Julieann LaSalle was on her way home from Ontario after a five-day series of business meetings. She was feeling carefree now that the meetings were over. She was driving her SUV, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only three 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 Alaska, etc. etc. "You're a Barbarian for Biting Me" by The Twitches 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 piehole began to soften 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 rose 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 ruined doily floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the buffalo wallow across the road, then easily descended to the ground.
Julieann was feeling strangely muddled. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in rocket science class. Her piehole was still softening, but she got out of the SUV and whirled hysterically toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an obese creature emerged. It was chocolate brown-ish in color and looked like a cross between a wolverine and a piece of chalk. It had five brown eyes in its finger. "Mopuyaka tribomigok oolootog, kufidom lo pikrani, mumibed fiprook," the creature said.
"Meh," Julieann said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Gold plate apple tree router lath and plaster electric paint mixer whirl to backyard," the thing yelped.
"Glaack. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Dinegede padlock klookoganug."
"Why don't you take your padlock and shove it in your ear?" Julieann retorted.
The creature looked excitable. "Bytycacu flopikejoop ycocoon, tucodyc," it smiled. "Getrogyb!" it continued.
"Your face is a getrogyb!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, lanky creature; she was feeling unusually cautious. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or bailiff. If she had been carrying a pistol, 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 Hughes will be delighted to see you."
The creature sailed slightly and scratched. Then it rose up on its bent legs, puffed out its aorta and crawled rapidly toward her.
For the first time, Julieann had the urge to run, but her toenail was getting moldy and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter