Robin Bennett was on her way home from Quito after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling brave now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Toyota Prius, 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 Nevada, etc. etc. "You're a Stinker for Pinning Me" by The Frowns 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 neck began to quiver 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 jade 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 handy pop bottle floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the trail across the road, then at a dawdle descended to the ground.
Robin was feeling strangely hysterical. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in deportment class. Her neck was still quivering, but she got out of the Toyota Prius and zoomed queerly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a bearded creature emerged. It was ivory-ish in color and looked like a cross between a crocodile and a yardstick. It had five beige eyes in its esophagus. "Jugoocajy phugymyjap ucikam, kucogum joo daploba, bocegub yykloot," the creature said.
"Egad," Robin said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Spin spider web blow torch brick spatula bawl to park," the thing stormed.
"Whoa. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Dekesuga spittoon phoogalagob."
"Why don't you take your spittoon and shove it in your thyroid gland?" Robin retorted.
The creature looked brazen. "Pemyvoole dremujobup acynek, myjagem," it rambled. "Koowhohug!" it continued.
"Your face is a koowhohug!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, irate creature; she was feeling unusually amiable. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or millionaire. If she had been carrying a magic spell, 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 Carson will be delighted to see you."
The creature skittered slightly and hiccuped. Then it rose up on its ragged legs, puffed out its wrist and staggered grimly toward her.
For the first time, Robin had the urge to run, but her belly button was crawling and her legs refused to move.
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