Cherry and Atticus Meet Balto

chapter 3

Word got out about the medicine shortage and how many patients were in grave danger of the illness they had been contaminated by and the deathly contagious ailment with a cure so many miles away. The people decided to have a sled race with the dogs to get the antidote for the ill townspeople in such distress. The next morning, Akito was out in town and where well he had, lost sight of Balto and the one that he saw wasn't one he wanted to see it was William.

"Honey?" Mo woke up as Akito wasn't around and it was just her and Atticus since Estelle was in the hospital.

William and Sandra were still asleep until the race would be announced to start. Cherry was right in the kitchen table as Akito was on his way out.

"Where could he be?" Akito asked himself.

"Looking for someone?" Cherry asked as she was hiding at the kitchen table while everyone else was asleep and Akito planned to escape before anyone else could wake up.

"Please, Aunt Cherry, I need to get out of here and try to find Balto." Akito begged her quietly.

"So, you are now friends with the wolf-dog." Cherry sounded understanding, not even mad or annoyed like everyone else in this town when it came to Balto.

"Yes, I am, please, I need to go out and check on him, last night, I lost track of him and couldn't find him." Akito said quietly.

"He's not too far from here..." Cherry told the boy, her voice mysterious as always.

"So, what you're saying is, he must be close by, right?" Akito asked.

"You don't know this child, but I have special senses, a lot stronger than yours or your parents'," Cherry slowly shut her eyes with a satisfied smile on her face. "I know Steele was the one who took those sausages... I hate that miserable mongrel they call a 'star sled race dog'."

"I hate him too." Akito said.

"I never did..." Cherry nearly scoffed. "Just needs to show off so he can feel loved... What a way to go. Did you sleep okay though?"

"Sort of, just thinking how I could have proven it really was Steele." Akito said.

"I believe you, I saw that mutt himself, trying to impress Rosy's dog," Cherry scoffed about Steele. "This old friend of mine always used to tell me 'keep calm and let karma finish it'."

"Let me guess, was it Dad?" Akito asked.

Cherry lightly chuckled, shaking her head. "Nah, this was before I met your father. I don't see much of her anymore, but my old friend Peach, maybe your father told you, but we met Hercules together."

"Oh, yeah, he did tell me that story." Akito said.

"Funny girl, Peach," Cherry rolled her eyes, remembering some things about her old friend. "Well, I guess you wanna find Balto then... And don't worry, I won't tell William and Sandra this happened." She wondered if Akito was wondering how she knew of anything going on through his day since they came to Nome.

"How did you know?" Akito asked.

"I know everything," Cherry said to him mysteriously again. "Plus, I don't sleep."

"You're a vampire." Akito said.

"I was wondering how long it'd take you to find out..." Cherry licked her fangs then.

"I've always known, I just needed to be sure and then came all the signs and then I listened into the conversation between you and Dad." Akito said.

"Eavesdropping is wrong..." Cherry shook her head.

There was a morning trumpet heard.

"The races are going to set up now..." Cherry walked up from the table to get her daughter. "Flick!"