The Sleepy Zombie's Secret Friend

Lily loved running through the Whispering Woods, especially on days when the sun painted everything gold. Her sneakers crunched on autumn leaves as she raced the wind, her favorite stuffed bull, Thunder, tucked safely in her pocket.

Today, something strange caught her eye. Near the old oak tree, a figure shuffled slowly. Arms outstretched, eyes half-closed, walking in a wobbly line.

"A zombie!" Lily gasped, hiding behind a mushroom. She'd read about them in storybooks — scary creatures who stumbled around looking for... well, she wasn't sure what.

But this zombie didn't look scary. He looked tired. VERY tired. His greenish skin was more like moss from sleeping outside too long. His messy hair stuck up like he'd just woken up.

The zombie yawned, sat down with a THUMP, and rubbed his eyes. "So sleepy," he mumbled. "Just need a little nap."

Lily stepped out from her hiding spot. "You're not scary!"

The zombie blinked. "I'm NOT?" He looked surprised. "Everyone runs away when they see me."

"That's because they don't know you," Lily said bravely. "What's your name?"

"Zed," he smiled, showing crooked but kind teeth. "I'm not really a zombie. I'm just a sleepwalker who got lost in the woods three years ago. No one ever stopped to talk to me before."

Lily sat beside him. "Well, I'm Lily, and this is Thunder." She pulled the toy bull from her pocket. "He protects me when I'm scared."

Zed's eyes lit up. "I had a bull once! A toy one, just like that. I missed him so much when I got lost."

"You can borrow Thunder anytime," Lily offered. "That's what friends do."

"Friends?" Zed's smile was the brightest thing in the forest. "I haven't had a friend in so long."

"Now you do," Lily said, taking his mossy hand. "And friends help each other. Come on, I'll help you find your way home."

Hand in hand, with Thunder the bull watching over them, Lily and her new friend Zed walked toward the village. Sometimes the scariest-looking things just need someone brave enough to say hello.