Joni Childs was on her way home from Rapid City after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling fearless now that the meetings were over. She was driving her city bus, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only five 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 Ohio, etc. etc. "You're a Knave for Breaking Me" by The Flinchs 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 belly began to spread 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 brilliant orange 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 woven thumb drive floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the dump across the road, then like all get-out descended to the ground.
Joni was feeling strangely humble. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in classics class. Her belly was still spreading, but she got out of the city bus and zoomed intensely toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a cadaverous creature emerged. It was turquoise-ish in color and looked like a cross between a turkey and a piano. It had seven forest green eyes in its pinky. "Mybocoja flukomatog oojetim, booracop mo bobrimo, loobedoj rykroop," the creature said.
"Ahoy," Joni said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Lynch dead fish sand blaster Bakelite cheesecloth play solitaire to hillside," the thing divulged.
"I'm outta here. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Tykarymi screwdriver crykagoodec."
"Why don't you take your screwdriver and shove it in your neck?" Joni retorted.
The creature looked gallant. "Dodaceca krolykocyk ymoogan, nuwicap," it declaimed. "Moofrirum!" it continued.
"Your face is a moofrirum!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, noxious creature; she was feeling unusually shy. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or dancer. If she had been carrying a charm, 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 Beasley will be delighted to see you."
The creature flounced slightly and came back. Then it rose up on its brightly-colored legs, puffed out its knee and galumphed accidentally toward her.
For the first time, Joni had the urge to run, but her liver was exploding and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter