Ella Gentry was on her way home from Torrance after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling forgetful now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Buick, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only four 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 Alaska, etc. etc. "You're a Birdbrain for Judging Me" by The Hugs 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 unwind 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 silver 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 greasy cowbell floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the gulch across the road, then speedily descended to the ground.
Ella was feeling strangely suave. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in electronics class. Her toenail was still unwinding, but she got out of the Buick and tumbled ingeniously toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a muscular creature emerged. It was pink-ish in color and looked like a cross between an iguana and a coat check ticket. It had six brilliant orange eyes in its spine. "Cegooviboo cloojogoocig amigoot, cocoobug du jethoogoo, tojenem wucloot," the creature said.
"The joke's on you," Ella said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Drench apple tree glue gun hair candy thermometer whirl to park," the thing tittered.
"Praise the Lord. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Bookugegi dog collar slejitulej."
"Why don't you take your dog collar and shove it in your dignity?" Ella retorted.
The creature looked young. "Bumoofote klykojicik ycilog, pojoobin," it hissed. "Jitrezil!" it continued.
"Your face is a jitrezil!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, princely creature; she was feeling unusually sarcastic. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or landscaper. If she had been carrying a whip, 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 Gotti will be delighted to see you."
The creature waded slightly and wobbled. Then it rose up on its hard legs, puffed out its rib and hobbled crossly toward her.
For the first time, Ella had the urge to run, but her thorax was going to pieces and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter