The Zombie Who Loved Padel

Emma loved the old padel court behind her house. Every afternoon after school, she'd practice hitting the ball against the cracked wall. Her racquet made a satisfying *thwack* each time it connected.

One stormy evening, as gray clouds gathered overhead, Emma spotted someone standing at the far end of the court. A figure in tattered clothes with messy green hair shuffled slowly toward her.

Emma's heart raced. It looked like a zombie from her storybooks!

"H-hello?" she called out, gripping her racquet tighter.

The zombie stopped. "Hello," it said in a soft, rusty voice. "I'm not here to eat brains. I'm here to play padel."

Emma blinked. "You know padel?"

"I used to be the champion of this court," the zombie said sadly. "Fifty years ago, before I became... well, this." He gestured at himself. "I'm Zed."

Emma lowered her racquet. "I'm Emma. Want to play?"

Zed's eyes lit up. For the next hour, they played the most wonderful game of padel Emma had ever experienced. Zed moved with surprising grace, and his shots were magical.

Suddenly, *flash!* Lightning struck the old metal pole above the court. The whole area glowed with an electric blue light.

When Emma could see again, Zed was changing. His green skin turned pink, his messy hair became neat and brown. The zombie transformation was melting away!

"The lightning!" Zed exclaimed, looking at his hands. "It broke the curse!"

It turned out Zed had been cursed by a grumpy neighbor who hated losing at padel. Only a lightning strike during a friendly game could break the spell.

"Thank you, Emma," Zed said, now a regular boy again. "You didn't run away when I looked scary. You saw me, not what I appeared to be."

From that day on, Emma and Zed were best friends. They played padel every day, and Emma learned an important lesson: never judge someone by how they look. Sometimes, the scariest-looking people just need a friend to help them find their true selves.

And whenever storm clouds gathered, Emma would smile, knowing that lightning isn't just weather—it's magic waiting to happen.