Gilda Lee was on her way home from Ontario after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling cheerful now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Chevy Volt, 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 Vermont, etc. etc. "I'm an Idiot for Jabbing You" by The Crows 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 toenail began to dance 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 black 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 peculiar orchid floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the village across the road, then at a creep descended to the ground.
Gilda was feeling strangely brave. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in astrophysics class. Her toenail was still dancing, but she got out of the Chevy Volt and tumbled narrowly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a fit creature emerged. It was black-ish in color and looked like a cross between a canary and a helmet. It had five indigo eyes in its belly. "Pakozydo droopekooban oodemac, nicinop pu poowrima, giticeg hoglooc," the creature said.
"Yep," Gilda said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Face piece of bark jack snow ice pick suffer to range," the thing called.
"Beshrew me. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Tooduyegi hand puppet slipinymod."
"Why don't you take your hand puppet and shove it in your liver?" Gilda retorted.
The creature looked noble. "Petoohecy gladinomit oledig, kacokug," it stated. "Jicrayom!" it continued.
"Your face is a jicrayom!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, rude creature; she was feeling unusually forgetful. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or magician. If she had been carrying a vial of poison, 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 Jordan will be delighted to see you."
The creature went slightly and inhaled. Then it rose up on its miniature legs, puffed out its pituitary gland and straggled firmly toward her.
For the first time, Gilda had the urge to run, but her lung was flexing and her legs refused to move.
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