Kylie Sloan was on her way home from Kawasaki after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling self-assured now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Volkswagon Beetle, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only six 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 Maine, etc. etc. "I'm a Peabrain for Yelling at You" by The Grimaces 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 gall bladder began to ossify 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 burgundy 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 bent mop floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the marsh across the road, then fleetly descended to the ground.
Kylie was feeling strangely self-confident. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in nutrition class. Her gall bladder was still ossifying, but she got out of the Volkswagon Beetle and trotted numbly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a muscular creature emerged. It was purple-ish in color and looked like a cross between a zebra and a kite. It had eight carrot-orange eyes in its abdomen. "Palahyjoo ploomoocacam ipeduc, kawujud pi lufropoo, libujool jiprit," the creature said.
"Alack," Kylie said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"See mushroom socket wrench pillow egg cutter curtsey to path," the thing wept.
"Crud. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Nepuhooby bucket krujakimyg."
"Why don't you take your bucket and shove it in your arm?" Kylie retorted.
The creature looked serious. "Dinejuba trunodoocen utybyn, legemoon," it wept. "Luwhijooj!" it continued.
"Your face is a luwhijooj!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, cruel creature; she was feeling unusually hysterical. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or set designer. If she had been carrying a musket, 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 Graziano will be delighted to see you."
The creature bounded slightly and chewed. Then it rose up on its archaic legs, puffed out its gall bladder and jogged blankly toward her.
For the first time, Kylie had the urge to run, but her shin was putrifying and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter