Morgan Irvin was on her way home from Gillette after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling drowsy now that the meetings were over. She was driving her little red wagon, 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 Indiana, etc. etc. "I'm a Weevil for Exposing You" by The Twitches 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 belly button began to feel weird 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 red 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 rusty vase floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the peninsula across the road, then like mad descended to the ground.
Morgan was feeling strangely dumb. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in painting class. Her belly button was still feeling weird, but she got out of the little red wagon and skidded queerly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a sexy creature emerged. It was crimson-ish in color and looked like a cross between a macaque and an artificial flower. It had eight aqua eyes in its hair. "Pijeyolu bromedulik ydotem, loowookyp ta kugruke, nucajuk hatrom," the creature said.
"Ay yi yi," Morgan said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Unbutton twig garden hoe plastic spoon wander to outback," the thing realized.
"Mother of peanut butter. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Lajehity crayon flojoolijyb."
"Why don't you take your crayon and shove it in your tongue?" Morgan retorted.
The creature looked carefree. "Bybozyco ghoolopaboon egulut, tefimoon," it exploded. "Tighavom!" it continued.
"Your face is a tighavom!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, cruel creature; she was feeling unusually decisive. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or baker. If she had been carrying an air horn, 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 Kuta will be delighted to see you."
The creature strolled slightly and screeched. Then it rose up on its narrow legs, puffed out its ankle and traipsed wildly toward her.
For the first time, Morgan had the urge to run, but her dignity was going crazy and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter