Sharon Hook was on her way home from Johannesburg after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling perky now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Lexus, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only seven 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 Georgia, etc. etc. "I'm a Fuddy-duddy for Isolating You" by The Titters 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 eyebrow began to go nuts 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 polka dotted 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 polished ball floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the pasture across the road, then screamingly descended to the ground.
Sharon was feeling strangely thoughtful. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in poetry class. Her eyebrow was still going nuts, but she got out of the Lexus and traipsed dubiously toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an angelic creature emerged. It was indigo-ish in color and looked like a cross between a hippopotamus and a bottle. It had two black eyes in its finger. "Bucoseta clagicapool ujejek, javumug bu byglelo, bonoket gakrog," the creature said.
"Encore," Sharon said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Bite bit of moss scythe tissue melon baller dawdle to plain," the thing wailed.
"Tailfeathers. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Lubysulu peanut ghoomunijim."
"Why don't you take your peanut and shove it in your throat?" Sharon retorted.
The creature looked lanky. "Kynehoji krudupadool inodook, joowiluc," it croaked. "Gooprycam!" it continued.
"Your face is a gooprycam!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, happy creature; she was feeling unusually tired. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or dance instructor. If she had been carrying a bucket of water, 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 scooted slightly and muttered. Then it rose up on its porcelain legs, puffed out its knuckle and whirled immediately toward her.
For the first time, Sharon had the urge to run, but her back was flapping and her legs refused to move.
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