to approach Sarah, whom quickly took a step back.

"No, Rey, go away! Now, you don't even have an explanation for what you've done? But for what in the world I would have to listen to you anymore? Rey! For God sake, could I be more important to you? I gave up everything! My parent, my career! All so that I could be with you! D**n it Rey!" And with that word, all the tears started to break out of her defense, she couldn't bear it any longer.

"I had experienced these before, or had I?" Suddenly some memories came up into his mind. Everything's going to reveal itself, right now, at this very moment.

-------------------------------------------

Josh Gallagher, October 2013, Chicago

UBS Tower Building

"But for what in the world I would have to live alone anymore? Josh! I'll give up everything! My parent, my career! All so that I can be with you! D**n it Josh!" And with that word, all the tears started to break out of her defense, she couldn't bear it any longer.

"You know, I just ask you one thing! One thing! No shut it!" She added quickly "I know what you were gonna say, but long distance won't work, Josh! Me in Chicago and you in Missouri. You won't even remember me! And after all that I have seen, all those ambition you put into making that chip on the cellphone. Then seeing you’re broken, when you had been forced to betray your friends and your hardworks for years. But you did the right thing Josh. You just have to let it go. Accept that you had chosen to reveal the chip to CIA." My heart had just rolled out, listened to her saying those things, she's so brave, much more braver than me.

"And not to mention that chip influenced you most, it changed you. All those ambitions and hallucinations. Sometimes you cannot even remember what you did. Josh, you have to let all these go, but you're not going through it by yourself. I am not ready, who'll be ready to throw their life away! But I'm going to make one last sacrifice to be with you! I don't want to be the one who sacrificing myself all over again, watched you torturing yourself. So, I make this sacrifice for the last time. And all these pain, if it will be a big mistake that I'll have to throw my life away, I have to.." She continued with uncontrollably sob. I wanted to hug her so badly. I wanted to find a peace, a bravery, so that I could let these all go. But yet, I wasn't ready, I had never ever ever been ready to finally give the cellphone to CIA and left all of this.

But I'll have her forever

"No Josh, now just tell me that you won't go to Virginia again, not going back to regret this cellphone no more. Tell me you will quit the CIA! You call them now." Shouted Sarah hysterically. She shrugged the cellphone.

I accepted the cellphone and dialed the number. This would be the end of everything.

Hello, Mr Petterson. This is Josh Gallagher. Before I'll change my mind, I hereby inform you that I'm currently at the top of UBS tower and I accept the CIA Protection Program. Please activate the program, code number RYN-001LD right away. I'm going resign from Ring307 and give the Ring307 back to CIA. You now have the access to erase mine and my fiancee memory and plant a new identity in our brain. Thank you, good bye Mr Petterson, it has always been nice to work to you.

I put out the cellphone and knew exactly a couple of minute from now, the agents would coming. I stared her eyes deeply, told something that I should have told her some time ago.

So now we could start over.

"So now we can live together Josh" she looked at my eyes deeply. Torn into sad and happy all at once.

"I love you Josh" She stepped behind, moved back, came inside the window.

"I love you Sarah"

Afterall, she wasn't ready. Neither was I.

But the footsteps behind us announced that the agents were coming.

I approached her. Hugged her so tightly and closed my eyes.

-------------------------------------------

Reynold Mckenzie/Josh Gallagher, June 2014, Missouri

Gators Karaoke Bar

And we broke up.

It has been passed few hours ago but her tears still seemed so clear in his head, or mine. She yelled, thought I cheated on her. And she ran away. But I couldn't blame her because a lot of things she had to receive. And I have to receive it too, just way too much. I didn't even chase her this time. Instead, I went to this small bar in the border of Missouri, tried to talk myself into sense.

I don't know who I am right now.

I am Josh, a reseacher at CIA headquarter in Virginia, happily engaged to Sarah Wilson, an Executive Financing of UBS.

Or am I Rey? I couldn’t even say I to "Rey". Because "he" is not even a successful person, live in a small district, who couldn't even keep "his" girlfriend Sarah from going away.

I wouldn't say Rey with I, eventhough it is me. I just couldn't accept it.

Or did I actually never accept "Rey" of all this time? I never really let go of the Ring307. Well, I don't know.

My head was so dizzy right now with hundred thousand information which suddenly filled up my head. It's all because of this cellphone.

"Congratulations, you are all our 1000th customer. We give you 2 hours free Karaoke session at room 307. Please follow our staff to the room, thank you"

I took a glance out of the cellphone for a while, just to see a karaoke staff talked to me. I couldn't believe of what I have just heard.

"Here we are, sir, please." The karaoke staff opened a high wooden door with 307 metal plate number's hanging in there. "Please come in, enjoy your Karaoke."

The Karaoke staff smiled and allowed me to come in, behind that wooden door which on a few minutes later, I wouldn't even remember anymore.

-------------------------------------------

CIA Agents, June 2014, Missouri

Gators Karaoke Bar

"Hey Barker, please re-read the order from Mr Petterson, I drank some tequila up front few minutes ago" Spencer asked while he sat inside karaoke room 307.

"Mr Petterson said that The Protection Program, code number RYN-001LD had fallen apart. We have to remove the planted identity named Reynold out of Josh's mind. And looks like we find the target in a right place, a bar, everyone can get drunk and forget things here." Some noises came up from outside the door, broke their conversation.

"Here comes the target, Spencer, on position" Barker snapped behind

They saw Josh on position and they injected the serum before he could move. They put some cable on Josh's head and turned on the computer. Barker put some code to the computer while Spencer put another cable into Josh's arm. The program on the computer worked and they arranged the position. Josh looked like fell asleep on the couch right now.

“It’s done. All the Reynold memories are gone. He would wake up with drunk memory in his head.”

Josh Gallagher vs Giovanni Walker, June 2014, Missouri 
Morris State Park (click here)

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Giovanni Walker, August 2014, Virginia

CIA Headquarter

“So, Josh, I got all of your story, but for the last time, I have to make sure about this. You really have no idea where is Ring307, right? Do you have any idea who The Professor might be?”

“No Gio, and I need you to leave right now, please. I am so dizzy”

Gio closes the door, talks to the nurse.

“How is he doing? He got the break-up memory in the top of UBS tower, right Cindy? I guess Ms Sarah Wilson would have been great to have another life without Mr Gallagher. She got too much signal exposed from the cellphone. She has the right to spend the rest of her life in a happier place.”

“Well said Mr Walker and good bye” Cindy the nurse smiles then walks back to the CIA Headquarter Care Unit. The patients need her.

Friday

What day is today? So many people might say it's Valentine Day. But no, a talk about Vals on Valentine day is just too mainstream. Not going to add it anymore.

It is about Friday.

Like for example, how I hate friday.

People see it as an extraordinary thing. They think I'm a hardworker. That I love Monday instead. I don't really like Monday actually. It's just, I love Monday better than Friday, just like I love any other day of the week.

They just never know the truth.

--------------

Hi, my name is Frysanthia. There's this special person who call me Fry. And there's should be a special day of mine, you can call it Fry-Day. But that day eventually never come.

I used to love Friday, because of that "Fry-Day" term. Like, Friday is my day. Something great will happen. Like, your handsome novel publisher said that he would set a meeting every Friday. And it turned out, he never came back to this village. I know I might not the greatest novelist. But I was motivated, highly motivated to finish my manuscript.

But yes that Fry-Day had ever happened once. It was on our fifth meeting. He told me that I was smart, that it was a great novel, that he admired me. He felt something different that he never felt for another girl before. And we walked down this park, only the two of us. So excited. And at the night we kept texting each other. We talked about the novel at first, but it was just going deeper and deeper. And all I knew was the next Friday, on February, he asked me out. We came to a very nice restaurant. And it was awkward after all. We couldn't speak anything, even after our plates were empty. Followed by a long silence, I couldn't help but felt that he was dying to say something he really wanted to say to me, but he couldn't do that. His eyes were talking.

"I Love you"

But that word never came out of his mouth, neither did I. So I decided I was done waiting. I was so disappointed, thought that Fry-Day would eventually come to me at last.

And there I was, left him at the restaurant, no voice, no last word.

I was secretly hoping, he would have those little courage to come after me, asked me to get back. But he was just there, stood still. And yeah, there was the last time I saw him. There was never be the Friday meeting. And I have never seen him in this village as well. Maybe he'd moved out. 

It is just another slice of a pain. There is still another Friday.
A long story though, when my best childhood friend, left to California to chase his dream. He'd gone like forever. And my feeling is never be the same after that. But here I am, stupidly waiting for the Fry-Day to come again, so that I can forgive Friday, so I can release my hatred of Friday.

Then this bright flash light come up nowhere, which dims and disappears a second later. I guess no one really notice it but me. I am shocked, wake up from this park bench. Search for the source of the light.

Is that real? Or just my own imagination?

Fry’s Madness

Suddenly, a bright light flashing from somewhere far. Then dims and disappears a second later. Nobody ever noticed it but the only one feels it, Frysanthia. She is just another ordinary girl. Not the most beautiful one of her village, not so special for most people, But yes she's a great girl, a very great friend. That's all about Thia. However, the life of this girl is so ordinary, so straight, so usual, so far from complication, conflict or problem. She's the girl that will always stick to the routines. Wake up in the morning, go to school, read magazine at bookstore on the way home, or sometimes play at park. So ordinary that nobody would ever guess that the next chapter of her life will take her into something beyond any expectation. Even beyond her own imagination.

--------------

She's there today when all those flashing lights appeared. Sitting there alone on the park bench. Sunk at her deep thought of someone who once ever meant everything to her. No, if you’re thinking about boyfriend, you're completely wrong.

Giovanni, that's his name. They met at elementary school and have already spent a very long time together ever since. He's not the one said "I love you" to her. Not the one who kissed and gave her red roses. No, he simply would laugh at her loud, screwed up her diet with showing much delicious food. Meanwhile he also is the one who saved her life at the Mathematics Exam, or from her bad breakup. He preferred to call her with Fry instead of Thia, just because it sounds weird. He could be a stupid guy who laughed at her big stomach after lunch, then ran away when she chased him around the canteen. But he could be as vulnerable at the same time, when he was crying over the phone, telling the pain when he'd broken up with his ex before. They knew everything, every sorrow, every joy, every story about each other. Ya, he's Thia best friend ever! So many memories come up between them. The truth is, he has gone to California to chase his dream to be a successful singer, which he has achieved already. The first day he left was the hardest. They kept sending text message to each other. But it didn't last long. Their busy life at last had truly taken the best of them. As time goes by, Gio never replied the text, even other text that being sent by Thia. Afterall, Thia’s message was just pending, never come up to Gio's cellphone. They lost each other's contact ever since.

It doesn't mean Thia forget about him. Like today, alone at the park, she misses him a lot, she cannot resist. Even the flashing light that come up can only took her attention for a minute while she then convince herself that the light is just her imagination. That light is not real. She plants it at her mind dozen times.

Anyway, it's been one hour so Thia decides to get back on her way home. Taking her bag from the bench, she steps out her foot back to the road. She passes on the same narrow street she always walks in, with the green field full of pinus tree in right and left side. Through the same bookstore over there, which right now is full of people, most of them are watching their friends play some kind of- new action video game out loud. They look thrilled and scream a lot once their friend shoot at each other or explode something on that game. It's weird to see people opening video game corner inside a bookstore. It's actually not good to have those noisy things here, where people would rather read quietly.

The thing that catches her attention is not those noisy group of people. It's the magazine. Now all magazines are all in there with the same cover, Giovanni's face. Curious of what she has seen from outside, then she enter the bookstore and read one of those magazine's headline.

"Giovanni, founded disappeared from his own apartment at Costa Verde, California last night by his Manager. All his relatives said nothing about Gio's lost."

How it makes Thia shocked. She doesn't know what she has to do. Here it is, her best friend, the one she misses for an entire life, now become the headline of almost every magazines. Not because of his achievement, but because of a big lost. She cannot stand it but running home, crying herself to sleep.

--------------

It's another bright sunny day yet she still finds her heart being taken away from her body. It's been a day since she read the news about Gio's lost at the magazines. Now it's not a hot topic anymore- another gossip & celebrity news come and go, fill up all the magazine's headlines. However, Thia still feels sick. There's nothing she can do, though she really wants to do something about it. She's full of sorrow and being more introvert right now.

Walking at the same street, suddenly a guy appear running from her back and bump on Thia till she falls down the street. What a harsh guy! He doesn’t stop to say his apology, not look behind even once. Thia can only grumble while trying to stand up again. What suddenly catch her attention that the harsh guy's wallet is accidently fallen, down the street and being left behind. Thia is such a kind girl that she then decides to chase that harsh guy to return his wallet.

"Hey you! Wait! Stop! You left your wallet there!" Thia shouted while running away to chase the guy.

The guy clearly hears Thia's voice and stops his step the second after. But not the wallet that he then grabs, it's Thia's arm. With his panic face, he pulls her up to run with him. Thia suddenly panic, tries to escape herself, pulls her hands backwards. But it's a small village in half isolated place. The street is so quite and nobody's there to help her. This guy has a lot more power and also a bigger body rather than Thia so he can pull her to follow her. But with Thia continuosly fights back, it makes him harder to start running again.

"Trust me please, you should follow me. Now it's dangerous for you to be here alone after he saw you chasing me and grabbed my wallet in time back there. I promise you, I'll tell you everything after this!"

And it's the first time Thia can see this guy's face clearly. Those face, she feels like she has ever seen him once before eventhough she is not sure where. His face is expressing a great panic, but seeing his eyes, Thia can tell this guy is telling the truth. So she runs with him down the street, hoping there would be other people whom she can ask for help soon.

But the street is as quiet as she never expects for. Remember that her cellphone isn't with her this time, it's accidently left at her desk in her room this morning.

The sound of heavy step echoing behind them. Thia looks back and finds there's the guy that now is actually chasing them. The guy with black clothes from head to toe carrying a huge black backpack. Big cap covers his head and also his face. It's terrifying. Thia & the guy start to run faster. The man behind them starts to be left behind again and disappeared.

Sun starts to set soon and Thia starts to loose her energy from running. Panic makes her cannot control her mind. Logically, she would run to her home, asking help to her family. But in fact, they run into random direction. Now the pinus tree in their left and right side, slowly disappear, replaced by a very wide long yellow grass field as far as they can see. No bookstore, no home on sight. Still no people, fortunately, also no sign from that terrifying guy who chased them back then. Minutes later, no light on Thia's eyes either. Everything suddenly become blur then dark.

--------------

What happen to the light?

Why is it all dark here?

What did I do wrong?

Is it real? It isn't just a delusion, a total madness, is it?

You just found a wallet, you wanted to return it to its owner

Then suddenly your safe world.

The world that you've already known for dozen years

Now's changing into something that you have no idea at all

What did I do wrong?!

--------------

Light slowly fills up her eyes. It is blurs at first when Thia starts to open her eyes. She finds herself sleeping above the green grass, near a big tree. Beside her, is the guy- the wallet owner, holding small-black-rectangle things on his hand with despair on his face.

"Ah thank God you’re awake!" The big relief comes to his face right away, followed by his next words. "I don't know where we are. But I think we'll be safe here for a while. I do really hope that guy is really left behind and cannot find us soon. You need to rest, here.." He gives Thia a bottle of half-empty-mineral water.

Thia drinks all of it quickly then she feels her energy is back to her body by the time. Now she starts to feel that she needs to know everything. So she asks the most basic question.

"Who are you and why is that guy chasing you all the time?" But many questions are continuing to come out in her head "Why did you bring me in? Are you out of your mind?? I never do something wrong to you?! Have I?! I don't even know anything, or you?! Why did you bring me in?!! TELL ME EVERYTHING!!" She ends her words with loud hysteria scream. Anger suddenly fills up her. Panic, scared, sad, despair, everything mixed up. Stuck in here, helplessly, with the guy that she barely even knows.

Shock expression appears on this guy face to see that sudden anger on Thia, but he tries to calm himself as fast as he can. Full of regret, he starts to apology so badly. Then he introduces himself.

"My name is Josh, just call me Josh. I'm so sorry about the thing that happen to you, in fact you have no guilt on anything. You have no idea how I could be so regretful of this. I'm so stupid to drag any other people into this. I'm so sorry" The tears of regret start to appear on his eyes.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but I have no idea of what's going on either. The only thing I know about that guy, is that he's a very dangerous man. So here is the thing." He then starts his story. "The first time I met him was in a small bar on the border of this village. I don't even know who he is, never really seen him clearly either. He always wears that black cap covering his face all the time. At that moment, I'm blindly drunk that I didn't watch my step. I hit him and I didn't have idea of who did first. But being drunken, I felt like it's him who started everything. I couldn't be more surprised when I heard something fell very hard to the floor. It's his cellphone and also mine. I got down, took my cellphone then suddenly filled with anger because I found it no longer worked anymore. This cellphone." He point out the small-black-rectangle thing he held on his hand before.

"I tried to turn it on again when you still rest before so we could just call the police, but it didn't work out." The frustration expression comes up again on his face.

"Anyway, I'm so drunk at that time, so I was trapped into deep anger and punched him right in his stomach without even think. Then I ran. I didn't know why I was running. I was drunk, I just kept running. And he chased me. As time goes by, at last I suddenly came back to my consciousness. I felt stupid. Why I kept running all the time like a child. I was intended to just get back to him and said sorry and be responsible to all risk from my stupidity while suddenly, he blown up the bookstore! Though our distance is pretty far at that time, I heard clearly, the sound of big explosion and people screaming out there. I was panic. I still want to live and I have known that these guy is really dangerous. So I just kept running and I bumped on you. I was in a total disaster. This dangerous guy is really angry with me, he still chased and searched me everywhere. And he saw you there, he might thought that you are with me. He might kidnap you to get me or do something even worse, I couldn't stand it.." His words stopped there.

Thia suddenly has weird feeling about this guy. His expression by the time he finished his story, his eyes, it made some strange feeling. "Josh, do you know me? Do we ever met befo-" her words were cut by Josh, while he screams "RUUUNN!"

Thia turns back, the terrifying guy is right behind her. Either there's no time to run again or it's just her who unconsciously want to finish all of this, she doesn't move. She is just freezing, stands there, facing what they have to face.

"Don't go Fry, it's me" the guy suddenly takes his black cap away.

It's him, it's Giovanni, the one she misses the whole life. Standing there alone.

She cannot do anything but run so fast to him. Hugs him so tightly, she never want to  lose him again. Thia feels something that’s lost for a long time, now is back. The happiest feeling in the world, indeed.

Time might have stopped. But the sound of someone's yelling out there remind them that it's not just the two of them. It turns out, Josh was still stood there with the most shocked expression he could ever give.

"Oh my God! You are the singer on television!! Your face felt familiar. And Thia knows you that well?! And you're the one who chased me all the time?! What kind of life is that?!! What the hell happen??!" He doesn't even move a bit, apparently shock of what just happened.

Gio releases himself and give the looks as if saying "I want to tell you something later" to Thia while walking into Josh.

"I'm so sorry to make you afraid.. Josh." He sees confusion on Josh's face. "I know your name from your cellphone, here" he gives the exact same black-rectangle-thing to Josh. There's no difference with the cellphone Josh has all this time. Only that this cellphone is still completely working. The display is turned on.

"I want to give it back to you all this time. I turned it on and it showed me that it's not mine, it's yours. I just have no idea why you kept running away from me before" Gio tells Josh.

Josh's still in a huge shock, he doesn't move a bit. "But you blown up the whole bookstore! Oh God"

"It's the video game!" Thia suddenly has those all moment back on her memory. The last time she went there. New video game that is being rent in the corner of the bookstore. The explosion, shooting guns and everyone's screaming once their friend is being shot at that game.

Josh cannot be more shock than that. The huge coincidence which happens today is unbelievable. "And you ran the whole village just to return my cellphone?"

There's a long pause there before Gio replies "You've already saw and knew what we have to know. Now, I guess we all need to rest. I think I'll drop Fry home and you can go to your home as well" he turns his head back and call Thia "Fry, so let me drop you home or you want to go with him?" He clearly points Josh there.

"What? No! Why you even ask for that? I miss you so much Gio, you have no idea!" She cannot resist this feeling. Now she feels so safe, so happy, a feeling she never felt for so long.

"I miss you more Fry. This time I tell you, you really have no idea. I can tell but we need to rest. Now let's go home"

Gio accompanies Thia to go home while Josh walks into different direction.

--------------

"These all coincidence.. that we can meet again. It's just.. a crazy day that I could never forget. Oh God, so you're just runaway the whole village just to return, Josh's cellphone?" Thia laugh at him loudly that she'd never done for a long time since they separated.

"Oh Fry, you still don't change, do you? You're so funny, still funny! The laugh that made my whole day, your stomach, the way you walk, everything, you still remember that, don't you? You always can make me smile again, you really do. Oh God. You really think that way? That I run the whole village just to return Josh's cellphone? No, I run for a way better reason.. It's you."

"What?! I don't understand. You meet me after you chased Josh for a while. Lalala~ don't flirt me. I'm good with that~ Huahahahaha!" She finds it's easy to laugh with him. It's not, when she's with anyone else ever.

"It's not you, I saw first. Don't you see, it's your photos on his cellphone that made my spirit come up again to find you!"

"What?! How could it happen?" Speechless, Thia cannot speaks much this moment.

"What?! You don't even know Fry? There's some photos of you on his cellphone edited into one, put by him as his wallpaper. I want to find out more but the phone is locked and asked for a password"

"OH MY GOD! I didn't even know him before Gio, I promise! Yes I know I did feel like I had seen his face somewhere, but I never really know him before! How could it happen?"

"So you don't even know Josh?" Smile and big happiness suddenly come up to Gio's face in the middle of his tiredness. "I thought that he's someone special. Thought that I'm being replaced already." He's hesitates for a while then continuing. "Listen, I feel so scary to tell you this, I'm scared that you will laugh at me, like you always did. I'm scared that you won't take this seriously, and our friendship.. I don't know. But I got another chance to meet you and I won't throw this chance away." He takes a deep breathe. "I love you. I love you Fry, so much I won't ever give up on us again. I don't know when it happens, it just happens. I lost my mind when I've gone to California. And my manager made me more suffered by taking out my old cellphone, erased all contacts, changed my number, didn't allow me to leave California and back to our old village. No he took those all away and said that I should concentrate more to my career. Cause the chance is very rare and God trust it to me. At the first time, I lived that way so hard, but then I realized, you know what Fry? I love you, I really do! I know you're the only girl in this whole universe that can make me happy, all the entire time! It's not the friendship, it's love-"

"I love you too Gio, oh God how I miss you, I never find anyone else that accept everything in me, the way you do. Knows every story the way you know. I found new friends since I moved here. But it's just different. It's friendship. Then I realize that my feeling to you. It's not a friendship not anymore. It's love-"

"I realized that too Fry, you know that! So I disguise myself. With all the black and big cap covering my face, so that people wouldn't know, it's me. I got some privacy back so I ran away from my apartment in Costa Verde, I went to our old village, your old house. But people said you moved out already and they didn't know where you moved. I didn't have my old contact at all, not even one. And here in village, when people barely have the internet signal, not even familiar with the thing like Social Media- like Facebook, so I really have no idea anymore. I just went into random direction, disappointed of myself. Why was I so scared to admit this feeling before. And I was being so late and you weren't there anymore. Full of despair, that night at the bar, I was about to give up when suddenly that guy bumped on me. His cellphone gave me new spirit. I chased him. With the proof on his cellphone, your photos, I knew, I would find you. And here we are."

He looks at her eyes and smile, so happily.

"I miss you, I love you too Gio. How life's here so hard, without you.. I don't even know why I can tell these things right now. Usually I'm just going to laugh at you, and push you like this if you remember" She pushes him away and laughs.

"You know what Fry, you made this all easier. Haha~ You know me right, I'm not that kind of guy, the romantic one, haha~ but I tell you, this time I will change. Now give all your attention to me, I will amazed you, huahahaha!" He grabs his backpack and searches something deep inside. "Here, I bring this from California, if you really think I'm not that kind of guy who give you roses, now you're wrong! Haha!" He give the red roses to Thia, it's so beautiful.

"Now you would be my girlfriend, wouldn't you?” Thia nods and smile. She looks at the roses happily.

"Ah ya, I almost forget. Don't worry of taking care the roses I gave you. It's plastic! Lalala, yeyeye, hahaha~" Gio had back as usual, laughs out loud and run away.

Now Thia is the one who chases him away. Right in the middle of the sunset. But this time, with the happiest feeling, ever.

--------------

Woken up in the park bench alone, Thia took her face up from a big book on her lap. All the stories are written there. Some great imaginary short stories that she wants to publish. The fictional story, the extraordinary story that never exist on the real life. The manuscript of her second short story collection, it's all finished at last.

Yes, she is Frysanthia. A former writer in a small village who is frustrated of her ordinary life. So straight, so usual, so far from complication, conflict or problem. Unlike all her short stories which is full of adventure, that a lot of people have expected.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed from somewhere far. Then dimmed and disappeared seconds later. Nobody ever noticed it but the only one felt it, Thia. She'd fallen asleep while sitting there alone at the park bench to finish her manuscript, when suddenly those lights woken her up.

She so surprised, she woke up into her consciousness and turned back to the source of the light. There's this guy, she feels familiar with his face somewhere she doesn’t even remember. And that is the source of the light. The light from the small-black-rectangle thing he held on his hand. It's the blitz of his cellphone,

He used to take photos of her.