The Zombie Who Needed Friends

Tommy loved baseball. Every afternoon after school, he'd grab his glove and run to the park behind his house. The sun warmed his face as he practiced pitching against the old wooden fence.

One Tuesday, something strange caught his eye. Behind the maple tree near the flower garden, someone was watching him. Tommy couldn't see much—just wild messy hair and two curious eyes peeking around the trunk.

"A spy!" Tommy whispered, excited. He tiptoed closer, pretending to tie his shoe. The figure stepped out. It looked like a boy Tommy's age, but his skin was pale green like grass, and he moved slowly, slowly, like he was walking through thick honey.

"Are you... a zombie?" Tommy asked, remembering from cartoons.

The boy nodded. "I am Zed. I woke up in this garden three days ago. I don't remember anything before. But I feel so tired all the time."

Tommy noticed something in Zed's hand—a bright orange bottle. "What's that?"

"I found it in the trash," Zed said sadly. "It says vitamin, but I don't know what that means. I hoped it would help me feel better."

Tommy's eyes widened. "My mom gives me those! They make you strong and healthy! Zed, you need sunshine and fresh food, not old vitamins from the trash!"

Every day that week, Tommy brought Zed fresh fruit from his kitchen. They sat under the maple tree while Zed ate strawberries and apples. His green skin turned rosier. His messy hair grew soft and shiny. He stopped moving slowly.

"Want to play baseball?" Tommy asked on Friday.

Zed grinned. "What's baseball?"

Tommy taught him how to throw and catch. Zed was a natural! His aim was perfect, and he ran faster than any kid Tommy knew.

"You're not a zombie anymore," Tommy said.

Zed looked at his hands, then at his new friend. "I think I was never really a zombie. I was just lonely and hungry. But now I have a friend and good food. That's the best medicine of all."

From that day on, they played baseball every afternoon. And sometimes, they'd still pretend to be spies on secret missions—but the only mystery they ever solved was how two best friends found each other in the most unexpected way.