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As I was walking home from work, I noticed a strange light in the sky. It was moving closer and closer, and before I knew it, I was being beamed up into a spaceship.

I was terrified and didn't know what was happening, but then I saw the alien. It was a tall, slender creature with glowing purple skin and four arms.

"Don't be afraid," it said in a friendly voice. "I'm here to take you to an intergalactic dance party. And I want you to be my date."

After some hesitation, I agreed to go to the dance party with the alien. I was both nervous and excited about the prospect of experiencing something so out of the ordinary.

The alien led me to a room filled with flashing lights and strange, pulsing music. We danced the night away, twirling and spinning through the galaxy. It was an experience I would never forget.

As the party came to a close, the alien thanked me for coming with them and promised to bring me back home safely. And as we flew through the stars, I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever see them again.

After a short while, the spaceship landed back on Earth and the alien let me out. I thanked them for the incredible experience and they smiled and waved before disappearing back into the night sky.

I walked home with a mix of emotions, still trying to process everything that had happened. I knew I would never forget the night I spent dancing with an alien at an intergalactic party.

I knew something was up when I woke up that morning on the cold hard floor of my room instead of my bed. Every time this happened in the past, I always got involved with something or someone unexpectedly. I got chased by a crazed woman with an axe who think I am her cheating boyfriend, I got involved in an accident involving the midget mafia, I loss a finger to someone's escaped pet boa, I got blamed for theft by someone who eerily looks like me but an Albino, a half blind Gypsy cursed me for something I do in my previous life, and so much more. I sigh heavily and mentally prepared myself for the day.

Welp, it happens. That is a record for me, fastest event to happen after I woke up. I took a shower, dried myself, wrap the towel around myself, step out of the bathroom, and ended up...here. I'm pretty sure my room doesn't have these bright white walls, the smooth metallic floors, and the window looking over Earth and the sun on the background. Am I in space? That's incredible, if you overlook how I ended up here in the first place. Guessing I was abducted by an alien, I decided to just enjoy the ride and continue observing the majestic view. As I try to locate famous landmark on Earth after finding the Great Wall, I hear a door opening with a hiss. I turned toward my abductee and was hit with a second surprise of the day.

When someone mentioned Alien, most people including me, think they look like those little grey men from the Roswell stories, and I can assure you this is not true. The Alien look pretty much like us, only taller (that saying something since I'm pretty myself at six foot, and I have to look upward), two slender arms and legs (three digits, pretty close), a long wavy tail (reminds me of a lizard tail), a normal body (pretty busty if you asked me), and a face (it got black sclera and a bright green pupil that draws you in). The Alien seems to be nervous, as it kept wringing it's hand, which I find adorable. It slowly approach me, and when our eyes met, I can feel it speaking to me in my head. Telepathy too? Neat.

After stumbling over it's sentence several time, I took the initiative and gently say to her to relax and and take a deep breath, and maybe start with an introduction. I introduce myself slowly and gesture for it to do the same. After calming itself, the Alien introduce herself as I'tal of the Yorn'namd Clan, and a researcher currently observing the native population of Earth. I ask why did she took me from my home? And I made another history, seeing an Alien blush. She blushed a deep purple color, and meekly answer she need a date..

The creature has some sort of device which will allow them to give you an artificial form with the same characteristics as theirs so that you can pass for one of its people. They also say that this will make it easier for you to meet other aliens at the party. You have no choice but to agree. The alien gives you some clothes and equipment. It tells you how to use the machine and what kind of shape you need to be in when you enter it. You put on your new outfit and go into the machine. A few minutes later, you come out in the alien's body. You are amazed by how well it fits! You look like yourself but taller and thinner than before. The hair color and texture is not quite right but you don't care about that. Your skin tone is much darker than before too. Now that you're ready, you take the device from your pocket and use it to change back to your human self. That feels strange--you haven't done that since you were a child. But now you fit perfectly into your old clothes again. "Is everything all right?" says the alien. "We really wanted to have you here tonight." "I'm fine," you reply. "How did you know I would be able to do this?" The alien smiles. "That's a secret between us. Now let's go!" He picks up his box and stands up. We need to get ready for the dance." "Where is it? What is it?" you ask, excitedly. The alien looks down at you. "It's across the galaxy... or so we've been told. Come along!" As you walk through the ship, you stare around in wonderment. Everything seems different than before; the colors are brighter, the lights are more intense. "Wow..." you breathe. "Yes, isn't it wonderful?" asks the alien. "You'll never see anything like it anywhere else in the universe." He takes you to a huge room with a circular platform in the middle. It was filled with hundreds of alien species from across the galaxy. There were creatures with wings, tentacles, claws, fur, scales, shells, fins, and webbed feet. Some looked very similar to humans and others seemed completely alien. Even though they all had the same basic body plan, each one was unique and beautiful in its own way. The alien leads you onto the platform and sits down on your left. Then he holds out his hand and introduces you to some of the other aliens. Many of them seem shy and nervous at first, but after several minutes, they become comfortable and begin to talk freely. One of them explains that in order to be freed you must win the dance competition. If you do, you will receive the key to an elevator that will lead down into the planet's core. Once you reach the center, you can activate the device that will release the prisoners. "Sounds easy enough," you reply. Another alien laughs. "No, it's not! Whoever wins gets a prize. In addition, the winner is given control over the entire planet and everyone who lives there. For a brief time, at least." "What if you lose?" you ask. "Then you stay imprisoned forever," answers another. A third alien shakes his head sadly. "If you win, you are expected to help the planet and its people for several years afterward. And you must do it willingly. The winner may not be forced to do anything against his or her will." "So if I lose, you think they might force me to do something?" you ask. "Not likely," replies the first alien. "But then, they could just kill you and use your body to control the planet. So it's possible. But if you're smart, you won't win."

"Gosh it's bright"

Opening my eyes at first all I can make out is a bright light and a moving shadow. Adjusting to the room I can make out that the walls are metal, I'm on a table, but not surgical or... exam? Just a table that feels like it was rushed into 'bed' status for this occasion.

"Ah! You're awake. I'm so pleased!"

Sizing up the creature I notice that it's about 1.5m tall, seems to be thin built. However, moving around the room is a certain grace. They flow from spot to spot as though floating over the ground.

"I searched planet after planet for the perfect one! You're everything I had hoped for!"

"What exactly are you, where am I, and what do you MEAN I'm the "perfect one?!"

"Ah, yes, the orientation. I am obviously not from your planet, we are a race of beings that have been traveling the cosmos in search of the most pure expressions of art. Having explored many planets and cultures, the highest form of artistic expression we have found is dance. In a few cycles from now we will arrive at the universe's largest soiree. As one of the best dancers on your planet, I would like nothing more than your honor as my dance partner. With your wonderful emotional portrayals, it is certain the your planet will become a sought after destination of the arts. I realize this is a lot to take in, and I understand that you're afraid. Please know that I, no none of us will attempt to force you to do anything. The pursuit of dance is the most spiritual force to us. It has brought peace to billions of planets in millions of galaxies. Should you accept my invitation and perform with me, the opportunities for your people cannot possibly be calculated. The information and cultures of an entire universe would be opened up to your planet. The abilities of space travel, solar orbital spheres for energy, genetic advancements for medicine. The benefits could be countless."

After his rapid fire speech, that was obviously rehearsed I just stared back at him.

The entire world, and I'm the best dancer? My family has always found me to be uncoordinated at best, outright dangerous at worst. Music and me have literally never mixed...

"So, what exactly made you choose me? On my planet I wouldn't rate as a dancer, let alone the best."

"This is my favourite part! Yes, according to your own peoples, and cultures, you may not find yourself that coordinated, as you say. However, to us, the only importance of dance is the pure emotional expression. Your movements tell us of your joys, of your pains. You always show exactly the emotions running through your body while you move. It is intoxicating watching you."

"How long exactly were you watching me?"

In what seemed like shame, he shifted.

"I've been studying your planet for approximately 3,000 of your solar cycles. You personally have been on my monitor for a large portion of your life, and it has been intoxicating to watch you grow."

Well, that wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but then again, what would have been okay?

"Alright, so you want me to go to a big party, with you, and dance. And if I do this, my entire planet will somehow be added to your galactic empire?"

"Exactly! So you'll do it?"

"I'm still not convinced I have a choice. You literally plucked me out of my home while I was sleeping, and I can't even be sure we're in space, let alone heading to the universe's biggest dance club. Beyond that, I have no reason to believe you have any ability to offer the things you claim. Sure you seem quite impressive to me right now, but how do I know of "trillions of planets" you have any sway with someone that could leap-frog my people thousands if not millions of years forward? So far as I can tell you're a weird creep that stares at a planet and takes people away, apparently to dance. If you are who you claim to be, why not just show up on the surface, explain the desires of your people and invite us to choose our representative? How do I know you're not looking for me to ruin the planet's reputation with my attempt? No, I think I will refuse your offer. If you are as noble as you say, I would prefer to be returned to my planet. If you are not, then none of this conversation mattered anyway."

"I see, you are certainly within your rights to refuse, I will not bother you again, but your planet will still be watched. I've waited this long to find a partner, I will wait for the next one to come around."

==

Again with the bright lights! As my eyes adjust I can make out a throng of beings, moving around in time to an incredibly weird beat. The melody of the music is unlike anything I've heard before. As I listen more to the music I feel myself starting to move.

==

It's been at least 3 days, the music never stops. The dancing never stops. We've all gotten to know one another over the days, as it turns out most of them have been here longer than they can recall. The dancing never ends, no one ever leaves, and no one ever dies.

Incredulousness won over fear.

"Why wouldn't you go with someone from your own planet?" he demanded.

The alien, which was an iridescent shimmering mass of too many everything, seemed to look at him blankly. When it answered he noticed there was some kind of delay with its mouth moving and Adam hearing it. He thought maybe there was some kind of auto-translator involved.

"No one from my planet wants to go with me," it said sullenly.

"No one?"

"Yeah."

"I doubt that's true," Adam argued. "I'm sure you could have found someone rather than going to the trouble of coming all the way to Earth."

"It's way easier."

"How?"

"I can't show my face on my planet if they reject me. And you can't reject me!"

Adam deflated a little, both at the statement and the pure joy with which the alien had spoken.

He rubbed his neck.

"How long is this, exactly? This dance?"

"Oh, it's just a few -- hours, I think you call them?"

"Okay. When?"

"A few days from now."

Adam breathed long and hard through his nose. He'd be missing class and assignments, but nothing major. He admitted to himself that this sounded more fun anyway.

"Do you PROMISE to drop me off once it's done? The same place on Earth that you picked me up from?"

"I promise. It's just one dance. I will never bother you again. You might even have fun!"

"Okay," Adam said. It undulated happily.

He wasn't sure why the alien had cared at all about what Adam felt about the matter. As it had said, Adam couldn't say no, but it had seemed important that he want to go. Pity swelled inside him and he forced a smile.

He was covered in strange shifting plates that the Alien, which he had come to know as Taleeb, had assured him was in vogue. He had twisted his lips but taken Taleeb at his word.

They were moving through a hall where Aliens of diverse shape, size, and movement of body were congregating. He couldn't help but notice that they stopped chittering or blubbering whenever he and Taleeb passed them.

"I don't see many humans here," he said.

"Oh, there aren't," Taleeb assured him, "It's a little weird to do that. Always makes an impression."

"What the hell is that?" grinded out a near Alien, flat and hard, almost flush with the floor.

"A human," Taleeb said impressively, "from Earth."

"Uh. Okay." the sheet-Alien said, sliding away.

"I"m sorry about that," Taleeb said.

"No problem," Adam said as Taleeb pulled him into the main dance hall.

For a moment Adam froze, amazed at the diversity of movement in the room. He wondered if the many-legged alien that passed was doing their version of the worm or if that was just how it traveled. He decided not to ask.

"This way," Taleeb said, pulling him urgently. He stumbled, catching himself.

"Look at THIS," Taleeb announced to a group of looming, eel-like aliens.

"Go away, Taleeb," one said.

"You all said I couldn't get a date," Taleeb insisted. It stood aside, presenting Adam. He waved.

The eels looked at him. They began to thrash. Sounds came out of them that he assumed was vicious laughter.

"Taleeb, that is the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. You didn't honestly go all the way to Earth for a date? What, did the other planets on the way send satellites out to reject you before you landed?"

"N-no," Taleeb stuttered. It seemed at a loss for words. Adam thought it had expected a different reaction.

"How typical. Let me guess, he picked you up on his seedspawner's dinky little spaceship and made you come here? Taleeb, you know that it's not impressive to abduct a date, right? Anyone can do that. Thanks for proving that the only way you could ever get a date is by making them. Hey, it's not like anything we didn't all know, right?"

Taleeb was silent.

"I asked Taleeb," Adam said.

"Excuse me?" said one of the eels, glaring down at him.

"I asked Taleeb to come. He was visiting Earth and I thought -- well, I thought -- " he glanced at Taleeb. "Taleeb looks like a lot of beautiful stuff on Earth which made me want to ask it out."

"Like what?" the eel demanded.

"Like...uh...bubble water."

"Which is what exactly?"

"A very rare resource. All of our most beautiful people wipe it all over their body before they go out," he said with as much confidence as he could summon. He mimed the motion of wiping bubble water on his body and then stopped, feeling foolish.

Taleeb and the Eels were silent.

"Whatever," said an Eel finally. "Good for Taleeb for being pretty by Earth standards. At least it's pretty somewhere."

The eels turned away with finality. Taleeb raced out of the room and Adam followed, running through one gelatinous alien on the way. He stumbled through the open doors, wiping it out of his eyes.

"Taleeb?" he called gently. Then he spotted him over in some kind of foliage. It was bright purple and rubbery. He hoped it wouldn't give him a rash as he climbed in.

"Did you mean it?" Taleeb asked quietly.

"What?" he asked.

"The bubble water thing."

He looked at Taleeb and sighed.

"I mean, yeah. Well, no," he said, and shot a hand out to stop Taleeb from running out of the bush. "People don't bathe themselves in it. Bubble water is pretty though. People blow it through little sticks and it makes little orbs that fly away."

"That's weird," Taleeb said.

That's rich, he thought, but stopped himself. Instead he said, "But, yes, your skin does have that quality, and I do think it's pretty."

Taleeb looked up at him and his heart skipped a beat, inexplicably. Without meaning to he leaned forward and kissed Taleeb on what he guessed was its mouth.

They broke apart.

"What was that?" Taleeb asked.

"A kiss," he said. "It's uh, something you do with someone you like."

"Oh. You like me?" Taleeb asked, wonder apparent in its voice.

"I do," he said to his own surprise.

Taleeb looked sheepish. "That's...sweet. I'm sorry, but, you're just not really my type."

"Oh," he said.

"Yeah."

They sat in the bush. He started to feel itchy on his neck where the leaves rubbed him.

"I think I'd like to go home now."

"Oh, yeah. I guess this dance is kind of lame. Maybe we could hang out sometime as friends, though," Taleeb said.

"Sure," he said. It still beat doing homework.

"How is this even supposed to work?" I ask.

My abductee/optimistic admirer is of the extraterrestrial persuasion. Not like a hot space babe from Star Trek, or a hot Spock also from Star Trek. Not even a little green man.

It's a rock.

Well, rock is maybe a bit disingenuous. My admirer is more crystaline than stone, several jagged spires radiating a blend of colors, gold veins crisscrossing all over the surface. Plopped directly in the center of a stark white room with cables attached to its base, the crystal referred to itself as a 'geo sapient'.

For the record, I still don't know where the voice is coming from, how it can speak English, or why in the name of God it sounded like Marilyn Monroe. I have decided to internally refer to this thing as Monrock.

"I believe you will make the ideal dance partner,' Monrock says. 'Mammalian, not too many limbs, and you don't excrete acid."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere."

Monrock is silent for a moment. "At this party we are going to-"

"I didn't agree to go."

"...that I would like to take you to, there will be ajll kinds of dancing."

"You already told me about this. How exactly do you dance?"

I notice that Monrock's colors fade a little. "It is difficult to explain. But when I say 'all kinds of dancing', I do mean that in that in the most literal sense. Dancing is not even the exact word. What I am talking about is the expression of the self through one's own physical and mental capabilities. There will be beings there who exist in multiple timelines simultaneously, entities that only exist in our minds, and species that are little more than sentient colors."

Well, it sure did sound like a hell of a party, at least.

"For my kind, it is incredibly difficult to compete with such strange and beautiful expressions. That is why I need a partner to help me."

I fold my arms. "And why me exactly."

Monrock goes quiet again.

"I just like you."

I roll my eyes. "What? Over celebrities, politicians, doctors, lawyers, billionaires...over all the billions of people on my planet?"

"Status and wealth on your world mean little to me. I vetted over one-thousand candidates, and you seem like the most fun."

Well, assuming that it isn't yanking my chain, I do find that flattering.

"All right. I'll give this a shot. But I'm not doing any 'sexy' dances, you hear? And there had better be food that I can digest. And booze."

Monrock, quite literally, brightens up.