Mary Delgado was on her way home from San Jose after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling awkward now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Saturn Vue, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only two 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 Hothead for Blocking You" by The Bounds 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 foot began to stink 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 fuchsia 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 dusty ashtray floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the badlands area across the road, then like a bat out of hell descended to the ground.
Mary was feeling strangely fiendish. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in electronics class. Her foot was still stinking, but she got out of the Saturn Vue and sashayed dubiously toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a shapely creature emerged. It was emerald green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a horse and a peanut. It had five amber eyes in its shin. "Mujuzobi plymipyteg opootel, nyfumyp mu puwrecoo, linagyj hequun," the creature said.
"Swell," Mary said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Soften sea shell air horn straw bale slotted spoon clear out to gully," the thing began.
"Darn. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Kupycecu church key crabanikuk."
"Why don't you take your church key and shove it in your tail?" Mary retorted.
The creature looked zany. "Pagozini crujecootip agojab, coocabal," it announced. "Bychajem!" it continued.
"Your face is a bychajem!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, fearful creature; she was feeling unusually excitable. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or cab driver. If she had been carrying a shoulder fired rocket, 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 Dinklefloss will be delighted to see you."
The creature galumphed slightly and puffed. Then it rose up on its handy legs, puffed out its ego and sneaked dreamily toward her.
For the first time, Mary had the urge to run, but her front tooth was hardening and her legs refused to move.
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