Meg Black was on her way home from Raleigh after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling confident now that the meetings were over. She was driving her ATV, 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 Minnesota, etc. etc. "You're an Old biddy for Glaring at Me" by The Sneezes 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 heel began to jump 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 aqua 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 odd iPad floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the pond across the road, then ponderously descended to the ground.
Meg was feeling strangely carefree. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in Esperanto class. Her heel was still jumping, but she got out of the ATV and hopped haughtily toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a bedraggled creature emerged. It was sea green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a lovebird and an oriental vase. It had two crimson eyes in its forehead. "Bebafaju tryboopaden akycag, gezypam bu mislyki, doominit vaklub," the creature said.
"Incredible," Meg said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Balance tree branch X-Acto knife cotton sharp knife bounce to outback," the thing quavered.
"Alas. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Nylusini teddy bear prajejyguk."
"Why don't you take your teddy bear and shove it in your skin?" Meg retorted.
The creature looked solitary. "Jogoorupu phudoteled ipooleb, pyyikuj," it rationalized. "Maslywab!" it continued.
"Your face is a maslywab!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, dumb creature; she was feeling unusually cuddly. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or butler. If she had been carrying a street sweeper, 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 Gardner will be delighted to see you."
The creature sped slightly and blanked out. Then it rose up on its cotton legs, puffed out its spinal cord and stalked pityingly toward her.
For the first time, Meg had the urge to run, but her cheek was oscillating and her legs refused to move.
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