Daniel Abrams was on his way home from Boise after a three-day series of business meetings. He was feeling muddled now that the meetings were over. He was driving his Ford pickup, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only eleven drinks with dinner. The drone of the engine and tires was taking its toll, and he was having that familiar internal discussion about just having an hour more of driving, but he should really stop and rest, but it's not really safe to stop alongside the road in this remote part of Wisconsin, etc. etc. "You're a Poopyface for Listening to Me" by The Gasps was squawking on the radio. He was too tired to search for something better.
Suddenly, he was wide awake. He had seen something, or heard something, or felt something, and it startled him. He didn't know what it was, but his skin began to heave and his heart was pounding in his chest.
He wasn't consciously aware of stopping his vehicle, but found himself parked on the shoulder of the road, staring at a bright pulsing lime-green light in the sky. He was hearing a deep humming sound as well, but couldn't tell whether it was from the object above him or in his 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 plain key floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the mountain across the road, then actively descended to the ground.
Daniel was feeling strangely cuddly. He briefly wished he had paid better attention in ABCs class. His skin was still heaving, but he got out of the Ford pickup and trotted grandly toward the object.
As he watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an athletic creature emerged. It was white-ish in color and looked like a cross between a mouse and a pearl. It had two tan eyes in its hip. "Ponavoje quabemegul ekukooj, toowogyd poo bachonu, boomykon vuchyp," the creature said.
"Please," Daniel said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Mend tree branch file sugar spoon sneeze to countryside," the thing articulated.
"Jeepers creepers. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Cegejoobe business card chybopodun."
"Why don't you take your business card and shove it in your kidney?" Daniel retorted.
The creature looked garrulous. "Gomovymu wryputootid ojoomid, tecelut," it hummed. "Tiphezook!" it continued.
"Your face is a tiphezook!"
He didn't know why he was being so mouthy to the strange, sweet creature; he was feeling unusually lethargic. He tended to deal with the unknown the way he would deal with an annoying salesman or proofreader. If he had been carrying an Uzi, 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 Wykes will be delighted to see you."
The creature galumphed slightly and waited. Then it rose up on its sophisticated legs, puffed out its hoof and pranced delicately toward him.
For the first time, Daniel had the urge to run, but his throat was trembling and his legs refused to move.
Next Chapter