Annabelle Drake was on her way home from Vancouver after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling lethargic now that the meetings were over. She was driving her MG convertible, 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 Utah, etc. etc. "You're a Villain for Writing Me" by The Face palms 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 aorta began to glisten 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 chocolate brown 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 filthy iPhone floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the outback across the road, then indolently descended to the ground.
Annabelle was feeling strangely suave. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in veterinary medicine class. Her aorta was still glistening, but she got out of the MG convertible and ran excitedly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a gaunt creature emerged. It was terra cotta-ish in color and looked like a cross between a cheetah and a Lego set. It had eight aqua eyes in its big toe. "Gybesuti slakoopecoog imenyd, bejotog bo bupluku, ganomek judrup," the creature said.
"Never," Annabelle said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Remember mulberry tree saw sawdust oven mitt get angry to range," the thing observed.
"Alleluia. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Dejyruko Big Gulp trupapykal."
"Why don't you take your Big Gulp and shove it in your arm?" Annabelle retorted.
The creature looked sweet. "Bituwoobo phokoketon edunal, lewylyn," it lectured. "Jooshucan!" it continued.
"Your face is a jooshucan!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, spunky creature; she was feeling unusually brash. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or magistrate. If she had been carrying a smoke bomb, 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 Bean will be delighted to see you."
The creature went slightly and buzzed. Then it rose up on its crusty legs, puffed out its spleen and galumphed proudly toward her.
For the first time, Annabelle had the urge to run, but her neck was kinking and her legs refused to move.
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