Darrius couldn't help but appreciate his own devious idea. He wasn't going alone after all! Darrius had money for his trip AND enough to rent a dog companion on his trip. Apparently renting a pet before permanent adoption is something you can do. He always had wanted a dog. Anyways, sooner rather than later he suspected leaving Aunt Leda's home. Fittingly he chose the biggest black dog that not only loved to go on runs, but was actually trained for them. The black lab looked at Darrius with a meaningful expression as they loaded up into their cab. The dogs' tail waged excitedly. Darrius wondered how such a good looking dog ended up in a shelter.
"Get in!" Darrius commanded.
The lab wasted no time joining him in the cab. Darrius was paying a cab to take them to Bledsford, only about an hour away, where he would rent a motel. His bike shook on top of the cab, seemingly promising Darrius some nice trails. Bledsford wasn't an impressive town by any means but the trails and views were breathtaking.
Tomorrow, the pair would take a biking trail from Bledsford to Woodley. Tonight, they would rest in their motel.
* * *
That night at the motel nightmares tormented Darrius from his sleep. He surveyed his surroundings at first, confused by the fact that he wasn't at his Aunt Leda's in his bed. He lay there a moment, still shaken.
Oh yeah... He sighed to himself.
Drinking some water calmed his nerves and he poured some for his new loyal companion. The lab lapped up the water and looked at him expectedly letting out a small whimper.
"OH! I'm sorry bud. Let's go outside." Darrius let the dog out the door and stepped out himself. Bledsford seemed like a pretty barren town. A few cars and streetlights illuminated the otherwise empty parking lot.
Tomorrow would be cloudy but with a slim chance of rain; perfect. He loved cool weather for riding.
Darrius stayed like that for some time, sipping water until he was tired. The pair stepped back inside for the night after a while. Darrius imagined hearing soft singing outside as he lay in bed. Falling asleep quickly to the familiar melodic tune.