Two figures dashed across the beach. From afar it appeared as if the silhouettes were locked in a deadly chase. But then the bigger figure let the smaller one catch up, and they both playfully swatted at each other and dashed away again. The big dog charged through the water and splashed the smaller dog. She laughed at her date. Her fur was a brilliant silvery grey in the moon shine. Luckily, the sky was free of clouds, and the moon and stars shone on without concern.
"Oh Ralph," she said, stepping out of the sea and shaking her fur. Ralph hopped out of the ocean too and mightily shook his fur, which caused his date to get wet. She laughed, sat down and sighed.
Ralph smiled for a second, but then the girl turned her head, and he frowned. "What's wrong Dusty?"
Letting out another sigh, she said, "I don't really know." She gave him a sad look. Ralph looked shocked. He was about to say something, but he didn't know what. Pleased with his reaction, she continued, "I'm just hopelessly in love with an idiot."
Ralph didn't get it at first, but after Dusty smiled, he knew it was a joke.
"C'mon! You seriously didn't know I was faking it," she laughed. "I'm the worst actor in Nome! Everyone agrees. Remember when I tried to fool Kodi into thinking Kirby had a girlfriend. He knew I was lying right away! Ralph, you are soooo gullible!" She swatted him playfully with her tail.
"You!" He said, bumping her with his shoulder and almost knocking her over.
"Hey!" She replied, knocking him back. And then they erupted into a fight of bumping each other. Both tried to knock the other over. Although Ralph had the advantage, he didn't push her two hard. Finally, Dusty mustered all the strength she had, and jumped on Ralph. This caused him to fall backward with a grunt, and Dusty to land on top of him.
They froze. They were only inches from each other. Her small purple-blue eyes stared into his big yellow ones. Not one of them breathed. Both were stuck in the moment. The moment of truth had arrived. Did they like each other enough? Were they ready to become serious? After all, they had only been on one date. And this was it!
Dusty got off of her date and coughed awkwardly. Ralph rose as if he were in a dream. "Such a beautiful night," she said, changing the subject. "Perfect weather…" Dusty wasn't ready to get romantic yet.
"Yeah," Ralph replied. "I heard it's gonna rain tomorrow. Doesn't look like it though…" Ralph was confused; he had never felt this way before. He was unsure of what to do next. Should he remain on date mode? Or go back to friend mode? Suddenly, Dusty made things a lot easier. She rested her head on Ralph's shoulder and stared at the sky.
"Ralph," she said.
"Yeah."
"Do you ever wonder what's out there? You know, in the sky."
"No. Not really."
She peered at the mass of stars. "I always wonder what stars are made of. I mean, how they could just sit there in the sky like that, and the moon too. Wouldn't they fall off?"
"Nah, I bet gravity keeps them up there."
"Gravity? What's that?" Dusty looked up at him.
"Well, Kodi told me it's a metal that makes things stay in place."
"And what do you think it is?" She implored.
"Well I think pretty much the same thing, except that it's an invisible force instead of metal."
"No you silly," Dusty giggled. "Everyone knows that stars are carried by angels!"
They stared at each other again, but this time at a safer distance.
"What time is it?" He asked.
"Why?" She said. "Got a date somewhere?" They looked at each other again, and burst into laughter. Dusty laughed out of nervousness. The butterflies in her stomach were beginning to overtake her.
Suddenly Dusty stood up. "It is getting late, isn't it?" She said.
"I guess," Ralph answered simply, getting up as well. Soon they stood facing each other, gazing into their eyes. Neither of them wanted to leave.
"I should probably go," Dusty said.
"Yeah," Ralph agreed.
"My parents will be wondering where I am…"
"Mine too."
"I shouldn't let them worry; after all, what kind of a daughter would I be if I stayed out all night with a boy." Ralph glanced at her and noticed her two-faced smile.
"Oh." Ralph got the message. Suddenly, he leaned forward in preparation for a nose touch, which is kissing for dogs. His eyes were closed tight, and his neck was extended awkwardly. Dusty shrugged, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and leaned forward too.
Their noses almost touched, and were within millimeters of each other. But then they caught a whiff of something different from the regular smells of themselves and the beach.
"Freeze!" A gruff voice shouted. Both lovebirds whipped their heads around and flung open their eyes.
"You're under arrest! You have the right to remain silent! Anything you say can and will be held against you!" The voice continued. Dusty looked at Ralph. By his expression, he was just as shocked as she was.
Dusty stepped forward. "What's this about?" She asked the Chief of Police's dog, McKinley.
"He knows," McKinley said, motioning his head to Ralph.
"ME!" Ralph gaped.
"Yeah, you!" He growled. "You're comin' with me punk!" All of a sudden the pair noticed four more dogs come out of the shadows and take their place beside the Chief.
"Arrest him boys!" At the command, the four police dogs surrounded Ralph. Ralph knew it was pointless to resist. So with his head held down, and his tail in between his legs, he followed the authorities to the station.
"Ralph!" Dusty called; as she watched the police surround him and disappear into the distance.
She turned to McKinley. "Better get home, little lady," he smirked. "You're parents will be worried sick."
…
"It wasn't like that!" Kirby whined. "If you would only listen I could give you the whole story."
"What?" Kodi said. "That you're in love? Kirby and Kelly barkin' at a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" He laughed.
"Shut up!" Kirby swiped a paw at Kodi's head. Kodi ducked and snickered. The two were seated on the warm floor of the boiler room, where the mail team usually comes after a hard day's run.
"I told you it's not like that!" Kirby growled. "It was a simple misunderstanding, that's all. Plus, I don't usually date eight year old poodles."
"People make exceptions, when it's love."
"That's it!" Kirby stood up and growled.
"Whoa!" Kodi said. "Calm down old timer. I was only joking."
"You callin' me old?"
"If the harness fits!" And then they started wrestling. It wasn't long before they gave up. After all, running as far as they do every single day, makes a dog tired.
Kirby collapsed with a sigh. "I'm bushed," he said.
"Me too," Kodi said, lying down also. He looked up. "Where's Ralph?"
"He and Dusty clocked out about three hours ago."
"Really. Why?"
Kirby shrugged. "Dunno."
"Hmm…" Kodi thought about what that could mean.
"Do you really think I'm old?" Kirby asked, concerned.
"Nah," Kodi said. "You're only a few years older than me. Not as old as your girlfriend though!"
Kirby gave Kodi a hard glare, and they were about to explode into another burst of arguments when they heard rapid footsteps. Before they even had time to look up, Dusty burst through the pet flap.
"Ralph's been arrested!" She cried.
"WHAT!" They shouted in unison. Jumping up, they looked at each other in shock.
"Uh… What… er… how…" Kirby stuttered. He was so stunned he couldn't speak.
"But how could that be?" Kodi said. "Ralph's so harmless; he couldn't even hurt a fly!"
"I know," Dusty gasped, out of breath.
"The only thing Ralph could get arrested for is accidentally sitting on someone," Kirby said.
"Kirby!" Kodi and Dusty groaned.
"This is serious!" She said.
"Okay," Kodi said, taking the lead. "First things first, why was he arrested?"
"I don't know," Dusty sighed. "We were at the beach when—"
"Wait!" Kirby said. "Why were you two at the beach?"
Dusty opened her mouth, as if to speak, when Kodi broke in. "Never mind. Dusty, when did this happen?"
"I don't know, fifteen minutes ago," she said. "I left the beach right after it happened."
"Okay then," Kodi said, deep in thought. "Who arrested him?"
"McKinley."
"Drat. I was hoping you wouldn't say that." If there ever were another dog that despised Kodi's dad, Balto, more than Steele, it was McKinley.
"Well, McKinley must've done it to get to you, Kodi, and ultimately your dad," Kirby offered.
"No," Kodi said. "McKinley would never falsely arrest someone in order to get a rise out of his enemies. No, he's more honorable than that."
"Then why did he do it?" Kirby asked. Dusty watched their conversation in silence. With every minute that went by she was becoming more and more frantic. Just the thought of Ralph in the pound made her sick. His immense form sitting in a dark kennel all alone… How long would it be before anyone came and spoke to him? What if Kodi couldn't bail him out? Everyone knows what happens to dogs that stay in the pound too long.
They had to get him out.
"C'mon boys!" Dusty called, making her way to the doggie door with a new resolve.
"What— where are you going?" Kodi said incredulously.
"I'm gonna get Ralph out of the pound," she answered simply.
"Just hold on a minute," Kodi said. "We can't just go up to the station and demand McKinley to―"
"Just watch me!" And with that she exited the boiler room, and ran into the night with Kodi and Kirby following after. They both sighed. Here goes nothing.
…
The pound was deep inside the basement of Nome's police station. It was made up of numerous kennels. Ralph found the pound to be a very scary place to spend the night. The sound of several dogs coughing, muttering, and growling filled the air. And it was cold. The furnace was the only source of warmth, and it was placed in a far away corner. All of the prison guards were dozing by it. They had nothing to worry about. It was impossible to escape a kennel.
Then the sound of McKinley's bark woke the guards, "Dead dog walking!" Instantly the police sat up and straightened their posture, as McKinley entered the basement with the Chief.
"Such a sad thing, when people abandon their dogs," Chief George Bayou muttered completely ignoring the fact that three of his dogs stood in attention. He descended the last few steps and walked up to the row of kennels aligning the wall. He sighed, "Looks like none of you is getting out anytime soon. We haven't had a man come down here to claim his dog in a long time. Such a shame…"
As he was speaking, McKinley went around intimidating the prisoners. He growled at every kennel. And when he got to Ralph, he gave him a dirty look and an extra special growl. Then he took his place beside his master.
Ralph didn't know what that meant, but it filled him with uneasiness.
"One of you unlucky pups is gonna leave tonight," the chief continued sadly.
McKinley smirked and added. "It's what you deserve, you criminals."
The chief grabbed a rope hanging on the wall close by. The rope had a loop at the end, like a lasso. He sighed again. "Number twenty four."
The last word hung in the air as the prisoners scrambled about looking for whoever was twenty four.
"I'm not it, my number is thirty two," a voice near Ralph said.
"Me neither. I'm thirty nine," an even closer dog said in a raspy voice.
Ralph searched his kennel for the number. As soon as he found it he gasped. It said twenty four.
"Yes!" A young voice relished. "I'm eighteen!" The Chief sauntered into an adjoining room. Unbeknownst to him the scramble for the chosen dog was still going on.
"Who be ye, number twenty four," a broken voice gasped. Ralph tried to speak, but his voice faltered. What would the chief do to him when he put that rope over his head? By what the chief was doing right now, it didn't look good.
Bayou came back into the pound, still holding the rope. "Twenty four," he shook his head sadly. Ralph closed his eyes and braced himself for the imminent sound of his cage being opened. It didn't happen. The chief's footsteps cascaded away, toward the other end of the wall. Ralph opened his eyes and watched as the man opened a kennel, pulled out a scrawny animal, and dragged him away with the rope acting as a leash.
"No!" Twenty four shouted, digging his claws into the concrete floor. "I'm too young to die! I don't wanna die! Please! I don't wanna die!" His voice was cut off as the chief took him through a door on the other end of the pound. Even then one could faintly hear his begging, then silence.
Most of the dogs in the pound were bored, others considerate. But for the newbies, they were terrified. Ralph found himself shaking as the Chief exited the room without the dog. He and McKinley retreated up the steps and out of the pound. Ralph looked at his number again. It said forty two. Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit him and he had to lie down. Ralph closed his eyes and tried to forget where he was. Putting his paws over his ears to drown out the raspy mutterings of a neighbor, Ralph remembered the hours leading up to his arrest.
'Dusty was so beautiful tonight,' he thought. Ahh… Finally, his mind was somewhere happier. He smiled, and fell asleep thinking about his love. 'I'll get out of here soon,' he thought before sleep grasped him. 'And then we can finish our date.'
…
"Dusty! Wait up!" Kodi called. Dusty skidded to a halt. She looked up at the police station. A yellow glow coming from the window spilled out into the night. It cast her shadow horribly across the front door. What ever resolve she had had that brought her here quickly faded into apprehension. She gulped as Kodi and Kirby caught up.
"Okay," Kodi said, bracing himself. He looked once more at his friends and then at the door. Puffing up his chest, he walked up to the doorway.
"McKinley!" He barked, scratching the door.
"What is it?" McKinley growled as his head popped out of the pet flap. When he saw Kodi his face contorted. "Oh," he said. "It's you." He said the word you as if Kodi were something repulsive.
Kodi began hesitantly. "We want to know why you arrested our friend."
"Who?" McKinley asked.
"The big gray one," Kirby broke in.
"Oh… right." McKinley grinned. It was enough to make milk curdle.
"Well, why'd ya do it?" Kirby implored.
"I'm sure you'll find out tomorrow morning."
"Please sir," Dusty broke in. "I need to know."
McKinley regarded her with a smirk. "I remember you," he said. Dusty just stared at him through slits. She was no longer afraid. She was angry.
"Let him out now!" She fumed. "He did nothing!"
McKinley darkened. "I'm sure you'll find he did much more than just nothing." He seemed serious.
"Please, can't you just let us know why he was arrested," Kodi begged.
"I'm sorry, mutt, but that's classified police information." They lowered their heads. "But like I said, you'll hear all about it tomorrow morning. Now you three better get home quick, or I'll have you arrested for loitering after hours."
"Fine," Kodi snapped. "Let's go guys." McKinley's head retreated into the pet flap.
"But Kodi—" Dusty begged.
"Shhh!" He whispered. "Don't worry; nothing's gonna happen to him on the first night." Dusty didn't look to certain. "Let's go to my dad's, he'll know what to do." The trio retreated up the darkened street. Dusty took one more glance at the station. 'Hold on Ralph,' she thought. 'I'm coming.'