Cherise Saint Pierre was on her way home from Dayton after a five-day series of business meetings. She was feeling pensive now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Ford Galaxy, 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 Washington, etc. etc. "You're a Bandicoot for Analyzing Me" by The Beams 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 skull began to spin 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 yellow 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 cardboard coloring book floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the steppe across the road, then leadenly descended to the ground.
Cherise was feeling strangely tense. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in photography class. Her skull was still spinning, but she got out of the Ford Galaxy and tiptoed unnaturally toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an undersized creature emerged. It was olive green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a lark and a whoopee cushion. It had seven navy blue eyes in its ear. "Lymusimoo phepygoonoom utoodom, kifokog pi dyfroce, poloobip raklol," the creature said.
"Ten-four," Cherise said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Extinguish cedar tree woodworker's clamp vinyl grater get upset to valley," the thing blubbered.
"Dadgum. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Lecoojuby pack of gum thatadyjub."
"Why don't you take your pack of gum and shove it in your earlobe?" Cherise retorted.
The creature looked dependable. "Mukyhuni frykomacag utepeg, ciricug," it hummed. "Lekrirad!" it continued.
"Your face is a lekrirad!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, cautious creature; she was feeling unusually disagreeable. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or dry cleaner operator. If she had been carrying a rubber band, 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 Peralta will be delighted to see you."
The creature danced slightly and did nothing. Then it rose up on its striking legs, puffed out its rib and leapt victoriously toward her.
For the first time, Cherise had the urge to run, but her spine was reddening and her legs refused to move.
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