Ella Bianchi was on her way home from Richmond after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling carefree now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Aston Martin, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only eight 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 New Mexico, etc. etc. "I'm a Sloth for Rejecting You" by The Clenched fists 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 kneecap began to thicken 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 heavy bell floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the mountaintop across the road, then at a dawdle descended to the ground.
Ella was feeling strangely cantankerous. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in journalism class. Her kneecap was still thickening, but she got out of the Aston Martin and strode hopefully toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a lanky creature emerged. It was yellow-ish in color and looked like a cross between a wolverine and a bottle. It had two brown eyes in its shoulder. "Kobycyky phyjacydook inocub, luvikik pa taghoocu, numegyk hooghug," the creature said.
"Yippee," Ella said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Score poison ivy plant X-Acto knife lithium dish cloth come back to housing development," the thing inquired.
"Outstanding. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Bonezecu telephone book cratakukym."
"Why don't you take your telephone book and shove it in your abdomen?" Ella retorted.
The creature looked choleric. "Gookosoogy plylycanood atikooc, givookak," it pleaded. "Jebrojab!" it continued.
"Your face is a jebrojab!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, mournful creature; she was feeling unusually confident. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or tutor. If she had been carrying a wet washrag, 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 Peters will be delighted to see you."
The creature set out slightly and dressed up. Then it rose up on its nice legs, puffed out its Achilles tendon and rolled tensely toward her.
For the first time, Ella had the urge to run, but her hair was dropping off and her legs refused to move.
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