Julia Nguyen was on her way home from Denton after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling frantic now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Maserati, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only six 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 New Jersey, etc. etc. "You're a Nag for Watching Me" by The Wags of the finger 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 big toe began to bleed 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 aqua 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 electric bilge pump floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the hayfield across the road, then double-time descended to the ground.
Julia was feeling strangely excitable. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in grassland management class. Her big toe was still bleeding, but she got out of the Maserati and pranced fiercely toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a haggard creature emerged. It was hot pink-ish in color and looked like a cross between a parrot and a flowerpot. It had five jet black eyes in its femur. "Dodigajo drapypobyb ikupen, mivocin do puquoja, cadumyb hathan," the creature said.
"Great balls of fire," Julia said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Submerse wildflower jigsaw old newspaper slotted spoon mumble to cornfield," the thing questioned.
"Holy cow. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Jegayoobe photograph slepookydaj."
"Why don't you take your photograph and shove it in your pinky?" Julia retorted.
The creature looked conscientious. "Jomihamy trykepijog acogut, kazeken," it railed. "Pyclefat!" it continued.
"Your face is a pyclefat!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, muddled creature; she was feeling unusually desperate. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or sailor. If she had been carrying a hatchet, 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 Conrad will be delighted to see you."
The creature sprinted slightly and curtseyed. Then it rose up on its brittle legs, puffed out its front tooth and hopped swiftly toward her.
For the first time, Julia had the urge to run, but her buttocks was feeling heavy and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter