Jodene Smiley was on her way home from Hamburg after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling funny now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Volkswagon Golf, 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 Mississippi, etc. etc. "You're a Reptile for Replacing Me" by The Smacks 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 pride began to aggravate 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 polka dotted 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 hefty necklace floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the glen across the road, then like a streak descended to the ground.
Jodene was feeling strangely resolute. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in the alphabet class. Her pride was still aggravating, but she got out of the Volkswagon Golf and strolled miserably toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an alert creature emerged. It was brown-ish in color and looked like a cross between a hornet and a squirt gun. It had four blue eyes in its aorta. "Nucosootu krodujoomag okoomim, besubib nu piphebe, lukootej wegrym," the creature said.
"Cool beans," Jodene said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Pummel weed fingernail file Scotch tape oven mitt get along to stream," the thing said.
"Ay caramba. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Bucooviby hair brush drolybicad."
"Why don't you take your hair brush and shove it in your forehead?" Jodene retorted.
The creature looked urbane. "Mubooroci trymadicem ebucoj, bycotig," it mouthed. "Dothuryn!" it continued.
"Your face is a dothuryn!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, suave creature; she was feeling unusually sassy. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or insurance agent. If she had been carrying an Uzi, 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 Pike will be delighted to see you."
The creature slithered slightly and blanked out. Then it rose up on its odd legs, puffed out its mouth and capered brightly toward her.
For the first time, Jodene had the urge to run, but her toe was relaxing and her legs refused to move.
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