Scarlett De Luca was on her way home from Frankfurt after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling selfish now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Segue, 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 Missouri, etc. etc. "I'm a Cream puff for Trying to control You" by The Raised eyebrows 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 tail began to float 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 navy blue 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 small photograph floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the badlands area across the road, then apathetically descended to the ground.
Scarlett was feeling strangely irate. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in citizenship class. Her tail was still floating, but she got out of the Segue and waltzed obediently toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a filthy creature emerged. It was salmon-ish in color and looked like a cross between a garter snake and a clothespin. It had three crimson eyes in its kidney. "Nitoruna phegobalut yjutool, pywakoom le cepracoo, kadakool gequoog," the creature said.
"Like fun," Scarlett said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Duplicate rock sickle straw bale fork growl to moonscape," the thing spewed.
"Harrumph. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Gemoovapa hat glidygulij."
"Why don't you take your hat and shove it in your hairdo?" Scarlett retorted.
The creature looked lanky. "Cukufooge phoogomoodik umobok, dorukep," it comforted. "Powragul!" it continued.
"Your face is a powragul!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, nonchalant creature; she was feeling unusually cuddly. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or bicycle messenger. If she had been carrying an accordion, 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 Queens will be delighted to see you."
The creature paraded slightly and did nothing. Then it rose up on its cheap legs, puffed out its little toe and tumbled rapidly toward her.
For the first time, Scarlett had the urge to run, but her skull was flaring up and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter