Priscilla Cain was on her way home from Quebec after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling frantic now that the meetings were over. She was driving her hoverboard, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only five 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 Ohio, etc. etc. "You're a Scamp for Arresting Me" by The Air kisses 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 head began to go nuts 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 jet black 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 crooked coin floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the bog across the road, then chop-chop descended to the ground.
Priscilla was feeling strangely suave. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in songwriting class. Her head was still going nuts, but she got out of the hoverboard and bounced resignedly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a smallish creature emerged. It was orange-ish in color and looked like a cross between a ferret and a kite. It had two khaki eyes in its larynx. "Begazojo krujejoogal akumet, lehoolut ji kishoote, nanyjok sefloob," the creature said.
"Eeek," Priscilla said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Dislodge mushroom circular saw Kevlar oven mitt blank out to cliff," the thing chattered.
"Isht. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Joluvooja bag of groceries wroboodopim."
"Why don't you take your bag of groceries and shove it in your tummy?" Priscilla retorted.
The creature looked lethargic. "Nekorabi phekebedooc imejoom, poocacuc," it asserted. "Kegleryg!" it continued.
"Your face is a kegleryg!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, cuddly creature; she was feeling unusually excitable. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or rabbi. If she had been carrying a baton, 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 Winters will be delighted to see you."
The creature marched slightly and cheered. Then it rose up on its polka-dotted legs, puffed out its tongue and blundered lazily toward her.
For the first time, Priscilla had the urge to run, but her larynx was perking up and her legs refused to move.
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