Mink Morris
Mink is a 7-year-old girl who is brutally honest and forthright of her enjoyment of a new game called Invasion! that is sweeping its way in popularity among the younger children of the neighborhood. She is fearless in abiding by the rules—including the maximum age cut-off at which other kids are allowed to play. Like many kids, she sees no point in being overly deceptive about games since adults never really take anything seriously anyway.
Mrs. Morris
Mink’s mom. Like many parents, her go-to response when talking to her daughter about any game that stimulates great emotional excitement is to patronize her while only half listening to the details. It is only in a kind of second-hand way through discourse with another adult that she finally begins to increase in awareness.
Joseph Connors
Joseph is a 12-year-old neighborhood boy who desperately wants to join in the game. Mink reveals a dark adherence to the rules of the game expressly in relation Joseph’s pleading. She is ferociously dismissive of Joe’s insistence that he’s not too old and would not make fun of the younger kids. He is sent on his way.
Anna
Anna is Mink’s friend and basically her gopher. She is young enough to play by the rules, but Mink expresses contemptuous scorn toward her ability.
Drill
Mink is perfectly honest and forthcoming about Drill to her mother. In response to her Mrs. Morris’ inquiries, Mink provides the following information about Drill: he is from some other planet—possibly Mars or Saturn—and he’s made it clear that for an invasion to be successful it is essential to get help from within the enemy’s ranks. Naturally, Mink’s mother assumes Drill is an imaginary friends.
Helen
Mrs. Morris gets a call from her friend Helen who lives in New York and informs her that the same game Mink is playing in Scranton is being played there. Her son even mentions Drill.
Peggy Ann
Mink dismisses the crying of Peggy Ann which her mother witnesses by calling her a scarebaby. Then she suggests that perhaps Peggy Ann grew up too fast to be allowed to continue playing.
Mr. Morris
Mink’s dad does not appear in the story until shortly before the zero hour: 5:00 PM. Away at work, he arrives home and sees nothing concerned as he passed the kids out playing. He is barely home for a few minutes, however, when the invasion starts and his wife is desperately dragging him up to the attic for safety.
