Challenge #02125-E296: Inside, Outside

two cats discovering their owner has a secure cat enclosure instead of letting them roam free -- Anon Guest

It was a good life. Thingone and Thingtwo agreed. Plenty of warm spaces. Lots of nice food. Halls to have a good rumpus up and down. Furniture, especially, to scramble up, down, into, out of, and under. The only thing missing was the world outside the windows. No matter how they howled and yowled to be allowed to play with the birds, their Feedme refused to open doors and let them outside.

This was a good thing only sometimes, when the weather was cold and the hated water fell from the grey sky. It was a bad thing most times, when the sun shone and the birds paraded their arrogance in front of them, knowing that neither Thingone nor Thingtwo could do what cats did best.

There were mice. There were rats. There were sometimes spiders and quick-legged geckoes. They just weren't the same as the forbidden, tempting, and doubtlessly tasty birds. Thingone and Thingtwo sat on windowsills and contemplated the feathery temptation, chattering in disappointment at not being able to pass the invisible barrier and capture the arrogant little sods.

There was an entire week in which a room was closed off from them, and their Feedme and several other two-legged big creatures were working on the forbidden outdoors. They howled and wailed and pleaded for at least their Feedme to come inside with them and keep them company, but they were all outside forever[1].

Thereafter, the forbidden door opened, and Thingone and Thingtwo did what cats did best. They ran to find out.

A window was open! A window to the forbidden outside!

Thingtwo found it first, leaping up to the sill and dashing out. Thingone soon followed, neither of them questioning the presence of the ramp, nor the high shelves. They sniffed at the grass, marked the new places as theirs...

And discovered the bars.

Far enough apart for them to feel the breeze and get the sunshine, but not far enough apart to let them get into the wider outdoors and finally put an end to the hated and cheeky birds.

"How are you liking your enclosure, boys?" asked their Feedme. "Fresh air, sunshine and exercise whenever you like it."

Thingone and Thingtwo could only glare at their Feedme. This was the ultimate betrayal, as far as they were concerned.

[1] Cats have a nebulous concept of linear time.

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / okssi68]

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