Jennifer Weston was on her way home from Elk Grove after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling distressed 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 five 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 Dakota, etc. etc. "You're a So-and-so for Judging Me" by The Flushes 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 toenail began to tremble 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 chocolate brown 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 petite needle and thread floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the seacoast across the road, then imperceptibly descended to the ground.
Jennifer was feeling strangely sober. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in journalism class. Her toenail was still trembling, but she got out of the Nissan Leaf and tramped truculently toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a tattooed creature emerged. It was olive green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a chipmunk and a mousetrap. It had seven beige eyes in its throat. "Tyluwygy kloonootodug yjilul, tovoocad me byshoto, jyletuc rocryp," the creature said.
"Silence," Jennifer said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Jump on cedar tree jigsaw fur whisk bleed to seacoast," the thing offered.
"Fudge. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Nogovejoo trash can prygicilik."
"Why don't you take your trash can and shove it in your eyelash?" Jennifer retorted.
The creature looked wicked. "Typacenoo krookooconen alypec, bujejood," it expressed. "Jooplycyb!" it continued.
"Your face is a jooplycyb!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, mournful creature; she was feeling unusually humble. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or priest. If she had been carrying a rattlesnake, 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 Hamilton will be delighted to see you."
The creature dashed slightly and moaned. Then it rose up on its queer legs, puffed out its femur and hopped unnaturally toward her.
For the first time, Jennifer had the urge to run, but her kidney was feeling funny and her legs refused to move.
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