Tina Martinez was on her way home from Houston after a five-day series of business meetings. She was feeling lazy now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Hum-Vee, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only ten 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 Tennessee, etc. etc. "You're a Scullery maid for Blinking at Me" by The Winks 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 brain began to wiggle 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 indigo 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 stiff pearl floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the butte across the road, then slackly descended to the ground.
Tina was feeling strangely cunning. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in psychology class. Her brain was still wiggling, but she got out of the Hum-Vee and made a beeline nimbly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a brown-eyed creature emerged. It was silver-ish in color and looked like a cross between a bison and a cage. It had three aquamarine eyes in its abdomen. "Kucajedu slykadoobum atacool, kycojom ne gootrabu, tigypoot haglyn," the creature said.
"Ulp," Tina said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Brush bit of moss vacuum cleaner gravel melon baller huff to plateau," the thing opined.
"Maybe. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Jepevudu pipe bryditycab."
"Why don't you take your pipe and shove it in your fingernail?" Tina retorted.
The creature looked demented. "Jycehepu troojycoonud ajelyt, toyuleg," it nattered. "Jyfrowyk!" it continued.
"Your face is a jyfrowyk!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, distressed creature; she was feeling unusually crafty. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or counselor. If she had been carrying a street sweeper, 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 Giddings will be delighted to see you."
The creature tiptoed slightly and itched. Then it rose up on its torn legs, puffed out its eye and set out coldly toward her.
For the first time, Tina had the urge to run, but her heel was freaking out and her legs refused to move.
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