The Pool of Dreams

Lily loved her backyard above everything else. But her favorite spot was the old swimming pool, where she spent hours pretending to be a mermaid exploring underwater kingdoms.

One hot afternoon, Lily jumped into the cool blue water. But instead of splashing, she kept sinking down, down, down through shimmering waves. When she popped up again, she wasn't in her backyard anymore.

Golden sand stretched in every direction. And right in front of her rose a magnificent pyramid, gleaming like amber in the sunlight.

"Hello?" Lily called out.

From behind the pyramid shuffled a strange figure. It was a zombie - but not like the scary ones in movies. This zombie wore a friendly smile and a colorful party hat.

"Welcome!" the zombie cheered. "I'm Zippy! Most people run away when they see me, but you didn't!"

Lily giggled. "You're not scary at all. You're nice!"

Zippy's green face lit up. "I'm the guardian of the Dream Pyramid. But I'm so lonely guarding it all by myself. Will you play with me?"

"Yes!" Lily exclaimed.

They played tag around the pyramid. Zippy taught Lily how to build sand pyramids. Lily showed Zippy how to do cannonballs into the magical pool that had brought her there.

"I wish you could visit my world," Zippy sighed. "But zombies can't leave the desert."

Lily thought hard. "Maybe you don't have to be a zombie all the time. What if you're just Zippy - a friend who happens to look different?"

Zippy's eyes widened. "Nobody ever saw me that way before."

"I'll visit you every day," Lily promised. "And I'll tell everyone that the scariest-looking things can be the kindest friends."

When Lily's mother called her for dinner, she found Lily sleeping peacefully by the pool, a small sand pyramid beside her, and a smile on her face.

In her dreams, she and Zippy were still playing - the best friends anyone could ever have.