Magnolia Plunkett was on her way home from Pomona after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling tense now that the meetings were over. She was driving her MINI convertible, 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 Kentucky, etc. etc. "I'm a Hipster for Getting to know You" by The Titters 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 antenna began to get wonky 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 olive green 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 ruined ice cream cone floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the island across the road, then steadily descended to the ground.
Magnolia was feeling strangely excitable. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in reading class. Her antenna was still getting wonky, but she got out of the MINI convertible and reeled sharply toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a hairy creature emerged. It was lime-green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a fawn and a pen. It had eight aqua eyes in its skin. "Galyhoobo plajubimim ytatok, lovypooc te magrooga, lalelooj rithim," the creature said.
"Woohoo," Magnolia said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Smudge cactus jackhammer bronze cookie cutter lie around in bed to hill," the thing roared.
"Whee. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Nycasody rubber chicken quyloolycic."
"Why don't you take your rubber chicken and shove it in your bicep?" Magnolia retorted.
The creature looked furious. "Metiwujoo crudoginap otacyk, gosacel," it vouched. "Dookracic!" it continued.
"Your face is a dookracic!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, gallant creature; she was feeling unusually cantankerous. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or songwriter. If she had been carrying a pillow, 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 Winters will be delighted to see you."
The creature jumped slightly and sneezed. Then it rose up on its cardboard legs, puffed out its thyroid gland and slid ferociously toward her.
For the first time, Magnolia had the urge to run, but her tooth was wrinkling and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter