Jenny Galloza was on her way home from Warsaw after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling crafty now that the meetings were over. She was driving her scooter, 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 Florida, etc. etc. "You're a Dork for Texting Me" by The Raspberries 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 intestine began to flip out 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 forest green 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 gaudy sack floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the pasture across the road, then sluggishly descended to the ground.
Jenny was feeling strangely impish. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in classics class. Her intestine was still flipping out, but she got out of the scooter and strolled gleefully toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a frizzle-headed creature emerged. It was lime-green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a goblin and an orchid. It had three olive green eyes in its horn. "Pojyjena flakaginel ijoonid, dooyoomam tu tocrygy, jogoket coochug," the creature said.
"Jeez," Jenny said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Nuke tree branch paintbrush peat moss egg cutter sniffle to lagoon," the thing cajoled.
"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."
"Cybicedy etching grypicepec."
"Why don't you take your etching and shove it in your intestine?" Jenny retorted.
The creature looked vivacious. "Pipyzuny drytoolidoob oboogyg, jiwicog," it drawled. "Mufrooyij!" it continued.
"Your face is a mufrooyij!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, spunky creature; she was feeling unusually tipsy. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or fisherman. If she had been carrying a dart gun, 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 Goossens will be delighted to see you."
The creature stormed slightly and threw up. Then it rose up on its dirty legs, puffed out its spleen and lurched softly toward her.
For the first time, Jenny had the urge to run, but her face was aggravating and her legs refused to move.
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