Zoe the Zombie: Lost at the Amusement Park

Zoe the Zombie loved the amusement park. The bright lights, the laughter, the smell of cotton candy—it was her favorite place to be. Today, Zoe was at the park with her family: her mom, dad, and her 7-year-old brother Zak. They were going to have the best day ever. Her parents had promised to let her go on all the fun rides, and Zoe couldn't wait.

As they walked toward the first ride of the day, the big roller coaster, Zoe's arms flopped up and down as she skipped ahead, excited for the thrills and adventures of the day. She had always loved the feeling of a roller coaster—it made her feel like she was flying.

"Zoe, wait for us!" her mom called out.

Zoe stopped and looked back at her mom, who was listenkng to Zak talk excitedly about the next ride. "Sorry, Mom!" Zoe said with a giggle. "I'm just so excited!"

After getting in line for the roller coaster, Zoe couldn't wait to get on. The line moved quickly, and soon it was their turn to ride. Zoe climbed into the seat next to Zak with a grin, fastened her seatbelt, and looked behind at her parents.

"Are you ready?" her dad asked, smiling.

Zoe nodded. "Ready!"

As the roller coaster clicked its way up the first hill, Zoe felt butterflies in her stomach. She gripped the armrests tightly, squeezed Zak’s hand and then—whoosh! They were zooming down the track, twisting and turning, up and down, left and right. Zoe screamed with delight as her hair blew in the wind. She loved the roller coaster more than anything!

When the ride finally came to a stop, Zoe's heart was still racing. She couldn't stop smiling. "Woah, that was amazing!" she exclaimed.

Her dad smiled. "Glad you liked it. Let's grab something to eat, and then we'll go on some more rides!"

Zoe and her family wandered to the food court, where they all ordered snacks. Zoe was so excited about the roller coaster that she wasn't paying much attention to anything else. Her stomach growled, and she grabbed the pretzel her dad handed her. She quickly gobbled it up, savoring every bite. When she finished, she threw the wrapper in the trash can nearby.

As she was walking back to her family, her eyes landed on something exciting in the distance—a ride that spun in circles and shot up into the air! It looked so cool, and she couldn't wait to try it.

Just then, she saw a woman wearing a shirt with the same flowers as her mom's walking ahead of her. Excited they were already finished their food she shouted, "Mom, wait up!", and began to follow the woman, thinking it was mom heading toward the cool ride.

As she weaved through the crowd, she kept her eyes on the woman's flowered shirt. But when the woman turned around, Zoe realized with a jolt that it wasn't her mom at all.

"Oh no!" Zoe gasped. "This isn't Mom!"

Her heart began to race. She looked around quickly, but her parents and Zak were nowhere in sight. The crowd seemed to grow bigger, and the sounds of the park grew louder. Zoe felt the panic rising in her chest.

“What should I do?”, she thought. Then she remembered what her parents had taught her: If you ever get lost, stay where you are, shout your our names loudly, and find a park employee like a cast member or security guard to ask for help. They're usually behind a ride or a counter and they will have a name tag. Tell them you're lost and need to find Mommy or Daddy.

Taking a deep breath, Zoe stood still and called out, "Mommy!!!! Daddy!!!! Zak!!!!!"

She hoped someone would hear her. People walked by, some glancing her way. Then she spotted a friendly-looking man wearing a park uniform and a name tag that said "Bob."

He works here! Zoe thought. Remembering her parents' advice, she approached him.

"Excuse me," Zoe said, her arms flopping nervously and almost in tears. "I'm lost. I can't find my mommy or daddy."

Bob knelt down to her level and gave her a reassuring smile. "Hi there! What's your name?"

"My name is Zoe," she replied.

"Nice to meet you, Zoe. I'm Bob. Don't worry, we'll help you find your parents. You're very brave for asking for help," he said kindly.

Bob took Zoe to the park's main entrance, where there was a help desk. A kind woman named Sally smiled at Zoe. "Hi, Zoe! We'll call for your parents right away."

She spoke into her walkie-talkie: "We have a lost child named Zoe at the main entrance. Could the parents please come to the help desk?"

Zoe waited patiently, trying to stay calm. She knew she had done the right thing.

Within minutes, her parents arrived at the help desk, looking worried but relieved.

"Zoe!" her mom exclaimed, pulling her into a big hug. "We were so worried!"

"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad," Zoe cried, hugging them tightly. "I thought I was following you, but then I got lost."

Her dad smiled and patted her back. "You did the right thing, Zoe. You stayed where you were, shouted our names, and asked a park employee for help."

Zak grinned. "You're brave, Zoe!"

Zoe smiled, feeling proud. "I remembered what you taught me."

Her mom kissed her forehead. "We're so proud of you for staying calm and asking for help."

As they walked back to enjoy the rest of the day, Zoe held her mom's hand tightly. She knew now that if she ever got lost again, she could stay calm, shout their names, and ask for help.

That afternoon, Zoe went on even more rides with her family. She was a little more careful, staying close to her parents, but she still had the time of her life. And every time they passed the spinning ride, Zoe remembere

d how she had stayed calm and found help when she was lost.

The End.