Milo looked down at the sleeping puppy still nestled in his arms. At that moment Juan De Dios returned. Milo felt his familiar presence.

"Well is this little one someone's lost puppy?" Milo said out loud.

As far as I can tell Caballito no one has lost a dog. It is a little strange.

Milo looked down at the little dog. "Where did you come from Piyelito?" Hearing Milo's voice the puppy took the opportunity to raise his head and lick Milo's cheek.

"Rfrff." The little dog yapped looking at Milo. Milo laughed and said. "I guess Jose is in luck, it looks like you belong to him." Piyelito simply looked at Milo with his great big brown eyes and then settled down again in Milo's arms.

"Well come inside I will introduce you to Mama." Milo said opening the screen door and entering the house. "Mama, I have someone I want you to meet." Milo's mother came out of the kitchen and looked down at the puppy resting in Milo's arms.

"Ay que Bonito, Milo. Where did he come from?" Natalia said as she looked down at the ball of fur in Milo's arms.

"Jose found him in the barn in Cachita's stall. He ha made himself comfortable on her hay and she was licking him like he was a new born calf." Milo said putting the puppy down and walking into the kitchen.

"Jose and Piyelito fell in love at first sight. I asked El Negro Juanito to check the farms near by but no one has lost a dog. So I guess Piyelito is Jose's." Milo walked over to the sink in the kitchen and got the puppy a small bowl filled with water. He placed it down on the floor and waited. Piyelito walked over to the bowl and looked at it and then looked at Milo.

"Yes, Piyelito, the water is for you." The little dog bent his head and began to drink.

"He is very intelligent Milo, it is as if he really understands you.Piyelito? How did he get that name?" Natalia said looking at the little dog.

"Jose chose his name. He said it just came to him." Milo said getting a malta out of the fridge.

"Hmmm," Natalia said thinking. "You know the Taino believed that the god of the dead had an demi-god companion whose name was Opiyelguabiran. He was portrayed as a dog."

"I didn't know that, Piyelito..." Milo murmured looking at the little dog.

Natalia said moving back to the sink and washing her hands so she could continue preparing dinner.

"I was going to make Arroz con Pollo for dinner, I guess I will add another chicken to the pot for the baby." Natalia said looking down at the small dog.

The rest of the day went by as usual. Milo went out and fed the animals and got them all put down for the night. Piyelito followed him around, even helping corale the chickens and get them in their coops. The little dog was a bundle of helpful energy and worked with an intelligence that left Milo speechless.

As the sun finally set Milo looked down at the little dog who had been his helper.

"I think it is time for dinner and you definitely earned your meal tonight little one." Piyelito gave a small bark and began to run back to the house. "Ok you go ahead, I'll catch up." Milo said laughing. Piyelito stopped and ran back to Milo and walked calmy by his side till they got to the house. Milo opened the screen door for the pup and let him enter.

"How are my two hungry boys?" Natalia said putting 2 plates of Arroz con Pollo on the table. she went back to the stove and got a small dish that had a mound of rice and cut up chicken pieces. She placed it on the floor by the water dish Milo had left earlier. The little dog walked over to the dish and looked up at Natalia, he gave a small bark and then began to eat.

"You are welcome, Piyelito." Natalia said laughing as she moved to the table to begin her own dinner.

Milo ate in silence, devouring his mother's chicken and rice, finally he came up for air.

"Wow, mijo, you must have been a little hungry." Natalia said laughing. Piyelito had finished his bowl too and was lying but Milo's chair, his little belly round and full like only a puppy's could get.

"Yes, Mama, I guess I was a little hungry, but you know how much I love your Rice with Chicken." At that moment Piyelito took the opportunity to add his own opinion with a bark and a wag of his tail.

"See, he likes it too!" Milo said looking down at the little dog. Natalia could do nothing but laugh.

After dinner cleaned up the kitchen and Natalia went to the living room to read. Milo knew that he had school tomorrow so he said good night to his mother and went into his room to finished his homework and get ready for bed. Piyelitio followed him into the bedroom and hopped up on the foot of Milo's bed and made himself comfortable.

"Ok, ok little one, just for tonight, tomorrow I will make you a proper dog bed." Piyelito thumped his tail one time and closed his eyes. Milo went over to his deck and lost himself for few hours in his history homework. Finally bleary-eyed, he changed his clothes and before getting into bed, he opened the window to let in the night air. Ruffling Piyelito's fur, he said good night to the little dog and climbed into bed and turned off the light.

Jose said good night to his mother and father and went to bed. As he lay in his bed he thought about Milo and Piyelito,how lucky he was to have both of them in his life. As he turned over and got comfortable he whispered. "Good night Milo, good night Piyelito, I love you both."

Jose closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep thinking about the boy and the dog that he loved.

Piyelito raised his head and tilted it as if he were hearing something far off. He let out a small bark and thumped his tail a couple of times before laying back down and closing his eyes.

Jose tossed and turned in his sleep, no matter where he turned he couldn't get away from the shadows that were following him. 

  Milo will leave you just like Santiago, you aren't worth it. 

 The shadows following him grew longer no matter how much he tried to run, they were still right behind him. Suddenly he heard the sound of lively music but he couldn't seem to figure out where it was coming from. It seemed to calm him and the shadows that had chased him retreated a bit. His mind cleared a bit and he could think. 

 "It is the music for the Pasodoble, a famous gypsy dance." He felt himself thinking of the intricate steps of the dance in his mind. He felt the shadows retreat a little further. But suddenly the shadows seemed to gain strength. He heard them whisper once again 

Your gypsies can not save you from us and you are not strong enough to fight us. Give in Jose, no one will love you, you will be alone. 

Jose was just barely holding on and then he thought of the little puppy that he had found and how he loved Piyelito and how he knew Piyelito loved him. 

 "Piyelito." Jose whispered the name like a prayer. Suddenly the little dog was in the room, Jose was still locked in his nightmare and wasn't aware that Piyelito was there at the foot of his bed. The puppy jumped up on the foot of the bed and stood there, suddenly the room was filled with light as the small dog began to grow. His black and grey coat caught fire and a collar of human skulls hung around the now gigantic rottweiller who was wreathed in flame. The dog looked back over his shoulder at the Gyspy Prince and Campanita De Plata who stood protectively over Jose at the head of the bed. The boy had calmed a bit as he was bathed in the glow of the flames radiating from the now gigantic Piyelito. 

 Piyelito turned back to the shadows that were reaching out of the darkened corners of the room towards the bed. He began to growl and the sound was like thunder, the shadows began to retreat, quickly disappearing into the darkness. Piyelito turned and was once more just a puppy. Jose's two gypsy protectors bowed their heads in respect to the little dog before fading away. Piyelito walked over to Jose and licked his face one time.

"Thank you Piyelito, I love you." Jose murmured in his sleep. The little dog hopped down off the bed, and with one last look back at the boy he chose, trotted off into the darkness.

Piyelito spun around a couple of times on the foot of Milo's bed, and once he had found a comfortable spot, he laid back down.  

Thanks for reading the next installment of Milo's Journey.  Please remember to vote and comment!