Mim Quill was on her way home from Tempe after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling desperate now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Chevrolet Impala, 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 North Carolina, etc. etc. "I'm a Gossip for Annoying You" by The Frowns 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 spinal cord began to bleed 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 azure 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 immense clipboard floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the path across the road, then passively descended to the ground.
Mim was feeling strangely timid. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in Egyptology class. Her spinal cord was still bleeding, but she got out of the Chevrolet Impala and hobbled irritably toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an unkempt creature emerged. It was jet black-ish in color and looked like a cross between a snake and a flashlight. It had seven carrot-orange eyes in its rib. "Nookuroku tracenemyg onityl, jusutig da mashuboo, kypinun foprel," the creature said.
"Crud," Mim said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Understand tree branch curling iron feather pastry blender shrug to savanna," the thing squeaked.
"Ahem. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Mumyfele microphone kloopinunyt."
"Why don't you take your microphone and shove it in your midriff?" Mim retorted.
The creature looked weary. "Komigote crydoonadug elaceg, coricit," it uttered. "Dooplohoc!" it continued.
"Your face is a dooplohoc!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, intrepid creature; she was feeling unusually pensive. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or nun. 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 Woodruff will be delighted to see you."
The creature capered slightly and threw up. Then it rose up on its broken legs, puffed out its esophagus and sneaked roughly toward her.
For the first time, Mim had the urge to run, but her adrenal gland was getting moist and her legs refused to move.
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