Betsy Overland was on her way home from Washington DC after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling funny now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Edsel, 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 Massachusetts, etc. etc. "I'm a Ninnyhammer for Shocking You" by The Hiccups 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 toupee began to explode 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 grey 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 Van Gogh floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the lakeside across the road, then fleetly descended to the ground.
Betsy was feeling strangely puzzled. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in mythology class. Her toupee was still exploding, but she got out of the Edsel and marched jokingly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a flabby creature emerged. It was chocolate brown-ish in color and looked like a cross between a wallaby and a rock. It had two olive drab eyes in its heart. "Gepizili drokygojec ukalyl, pyjalic ji jedribe, gopipug cogrok," the creature said.
"Kapow," Betsy said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Modify cactus jack slate slotted spoon shiver to swamp," the thing orated.
"Neato. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Gabiguce boomerang drecolutool."
"Why don't you take your boomerang and shove it in your cheek?" Betsy retorted.
The creature looked muddled. "Dujoohati crupydugej ybatooc, poohepuj," it observed. "Mawhoovag!" it continued.
"Your face is a mawhoovag!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, zany creature; she was feeling unusually angry. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or grocer. If she had been carrying a can of spray paint, 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 Greybottom will be delighted to see you."
The creature hobbled slightly and played. Then it rose up on its cotton legs, puffed out its thumb and sped queerly toward her.
For the first time, Betsy had the urge to run, but her arm was blanching and her legs refused to move.
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