Chapter I: House Rules
"Jaaa-sper!"
It was Ellie, my owner. She must be leaving for some reason. "I'm laving for a little bit, sweetie," she picked me up and stroked my short multi-colored fur. Yes, I am a cat. "Now, you be a good little boy and don't get into any trouble."
Ha, I thought to myself. That would only give me ideas. Ellie pushed her short, auburn hair back and sighed.  She must be late, as she always was.
She loped up to the marble counter top and grabbed her car keys while I watched with my emerald eyes. She smiled at me, reassuringly as if to enforce the house rules. And as far as rules went in Ellie's state-of-the-art home they started as follows:
I was absolutely not allowed to jump on tabletops. I could not scratch curtains, furniture, or people. And do not---under any circumstances---leave the house. A few more times than I'd like to mention I have been caught on the counter top. I used to love scratching everything until I was punished but later received my own scratching post that was about four times the size of me. But, never in my life had I ever been outside. I had, however, felt the extreme discomfort of being stuffed inside a cat carrier, put into the car, and gone off the the veterinarian. But, never in my life have I ever been outside freely without any humans surrounding me. For that I was quite envious of our neighbor, Suki. She was quite the outdoor cat. She came by n early every afternoon through our cat door---I haven't the slightest idea why we have it if Ellie never lets me outside---and we have a nice chat and swap stories. Ellie scooped me up into her arms, scratched my ears, and set me down on the angora rug. "Bye, Jasper," she said as she closed the door swiftly behind her and that is when the real trouble began when thereafter I saw Suki behind our couch.