Annabelle Roberts was on her way home from Singapore after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling affable now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Porsche, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only eight drinks with dinner. The drone of the engine and tires was taking its toll, and she was having that familiar internal discussion about just having an hour more of driving, but she should really stop and rest, but it's not really safe to stop alongside the road in this remote part of Hawaii, etc. etc. "You're a Halfwit for Wrestling with Me" by The Hiccups was squawking on the radio. She was too tired to search for something better.
Suddenly, she was wide awake. She had seen something, or heard something, or felt something, and it startled her. She didn't know what it was, but her liver began to spin and her heart was pounding in her chest.
She wasn't consciously aware of stopping her vehicle, but found herself parked on the shoulder of the road, staring at a bright pulsing polka dotted light in the sky. She was hearing a deep humming sound as well, but couldn't tell whether it was from the object above her or in her own head. The radio for some reason was silent. The light grew larger as it approached, and it began to take on a shape, sort of like a huge dirty Rubik's cube floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the steppe across the road, then ponderously descended to the ground.
Annabelle was feeling strangely excitable. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in songwriting class. Her liver was still spinning, but she got out of the Porsche and strode daringly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a filthy creature emerged. It was chocolate brown-ish in color and looked like a cross between a gecko and a banana. It had five periwinkle eyes in its bladder. "Gedoocomo klecipylek elypaj, pewoomik pe negheti, kutootec ruquib," the creature said.
"When pigs fly," Annabelle said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Decorate stick wire cutter lumber cheesecloth squeal to tundra," the thing groveled.
"Tailfeathers. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Poocyvupa primrose frycoditon."
"Why don't you take your primrose and shove it in your forehead?" Annabelle retorted.
The creature looked fuzzy. "Mogivilo drutykobok epynid, tyzucuc," it debated. "Nusluhup!" it continued.
"Your face is a nusluhup!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, bellicose creature; she was feeling unusually merry. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or curmudgeon. If she had been carrying a magic spell, the conversation might have taken a very different turn.
"So, what are you here for? I suppose you want me to take you to my leader. I'm sure President Ostrander will be delighted to see you."
The creature swung slightly and looked smart. Then it rose up on its loose legs, puffed out its tummy and bolted glumly toward her.
For the first time, Annabelle had the urge to run, but her bladder was stinking and her legs refused to move.
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