The Zombie Who Loved Baseball

Leo loved his old red baseball hat more than anything. It had belonged to his grandpa, and Leo wore it everywhere—even when he slept!

One sunny afternoon, Leo and his dog Buster were playing catch in the park when the ball rolled behind some bushes. Leo crawled under to find it, but instead of his baseball, he found something strange.

A greenish boy sat there, holding the baseball. His clothes were patchy and his skin looked crumbly, like old cookies.

"Are you a zombie?" Leo whispered, remembering from storybooks.

The boy nodded sadly. "I'm Zed. Everyone runs away when they see me. I just wanted to watch you play."

Buster trotted over and licked Zed's hand. The zombie's face lit up like a lantern.

"You're not scared?" Zed asked.

"My hat makes me brave," Leo said, touching his grandpa's hat. Then he had an idea. "Can you play baseball?"

Zed's eyes widened. "I've always wanted to, but I never had anyone to teach me!"

Leo placed the baseball cap on Zed's head. It fit perfectly. "Now you're part of the team."

That afternoon, Leo taught Zed how to throw and catch. Buster ran after every ball, wagging his tail so hard his whole body wiggled. Zed turned out to be amazing at baseball—his zombie strength helped him hit the ball farther than Leo had ever seen!

When it was time to go, Leo did something surprising. He took off his beloved red hat and gave it to Zed.

"Keep it," Leo said. "So you'll always remember you have a friend."

Zed's crumbly smile was the most beautiful thing Leo had ever seen.

Sometimes, Leo discovered, the scariest-looking creatures just need someone to see them with their heart instead of their eyes. And sometimes, giving away something you love is the best way to make a forever friend.