The Sphinx's Baseball Game

Lily loved her curly red hair. It bounced when she ran and sparkled in the sun. But her favorite thing was her tiny goldfish, Goldie, who swam in a bowl on her nightstand.

One Tuesday, Goldie swam to the surface of his bowl and spoke. 'Lily! The Sphinx needs us!'

Lily rubbed her eyes. 'Did you just talk?'

'No time to explain!' Goldie flipped his tail, and suddenly Lily wasn't in her room anymore. She stood in a desert under two bright moons.

Before her rose a great Sphinx — but not like in books. This Sphinx had bright purple wings and kind eyes. 'Hello, small human,' she rumbled softly. 'I have a problem.'

The Sphinx pointed to a cave. Inside, a green zombie sat slumped against a wall. But he didn't look scary. He looked sad.

'That's Zed,' said the Sphinx. 'He's a zombie, but not the scary kind. He's been walking in circles for a hundred years because he has no friends to play with.'

Lily's heart squeezed. 'Everyone needs friends.' She looked at Zed. 'What does he like to do?'

The Sphinx smiled mysteriously. 'He loves baseball.' She tossed a glowing ball to Lily. 'But he's forgotten how to play.'

Lily's eyes lit up. She knew exactly what to do.

'Hey Zed!' she called, stepping into the cave. 'Want to play baseball?'

The zombie looked up. His green face crinkled into a smile. 'Baseball?'

'Yeah!' Lily pointed to her hair. 'See my curls? They're lucky! They help me hit home runs!' She wound up and threw the ball.

Zed's eyes widened. He stood up — and up, and up, until he was twelve feet tall. He caught the ball gently in his giant hand. 'Play?' he whispered.

Goldie swam through the air beside them. 'I'll be the umpire!'

They played until the moons sank below the dunes. Zed laughed — a rusty sound, like someone who hadn't laughed in a very long time. For the first time in a century, he didn't feel like walking in circles. He felt like he belonged.

'Thank you,' the Sphinx whispered. 'Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is be someone's friend.'

When Lily opened her eyes, she was back in her room. Goldie swam lazily in his bowl, blowing a tiny bubble that popped like a miniature baseball.

Lily touched her curly hair and smiled. Some adventures were real. Some were dreams. But kindness? Kindness was always true.