The balloon giraffe

Original fiction extract.

By evening, the chairs had been stacked against the wall and the birthday banner lay folded on a table. A balloon giraffe remained tied to the back of one chair. During the party it had stood upright beside the cake. Now its long yellow neck bent sideways, placing its face almost level with a paper plate on the floor.

It looked like a guest who had stayed beyond the end of every conversation. One thin leg pointed towards the door, while the others had given up agreeing about where the ground might be. Its painted smile was still at work, bright and professionally cheerful above the sagging body. Whenever somebody passed, the little draught made it bow with an exhausted politeness. Mina watched it while her father collected cups. She wanted him to stop making it say goodbye.

He asked whether she would like to take it home. Mina untied the string and held the chair until he could move it away. Without its support, the giraffe folded against her sleeve. She carried it horizontally to the car, giving up the idea that it ought to keep looking like an animal.

Choose three powerful words or phrases from the extract above. Analyse how the writer uses language to present the balloon giraffe after the party has ended.

Write about 200 to 250 words.