The Zombie of Willow Lake

Lily loved swimming more than anything. Every sunny afternoon, she'd run to Willow Lake and splash until her toes wrinkled like raisins.

One day, while doing her best fish impression, she saw IT. A green figure stumbled from the cattails. Its arms stuck out stiffly. Its head wobbled. And its hair – oh, that hair! Wild green strands stuck up like it had been shocked by lightning.

A zombie!

Lily's heart hammered. Everyone knew zombies were scary. But this one just stood there, dripping pond water, looking confused.

Then it spoke. "Is this the deep end?"

Lily blinked. "You can talk?"

"Of course I can talk. I'm a person. I'm just extremely mossy."

The "zombie" waded closer. Up close, Lily saw the truth. The green hair was actually soft, wet moss tangled with tiny flowers. The pale skin was just pond mud smeared across a very nice face.

"I'm Milo," he said. "I fell in the marshy part over there."

Lily giggled. "I'm Lily. You looked like a zombie!"

"I feel like one," Milo laughed. "Can you help me get this moss out?"

They spent the afternoon swimming together. Lily showed Milo how to dive. He wasn't scary at all – he was funny and kind. Soon other kids joined them. Nobody was afraid anymore.

That evening, Milo's hair was mostly moss-free. He looked like any regular kid.

"Thanks, Lily," he said. "For not running away."

"For not being a zombie," she grinned.

From then on, the Zombie of Willow Lake became their favorite swimming story. Because sometimes, Lily learned, the scariest things turn out to be the best friends.