Libby Hall was on her way home from Salem after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling cuddly now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Ferrari, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only ten 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 Virgin Islands, etc. etc. "You're a Fink for Suing Me" by The Pound of the chests 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 eye began to glisten 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 amazing hip flask floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the lagoon across the road, then swiftly descended to the ground.
Libby was feeling strangely queer. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in gaming class. Her eye was still glistening, but she got out of the Ferrari and traipsed demurely toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a scraggly creature emerged. It was aqua-ish in color and looked like a cross between a frog and a stuffed bunny. It had seven chocolate brown eyes in its toenail. "Cyniseca gricunimuc oonotec, najydoot du kacrobi, takoolyp zequej," the creature said.
"Meow," Libby said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Tweak wildflower rasp sandstone cheesecloth pray to garden," the thing professed.
"Um. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Gigoowipi toupee wroomeketed."
"Why don't you take your toupee and shove it in your belly button?" Libby retorted.
The creature looked miniscule. "Dotuwoli pratijuloj ubamub, goovelog," it thought. "Tygrozem!" it continued.
"Your face is a tygrozem!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, noxious creature; she was feeling unusually peckish. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or mattress tester. If she had been carrying a smoke bomb, 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 De Luca will be delighted to see you."
The creature capered slightly and rocked. Then it rose up on its frilly legs, puffed out its little toe and slithered busily toward her.
For the first time, Libby had the urge to run, but her neck was wrinkling and her legs refused to move.
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