The Zombie Who Loved Orange Sunsets

Lily's goldfish, Sparkle, wasn't ordinary. Every full moon, Sparkle would swim to the surface of her bowl and whisper secrets.

"Tonight," Sparkle said, "you must visit the old palm tree on the hill. There's someone lonely there."

Lily grabbed her flashlight and tiptoed outside. The palm tree's leaves swished in the breeze like sleepy green fingers. beneath it sat a creature—gray skin, stitches on his cheek, one eye slightly crooked.

Lily gasped. "A zombie!"

The zombie shook his head slowly. "Not scary zombie," he rumbled. "Gardener zombie. My name is Zed."

Zed showed Lily what he was guarding: a tiny orange sapling glowing with magic light.

"This tree," Zed explained, "grows friendship oranges. But it needs someone to believe in magic."

Lily's eyes widened. "I believe!"

She pressed her palm against the soil. Sparkle bubbled in her bowl (which Lily had brought along). Together, they wished with all their hearts.

The orange tree sprouted instantly! Round oranges popped into existence, each one shimmering like sunset clouds.

Zed's gray skin began to warm. His stitches softened. "You helped me break my loneliness curse," he said, his voice sounding more alive. "For 100 years, I waited for someone who wasn't afraid."

Lily picked the biggest orange and split it into pieces. One for Zed, one for Sparkle, one for herself.

"Friendship tastes even better than magic," Lily said.

And every sunset after that, Lily, Zed, and magical Sparkle sat under the palm tree, sharing friendship oranges and watching the sky turn orange—just like the fruit that had taught them that the scariest things sometimes just need a friend.