had Sylvie smile, if not because an other reason than gossip. The female who addressed me as Jenna’s daughter was a white and cream husky, with brown eyes. She seemed nice, and spent more time with me than the others. But I think it’s because she wanted to know how a puppy’s mind was at that state.

   After a while, I was telling all the dogs about how I loved to go to the beach, and play in the water with Uncle Boris and my siblings. The female mentioned that maybe she should let Uncle Boris baby sit her pups. And I covered my mouth with my paws, claiming that I’ve said too much. That made all the dogs in the room laugh, and made me happier.

 ‘ Joy? What are you doing here?’ A soft and familiar voice asked from the doggy door. I looked around, and smiled when I saw my mother. I stood up and ran to her, hugging her in greeting. All the females went in awe when they saw this.

    I asked her if she knew where dad was, and she said he was in the other room, congratulating and hanging out with the father of the pups. I ran out the door, and into the other room, where all the chatting ceased, and I found papa. Pretty soon after that, me and the others were listening to the story of how he saved Nome, including the female dogs.

   “One night, mom sang us a song she said that was hers and daddy’s song. It was called Reach for the Light. As she sang it to us, trying to teach it, we sat by the fire, humming along in our mind. I asked mom where daddy got it,

“ From a dream, Saba.” Was her answer.

     When we got to sleep, Joy woke me up suddenly. I told her to go back to sleep and let me rest, but she insisted. After more pleading, I finally gave up, and quietly followed her upstairs, and into a room full of toys. Apparently it was a playroom. I looked around, and was about to explore, until my sister pulled on my ears. She told me that we should practice singing, and then we could explore around.

     I shrugged, and we started to sing. Actually, we just sang the notes. Do Re Mi, the basics. Once we mastered them well enough, we headed to bed. I slunk next to mom’s side, and soon after fell asleep.

     The next night, we did the same thing. Me and my sister would go upstairs to sing with a recorder we found in Rosy’s room, and we’d sing along with the lullabies, vocalizing together.

      Finally, after a couple of days, we learned daddy’s song. Joy was especially happy, cause that night we’d be able to sing together, with words too. Still not used to getting up, Joy had to beg me once more for me to get up, and I did.

   Climbing up the stairs, we warmed up our voices, and then started singing. We made ten or twelve errors, but Joy thought it was a good number, since we had just learned the song that day.”

    “ We stayed up much later that night, practicing the song. Luckily, a bucket of water in the morning was able to keep us wide awake. I always woke Saba up, telling her to come on and practice with me. Pretty soon she was used to it, and then I was the one being waked up. But, I didn’t hesitate like my sister. The instant she said up, I was up.

    We enjoyed greatly singing together, and soon enough it became a habit. One night, it was raining and thundering outside, and I was scared to leave my mom. Saba insisted for me to come with her, but I wouldn’t budge from our mother. After a while, and I had heard no more thunderclaps, I got up and walked with Saba, we went up the stairs, and into the playroom. Once there, we started warming up, singing Do Re Mi and such.

     Ready to sing, we were opening our mouths, but instead of a voice, a thunderclap. Startling at it’s sound, I ran and hid behind a toy trunk. Whimpering, I wanted to go downstairs, and nuzzle with my mom. I looked around, but didn’t see Saba. I called her name, and nothing. Soon enough, the light went on, and I saw Rosy there, nudging her eye with her hand, and my mother by her side.

      I whimpered, and Rosy looked around, suddenly more awake. Jenna walked around, and called for us to come out, although she didn’t know who was there. I shot out, and nuzzled my mother, getting more scared as another thunderclap rang through my ears. She licked me, and comforted me, trying to calm me down. And it did, a little.

      I asked her where was Saba, and she looked up, calling her name. Just like before, no response. She started sniffing around, as Rosy held me in my arms to keep from still getting scared. My mother kept looking around, calling Saba’s name, but no response. Then, she heard a thump, and walked towards a pile of stuffed animals.

    Picking out a toy, one by one, I soon saw red fur standing out from the rest. My mother nudged it, and soon Saba’s face appeared. Jenna sighed, and grabbed her by the scruff, then taking us both back to bed."

     "One night, when only cold winds surrounded the empty streets, separated from me and my siblings thanks to the shed, I asked Saba if she could lend me her stuffed teddy bear she found in the pile of animal toys the other night. She said no, and I don’t blame her, for she’s very attached to it.

     Thinking for a moment, I realized something, and built up a plan inside my little head. That night, as every one was asleep, I stood up and looked at Saba, who was sleeping next to me. Gently grabbing the teddy bear she held in her paws, I ran away, and then returned back, ready to sleep.”

“ That morning, I woke up, and yawned. Something didn’t feel right, and I realized my teddy bear Willow wasn’t with me. Almost bursting up in tears and crying, I started searching for him, waking up the rest of my siblings in the process.

   I found Willow nowhere, and cried to my mother that Willow was gone, and had disappeared. I saw Joy half smiling, and got mad at her, asking where was my teddy bear. The only thing she said was,

‘It’s for your own good.’

    Confused and depressed, I pounced on her, threatening her even to give me back my stuff Willow, but she stubbornly refused. I knew I couldn’t hurt the closest sister I had, so                                                                                 I layed on the ground and cried, wanting my Willow so badly. My mother scolded me, telling me to behave well, but I didn’t listen and kept crying. Suddenly, I stopped and laughed as hard as I could, yelling for my attacker to stop.

  Joy was tickling me in the tummy, looking everywhere for a new place to torture me. I laughed and laughed, my abdomen hurting oh so much. Finally, she stopped, and by then, I had forgotten about Willow (can’t believe that happened) and rough housed with her and my other siblings.

  A couple of days later, and I was outside the shed, admiring the light blue sky that surrounded us with what seemed an eternity. Joy walked up to me, she smelled dirty, as if having been digging somewhere else. Another scent mixed with hers, and it seemed familiar, but I ignored it, not looking once at my sister.

   She talked with me, and then just happened to bring up the subject of Willow. I turned my head to face her, wondering why’d she talk about it with me, and I saw my familiar teddy bear between her jaws, carrying the same strong earth scent as her. I smiled as my face brighted up and I grabbed him, then walking off with him, carrying my head up high, being careful as not to get him any dirtier, a cheerful spark of hope in my eyes.

One morning, when we went to visit daddy, and would stay with him as I saw mama talking to him, about something. I thought about a moment, maybe she was talking to him about what happened the other night. Any way’s I pushed it aside, and kept on playing with uncle Boris, just like the others.

   That afternoon, an idea popped into my head and whispered it into Joy’s ear. She nodded with me, and both of us went to tell mom and dad that we wanted to sing for them the next day. Daddy asked me if we couldn’t do it today, and both of us said no.

     We’ve regretted saying that ever since the next day, even if my parents know how well we sing, neither of us have had the chance to sing Reach for the Light to them. It was adoption day, and humans took us away.”

“ I lived ever since with a nice man, who studies the wilderness of Alaska. He owns a book store, renting and selling for a living. He’s promised me he’ll never move from Nome, so as long as nothing happens with Joy, I’m fine. Although I wish that something new could happen everyday.

      Inside the house, I sniffed around, shaking uncontrollably, for I wanted my sister to be there, with me. I’m very close with her, and that’s why. I looked up at him, sadness in my eyes, and I whimpered. He shushed me, and calmed me down, stroking my red fur gently, he said he’s never