Draco Benton was on his way home from Bogotá after a five-day series of business meetings. He was feeling calm now that the meetings were over. He was driving his Toyota Corolla, 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 he was having that familiar internal discussion about just having an hour more of driving, but he should really stop and rest, but it's not really safe to stop alongside the road in this remote part of Idaho, etc. etc. "I'm an Eager beaver for Confronting You" by The Flutters was squawking on the radio. He was too tired to search for something better.
Suddenly, he was wide awake. He had seen something, or heard something, or felt something, and it startled him. He didn't know what it was, but his scalp began to drop off and his heart was pounding in his chest.
He wasn't consciously aware of stopping his vehicle, but found himself parked on the shoulder of the road, staring at a bright pulsing golden light in the sky. He was hearing a deep humming sound as well, but couldn't tell whether it was from the object above him or in his 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 colossal chair floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the valley across the road, then swiftly descended to the ground.
Draco was feeling strangely irate. He briefly wished he had paid better attention in geneaology class. His scalp was still dropping off, but he got out of the Toyota Corolla and tumbled fervently toward the object.
As he watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a hairy creature emerged. It was blue-ish in color and looked like a cross between a flea and a piano. It had four brown eyes in its pancreas. "Gukivety slipynikej agomut, jajoodul gi nushabe, noobelal copred," the creature said.
"My word," Draco said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Remember acorn plunger ribbons blender get dizzy to beach," the thing prattled.
"Golly whiz. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Penoocoodu tennis racket brakepoopen."
"Why don't you take your tennis racket and shove it in your thorax?" Draco retorted.
The creature looked weary. "Lybayuga quolinoobim oocajic, kajoomop," it chattered. "Poothasul!" it continued.
"Your face is a poothasul!"
He didn't know why he was being so mouthy to the strange, sober creature; he was feeling unusually lethargic. He tended to deal with the unknown the way he would deal with an annoying salesman or matador. If he had been carrying a cobra, 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 Lundy will be delighted to see you."
The creature breezed slightly and did the Hokey Pokey. Then it rose up on its well worn legs, puffed out its stomach and sailed narrowly toward him.
For the first time, Draco had the urge to run, but his spleen was gleaming and his legs refused to move.
Next Chapter