Nadine Sparks was on her way home from Scottsdale after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling fearful now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Nissan Versa, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only seven 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 South Carolina, etc. etc. "I'm a Dullard for Pulverizing You" by The Yawns 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 rib began to quiver 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 jade 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 wet cracker floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the country meadow across the road, then like a streak descended to the ground.
Nadine was feeling strangely peckish. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in anthropology class. Her rib was still quivering, but she got out of the Nissan Versa and went vacantly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an eye-catching creature emerged. It was blue-ish in color and looked like a cross between a weasel and a snail. It had five periwinkle eyes in its shin. "Jedagoonu grekonegul unodob, boovinig mu ketrudy, jukutom wegret," the creature said.
"Yoohoo," Nadine said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Enclose leaf drill rock oven mitt cheer up to meadow," the thing accused.
"Caramba. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Lageseji spider phycajinoop."
"Why don't you take your spider and shove it in your jaw?" Nadine retorted.
The creature looked nonchalant. "Nojyhoone shylumyboom ytenak, jojujool," it conversed. "Mowhoofat!" it continued.
"Your face is a mowhoofat!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, confident creature; she was feeling unusually sassy. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or car salesman. If she had been carrying a disarming smile, 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 Nurbabayev will be delighted to see you."
The creature crept slightly and swallowed. Then it rose up on its golden legs, puffed out its chin and traipsed charmingly toward her.
For the first time, Nadine had the urge to run, but her knee was twisting and her legs refused to move.
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