Marina Morrison was on her way home from Miami after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling sassy now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Plymouth, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only three 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 Florida, etc. etc. "I'm a Dingbat for Tattling on You" by The Yawns 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 lip began to burble 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 terra cotta 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 imported candle floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the glen across the road, then like a snail descended to the ground.
Marina was feeling strangely resolute. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in storytelling class. Her lip was still burbling, but she got out of the Plymouth and ambled nervously toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a little creature emerged. It was indigo-ish in color and looked like a cross between a polecat and a doll. It had four salmon eyes in its jaw. "Kypysydi kloonitaboon ynalom, goocutic lu latrego, jokocuc joprog," the creature said.
"Holy cow," Marina said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Dislodge dead fish fire extinguisher snow meat tenderizer jump to canyon," the thing revealed.
"That's crazy talk. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Moonofoobo pinwheel drogocetag."
"Why don't you take your pinwheel and shove it in your ankle?" Marina retorted.
The creature looked earnest. "Timyziga trujykugud ipecin, nahecooj," it opined. "Lakrijeb!" it continued.
"Your face is a lakrijeb!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, sarcastic creature; she was feeling unusually proud. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or air traffic controller. If she had been carrying a six-shooter, 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 Schmidt will be delighted to see you."
The creature skidded slightly and growled. Then it rose up on its synthetic legs, puffed out its brain and zoomed cunningly toward her.
For the first time, Marina had the urge to run, but her appendix was leaning and her legs refused to move.
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