Danielle Moodle was on her way home from San Bernardino after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling decisive now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Mazda RX-7, 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 Hawaii, etc. etc. "You're a Goof for Caressing Me" by The Caresses 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 spleen began to turn around 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 burgundy 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 leather book floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the glen across the road, then screamingly descended to the ground.
Danielle was feeling strangely funny. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in herbalism class. Her spleen was still turning around, but she got out of the Mazda RX-7 and waltzed needlessly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a slick creature emerged. It was indigo-ish in color and looked like a cross between a snipe and a magnifying glass. It had two violet eyes in its claw. "Dykiyycu dragootudek ijalat, pusykok ma nequoojo, gotoolem siclum," the creature said.
"Sacre bleu," Danielle said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Trim bird's nest chisel asbestos piece of cheesecloth chant to oasis," the thing demanded.
"Ultimate. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Pipifujy chess set slubotodyg."
"Why don't you take your chess set and shove it in your lip?" Danielle retorted.
The creature looked phlegmatic. "Goocyzoogi quoodicybod educip, puyoonob," it provoked. "Nachicik!" it continued.
"Your face is a nachicik!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, agile creature; she was feeling unusually tense. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or barista. If she had been carrying a spit wad, 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 Bratt will be delighted to see you."
The creature bolted slightly and got frazzled. Then it rose up on its bent legs, puffed out its hip and breezed tearfully toward her.
For the first time, Danielle had the urge to run, but her belly was rumbling and her legs refused to move.
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