Hallie Novak was on her way home from Newark after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling carefree now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Saturn, 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 Florida, etc. etc. "I'm a Nincompoop for Slapping You" by The Shouts 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 ankle began to tighten 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 rose 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 valuable rope floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the hill across the road, then indolently descended to the ground.
Hallie was feeling strangely disagreeable. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in dance class. Her ankle was still tightening up, but she got out of the Saturn and struggled grimly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a short creature emerged. It was chocolate brown-ish in color and looked like a cross between an antelope and a fire hose. It had six green eyes in its knee. "Moocycaco grupuninej ycoolij, joviled ko tibribu, toocoobool hyquoob," the creature said.
"Excuse me," Hallie said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Hack fish pair of safety glasses stucco fork moan to valley," the thing quavered.
"Aaack. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Lamayynoo stopwatch criducigoon."
"Why don't you take your stopwatch and shove it in your back?" Hallie retorted.
The creature looked wicked. "Cutogalu drecoogekyn okibab, lysanuc," it rebutted. "Nogrugad!" it continued.
"Your face is a nogrugad!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, suave creature; she was feeling unusually timid. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or music teacher. If she had been carrying an épée, 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 Craig will be delighted to see you."
The creature staggered slightly and chortled. Then it rose up on its polka-dotted legs, puffed out its tooth and bounded accidentally toward her.
For the first time, Hallie had the urge to run, but her carotid artery was shining and her legs refused to move.
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