The Lightning's Goldfish Wish

Lila loved to climb the old palm tree behind her house. Every day after school, she'd shinny up the rough bark until she could see the whole world from the top. But today was different. Today, the sky turned purple as lightning crackled across the clouds.

Something tiny and orange glinted in the tree's highest frond. Lila reached out and found a miniature goldfish swimming through the air as if it were water.

"I'm Finn," the goldfish bubbled. "And I grant one wish to true friends of nature."

Lila's heart raced. She'd always wanted someone to play with. "I wish for the best friend ever!"

Lightning struck the palm tree with a brilliant flash. When Lila opened her eyes, a boy stood beside her. But not just any boy—his skin was green, his clothes were patchy, and he moved a bit stiffly.

"Are you... a zombie?" Lila asked, remembering her brother's scary stories.

"I'm Zane," the boy said in a rumbly voice. "And I'm not scary. I'm just lonely. No one wants to be friends with someone who looks... different."

Lila looked at Zane's kind eyes and remembered the goldfish's words: "true friends of nature." She thought about how people feared lightning even though it brought rain to help things grow.

"I'll be your friend," Lila said, taking Zane's hand. "Want to climb trees with me?"

Zane's face lit up. "Really?"

Finn the goldfish swam around them both. "You made the wisest wish of all," he said. "You wished with your heart, not just your eyes."

They climbed the palm tree together every day after that. And when lightning flashed during summer storms, Lila would smile—because the most magical friends often come from the most unexpected places.