The Friendly Zombie's Pool

Lily loved summer, especially the days when her grandmother filled the old wooden pool in the backyard. But this summer felt different. The other kids were away at camp, and Lily was lonely.

One hot afternoon, Lily was running through the garden when she heard a strange splash. She peeked behind the oak tree and gasped.

A green figure was floating in her pool! It had bumpy skin, mossy hair, and the slowest movements Lily had ever seen.

"Are you... a zombie?" Lily whispered, remembering the monsters from her cousin's video games.

The creature blinked slowly. "I'm Zed," it bubbled happily. "And I'm not scary. I just move slowly because I'm thinking about wonderful things."

Lily inched closer. "What kind of things?"

"How rainbows taste like strawberry sherbet. How clouds are really sleeping sheep. How the moon hums lullabies to the ocean." Zed smiled. "Would you like to see my magic?"

He dipped a webbed hand into the water. Suddenly, the ordinary pool began to glow. Small fish made of light swam around them. Stars twinkled on the surface.

"It's beautiful!" Lily cheered, running to get her swim goggles.

That afternoon, they played magical games. Zed taught Lily to walk on water (for exactly three seconds). Lily taught Zed to race (he moved slowly but never gave up). They made up stories about the light-fish and invented a game called Moon Tag.

When the sun began to set, Zed grew even slower.

"I have to go back to my garden now," Zed said sadly. "But I'll visit every summer. This pool has the best magic."

"Because of the water?" Lily asked.

"No," Zed grinned. "Because of the friendship."

Lily waved goodbye, already running to tell her grandmother about the most amazing friend she'd ever made. Some things, she learned, aren't scary at all—they're just waiting to be understood.