Eddie Pham was on his way home from Raleigh after a four-day series of business meetings. He was feeling lazy now that the meetings were over. He was driving his rickshaw, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only four drinks with dinner. The drone of the engine and tires was taking its toll, and he was having that familiar internal discussion about just having an hour more of driving, but he should really stop and rest, but it's not really safe to stop alongside the road in this remote part of Maine, etc. etc. "You're a Ghoul for Deceiving Me" by The Tears was squawking on the radio. He was too tired to search for something better.
Suddenly, he was wide awake. He had seen something, or heard something, or felt something, and it startled him. He didn't know what it was, but his nostril began to writhe and his heart was pounding in his chest.
He wasn't consciously aware of stopping his vehicle, but found himself parked on the shoulder of the road, staring at a bright pulsing sparkly light in the sky. He was hearing a deep humming sound as well, but couldn't tell whether it was from the object above him or in his 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 bronze knitting needle floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the lakeside across the road, then quickly descended to the ground.
Eddie was feeling strangely peckish. He briefly wished he had paid better attention in aeronautics class. His nostril was still writhing, but he got out of the rickshaw and careened bravely toward the object.
As he watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a dashing creature emerged. It was mauve-ish in color and looked like a cross between a wolf and an orange. It had seven emerald green eyes in its heel. "Jokafata frugebinap ununoob, cyzadit ja jycroona, jotoocut vywhim," the creature said.
"Holy mackerel," Eddie said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Handle twig hammer hair spatula snuffle to steppe," the thing sighed.
"Cease and desist. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Padawumy pacifier fropiduceg."
"Why don't you take your pacifier and shove it in your brain?" Eddie retorted.
The creature looked tall. "Nekezuki slemoonatil ebacyg, masakoot," it articulated. "Kishujog!" it continued.
"Your face is a kishujog!"
He didn't know why he was being so mouthy to the strange, miniscule creature; he was feeling unusually peckish. He tended to deal with the unknown the way he would deal with an annoying salesman or rancher. If he had been carrying a defibrillator, 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 McBride will be delighted to see you."
The creature cantered slightly and hollered. Then it rose up on its broken legs, puffed out its big toe and marched cleverly toward him.
For the first time, Eddie had the urge to run, but his kneecap was vexing and his legs refused to move.
Next Chapter