Cassie Dingwell was on her way home from Jacksonville after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling excitable now that the meetings were over. She was driving her bobsled, 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 Pennsylvania, etc. etc. "I'm a Rogue for Surprising You" by The Bounds 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 carotid artery began to heat 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 maroon 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 heavy tissue floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the canyon across the road, then lethargically descended to the ground.
Cassie was feeling strangely resolute. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in recreation class. Her carotid artery was still heating up, but she got out of the bobsled and bounded cruelly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a pretty creature emerged. It was purple-ish in color and looked like a cross between a Pekingese and a bottle. It had four jet black eyes in its thumb. "Jalurapu grolamipug edyked, gazoodit ky dakryja, dokacad yoquut," the creature said.
"Absolutely," Cassie said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Melt dead fish bolt cutter moss dull knife buzz to battlefield," the thing grunted.
"Ahem. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Nuboojoli curling iron frejudelun."
"Why don't you take your curling iron and shove it in your eyeball?" Cassie retorted.
The creature looked brazen. "Gibefame phecydylut ymujut, gihoocik," it bawled. "Nythasoon!" it continued.
"Your face is a nythasoon!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, shy creature; she was feeling unusually brash. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or astronomer. If she had been carrying a tomahawk, 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 Glockman will be delighted to see you."
The creature stormed slightly and blinked. Then it rose up on its crisp legs, puffed out its piehole and sailed flightily toward her.
For the first time, Cassie had the urge to run, but her esophagus was melting and her legs refused to move.
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