Jeff was about to suggest they pick another quest and start it together, but instead, all he typed was gibberish.

Igor: aeporih

Outside Jeff's apartment, someone had discharged a pack of firecrackers. Jeff jumped, inadvertently sending the strange message. The exploding Black Cats were bad enough, but the disruption they caused set of a car alarm that sounded just like the one on his Jeep.

Jeff jumped up and dashed for the table by the entry where he kept his keys. He grabbed them and rushed out the door while someone upstairs was yelling, "Cut it off! Cut it off!"

Stepping into the breezeway, he joined his across-the-way neighbor who already stood there, key ring in hand pushing the button that would turn off her alarm, but nothing was happening.

"I think it's mine," Jeff said with a smile.

He pushed the button on his key ring and the alarm stopped.

"Oh," said the neighbor. "Mine sounds like that too."

"Yea," Jeff said. "Both are from Chrysler . . . They must sound the same."

"Yea," she said sheepishly, then waved awkwardly and turned back inside.

Jeff turned too and raced back to the laptop, just beating the logout timer. He clicked his mouse to tell the server he was still there, and looked at the screen.

Aeporih? he thought. Oh boy, that's weird.

Alilshy: That was strange

Igor: Sorry. I had a startle and I guess i just pounded the keys

Alilshy: Oh, no, not what you typed (but that IS strange too)

Alilshy: I meant what just happened was strange

Alilshy: And like always, embarrassing

Igor: What happened?

Alilshy: Well, someone just set off some firecrackers and a car alarm

Alilshy: went off. I thought it was mine and I was standing there

Alilshy: trying to turn it off, but it was really my neighbor's

Alilshy: The nice guy. I was such a dope

Jeff stared at the words. He scrolled up and down reading them again, and again.

So Alilshy's not Janis after all! He laughed out loud and shook his head, his face lit up with a huge smile. He did not note how long he stared at the screen, but it was long enough to worry Alilshy.

Alilshy: Are you there? Lost connection?

Igor: I'm here.

Alilshy: What happened?

Igor: Go answer your door. Someone is going to be there

Alilshy: What? ?????? !!

Igor: Your door . . .

Jeff jumped up from the sofa too fast to even put down his laptop. He carried it to the door, placing it on the entryway table at the last moment. He pulled open his door, stepped across the breezeway, and knocked.

His neighbor opened the door, a look of utter shock on her face.

"Hi. My name is Jeff and we have been neighbors for a long time. I've never introduced myself to you."

"Jeff?" she said, her shock still pervasive. "Yes, I have seen you around before. A lot, I guess. I didn't know what to say though. I never meant to be rude or anything."

"That's okay," Jeff replied. "I guess you're a little shy. Do you mind if I ask . . . What's your name?"

"Sarah . . . "

Jeff saw her eyes fix on something behind him, and a look of understanding finally settled on her face. He followed her gaze through his open door to his laptop sitting on the entry table.

On the screen, a message had just appeared.

SYSTEM: Your buddy, Alilshy, has logged out

Then, a second later, another.

SYSTEM: Igor, you have been logged out for inactivity

Sarah's face relaxed then lit up with a huge smile. "I'm glad you took a chance to introduce yourself. You got it right . . . I am a lil' shy."

Special thanks to Gina for allowing the use of Alilshy, her character's name from Jagex's® RuneScape® on-line role-playing game.