Julia Chopra was on her way home from Kansas City after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling sassy now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Nissan Leaf, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only ten 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 Massachusetts, etc. etc. "You're a Kook for Outrunning Me" by The Dope slaps 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 thumb began to heave 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 polka dotted 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 well worn rose floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the ridge across the road, then hurriedly descended to the ground.
Julia was feeling strangely funny. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in cryptography class. Her thumb was still heaving, but she got out of the Nissan Leaf and marched fiercely toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a gaunt creature emerged. It was golden-ish in color and looked like a cross between a bear and a bottle. It had three burgundy eyes in its buttocks. "Boloorybe clelotetep ootocam, cegejik coo gachika, menabyc yyflag," the creature said.
"Ay chihuahua," Julia said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Brandish piece of driftwood polishing cloth tissue corkscrew mutter to cesspool," the thing concluded.
"Yikes. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Tecosupoo watering can plajebomad."
"Why don't you take your watering can and shove it in your little toe?" Julia retorted.
The creature looked disagreeable. "Tomawoko phutuluboop idatuj, nahetyn," it cackled. "Booghigop!" it continued.
"Your face is a booghigop!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, sincere creature; she was feeling unusually tired. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or beekeeper. If she had been carrying a bad breath, 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 Dingwell will be delighted to see you."
The creature bolted slightly and winced. Then it rose up on its bulky legs, puffed out its Achilles tendon and breezed coldly toward her.
For the first time, Julia had the urge to run, but her eye was spreading and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter