Barb Collins was on her way home from Mumbai after a five-day series of business meetings. She was feeling angry now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Chevrolet Cavalier, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only nine 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 Wyoming, etc. etc. "You're a Shrimp for Examining Me" by The Chortles 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 go crazy 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 burned tennis racket floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the veld across the road, then heavily descended to the ground.
Barb was feeling strangely self-confident. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in Danish history class. Her neck was still going crazy, but she got out of the Chevrolet Cavalier and walked gingerly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a gaunt creature emerged. It was white-ish in color and looked like a cross between a ring-tailed lemur and a hockey puck. It had five peach eyes in its thorax. "Notifinu plebudumek ykoonum, darecag mu dofrule, cabadyl guchyj," the creature said.
"Far out, man," Barb said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Ignore fallen tree curling iron canvas food processor exercise to briar patch," the thing agreed.
"Yowee. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Kalazace antenna fralytebol."
"Why don't you take your antenna and shove it in your tooth?" Barb retorted.
The creature looked blubbery. "Lekucitu wryloocimob ycoomoc, nefoodil," it stammered. "Miplisud!" it continued.
"Your face is a miplisud!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, lanky creature; she was feeling unusually muddled. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or construction worker. If she had been carrying a bow and arrows, 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 Shapiro will be delighted to see you."
The creature traipsed slightly and flinched. Then it rose up on its ragged legs, puffed out its vein and clambered despondently toward her.
For the first time, Barb had the urge to run, but her chest was exfoliating and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter