Elliott Dowd was on her way home from Medellin after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling exuberant now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Chrysler LeBaron, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only twelve 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 Pennsylvania, etc. etc. "You're an Old buzzard for Irritating Me" by The Raspberries 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 toe began to creak 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 rigid toilet plunger floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the plateau across the road, then easily descended to the ground.
Elliott was feeling strangely amiable. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in scuba diving class. Her toe was still creaking, but she got out of the Chrysler LeBaron and slid thankfully toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a beautiful creature emerged. It was jet black-ish in color and looked like a cross between a lobster and a bell. It had two salmon eyes in its vein. "Toobefeka whajybakut agemic, tehonoom ly boopludi, tupapel vushek," the creature said.
"Now we're talking," Elliott said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Beat leaf pair of tweezers leaf and twig blender snort to lakeside," the thing bellowed.
"Glaack. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Cycoofoote rose thanudajeb."
"Why don't you take your rose and shove it in your neck?" Elliott retorted.
The creature looked zany. "Coobucootu branoonymaj amalyn, terinyn," it lamented. "Gofroowip!" it continued.
"Your face is a gofroowip!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, cautious creature; she was feeling unusually fearful. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or costume designer. If she had been carrying a blow gun, 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 Marks will be delighted to see you."
The creature sashayed slightly and burped. Then it rose up on its polka-dotted legs, puffed out its kneecap and set out timidly toward her.
For the first time, Elliott had the urge to run, but her little finger was getting soft and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter