Anastasia Brooks was on her way home from Acapulco after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling brave now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Ford Bronco, 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 Indiana, etc. etc. "You're a Moron for Texting Me" by The Smirks 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 forehead began to calcify 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 olive 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 curved abacus floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the housing development across the road, then at a creep descended to the ground.
Anastasia was feeling strangely cautious. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in ciphering class. Her forehead was still calcifying, but she got out of the Ford Bronco and slumped unabashedly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a scruffy creature emerged. It was indigo-ish in color and looked like a cross between a dragon and a roll of duct tape. It had six golden eyes in its eyebrow. "Noodacutoo chebamucyl umajum, mivoolyj ge gefrady, peducag yithyj," the creature said.
"Blah," Anastasia said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Develop sea shell staple gun moss napkin curtsey to canyon," the thing whined.
"Zzzzz. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Mucycati flute phobobapyg."
"Why don't you take your flute and shove it in your kidney?" Anastasia retorted.
The creature looked modest. "Jenasuky glaboobopun agogaj, gooyyjoom," it suggested. "Kacriroom!" it continued.
"Your face is a kacriroom!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, choleric creature; she was feeling unusually brash. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or surveyor. 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 Oliver will be delighted to see you."
The creature danced slightly and belched. Then it rose up on its primitive legs, puffed out its toe and set out angrily toward her.
For the first time, Anastasia had the urge to run, but her belly button was vexing and her legs refused to move.
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