Ran for Life

by: Balto

I never thought I would be the leader of a sled team. I was just an outcast, a wolfdog to which no-one wanted nor liked. I always wanted to be on a sled team, but no-one would want me to join their team. I have always wanted to prove myself worthy of becoming a sled dog, but never had the opportunity to do it. I always felt left-out and alone.

But that all changed one cold December night, when a diptheria epidemic plagued Nome and rendered most of the children bed-ridden and dying. The next day, a race was held, to see who would be one the sled team to save the town. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to prove myself worthy of becoming a sled dog. I stepped up to the starting line and prepared myself for the race of my life. The gun was fired, and the race started. I raced my heart out, and to my big surprise and to the surprise of everyone around me, I won first place. It was a very happy moment for me, for once, I have proved myself worthy of becoming a sled dog, for once, I proved that I could do it. For once, I felt like I was somebody in this world.

Unfortunately, this happiness of mine was not to last. My chances of becoming a sled dog was ruined by Steele, the lead dog of the sled team. I was crushed, all my hardwork in the race of my life for nothing. I really felt my whole world collapsed on top of me. I watched as the sled team that was I was supposed to be in, went away to save the town. I mixture of sadness and anger filled my heart. I thought, I would never have another chance.

A few days later, a telegram came in announcing that the sled team was missing. At that time, everyone, including me was disappointed. We were disappointed about the loss of the dogs, and that the medicine would not make it in time. I thought about the children. Those young souls whose lives will be lost without the medicine. I immediately decided to go forth and look for the missing sled team. Maybe there is still hope. Maybe I still have a chance to not only be a sled dog, but also to save the lives of the children.

I embarked on my journey, having a few mishaps, I finally found the sled team. They have been in an accident, and are in complete disarray. But despite their accident, Steele, the lead dog, would not give up the medicine that easily. I tried to convince him to let me help them, but he would not listen. He fought me, and ended up falling of the cliff. At that moment, the other dogs lined up in their positions. To my complete amazement, they handed me the lead dog leash. I could not believe it! I am a sled dog, but a not just a sled dog, I was the lead dog. I led them through twists and turns, until finally, we made it into Nome. It was a feeling of utter happiness, knowing this was it, you have done it, the children are saved. I never thought I could do it, but I did.

Giving up was the only defeat I have encountered. The real victory was not to give up. I will always remember this moment and cherish it all my life. This is that defining moment in the journey of my life wherein I was able to porve myself worthy. I showed them, that being different does not mean being worthless. I will never forget the time I ran for life.

A Night to remember

By: Steele

The hotshot sled dog, the fastest dog around, Nome’s hometown hero, these were just a few of the nicknames I got as the lead dog of Nome. Or at least, I was the lead dog of Nome, until that half-wolf mongrel, Balto showed up and ruined everything. I had it all: fame, glory, honor, just to name a few. But Balto took it away, or so I thought. 

I regret a lot of things in my life, so many opportunities in I shot down myself, but that did not become more eminent one cold December night, when a Diptheria epidemic plagued the town in which my name so gloriously resounds. A lack of medicine, no problem, all I have to do is lead my sled team just like before. It is no big deal. I have done this countless times already.  I could handle anything.

But suddenly, a race was held to determine the fastest dogs to be in my team. There is only room for the best dogs to be able to run in my sled team. I watched the dogs run, and to my shock, that insolent mutt, Balto came first. I am not going to allow a wolf-dog into my team. It would ruin me! I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and I showed the humans what a threat he is to my team. And with that, we left without him. I felt happy with that.  

We reached Nenana without much trouble. We got the medicine and started to head for Nome. At first I thought, this is so easy, where is the challenge? I spoke to soon. Me and my team were struck a fierce snowstorm, and to my horror, we have lost track f everything. And the troubles keep on mounting, we got lost, we slid down an icy hillside, and my musher got knocked unconscious. This can’t possibly get worse, right? Wrong! Balto showed-up and he asked if he could help. No! No! No! I would not let that worthless half-breed steal the glory which is mine! I am the one to deliver this medicine to Nome, and the glory shall be mine.  Despite my warnings, he still tried to take the medicine, so I fought with him. 

Unfortunately, I ended up falling through a cliff. It was all his fault, everything  I worked hard for will go to waste if he gets back to Nome.  I will make sure that does not happen. I messed up his tree markings so that he could not find his way through the blizzard. After which, I found my way back to Nome. Time to turn this story around, I told everyone I was the only survivor, and that Balto is the reason why the medicine would not reach Nome. This was my most brilliant schemes, it brought me more glory and attention than ever before.

That was to be short-lived however, when Balto, and the sled team I was supposed to be leading came rushing into town. At that moment, I said to myself “What have you gotten yourself into?”. Everyone turned against me, I lost all my friends, everyone hated me. Sadness filled my heart as everyone left. It is at that moment, I realized the kind of pain that Balto felt for being different. At that moment I realized my mistakes. I realized, that I was not running for my glory, but was running to save the lives of dying children. I am so sorry, Balto. I am so sorry, Nome. I still hope I could gain the acceptance of the town in which I betrayed.  This night is a night to remember. The night in which I have lost so much, but gained much more.

Mother knows Best

By: Kodi

I am a rookie sled dog, just beginning to learn the tools of the trade but I love my job dearly. My father, Balto, was the fastest dog in Nome, and not to mention a hero. He saved the town of Nome from a diphtheria epidemic long before I was born. My mother, Jenna, keeps telling me how my father was among the best dogs in town, despite being a half-breed. Oh well, like father, like son. My mom always tries to tell what to do ever since I was young. What is good, and what is bad, I already know this stuff. She does not need to tell me twice. 

All was good, me and my sled team always get the job down, despite being late a couple of times. Okay, scratch that, make than most of the time. The US mail’s motto is “Neither snow, nor rain, nor sleet, nor hale, could stop the US mail.” But my fellow sled dogs just said that being late is okay, better late than never. And besides, they can’t replace us, we are the only ones capable of delivering mail through the snow over great distances. It is not like we are going to see wolves, or humans being pack mules and running those great distances. 

Unknown to us, a dark cloud is starting to head for our small little town in the form of a flying winged beast, known as a bush plane. That airborne monstrosity along with its pilot arrived in Nome, and volunteered to deliver the mail. In other words, they want to take our jobs. This is the only reasonable thing I do with my life, I love my job, I won’t let them take it. 

We spied on the conversations of the humans, and we soon heard that a race will determine who would deliver the mail to Nome. This is excellent, we would show that pilot and his flying monster what we are made off. We would prove that dogs are faster than planes. But my dad thinks so otherwise, he thinks the plane would beat the sled dogs hands down. After convincing him how much my job meant to me, he finally agreed to run with us.  

The day of the race, everyone is tense. We knew this would be the race of our lives, our jobs and our futures depended on it. The race started and the plane immediately took the lead. Despite that, we never gave up hope. We reached the target town and left, just before the plane takes-off. We are in luck. We are ahead of the plane for once. We are winning. But then we heard the plane overhead. And we thought it is all over. We reached Nome expecting defeat, but then we realized the plane was not there. We had won. We won! The job is still ours. We kicked the tail out of that plane and its pilot.

All of a sudden, we received word that plane crashed, all the more reason to celebrate. But my dad thinks so otherwise; he says we should try to rescue the pilot. How about no, dad. He tried to take my job, serves him right. My dad went off to look for the pilot, without me. I did not think about at first, I was just so happy that I am still a sled dog of Nome. 

But then, my mom came in. I told her that my dad went off alone to look for the pilot. Then she scolded me for not going with my dad. I said that I could have lost my job because of that pilot. With that she got really disappointed, and told me that my job is more important than a life. She said that there a person out there, dying in the cold, while I am in here celebrating