The Zombie Who Loved Baseball

Max loved baseball more than anything. Every Saturday, he'd grab his glove and run to the park, where his friends were waiting. One sunny afternoon, as Max was running toward home plate, he spotted something strange shambling behind the old oak tree.

It looked like a zombie! Max froze. The creature had messy greenish hair and walked with a wobbly stagger. But then Max noticed something odd—the zombie was carrying a baseball glove.

"Hey!" Max called out bravely. The zombie jumped and almost fell over.

"I'm sorry!" the zombie said in a shy voice. "I'm not really a zombie. I'm Sam, and I'm dressed up for my cousin's Halloween party. I saw you playing baseball and... well, I love baseball too."

Sam's face was painted green, and his clothes were all torn and tattered. He looked so nervous that Max's fear melted away.

"Do you know how to play?" Max asked.

Sam nodded eagerly. "I've been practicing in my backyard every day."

Max smiled and waved his friends over. Soon, Sam was part of the team. He wasn't scary at all—he was funny and kind, and he could hit the ball farther than anyone!

During a break, Max's mom called him on his iPhone to remind him about dinner. Max held up the phone. "Hey Sam, want to take a picture with us? We're the Baseball Zombies now!"

Sam's green-painted face lit up with the biggest smile Max had ever seen. They all huddled together, Max held up the iPhone, and *click*—the perfect photo captured their new friendship.

As the sun set, Max learned an important lesson: sometimes the scariest things turn out to be the most wonderful friends, especially when you share a love for baseball.