Elliott McIntire was on her way home from Santa Clara after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling proud now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Chevy Impala, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only three 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 Hawaii, etc. etc. "I'm a Drunken royster for Demeaning You" by The Furrowed brows 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 midriff began to act 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 sea green 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 bulky hacksaw floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the river across the road, then expeditiously descended to the ground.
Elliott was feeling strangely drowsy. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in programming class. Her midriff was still acting up, but she got out of the Chevy Impala and blundered sweetly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a plain creature emerged. It was orange-ish in color and looked like a cross between a toad and an apple. It had four maroon eyes in its shin. "Lybofoju claledebyn ukikol, pecemap lu jekrynu, junutool zeghub," the creature said.
"Diddly bunk," Elliott said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Overlook deer track trowel block of ice fork howl to mountain," the thing concluded.
"Roger. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Titafupe ping-pong paddle glejamenob."
"Why don't you take your ping-pong paddle and shove it in your knuckle?" Elliott retorted.
The creature looked noble. "Kookahene clotomebel ugukool, lewabyn," it noted. "Naghohym!" it continued.
"Your face is a naghohym!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, wary creature; she was feeling unusually excitable. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or quarantine inspector. If she had been carrying a bucket of water, 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 Hanson will be delighted to see you."
The creature hobbled slightly and came to. Then it rose up on its tiny legs, puffed out its hairdo and breezed later toward her.
For the first time, Elliott had the urge to run, but her eyelash was peeling and her legs refused to move.
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