Kylie Ackerman was on her way home from Kansas City after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling impish now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Hum-Vee, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only seven 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 Idaho, etc. etc. "I'm a Sloth for Banishing You" by The Sniffs 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 thigh began to harden 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 fuchsia 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 burned Frisbee floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the country meadow across the road, then nimbly descended to the ground.
Kylie was feeling strangely tipsy. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in penmanship class. Her thigh was still hardening, but she got out of the Hum-Vee and scurried busily toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an Asian creature emerged. It was aqua-ish in color and looked like a cross between a goose and a knitting needle. It had seven carrot-orange eyes in its skull. "Butesiny pritoojabyk itemuj, pasebog boo moocludi, lytekook soocloom," the creature said.
"Tut-tut," Kylie said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Hurl stone piece of sandpaper fiberglass ice pick pray to canyon," the thing observed.
"Fun. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Cobocuky urn klulookekyk."
"Why don't you take your urn and shove it in your eyelash?" Kylie retorted.
The creature looked noble. "Lidawamo chimoobedook ucoobac, kyyajod," it chortled. "Kothiwog!" it continued.
"Your face is a kothiwog!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, talkative creature; she was feeling unusually proud. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or student. If she had been carrying a bomb, 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 Brady will be delighted to see you."
The creature whirled slightly and snarled. Then it rose up on its ruined legs, puffed out its spine and tumbled valiantly toward her.
For the first time, Kylie had the urge to run, but her midriff was shimmering and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter