This piece was awarded 2nd place in the Anchorage Press micro-short stories contest for this category...who would of thunk it? The judge's comment was nice and true.."As for runner-up 'Free Lolly': Run, Lolly, run!  The ending image is so pleasing because it shows a narrator who sees beauty everywhere."

My community of Fairview is the heart of my city.  Not a pretty site, but the beating heart is beauty.  Many who live here take on the ways of Alaska, like the wolf, sheep and caribou.

Fur Guy crawled from the burnt out camper that he called home, dressed as always with animal skins adorning head to foot.  Girl Friend and Another Fellow followed through the broken paned door of this blued tarp shelter on concrete blocks.

 “That your dog?” he croaked, spying Lolly the Pampered Malamute on his morning trip to the liquor store; regular as some make to work.

Returning, Fur Guy and entourage were well greased with Alaskan spirits needing release.

“That kinda dog needs to RUN.”

 “We take her on several walks a day and she has the entire backyard and garage, too.”

“She needs to RUN FREE like a wolf.”

“No sadly she’d get killed here in the city, besides ‘never, ever let a Malamute off her leash’ is the rule.”

I went indoors to avoid a physical altercation to hear the dog yard gate metal bending and a chilling cry, “FREE LOLLY!”

What a beautiful site, a Malamute traveling across the snowscaped city, free.