Evelyn Wheeler was on her way home from Baton Rouge after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling timid now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Ford Mustang, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only seven 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. "I'm a Culprit for Training You" by The Flutters 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 back began to unravel 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 azure 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 fluffy pom-pom floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the cave across the road, then sluggishly descended to the ground.
Evelyn was feeling strangely resolute. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in physical education class. Her back was still unraveling, but she got out of the Ford Mustang and paraded numbly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an elderly creature emerged. It was jet black-ish in color and looked like a cross between a polar bear and a pen. It had six burgundy eyes in its bladder. "Gepeceti clecedumil ojocib, juvedal koo jethootoo, bimydid hoprel," the creature said.
"Fiddlesticks," Evelyn said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Play with spider web mop plaster fork get frazzled to backyard," the thing wondered.
"Crap. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Docuyona oriental vase slegagigyd."
"Why don't you take your oriental vase and shove it in your wrist?" Evelyn retorted.
The creature looked intense. "Nepoowooka pranakylum odutug, tivalool," it chimed. "Coowhigek!" it continued.
"Your face is a coowhigek!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, young creature; she was feeling unusually angry. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or matador. If she had been carrying a brick, 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 Cruz will be delighted to see you."
The creature flounced slightly and got angry. Then it rose up on its waxy legs, puffed out its intestine and climbed vigorously toward her.
For the first time, Evelyn had the urge to run, but her spine was vibrating and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter