The Slumber Party

By Sana Pratiti Suresh

I hear birds chirping and instantly pull the covers off me. This is the day the big day! 

I remind myself, “I am eleven and I have light black eyes and dark black hair. My name is Linda and I have been waiting for this day for weeks. Today is the day I am having a slumber party at my house.”

I brush my teeth and pull on my overalls, then I hurry out of my room and downstairs where Mom is buttering toast. “Hey sweetie, come have some breakfast,” says Mom. 

I sit down at the breakfast table where Dad is spooning baby food into both my twin baby sisters’ mouths. They both are a year old and their names are Sandy and Mandy. Mom hands me a piece of toast and a glass of orange juice. 

Dan my brother who is eight walks into the kitchen. His hair is white with toothpaste, and he is still in his pyjamas. His big brown eyes have sleep rings around them and Zazi, his pet chameleon, is sitting on his head. 

“Hi, everyone,” he mumbles absentmindedly. He grabs a spoon and starts shoving bran and yogurt into his mouth. 

“Dan! Stop eating this instant! There is toothpaste in your hair! Go change and wash,” Mom scolds. 

Dan shoots mom a why-are-you-so-strict look and stalks away. I quickly finish my breakfast and am about to go upstairs to my room when Dan enters the kitchen Mom stares at him; he is wearing his best suit with a tie and has his hair slicked with Dad’s hair gel but it is still white with toothpaste. Mom sighs and hands him a glass of orange juice. Dan grins and sits down.  

I go to my room, taking some snacks for the party from the fridge with me too. I arrange the snacks on my desk, pull out my sleeping bag, and blow some ballons. Now my bedroom is ready for the slumber party! 

Suddenly, I hear a thump on my bedroom door. I open it and my mouth goes dry there standing in front of me is a grey slimy creature with eyes that have no eyeballs, a Minto! I try to scream but my throat won’t let me. Suddenly, the Minto isn’t there I blink my eyes just to be sure but the Minto doesn’t reappear. 

“Ha! Silly Linda, you just must have imagined it,” I say to myself. I look out the window and am surprised that it is already night! The doorbell rings and I rush to open it. It’s Roseline, Nadine, Elie, Saniyah, and Laina. We all run upstairs and I shout, “Let’s get this party started!” 

By the time we have played snakes and ladders, scrabble, and ludo, we are tired out. So, we start eating the snacks while Alexa plays party music. But all of a sudden, the lights go off everything is dark, I hear a scream, and there is a shatter of glass. Then the lights come back on, but I’m alone in my room! My room is a mess. Food is on the floor and my lace curtains have been torn. 

A shiver runs down my spine as I run out of my room, and enter Dan’s room. 

I stifle a scream Dan is lying on the floor and his nose is bleeding.

“Dan!” I gasp. Then the lights go out again. I feel a cold slimy thing grasp my hand and pull me away. Then all goes black. 

When I open my eyes, I see a… a……. MINTO! I scream and try to scramble away but the cold slimy Minto grabs me again. Dan enters the attic his nose is bleeding and his face is as white as chalk I start to feel very scared. So, I started screaming and so loud did I scream that the Mintos eyeball-less eyes quavered. 

Then all of a sudden, I saw the little keychain lying on the floor it had belonged to Mom’s mother who had died long ago. We kept it here; Mom had told us about how it was magical and would help you in time of need. I quickly picked it up and threw it at the Mintos; they instantly disappeared.

Dan and I quickly ran back to where everyone else was. We told them about our mysterious encounter with the Mintos. No one believed us except Mom who had also met the Mintos when she was a child. 

But then, I look at Dan and get muddled up. His nose isn’t bleeding and his face is normal. Were the Mintos real or just my imagination? I don’t know so I simply say once again, “Okay, everyone! Let’s get this party started.” Everybody starts jumping and whopping and hopping about. After we finish jumping about, all of us are so tired that we snuggle up and sleep.

“Even with the Mintos, that was the best slumber party ever!” I whisper into the dark.

By Sana Pratiti Suresh