The Zombie Who Loved Padel

Lily loved three things: her golden retriever Buster, the game of padel, and the old tennis court behind her house. But lately, she'd been hearing strange noises from the court at night.

"It's probably just the wind," Mom said.

But Buster knew better. Every evening, he'd stare at the court, his tail wagging slowly.

One Saturday, Lily grabbed her padel racquet. Buster trotted beside her as she approached the court. Suddenly, a green figure shuffled out from behind the fence!

Lily gasped. It was a zombie! But instead of looking scary, the zombie looked sad. His shirt said "ZACH" and he held a worn-out padel racquet.

"Play?" the zombie asked, his voice rusty like old hinges.

Buster bounded forward, tail wagging furiously. The zombie's face lit up—well, as much as a zombie's face can.

"You want to play padel?" Lily asked.

Zach nodded. "Used to play. Before..." He gestured at himself.

Lily understood. Sometimes people looked different on the outside, but inside they were just like everyone else. "Want to be on my team?"

For the first time, Zach smiled. It was a slightly lopsided smile, but warm and genuine.

They played padel until sunset. Zach was amazing! Every time he hit the ball, it was like magic. Buster chased the balls, bringing them back proudly.

"Best day ever," Zach said as the sun began to set.

"Come back tomorrow?" Lily asked.

"Really?" Zach's eyes widened. "Friends?"

"Friends," Lily agreed.

As Zach shuffled away, Buster gave a happy bark. Lily learned something important that day: sometimes the scariest-looking people just need someone to say "let's play." And a good game of padel—and a friendly dog—can bring anyone together.