My gut reaction is there is no way Isaac is going to be sorry enough over a little dog drool to help a stranger wandering aimlessly around his town. Surprisingly, my disheveled appearance doesn't seem to phase him one bit. Not only does Isaac agree to help me find my brother's house, he insists on inviting me to warm up first at his place with a hot beverage. I'm already trusting him to help me, so I figure there's no harm in taking him up on his offer. Besides, I'm exhausted and could refuel with some caffeine. My bladder is painfully full, so a clean bathroom wouldn't hurt either. I passed a coffee shop on main street, but that seems like it's miles away and I'm not going back there now.

Isaac explains that he was taking Clifford out to do his business and he needs to take the big guy home first before we head out for Nate's. Clifford squats down in front of a bush. I glance away to give him some privacy and give Isaac a chance to clean up like a responsible dog owner, which he does. Isaac gains points for carrying plastic waste bags and disposing his trash in a small garbage can specifically set up for dog owners. This town must value cleanliness because the streets are mostly litter free and I spotted another one of these trash cans by the train station earlier. Isaac even has more bacon scented treats to give Clifford as a reward for being a good boy.

Isaac ducks his head sheepishly as he walks briskly down the street, Clifford at his heels, lugging my suitcase behind him. "Anyway, Clifford scares some of the folks around here shitless, due to his size, I suppose." Although I've warmed up to Clifford (the verdict is still out on his papa) I can't say I blame anyone for fearing Clifford; he's almost the size of a small freaking pony.

I chuckle. " Nothing scary about a six foot dog, nothing scary at all." Clifford sidles up alongside me and I pat him on the head. Next to Clifford, my little old Shih Tzu would look like a subway rat.

" Hey, Clifford's all bark and no bite once you get to know him," Isaac jokes, but I detect a twinge of defensiveness in his tone, so I ease off of teasing him further.

Instead my eyes drink in the sights around me. The quaint main street by the train station has given away to a long stretch of road that seems way longer than a few miles. It's possible that I misheard my sister -in-law when she said it was three miles from the train station to their house. Maybe it was more. Each side of the road is bordered with a freshly paved sidewalk, perfect for bikers and walkers to travel on in relative safety.

As we walk, we pass by an organic grocery store called Glow Green Grocers on the left side of the road, and a strip mall on the right that houses a ballet studio, a karate Dojo, a liquor store, a nail salon, and a Chinese takeout restaurant named Happy Dragon's. Occasionally, Clifford stops to sniff a patch of grass or bark at a car or motorcycle whizzing by.

We don't pass many people and the parking lots of the business don't seem too full, which makes sense because it's Sunday evening and most people are likely home and getting ready for school and their Monday morning commutes. Cedar Point's train station is a hub for commuters, which makes it an attractive place to live, despite it being a sleepy suburban town. 

A group of teens racing each other on their bikes, heads towards the gas station convenience store right next to the police station. One of the kids almost careens into me, causing me to lose my balance for a moment. Luckily, Isaac has lightning fast reflexes. Without even dropping my suitcase, he grasps my arm and keeps me from tumbling to my ass again. This is the second time in one day that someone besides Nate has come to my rescue and I don't know how I feel about that.

" Are you alright, need to stop for a moment?" He asks gruffly. " Those damn kids never watch where they're going." One of the teens glances over his shoulder at us and snickers as he dumps his bike on the ground and clamors after his friends into the store, shoving into an elderly couple exiting at the same time. The elderly lady drops her tote bag and her husband stoops down to retrieve it for her.

Isaac's eyes narrow. " I should go have a talk with those little hooligans." He cracks his knuckles. My guess is those kids are regulars at causing trouble in town.

" No, forget it," I say, letting go of Isaac and picking up my pace. My stomach churns and a wave of dizziness washes over me. I suck in a lung full of cold air and blow it out slowly. My glasses fog up and I force myself to keep going.

Isaac's brow furrows and he nods. " Ok, we're almost there."

We pass a firehouse and a park, and then turn right and head down a quiet street lined with tall hedges and trees. It's almost pitch black now, but the street lamps and the light coming from the houses on this block provide us with enough so we can see where we're going. The houses start off as cottages and capes and then start to get bigger the further we walk. This is how I know we must be close because my brother's house is practically a mansion.

" You live around here too, Isaac?" I ask as we hang another right and head down a dead end street where several stately houses loom ahead.

" Close enough," he answers. Clifford snuffles at the ground, picks up some kind of scent, and then canters off like a small horse. Isaac jogs after him. I'm forced to follow them down a wooded path between two large stretches of property, or risk getting lost again.

" Stay close, it's dark and I don't want you falling again," Isaac says, gesturing towards the forest trail.

Nervous laughter burbles forth from my lips, which I clamp shut to fight the queasiness that ripples through my gut. " Believe me, that's the last thing I want either," I gasp, regretting that I'm following a stranger and his strange dog into a strange woods.

Isaac tugs on his beanie. " I know these woods like the back of my hand."

That's what I'm afraid of. With no choice now but to follow him deeper into the woods, I keep going. I concentrate on the sound of the dry leaves and twigs crunching under my feet, the soft snuffles produced by Clifford, and an owl hooting in the distance. My eyes are starting to adjust to the dark and the sky seems more purple like a fresh bruise, rather than black. The pale quarter moon casts a warm glow on the trail in front of us. Squinting, I notice two signs ahead; one painted with a neon orange arrow and labeled Cub Trail and the other painted with a red arrow and labeled Big Bear Trail. A whoosh of relief escapes me, as Clifford leads us down the Cub Trail because my nerves and my aching feet couldn't take the Big Bear Trail right now.

We aren't on the Cub Trail long, not even a half a mile I'm guessing, before we stop at a small clearing. Parked in the clearing is a White Dodge Promaster van with a roof rack on top.

" You got a bike?" I ask.

Isaac grins. " Yeah, a mountain bike. I like to hit the trails around here, but right now it's in the shop."

Clifford eagerly gallops towards the camper and thumps his tail on the ground. A grin spreads across Isaac's face as he jerks a thumb at the van. " Here we are, home sweet home. Care for the grand tour?"