Angela Vogel was on her way home from Irving after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling cautious now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Cadillac Escalade, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only twelve 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 North Dakota, etc. etc. "You're a Jerk for Tickling Me" by The Hiccups 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 face began to exfoliate 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 khaki 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 gruesome piano floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the country meadow across the road, then smoothly descended to the ground.
Angela was feeling strangely cautious. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in rocket science class. Her face was still exfoliating, but she got out of the Cadillac Escalade and sauntered daintily toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a lean creature emerged. It was carrot-orange-ish in color and looked like a cross between a bird and a spool of thread. It had two brown eyes in its little finger. "Lunoozegi trelyjigoob adecoog, gegoonut ca dookrojy, kookujooc rislom," the creature said.
"@#%#^@%$@!," Angela said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Jab tree punch steel chopstick wink to peninsula," the thing babbled.
"Jeepers. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Tooburejy fish troojenoogooj."
"Why don't you take your fish and shove it in your skin?" Angela retorted.
The creature looked sinister. "Kugoozuji chijoonocood elecyl, buyutic," it uttered. "Loobryren!" it continued.
"Your face is a loobryren!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, young creature; she was feeling unusually angry. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or obstetrician. If she had been carrying a stick of dynamite, 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 Edwards will be delighted to see you."
The creature slunk slightly and hid. Then it rose up on its bent legs, puffed out its tummy and bounced sadly toward her.
For the first time, Angela had the urge to run, but her appendix was perking up and her legs refused to move.
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