The Zombie Who Loved Puddles

In the driest, dustiest desert you ever did see, lived a little zombie named Zeb. Now, Zeb wasn't scary — not one bit! He just had green skin, stitches on his elbows, and a smile that stretched too wide. But the problem was, nobody ever stayed around long enough to find out how nice he was.

All Zeb wanted was to splash in water. He dreamed of cool puddles, bubbling brooks, and shimmering lakes. But in the desert? The closest thing to water was the rare morning dew on cactus needles.

One hot morning, Zeb was dragging his feet toward his favorite rock when he heard it — *yip, yip, YOWL!* A small, scruffy dog had tumbled into a deep, sandy hole and couldn't climb out.

Zeb's green heart nearly jumped out of his chest. He hurried over as fast as his zombie legs could shuffle. "Don't worry!" Zeb called. "I'll help you!"

The dog looked up with wide, frightened eyes. But Zeb didn't mind. He reached into the hole with his patchwork arms and lifted the little dog to safety.

"Th-thank you," whispered the dog, whose name was Rusty. "I thought you might eat me."

Zeb laughed, and it sounded like leaves crunching. "I don't eat dogs! I don't eat anything except sand sandwiches — and those aren't very good."

Rusty wagged his tail. "I'm looking for water. My nose says there's some nearby."

Zeb's eyes grew wide. "Water?! Take me with you!"

Together, the zombie and the dog set off. Rusty's nose twitched and snuffled. Zeb shuffled behind, leaving funny footprints in the sand. They climbed over dunes and scrambled through rocky passes.

Finally, they reached a hidden cave — and there it was. A crystal-clear pool of water, sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight that peeked through cracks in the cave's ceiling.

Zeb had never seen anything so beautiful. He splashed and jumped and made the biggest splashes you ever saw. Water flew everywhere! Rusty barked and chased the droplets.

"You're not scary at all," said Rusty, shaking water from his fur. "You're just a big kid who loves to play."

Zeb smiled his too-wide smile. "And you're not just a dog — you're my best friend."

From that day on, nobody in the desert was afraid of the zombie anymore. They saw him splashing with his dog friend, and they learned something important: Sometimes the scariest-looking creatures have the kindest hearts. And true friendship, Zeb discovered, was the greatest treasure of all — even better than water.