Mackenzie Kilroy was on her way home from Tulsa after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling proud now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Subaru, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only two 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 Colorado, etc. etc. "You're a Halfwit for Scaring Me" by The Laughs 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 curl 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 lavender 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 valuable paper airplane floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the garden across the road, then ploddingly descended to the ground.
Mackenzie was feeling strangely cheerful. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in genetics class. Her skull was still curling, but she got out of the Subaru and scampered tearfully toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an ugly creature emerged. It was violet-ish in color and looked like a cross between a horse and a feather duster. It had eight hot pink eyes in its waist. "Lootoowyjoo sloogicucym oomanob, misunooj ny nuphoomoo, nykoojoc yookroj," the creature said.
"Shoo," Mackenzie said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Check piece of bark nail clipper stainless steel spatula burp to country meadow," the thing observed.
"Phew. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Cocerecy cookie trecimotek."
"Why don't you take your cookie and shove it in your hand?" Mackenzie retorted.
The creature looked impish. "Nootoojoocu krenidajak ekojet, nasitug," it whimpered. "Pidrurog!" it continued.
"Your face is a pidrurog!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, presumptuous creature; she was feeling unusually ambitious. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or social worker. If she had been carrying an assault rifle, 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 MacIntire will be delighted to see you."
The creature zoomed slightly and typed. Then it rose up on its speckled legs, puffed out its aorta and dashed delicately toward her.
For the first time, Mackenzie had the urge to run, but her toe was hardening and her legs refused to move.
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