The Zombie Who Loved Padel

Luna was a curious cat with fluffy orange fur and bright green eyes. Every morning, she padded through the sunny park near her house, watching children play. Her favorite spot was near the padel court, where she'd bat at the little blue balls that flew over the fence.

One foggy afternoon, Luna heard a strange sound. *Thwack. Thwack.* Someone was playing padel alone! She crept closer and gasped.

It wasn't a person. It was a zombie!

But this zombie wasn't like the ones in scary movies. He was a small, green zombie boy with messy hair and kind eyes. He held a padel racket awkwardly in his bony hands, hitting the ball against the wall all by himself.

"Hello," Luna meowed. (Yes, Luna could talk. It happens when you're as magical as she was!)

The zombie jumped. "Oh! A talking cat!"

"I'm Luna. What's your name?"

"I'm Zed," the zombie said shyly. "I just moved here. All the other kids run away when they see me."

Luna's heart hurt. "That's not fair. Want to play padel together? I can be on your team."

Zed's face lit up. "Really?"

Luna jumped onto his shoulder. "Let's do this!"

They played until sunset. Zed was terrible at first, but Luna helped him. "Watch the ball," she'd purr. "Swing like you're painting a rainbow in the sky!" When he finally hit a perfect shot, they both cheered.

The next day, other children gathered to watch. Luna stood tall on Zed's shoulder. "This is Zed," she announced. "He's the best padel partner ever!"

One brave girl stepped forward. "Can I play too?"

Soon, Zed wasn't alone anymore. He had friends — human and cat — who saw past his green skin to his kind heart.

That evening, Luna curled up beside Zed, both of them tired and happy.

"Thank you, Luna," Zed whispered. "I thought I'd always be alone."

"Never," Luna purred. "Real friends don't see what's on the outside. They see what's in your heart."

And under the starry sky, the orange cat and the green boy drifted to sleep, already dreaming of tomorrow's padel game.