Chapter 8

Author's note: Another song in this chapter from The Shack movie soundtrack Keep Your Eyes On Me by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Two years later, I have been adapted to living in Nome. I continue to work in for the Postal Services for Nome and have been being paid regularly to get by. However, since I come to understand of having the bits of the plague, I tried to maintain living outside of the town. Balto was pretty much the adopted parent I never had. Despite of being in the cold, I still kept myself warm at night with more blankets when I sleep in the boat trawler.

Unfortunately, one night changed everything going on forward...


Towards the end of the year like in December night, I was sleeping in the trawler, until I felt bothersome pain in my stomach and I couldn't get some sleep. I continued to toss and turn trying to go to sleep. Balto was deeply asleep and had no idea what was happening until I started coughing.

Balto woke up as I was coughing violently, like I was choking. "Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine... I need sleep." I said. When he went back to sleep. I coughed again and this time, I coughed and lightly vomited red substance, as I was going blurry. Balto woke up again and tried to have me respond to him, but I was disoriented that caused me to faint.

I wasn't sure what had happened, but I could picture myself being carried to the hospital and the doctors started doing medical procedures. When I felt some cheap tubes going through my mouth. My airways became blocked that I couldn't breathe.


In a coma, I awoke to find myself back my Anchorage home, before the plague struck. I walked through the fields of snow that lead a path to the house. I saw my parents were going through their daily routines like a normal family. When a young boy enters the room, they felt joy with happiness that I was running around in the house being a happy family. However, the house started to tear into the house I saw, when Balto took me to Anchorage. It started to fill the entire house with snow falling gently to the rusted, torn floors.

I was than taken back in time again to see myself as a soldier on the battlefields of The Great War. American soldiers were charging towards a position where Germans were firing at them. I saw the same young boy, as a young man, who was afraid that proves dishonor to his corps after his entire unit was wiped out. They also found that his age was seventeen and sent back home. Another transition came and I was in the Yukon Territory, where I lived until I ran away. I saw my adopted parents bashed out me with delusion and under the influence. I saw the young man ran upstairs and came back down with his belongings and moved out.

Time went forward and I found myself back at Anchorage and I was working at a small restaurant. I saw myself as a waiter and waited tables endless, until I saw a beautiful young woman. She had amber eyes with brown hair and she was waiting to be waited. I took a big risk to greet her to a table. I was nervous while she just giggled like I never saw an attractive woman in my life. We talked for a while until my boss caught me not working. She even handed me a note that I chose to read after work.

Time fast forward again to a house. I opened the front door and the house was dark.

Am I a married man? I thought to myself since I forgotten much of the past. Wanted to find out upstairs, I took my first step, until the door slams, as the door reopens and the lights came on. I saw the same getting dressed and was in a hurry. I saw myself going after her. She was upset and sad. I tried to comfort her and try to make her stay. She than became angry that I lied to her because of my illness I hid from her. She started to tear and wished I never see her again. After she opened the door and went outside to the cold snowy storm, she slammed the door leaving me alone.

A final transition was at a doctor's office. I instantly remember that it was the day that I only had a few months to years left to live. The doctor entered the room and told me that my prognosis was positive. Afterwards, he left the room and the room started to tear down and I was than at the empty woods with tall trees and snow.

"I nearly forgotten about my past that long?" I asked myself.

You have. A voice came. I turned around and it was the same wolf I saw back in Nome outside the hospital. Afterwards, she just howled and disappeared into misty air. I looked around and saw a man in a white cloth shirt with brown pants.

"Do you know who I'm?" he asked.

I didn't know what to say, but shrugged in question.

"You should know me back inside the church in Nome." he added.

I think hard to remember and I recall praying and asking for help. "I do remember."

"I know you had a hard past... you need to make peace in full." he said.

"How I nearly forgotten almost everything I caused harm." I added.

"You should remember your friend, who you loved, but turned away... Bella."

That was her name! I even still remember where she lived, but I couldn't write because she was upset since the night that I left. "I don't think she'll remember me and she must have moved on."

"You still remember where she lived. Write to her to ask forgiveness and admit that you loved her." he instructed me.

"If she refuses?" I asked.

"Then move on with your life, importantly ask for her forgiveness." he added.


After he disappears, I knew I had to make things right with her. The forest started to rain, as the snow dissolves into water. I closed my eyes to feel the grace from the raindrops falling on my head. So afterwards, I opened my eyes only to see blurriness and I know my dream was over. I saw what it seems to be a dog, but after my eyes became clear it was Balto. He was lying on top of my stomach sleeping, and I looked around to see I was in the hospital. It was an empty room to see I was the only patient. I untucked the blankets and I left my shirt to see the spot where I could have plague left in me. There wasn't a single spot, I didn't feel pain in my chest. It was miracle that doctors couldn't be able to fix everything, I saw a man outside through the window and smiled. Turning away for a moment and turned back, he was gone.

Keep your eyes on me. The voice came again.

Ain't it just like a tear

The voice of the man started to sing like a hymn.

To go and blur out everything

Ain't it just like glass

To fall and break so easily

Ain't it just like love

To leave a mark on the skin and underneath

Yeah, when the pain goes and shadows everything

Keep your eyes on me

Keep your eyes on me

When it hurts too much to see

Keep your eyes on me

Ain't it the sinner

Who gets all the grace sometimes

Ain't it the saint

Who picks up the pieces left behind

Yeah, and it's human to hurt the one

You hurt the one you love the most

And you can't find the sun

Keep your eyes on me

A voice of a angel came and the door opened to see it was Bella. She started to walk slowly towards me.

When you're lost in the dark

Keep your eyes on me

When the light in your heart is

Too burned out to see

Keep your eyes on me

You swear you're all alone sometimes

Keep your eyes on me

And you can't find your way home sometimes

Keep your eyes on me

Keep your eyes on me

Bella than stops at my bedside and patted Balto's head gently. His tail lightly wags for a comfort dream. She closes in towards me and placed her hand on my cheek.

Keep your eyes on me x4

Keep your eyes on me

When you're lost in the dark

Keep your eyes on me

When the light in your heart is

Too burned out to see

Keep your eyes on me

After she came close to me, she gave me a small kiss and disappears.


I felt that it was my final dream. Balto started to yawn and his eyes started to open. He turned to see I was wide awake. I started to reach my hand over his head and started to pet him.

"Feeling better." he asked.

I nodded. "Don't frighten me something like that again. Please tell me if something is wrong."

I nodded again. "I'm sorry." I apologized. I gave him a hug and I started to cry.

"Thank you."

"For what?" he asked with chuckled.

"For being the adopted father I never had." I replied.

He just let out a smile. "I was only there for you for concern."

I let go. "How long I was here?"

"It has been two days since you arrived." Balto answered. "I thought I was going to lose you again."

A door opened to see the doctor with a note pad with a file. Jenna came through behind him and jumped on the bedside and nuzzled Balto and myself.

"Thank you mom." I said while petting her. She gave me a questionable look and turned towards her mate. He just lifted his shoulders and smiled. She smiled and licked my cheek.

"Well..." the doctor started to open sentences and noticed he was in a awkward moment. He opened his file.

"So Bret... is there anyone else you're expecting?" he asked.

I looked around and turned towards Balto and Jenna. The three of us just smiled like we're now family. "No... the family is here." I answered.

"Very well... Mr. Bret... your health is back to normal. The plague has been diminished." he said.

I was out of words. Balto and Jenna barked for joy. The three of us joined in for a family group hug. The doctor just smiled.

"I'm going to let you three have some time to yourselves and I'll fill out a discharge." he added and left the room.

The three of us are overfilled with light joyful tears. I looked up and thanked God for giving me healing... and a new adopted family.