Fact or Fiction?
Nome, Alaska, midnight, 1925;
Balto was sound asleep, having a dream about being in a sled race. He was just about win when something woke him up. He yawned and looked around, there wasn't a light on in town, it must of still been night. "Why is it the good dreams you can't finish?" he asks himself with a laugh. That's when he noticed his blanket. "How did? Of course, she wouldn't take no would she?" He walks over to where Tina was asleep, she looked frightened and was mumbling to herself, he guessed she was having a nightmare. "Tina? Wake up." He nudged her with his paw. She jolted awake quickly, her head slammed hard into Balto's. He fell backwards but caught himself. He shook off the impact and turned back to Tina. The young husky was panting and gasping while looking around her, frightened. "Tina, calm down, you just had a bad dream."
"A bad dream? Yes, that's right." said Tina, she calmed down and began to rub the top of her head with her paw. "Ow! What'd I hit?"
"Well…" Balto rubbed his own head.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry."
"Its fine, accidents happen."
"Thanks for waking me, that was a pretty freaky nightmare and trust me if I say something's weird, its weird."
"Want to tell me about it? It might make you feel better."
"I'd rather not."
"Alright but if anything's bothering you, I'll listen. That's what friends are for."
Tina nods as Balto turns back to go to his spot on the deck. "…Balto?"
Balto stops and looks over his shoulder. "Yes?"
"I do want to tell you…"
Balto walks back over to her. "Alright. I don't know how much I'll be able to help, I'm not the best when it comes to telling what dreams are supposed to mean."
"Yes, I seem to remember that."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What do you think?"
Balto realizes she was referring to something in his future. "I get it. Now tell me about this nightmare."
"This dream, it was scary because I didn't understand it. It was just…I don't know. Maybe I should just tell you the whole dream."
"That might help."
Tina woke up and looked around, to her shock she was in an ally back in New York City. "Warp must of worn off. Shame I didn't get to say goodbye to Balto and Jenna." she said. As she got to her feet, she heard something coming from the next ally. She quickly ran over. She saw a rather large, gray, male husky walking down the ally, grumbling to himself.
"Daddy, wait up!" yelled a soft female voice. The male looked back and Tina follow his gaze to see a red and white husky pup running up to him, Tina thought the little dog looked rather cute but was strangely familiar. Her paws lost their grip and she fell but got right back up and chased after her father. The father however, didn't acknowledge her and just continued to walk away. The little dog cocked her head in confusion. "Daddy? Where are you going?" Her father just kept walking and she continued after him. "Can't you hear me?" Her father deliberately sped up, irritated. "Why won't you talk to me?"
The adult spun around with anger in his face. "Don't you understand you worthless mutt?! I don't love you or anyone related to you! Especially that lying mother of yours!" he yelled.
The pup backs away, whimpering with her tail tucked between her legs and tears in her eyes. "Did I do something to make you mad? I'm sorry." She began to cry.
Tina felt like crying herself, she felt sorry for the young dog. "Poor thing." she said and tried to put her paw on the pup's shoulder but to her shock, it just passed right through. She tried repeatedly but the same thing kept happening, she began to get scared.
"I hate you! Now go home, I never want to see your face again!" yelled the father. The pup refused to move, she only cried harder. "Fine then." He roughly grabs his daughter by the back of the neck with his teeth, making sure he drew blood before violently throwing the helpless animal into a trashcan nearby, knocking it over. Tina thought she heard the sound of breaking glass and a loud yelp of pain. "Good riddance." said the male before walking away.
Tina couldn't believe what she had just seen, that dog had just tried to kill his own daughter. She tried to bite the male but had a similar effect to when she tried to touch the pup. "What is going on here?" she asks herself, she was starting to get really scared. She went to check on the young dog.
The pup staggered out of the can and collapsed. She had landed on a broken bottle, several shards remained lodged in her back, a rather large one in her right shoulder. Tears streamed down her face. "Why'd he hurt me? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, confused.
"Poor thing." Tina looked the little dog over, when she looked at the head, she recoiled in terror. The pup had the exact same marking as her and the same tuff of fur over the eye.
"So the pup was you?" asked Balto.
"Yeah, that's what's so strange. I don't know why I'd have a dream like this, I don't remember anything like that happening to me and I've never seen it happen but it seems so familiar." replied Tina, clearly upset.
"You're right that is weird. I've never had a dream like that ether."
"I just don't know what it means. I'm so confused and…" Tina didn't know why but she just wanted to cry. She didn't want Balto to know but he saw it anyway.
"Its alright if you want to cry, I'm the only one here and I won't make fun of you, I promise." He made sure his voice sounded reassuring.
Tina broke out crying, Balto put his paw over her back to comfort her. Tina cried for she didn't know how long before she stopped. "Thank you."
"For what? I didn't do anything."
"Yes you did, do you know anything about your father?"
Balto recoiled slightly, she had caught him off guard. "Just that he was a purebred husky and he made me feel safe, can't remember much else."
"I can't remember anything about mine, I remember my mom told me he left when I was very young but I know he didn't do what happened in that dream, he couldn't have. When he wasn't there for me, the stories about you were. In a way I guess, you were like a father to me, thank you for that." She didn't know if her father had done that but she prayed he hadn't.
Balto didn't know if he deserved that but he felt proud. "You're welcome."
"And thanks for listening, no one listened to me except my mom and my big brother and I haven't seen ether in a really long time."
"Why?"
"I haven't seen my mom since I was adopted by the cruel man I mentioned before and my brother…he died right in front of me." That was one of the most awful memories she had and she'd never stopped having nightmares about it ether.
"I'm sorry to hear that." He could see that deeply distressed Tina, that she blamed herself. "It isn't your fault, bad things happen."
"Thanks…Think we should be getting back to sleep?"
"Yeah." Balto turned to get back under his blanket but stopped. "If you'd like, I think there's enough room under here for us both. Rosy goes to sleep with her parents when she has a nightmare, well Jenna told me she does and I hear most human children do. You said I was like a father to you so maybe it would keep you from having another nightmare."
"Maybe…"
"And evidently, that's the only way to stop you from being cold seeing as you won't take the blanket yourself."
Tina chuckled nervously. "I didn't want you to be cold" she said.
"I understand." said Balto, smiling. The two crawl under the blanket and go to sleep.
The next morning, Balto and Tina were walking to Jenna's house, both panting some. They'd raced again, Balto had won but it was very close. "I'll beat you next time." said Tina.
"We'll see." said Balto. He caught sight of his reflection in a puddle, it reminded him of something Steele said, it bothered him so he decided to ask. "Do you think I look mangy?" He felt a little awkward asking but he had to get it off his mind.
"Not mangy, you're fur is messy but it's a good look for you." Tina smiled and caused Balto to smile. "And I think Jenna would agree."
"Balto!" called Jenna happily as she ran out from behind a corner, she slipped and ended up coming to a stop with her nose touching Balto's. She steps back and both smile, embarrassed, Tina breaks out laughing.
"Jenna, we've got to stop meeting like this." said Balto, remembering the last time.
"Actually, I kind of like it." with that, Jenna licked Balto on the cheek.
Balto smiles, he would of blushed if dogs could. "Well…Did you sleep alright?"
"Yes, I felt better knowing Tina was there with you. I was coming to visit you for a change but you're early."
Balto smiled. "Tina got me up on time and we managed to avoid Steele."
"That's good, think he's given up?"
"I doubt it, Steele doesn't seem like one who gives up without a major fight." said Tina, if she remembered correct, Steele messed with Balto until Balto's pups were born.
"She's right." said Balto, a little upset by that.
Jenna decided she better change the subject. "So Tina did you sleep well?"
"Pretty well. Thanks for asking." said Tina.
"Your welcome."
"Tina, do you want to tell Jenna about your dream? She probably can give you a better answer than I can." asks Balto, Jenna was better at this kind of thing than he was.
"Yes, I would if that's ok with you Jenna." said Tina.
"I don't mind, I'm glad to help if I can." said Jenna.
Tina tells Jenna about her nightmare and her own father, managing not to cry this time. "What do you think?"
Jenna thinks for a few minutes before coming up with an answer. "Just so I'm clear, you have no memory of your father?" she asks.
"Right, come to think about it, most of my younger years are a blur."
"Tina…do you think this could be a memory you didn't want to remember?"
Tina looked stunned for a minute, she hadn't even considered that. "A suppressed memory? I suppose that's possible." Tina didn't want to believe it could be true, that her father could do that to her.
Balto thought of something. "Tina, let me see your shoulder." said Balto. Tina complies and Balto parts some of the fur with his snout. He looks shocked. "Tina, if that glass cut into your shoulder, there'd be a scar right?"
"Yes there should be."
"Like this one?"
Tina looks in a puddle of melted snow to see that there was a scar going across her right shoulder in the exact same place the pup in her dream was cut. She gasped, it was true but she wished it wasn't. "So my dad really did that to me?" Tears began to form in her eyes, she thought she could feel her heart breaking, she felt sick.
Balto and Jenna nod grimly. "It looks that way."
Tina begins crying even harder than before. Jenna put her paw on Tina's back. "I'm sorry Tina, I shouldn't have said that." said Jenna, feeling a little guilty.
"No, thank you, I needed to figure it out." said Tina, trying in vain to wipe the tears out of her eyes with her paw. "I always thought he loved me but he beat me up and left me to die, I was such a fool." she said quietly, she was furious at herself for letting her think that lie for so long.
"You just wanted to think your father loved you, you wanted him to, no one can blame you for that. I probably know better than anyone what its like to want to be accepted by someone who won't, there are still both dogs and humans in this town that don't trust me. If anyone's at fault here, its them, not me or you." said Balto, offering what comfort he could and getting a smile from Tina.
"Thank you, those stories I was told were there when my father wasn't, both of you are so brave and that encouraged me to keep going. I guess your still here for me huh?"
"I'll help you as much as I can."
"Me too." said Jenna, smiling.
"I'm not sure what to say except thank you." said Tina.
"Your welcome." said Balto with a grin.
"So what should we do with the rest of the day? Wish I had been sent back in time for a sled race."
"Well I've got to see if Boris is on his way back, Tina you said Jenna's history isn't recorded well, why don't you get to know her better?"
"Fine with me, what could happen?" Of course Tina knew something very bad could happen, just because the Outsider hadn't shown up yet didn't mean it wouldn't but it was alright for the moment and she was still very determined to enjoy her time with her idols.
"Alright, just don't take too long." said Jenna as she nuzzles Balto.
"I'll do my best." said Balto before running off.
"You're very lucky to have him Jenna, hope one day I can find one like him one day, wolf half and all but so far all I can find is dogs like Steele." said Tina, faking a disgusted face at the end.
Jenna laughs. "I think we're going to get along just fine." she said.
Yeah, Tina probably wishes she hadn't remembered that. Don't worry, next chapter is pretty lighthearted and funny to make up for it. See you next time!