I stared at her, trying to search for meaning in that one word she had uttered. People always mean so much more than they actually say…or so I've found. Yet, I was unable to find any sort of message behind her name. She still was giving off that odd sense. I just couldn't, as hard as I tried, put my finger on it and identify it.

Her name was one that I had never heard before. If I had, I surely would've remembered it. My lie of remembering her was getting more pathetic and unreal by the second. I had to come up with some other excuse that would get her to stay.

Fortunately, she lowered her guard just enough so I could slip into her mind. In a flash, I had easily caught enough snippets of her thoughts to ask her questions without looking like the real freak I was.

"I have to get going," she said slowly and began to turn, walking towards the door. I hurried up to her and gently grabbed her upper forearm.

"Please, may I talk to you?" I asked.

"It's getting dark out and I have to get home."

"I can give you a ride. My bike's right out there," I replied, motioning towards the door.

"Look," she sighed. "I really don't know who you are, and you don't know me. We haven't met before, I know we haven't. I don't want to trouble you. It's too far out of your way to drive me home."

"No, it's not. I really do want to talk to you anyhow."

Brin, if that really was her name, brushed a dirty strand of hair behind her ear. "What about?"

"Let's sit down first," I offered. Standing was so uncomfortable and it just caused people to stare at you more than necessary. Reluctantly, she followed me over to the bar where we both plopped down on the stools. I noticed that she moved with some stiffness, and I made a mental note to ask about that as well.

"Alright," she said to me. "What's your name, first of all?"

"Alanza."

"Alanza…" she murmured. "'Ready for battle', I believe."

"You know that? Not many people do know what my name means."

She smiled slightly. "Yeah, well, I'm not most people, either." It was her first slip-up, and I immediately caught it. The wheels inside my skull were moving so fast as I contemplated everything at once.

I rested my arm on the bar and laid my head on my hand, staring up at her. "What can you tell me about a thing called Manticore?" It was far too direct of question, but I had to risk it. If she was truly who I believed her to be, time was precious. Besides, I wasn't even sure what Manticore was. Mom had mentioned it a couple of times, but had never fully explained it. Brin had thought it, and reading her thoughts, I caught on. Now, I could only hope I was asking the right question.

Brin froze and looked away, nervous and panicky suddenly. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"I'm not going to tell anybody. Seriously, you can trust me."

"I don't know why you want to know about Manticore, but it's dead. Long dead." She rose, grabbing her thin coat off the stool beside her. "Everything about it is dead." She hurried away, leaving me to stand and gawk for a moment before I caught up to her outside, grabbing my coat as well.

The night air was starting to get chilly and I shivered, but kept my mind focused on Brin. I ran up to her and stood in front of her, staring straight at this lady who had to be twice my age. "Why's Manticore dead?" I asked, not wanting to suck it out of her mind like a thief. She was panicky. With the little heat pulses moved at far too fast of pace, it's like expecting to catch a minnow in the Atlantic Ocean with your bare hands. Not easy, my friend, not easy.

She looked away, but answered me nonetheless. Perhaps she believed if she gave me the information needed, then I would go away. "Nothing from Manticore is around anymore. Everything and everybody that was a part of it is gone. Dead and gone. There's like only one or two people left from it."

"Like you?" I asked.

She flinched, but nodded mutely. "There, you know, so please go, now." Slowly, she began to walk away, the cold wind whipping through her. Something inside of me was hurt all of a sudden as I watched the once strong warrior nearly limp across the street. She was part of Manticore, even though my mom had never told me.

"Not everyone's gone!" I cried out, praying she would hear me. "Zack! Max! They're both still alive and part of Manticore…and so am I!"