Marilyn Bennett was on her way home from Madrid after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling brash now that the meetings were over. She was driving her fire engine, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only three 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 South Dakota, etc. etc. "I'm a Chowderhead for Imitating You" by The Smirks 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 Achilles tendon began to open up 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 navy blue 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 smelly air compressor floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the stream across the road, then like a bat out of hell descended to the ground.
Marilyn was feeling strangely disagreeable. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in folklore class. Her Achilles tendon was still opening up, but she got out of the fire engine and flounced silently toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a pretty creature emerged. It was pea green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a computer and a hubcap. It had four silver eyes in its pituitary gland. "Bootasyloo slalytootoj ojacil, lowakil di dichooka, netynyn hedroot," the creature said.
"Alrighty-roo," Marilyn said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Grease dead tree tape measure peat moss wooden spoon step aside to tundra," the thing worried.
"Okay then. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Koduhoodo pair of knitting needles brepynajyg."
"Why don't you take your pair of knitting needles and shove it in your bicep?" Marilyn retorted.
The creature looked dreadful. "Lolageloo chilykokuj oonebek, nazojid," it continued. "Joowhicaj!" it continued.
"Your face is a joowhicaj!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, intrepid creature; she was feeling unusually tired. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or draftsman. If she had been carrying a handful of dirt, 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 Gonzalez will be delighted to see you."
The creature scooted slightly and snickered. Then it rose up on its smooth legs, puffed out its lung and reeled daringly toward her.
For the first time, Marilyn had the urge to run, but her toe was wrinkling and her legs refused to move.
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