__OUTSIDE__

I've been awakened from my light slumber by the harsh voice of my owner. My cage rattles as i find an appropriate position to speak to him. I take a look around first, realizing its almost pitch black. It's... Night time? I thought it was illegal for me to--

A big beam of light flashes in my face as my owner speaks once again;

"I said wake up. We don't have much time."

I quickly shake off my sleepy state.

"Is.. Everything alright, Master?"

"Yeah. Just... Clean the garden. I have guests coming over tomorrow morning. Be quick, i don't want to get caught."

I pick up the rake he hands me and nod quietly after being let out my small cage. I make my way to the garden backdoor. It's.. All the same. Every day, I wake up, do chores and sleep. I get rewarded with food and "a roof over my head." My mind lingers on one of the many memories of my owner opening my cage, especially the lock mechanism he uses to unlock it. It's actually not that hard to replicate a key. Hell, maybe I... What am i thinking? I quickly shake away the thought. Yeah... It's okay. I don't mind. It's not like finding food will be easier out of the house. I don't mind dying here. Master says that i cost him a lot of bucks, since I'm smarter than the average slave. That's why he takes "good" care of me. So that I stay smart in case he has to sell me. Good to hear, I guess...

I scratch my neck for what feels like the 100th time this week. It stings badly. I start to gather the leaves and dead grass into a pile with the rake before putting it in a trash bag and disposing of it. It's really hard to see in the middle of the night. I stumble against a rock, barely managing to stay up on my feet before disposing of the last, heavy trash bag. Tired after my long and hard work, i sit on the grass. I don't know why, but in the cool night breeze, I decide to

"Look up."

It's.. The night sky. I had never seen the

... "stars" before. Wow, there are so many of them! Each looking like a hole poked through a ceiling, illuminating the dark that's inside. But there was something else. This.. Planet. It had rings around it, each glowing ever so vibrant, illuminating the world into a state of dusk. I can't take my eyes off of it. I reach my hand up in desparation. It feels so close, yet it's so far. I want to reach it. I want to reach to the stars. The sky, I want to explore the sky! The night! The rings, the planets, everything. I want to see it all. In its fullest.

I want to go outside.