BALTO: DIVIDED   JENNA                 Kodi woke me up. He looked worried. The moon was still out.  "Hi, Kodi. What's going on that you have to wake me up in the middle of the night for? Is it Balto?" "J-J-J... Just c-come wi-wi-with m-m-me." I got up and followed him. He led me to the boiler room. Kodi stopped and I walked to the door and looked in. I could see why Kodi was like that. I saw my Balto lying down on the floor, fast asleep, next to another female who was lying next to him, resting her head on his back. She too was asleep. I backed off, both furious and shocked. Kodi lowered his head and put his ears back. "I'm sorry to had to show you that, mom." "How long have you known about this?", I said. "Three nights now." "I... I can't... believe... he would do this. He loved me more than anything, and I him. Kodi, has it only been sleeping?" "For the past two nights, yes. But tonight, they uh..." "Are you serious?! Next time I see him, I am going to give him one doozy of an earful!" I went back into the alley in which I had been sound asleep a few minutes ago. I fell asleep. I had dreams in which I killed Balto and felt satisfaction.                                 Morning finally came. I opened my eyes, and Balto was standing in front of me. He said "Hi, Jenna. It's morning. Time to wake up, beautiful." I got up and walked away. Sarcastically (but with a serious look on my face) I said "Oh. Hello… Balto. How did you sleep last night, huh?" He said "Good. You?".  Inside I was so angry I felt like going right for his neck. Boy, was he playing innocent. "Same. Balto, let me ask you something, okay? Do you love me?" He said, "Come on, Jenna, you know I do.". "Do you REALLY love me?" I said to him. "Yes. What are you getting at?" "I know about the last three nights, Balto. Kodi does, too. He's your son." "What are you talking about?" He was being laughably convincing. But I wasn't falling for it. I bared my teeth and snarled at him, "Okay, I'm through dropping hints and cutting right to the chase. Kodi says he saw you sleeping with another female in the boiler room the past three nights. He also says that last night, you did more than that. I'm not even getting into it. You know perfectly well what I'm talking about." Finally Balto fessed up. Good boy. But my worst nightmare was just beginning. Nothing could've prepared me or Kodi for what I heard next. "Yeah, okay, you found me out. I don't really love you, Jenna. Don't like our pups either. Never did. Been pretending all these years. All the times Steele's picked on me? I didn't hate that. All that was just for show. He and I have always been friends. I asked him to do it so I could gain your sympathy and get your attention. That "Balto's-dead-and-he-made-me-promise-to-take-care-of-you" story? I told him to say that. When he gave you your bandanna back? It wasn't really yours. I tore it up after I left and found one that looked just like it, and that had fleas on it. My life and my relationship with you has been one big lie. You always looked so stupid in that ridiculous bandana, you mutt! Fun knowing you while it lasted. Ha!"                 Kodi and I couldn't believe our ears. I was offended! I said to him, yelling it right in his face, "What?! You've been lying to me your whole life? You never even liked me or our pups? Go away, half-breed! I wish I'd never even met you!" I ran away crying. As I ran, even over my sobs, I heard Kodi say "You're just wrong, dad. You are just WRONG! I wish I'd never been born, you mangy wolfdog!".     BALTO                                 Those two familiar words from my past. Half-breed. Wolfdog. Music to my ears. My son said to me " You're just wrong, dad. You are just WRONG! I wish I'd never been born, you mangy wolfdog!". "Ah," I said, "Sweet music. You'll pay for that." I immediately lunged at him and bit down on his neck as hard as I possibly could. He was squirming like the worthless mutt he was. He was gasping for air and rasping, "Stop! You're hurting me you idiot! LET GO OF ME!" I didn't. Only after he stopped moving and gasping did I release him. I lowered my head and put an ear to his chest. No heartbeats, no breath, no nothing. Good, I thought. Now I've told Jenna what I've wanted to tell her for years. I felt no regret, no remorse for what I said. I walked away until I found Steele. I told him what I just did. He and I were laughing as I told him. "And finally she was like 'Go away, half-breed! I wish I'd never even met you!' and ran away crying. Ha! So pathetic." I said to Steele, finishing up my story. "Good job, Balto! But the plan is not yet over. You must sever all ties with her. Accomplish the plan, and you and I will be the boss dogs of this town along with your real true love, Susitna. ". Then Susitna came in. "Hi, Balto!" she said to me.                                  My Susitna was a beautiful dog, more beautiful than that mutt Jenna. She had these pretty amber eyes that always seemed to glow, even on moonless nights. She had a smooth black coat, interrupted only by a patch of white on her chest. She also had a voice whose beauty was matched only by my mother Aniu's.                 "So," she said, "is the plan complete?" Steele said "No. Only when he gets rid of Denin, Lutak, Saba, and Aleu will the plan be complete. Jenna has always been a serious threat to Nome. She holds a secret that could cause war if revealed. We must get rid of her as well. Susitna, you do that. Balto, you take care of Aleu and Saba. I'll handle the rest. Now let's move." We all filed out of the alleyway and split up. I headed out toward the woods. Steele and Susitna headed down the street in opposite directions.     1 WEEK LATER                                                            JENNA                   I watched Steele, Balto, and the female come back from different directions. The secret locked in my head would not allow the half-breed to live. He must be eliminated.                                                                                                   STEELE                                 We all met in the alleyway. The plan was one step away from completion. We had to get rid of Jenna, The Copper One. That was what all the dogs in Nome secretly called her. They knew her name was not really Jenna. They did not know her real name. Only I knew. And I was the only other dog who knew her secret. "So… Balto, Susitna. Our plan is near completion. The children of The Copper One have been eliminated.                                                                                                   JENNA                                 As night fell, I sat down on a snow hill far from Nome. The town was a small smudge of light in the distance. I closed my eyes and pointed my head toward the sky. I heard the voice of the Dark One coming from my right. I opened my eyes, and there sat the Dark One, a wolf so black, I could barely even see him. The only things I could make out were his glowing amber eyes. Daughter, has the half-breed been taken care of? he said to me in thought-speak. No, father. I responded, also in thought-speak. We must remove him as soon as possible. The citizens of the town in which he currently resides respect him. But he and two others have eliminated your children, including one of our comrades, the one known as Aleu. This is an outrage amongst our pack, Katala. Soon, the dogs of that town will rise against us.

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