Blitz bolted from behind a trashcan, panting hard. He quickly took shelter under a woodpile that was stacked nearby, trying desperately to cram himself in the tiny crevice. Peeping into the crack of light, he scanned the premises for the feared enemy.

Blitz wondered if his hard breathing was a dead give away. He forced himself to regulate his panting. If he was discovered, then he’d surely be dead...just like Haywire. Blitz tried to shake the memory out of his mind, but it stuck to his brain like frostbitten fingers on a sled. He shivered.

Haywire was right next to him, panting, just like he was now. As Blitz was peeking around a corner, he didn’t realize the dark shadow come creeping up from behind. All Blitz ever heard was a snarl, followed by Haywire’s scream. He quickly bolted, but not before stealing a glance behind his shoulder; Haywire lay on the ground, not moving. The growling shadow was hunched over him. And that was it. Haywire was gone. Finished...And now, only Blitz was left – but not for long.

Suddenly, Blitz’s crack of light was overshadowed. A dark figure seemed to materialize out of nowhere. It stopped for a moment in front of Blitz’s woodpile.

This was torture. TORTURE!! Blitz didn’t even know dogs could sweat as his fur suddenly became damp and sticky...or was that just his hiding place?

The figure growled as it lowered its head and sniffed at the ground.

That’s it, Blitz thought. It’s over. I’m dead. Goodbye, everyone!!

However, Blitz quietly had to clamp his paws over his muzzle to keep from gasping when the dark shadow barked and dashed forward, out of view.

Blitz sat there...in his musty hiding place...waiting. Ten seconds. Thirty seconds. Forty-five seconds. One minute. Blitz heaved out a sigh. One full minute of painful, agonizing silence has passed, and not even a snapped twig could be heard in between. Blitz looked around the crack of light one last time. Quietly, he slithered out from the crevice. He kicked out the snow and dirt in his fur.

What a rush, he thought. I have this thing in the bag. Nothing could ever go wr—

Blitz’s thoughts of his miraculous escape were interrupted when a rumbling snarl erupted from behind him. Horrified, Blitz spun around to see the devilish shadow glaring at him. It didn’t run away – it had quietly leapt on top of the woodpile! Haywire’s bulged eyes wandered to the figure’s eyes, which seemed to glow with an eerie red aura. But what was even more surprising was that Blitz recognized the figure.

“...Haywire?” Blitz gasped.

The shadow didn’t answer. Instead, it jumped in the air, aiming for Blitz’s throat. Blitz was normally quick-minded; the petrifying fear paralyzed his senses. The dark figure landed on top of Blitz, pinning him firmly to the ground.

Correction, Blitz thought to himself. NOW I’m dead.

The Haywire-ish figure lowered its snarling head ever closer to Blitz’s throat. Just when Blitz thought it’d clamp down in his esophagus, it spoke.

“Tag – you’re it.”

Blitz’s face fell. “Gerroff me, ya mutt!!” he pushed Haywire away, and Haywire fell to the ground, gasping for air as he burst out laughing.

“I totally had you eating out of my paw! You should’ve seen the look on your face!! Hahaha, it was priceless, I tell you, PRICELESS!!”

Blitz drooped to the ground. He did have to admit things went a little too far with this whole hide-and-seek game...if that was even what they were playing.

From behind Haywire, Blitz heard another laugh. Ambyr trotted up to them, a wide smile stuck on her face. “Don’t let it get to ya,” she said. “You had the same look on your face Haywire did when I got him!”

Haywire suddenly stopped laughing. “THAT? That wasn’t even funny. You nearly gave me a heart attack! Didn’t you even feel any remorse for me after I fell to the ground?”

“Haywire, you fainted,” she chuckled. “I had to spit in your face to get you to wake up.”

Now, Blitz started laughing. Ambyr joined in also, and before they knew it, Haywire shrugged and did the same.

A voice in the air interrupted their little moment. “I hope I’m not intruding on anything.”

The three dogs looked up to see a familiar hawk come swooping down, and land on a nearby tree with no leaves. It ruffled its feathers and pecked at its talons.

“Oh, it’s you,” Ambyr said glumly.

The hawk looked at her, surprised. “Aw, come on, you’re not still mad about that whole saw mill incident, are you?”

Haywire perked his ears and wagged his tail. “Not me! That’s another time Blitz lost his fur! Remember when you thought I was a ghost?” He resumed laughing.

“Yeah...whatever,” Blitz said unenthusiastically. “Say, what are you doing here anyway, Hark?”

Hark lifted his head and spread his wings – a hawk’s shrug. “I was on my way back home from Juneau. Thought I’d stop by Nome for a while, and drop down on some very good friends of mine.”

Ambyr gave a light growl. “Oh, how veery considerate of you.”

Turning his head, Hark glared back at her. “...I wasn’t referring to you.” He shuffled his feathers some more. “Anyway...hide and seek, huh?”

Blitz looked up at him. “No one’s ever too young to do anything!”

“Indeed,” Hark replied. “Not bad for a wood pile, eh?”

Blitz shrugged. “Make do with whatcha got.”

“Excellent,” Hark said. “Because I know a place where you guys can get the REEAL hide-and-seek experience.”

Haywire walked closer to Hark’s tree. “Really? Where?”

Ambyr got up and walked in front of Haywire. “Oh, no! We’re not falling for that again!” She looked at Hark. “We’re not interested.”

Hark laughed. “Come off it. I’m a hawk; I saw how you were all into the game. How would you like to double the fun?”

“Sounds good to me,” Haywire said. “How ‘bout you, Blitz?”

He hesitated. “Well...I don’t know...”

Haywire nudged him menacingly. “Why – you’re not...scared, are you?”

Blitz growled at him. “Will you quit reminding me? Yeah, sure, I’ll go – but only to get the pleasure of seeing your ugly face twist and cower in feeearr.”

Haywire dug his paws over Blitz’s head, and gave him a noogie. “Whatever, lap dog.” He then turned to an unhappy Ambyr and smiled. “Two against one. You lose!”

Ambyr rolled her eyes. “Tell you what – I’m going to sit this one out in the boiler room. Call me when you two realize you’re complete...morons.”

And with that, she turned and strode away. Haywire called after her. “Suit yourself, Ice Queen!”

Hark didn’t wait to provoke this any longer. He jumped off his perch and swooped beside Haywire. “Over here, this way,” he said.

Hark led them to the outskirts of town, where a field littered with trees and shrubs was waiting. Haywire gaped...so did Blitz. They never knew so much green existed anywhere near Nome. The grass was so soft and wavy. The trees were monstrous and shady. Everything...was...perfect.

“Wow, you were right, Hark!” Haywire said.

“What did I tell ya?”

Blitz still couldn’t say anything. The scene was truly hypnotizing. But Haywire brought him out of his trance by punching him lightly on the shoulder. “Not it,” he said. He wagged his tail playfully as he ran off, and disappeared behind a wall of bushes.

Blitz barked as an acceptance, and took off after Haywire. Hark then chuckled to himself and flew away.

Haywire glided over the ground, careful not to snap any twigs or bend any branches on his way. He ran a good fifty feet when he finally stopped and huddled under a shrub. Realizing his breath was about to give him away again, he forced himself to calm down, and wait for the adrenaline rush to end. Haywire lay there, hidden and quiet for about two minutes. He was about to get up and move to a different spot when a shadow suddenly came into his view.

Haywire’s ears perked, and his heartbeat began to pick up again. He watched the shadow as it silently drifted through the trees in front of him.

Who’s got things in the bag NOW, Haywire thought with a smile. He stealthily crawled his way behind the shadow, making as little noise as possible. Right where I want you, Blitz.

Haywire dreamed the precious look of Blitz yelping in terror as Haywire sprang from the brush. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Cautiously, Haywire readied himself, taking careful aim of his target. When all systems were a go, Haywire leapt up in the air, snarling furiously at the shadow.

Wow. Blitz really packed on the pounds in the last two minutes, Haywire thought in mid-air. The rusted gears in his head were spinning out of control when he made another shocking observation. Why is Blitz...standing on two legs? And holding a boom-boom stick in his hands? And why is he...aiming it at me?! Wait...that’s not Blitz...is it? No – it’s...HOLY BONEYARD, A HUMAN!!!

Haywire desperately tried to change course as he came ever nearer to the hunter. The hunter’s “boom-boom stick” spat out a shower of sparks, and a whizzing ball of lead screamed its way past Haywire’s head, narrowly missing him by inches. Haywire shifted his weight to the side, and landed hard on the ground. Not waiting