Alva Review-Courier -

Jocie Shelton, a sixth-grade student at Alva Middle School, was among the winners of the 2017 Duke TIP Writing Contest. The contest is held annually for participants in the TIP 4th–6th Grade Talent Search, and this year students were asked to write a story about a dog that has escaped from an animal control officer, from the dog's point of view. Jocie's story was selected as the first place winner in the sixth-grade division from over eight hundred submissions, nationwide.

Jocie is 11 years old. She is the daughter of Shannon and Magen Lehr and Shawn Shelton. Her family has a dog named Maverick, who was her inspiration for this story. She enjoys reading, writing and acting in the Act One community theater program. Two years ago, Jocie won second place in the fourth grade division of the Duke TIP Writing Contest from over 700 submissions.

As the first place winner for sixth grade, she will receive a $200 cash prize. The school that identified her for participation in Duke TIP, in this case Tim Argo at Lincoln Elementary, will also receive $200.

Adventure Is Out There!

"Whew! That was close! That guy came from nowhere! I've got to find me some grub!" I dart around the corner, making my getaway and hoping to find a mouth-watering meal. I know just the place! I speed over to 3rd and Pennsylvania. Then I see the most wonderful sign in the whole world! 'FINN'S FAMOUS FRANKFURTERS.' It's a mouthful, I know. Heck, I don't even know what a frankfurter is, but boy those hot dogs are tasty! (Don't worry, they're not real dogs, I checked.) I love it! Why? Because, ninety-nine percent, they are DEE-LISH, and one percent because there's never a line! I give him my very saddest frowny face and he caves. "Mmm mmm..." Absolutely marvelous! Finn watches me eat with a warm, wimpy smile on his face. Finn wears polo shirts that are too small and has short blonde, stringy hair. He wears ankle socks with his sandals. You know the kind. He's always petting me and saying stuff to himself about how his ape-art-meant landlord won't let him keep me (even though no human really owns a dog). Well, let's just say he's about as smart as a stick. Through his thick- rimmed glasses, he thinks a grown Doberman Pincer is cute! Thank goodness I was there to stop him from petting one. For some reason today, he seemed really generous. He gave me all of yesterday's hot dogs! With 4 whole strings of hotdogs around my neck, I lick his hand and leap off.

Left. Right. Right. Left. I soon arrive at the alley I know so well. I tug away the cardboard box to reveal the entrance to my second home. I discovered this place about a year ago, and now it's a home to many stray dogs on the run. I crawl through the tunnel I secretly dug, and which leads to this miraculous place. I call it "home" but I always hear humans walking on the sidewalk saying stuff like, "Oh, I wish that old theater would open again," Or, "I wish someone would buy that theater soon or that beautiful building will rot out!" I make my way through the tunnel to the breathtaking lobby! Well, I mean it has the potential to be breathtaking. Near the entrance it has giant white pillars made of marble. There is an old, dusty chandelier with broken lights dangling by one measly wire. Posters of old theatre productions hang on the walls. Most of them are tattered and torn and heavily faded, but still have the magic of days gone by. Man, I love this place. It smells like musty, wet newspapers.

Once I enter, every dog perks up at the savory goodness I'm wearing around my neck. Suddenly I'm everyone's best friend." Maverick! Maverick! Maverick! "Every dog charges at me. CRASH!!! We all topple over in a giant dog pile. Soon all the hot dogs have been slurped up! Fortunately, though, I saved one for somedog special. I climb up the grand stairway to the balcony, where, in the one Muppet shows I've seen, the two old men sit. I still don't understand that show. . . Anyway, I find the row of seats where one small Shepherd puppy sits.

"Maverick!" he exclaims and runs toward me.

"Tike!" I grin, "I broughtcha a present!" I then give him a juicy bratwurst I had hidden between my teeth during the dog pile dilemma.

Tike is the smallest runt I've probably ever seen, and he's got a warm place in my heart. He most likely wouldn't have survived a dog pile. As we talk, I look up at the only clock running on batteries, and its 3:13.

"Oh, no," I sigh. I tell everyone I've got to go. "I can't be late!" I repeat to myself. I have to make it to the sprinkler by 3:30!

"What've you been up to, boy?" Richard asks while rubbing my ears. Tuck, Richard's little human offspring flashes me a smile. I wink (or at least try to). Richard sets Tuck onto his play mat thingy to, you know, play. I follow Richard into the kitchen.

"Having any great adventures in the back yard?" he asks playfully. Boy, if he only knew! I barely got my fur dry in time! "Jessica should be here soon with Tanya. Maybe she's going to bring home something good for supper!" Richard adds.

I run out the dog door into the backyard to see if I can hear them coming. VRRRR ... My ears perk up. The car pulls in, and I see ... PIZZA! Mmm, I love pizza night! It's my favorite! Richard always sneaks me the crust. After a satisfying meal we settle in for a family movie before bed. Hmm, did I say pizza night was my favorite? Never mind. Bedtime is my favorite. I sleep with Tanya and she has a fuzzy, self-warming blanket where I can ... continue more ... adventures in ... my ... SLE - - ... ZZZZ.

Humans are so predictable. This makes my deception easy. Each morning Jessica takes the human offsprings to school and daycare at precisely 7:45 a.m. Richard leaves right behind them. I have to keep track of the days, because there are 2 days each week where they stay home. They all arrive back home between 4:30 and 6:00. This gives me an 8 hour window of pure dog adventure opportunities. I also have to get into character. On my way to the theater, I have to give myself the rugged stray dog look. Every morning I run through the drains underground to get myself dirty enough that it looks like I haven't had a bath in years! Then I just come home in time to get through the sprinklers to shower off that awful smell. I was lucky today, I about got nabbed by that animal control guy! Then when my humans come home, each night I feel like nothing ever changed. Go to sleep and wake up with a family, and the rest of the day is mine to conquer! Ahh ... this is the life.