Kenya woke from a half disturbed sleep. Her eye lids were half closed as she walked into the living room for a meal of Fancy Feast tuna. Her tougue lashed around her chops and she took a bite of the mouth watering food. Her tail lashed back and forth as she enjoyed the casual cat-life. She knew every day by heart, what would happen that day and when everything would happen. She enjoyed her life at fist, she went outside everyday at the same time, which was about 12:00 PM and then she’d climb the fence and explore the neighbor’s yard in search of Champs, her friend that had lived in the neighborhood for two years longer than herself, and then head over to Klay’s house, which was her brother, who lived four houses down the road. She knew what would happen every day, she knew how things would turn out and how she would feel about that day.

Kenya knew there had to be more to life than what she knew of it. She knew of the forest just beyond her fence, and how it seemed to have more life than the neighborhood, yet at times, seemed as dead as a toad lying squished on the road.

Kenya envied the way most of the stray cats lived their lives. Every day something new coming into range. Always an adventure waiting to happen. They caught their own food too. Though Kenya enjoyed her Fancy Feast tuna, she knew also that the taste of fresh mouse was even better. And that it would be much more interesting to live in the wild, a place where something new happened every day. She wouldn’t be able to predict what she would do that day, which would make things a little more fun.

After her long thought at the edge of her driveway, she walked over to Klay’s house slowly. She decided to tell him of her thoughts, and tell him to tell Champs for her. Kenya wasn’t going to be in the house much longer. She slinked into his backyard through an abnormally large fence. “Klay!” She whispered from the hole. She poked her head out a little more then retreated back outside the hole. There was a dog that roamed Klay’s backyard, and it sometimes kept Klay from getting outside.

Kenya waited for a long time. She sat right outside the hole, peering inside every now and again, to see if Klay had come out.

After a few more minutes of waiting, the door opened. “Klay!” Kenya called out softly, trying not to alarm the dog.

Klay looked up from his food bowl. “Oh, it’s just you, Kenya. I thought it was another one of those strays…they’re quite a pain around here, if ya know what I mean.”

Kenya smiled. She wondered if this was the right time to tell Klay about her decision. “Klay, I have to tell you something.” Kenya hesitated, waiting for her brother’s acknowledgement.

“Go on.” Klay told her, seeing the look on her face.

Smiling, Kenya continued. “I’m going away.”

Klay was confused. Kenya knew he didn’t get the picture yet, but he would soon.

“Going far away. Into the forest, into the wild.”

Klay’s eyes softened and he laughed in glee. “You play some funny tricks on me lass!”

Kenya frowned. “That wasn’t a joke! This is serious, Klay!”

Klay shook his head. “You’ve got to be out of your mind to go out there. There’s no one to talk to, no one to feed you, no place to sleep, no shelter at all, and those strays roam them forests, sis. There are dangers in that forest, lots of dangers.”

“I know, Klay. I want to break free of this boring routine! I’ve been living a life that’s so ordinary and plain. I want to be free to roam the forest, and meet knew cats!”

Klay frowned. “The only other cats you’ll meet are those strays. And they’re not friendly at all!”

“How do you know?” Kenya snapped. “All you house cats do is shoe them away when they come near! You never bothered to get to know one! They might be nice. They might even be more domesticated then you, Klay.”

“Kenya, that’s ridiculous! When’s the last time you saw a stray walking around well-tempered and clean?”

Kenya frowned. “Never, but maybe it’s because we stress them out to much. I mean, if your human chased you about every day would you be scared? I’m almost positive you’d be terrified!”

Klay laughed. “That’s ridiculous! I’d just flee from home and never come back! I don’t stick around when there’s stuff like that happening!”

Kenya stood up. “I’ve had enough. I’m leaving. I’m going to the forest. I will visit so don’t jump out of your fur when a stray like me comes into your yard calling your name.”

“Oh, don’t ruffle your fur over me. I’ll be fine on my own while you’re gone.”

Kenya knew he was talking with a can of tuna stuck in his mouth, for Klay couldn’t stand to be without a friend for over two days, and for that matter, he would never last for three months.

Kenya waved her tail in goodbye as she squeezed under the fence again and headed toward the Sugar Cane.

Her paws thudded on the ground as she padded through the Sugar Cane. This was the place where most Strays were from, and she couldn’t understand why every cat thought this was such a horrible place. It was beautiful, filled with wildflowers and large stalks of sweet-smelling sugar cane. The only bad thing was that the dirt on the ground was rough and beaten, making it painful to walk on. But there were large patches of tall green grass, thin grass with a delicate texture that made Kenya’s paws tingle.

Kenya continued on her journey to the forest. She tried her luck at mice, but she was normally unsuccessful. She traveled for a day or two, with only a few mice. She knew the Sugar Cane had forest beyond it, and she knew she’d rather be in the warm forest during winter then the Sugar Cane.

Kenya knew of the Spring of the Sugar Cane. For she was seeing it now. The beautiful wildflowers, the warm and crisp air, the slight breeze, and the sweet smell of sugar. She knew it was beautiful now, but when winter came, it would turn to a frozen wasteland.

“You can’t keep resting at night, Kenya!” Kenya scolded herself for making such frequent pauses in her journey to the forest. She had no intention on missing the summer of the forest, for it would be warm and beautiful. The ground would be covered with lush green undergrowth and large vines of Morning Glories, a flower that was so lovely in the morning, and was nothing more than a bud for the rest of the day and night. The flower never ceased to amaze Kenya, no matter how many times she saw them.

Kenya couldn’t stand it any longer. She broke into a run through the Sugar Cane, the wind in her face and the soft grass under her paws. She stopped for a moment and sniffed deeply, and lay down in the grass. It felt like a thin layer of cotton, soft and nice smelling. Her heart jumped as she heard a meow of laughter behind her. She jumped up and hissed.

“Calm down, house-cat!” The stranger meowed. “I’m not gonna hurt you!”

She stood up. “Who are you?”

“Jerome. Jerome of The Forest.” The stranger stood up and stuck out his chest, like he was very proud. “I know it doesn’t seem that I should be proud of that, since you house cats think us Strays are so disgusting. But we aren’t, we are much more intelligent then your house cats.”

Kenya smiled. “I know that.”

Jerome’s eyes widened. “You’re agreeing?”

Kenya nodded. “That’s why I’m here, to learn. I want to become a Stray.”

Jerome laughed. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. Once a house cat, always a house cat.”

Kenya hissed angrily. “And I suppose you were born of a wild animal?”

Jerome frowned. “I was born of a house cat, but that doesn’t make me one. She only took care of me for one week.”

Kenya smirked. “Then if it weren’t for us house cats, you wouldn’t be here.”

Jerome rolled his eyes and signaled for her to follow him.

In satisfaction, Kenya trotted behind him, examining her surroundings, trying to memorize where she was so she could find her way back to visit Klay. Her paws were silent compared to Jerome’s brittle beaten-up ones. Judging by the scars and deep wounds on Jerome’s body, Kenya assumed he’d been in a fight with a dog before.

“You know how to hunt?” Jerome asked Kenya suddenly.

Kenya shook her head. “Not very well, but I can hunt mice. I only catch them ever once and a while.”

Jerome nodded slowly. “That means you’ve hunted your own food before?”

Kenya nodded.

“That’s good. I think you’re the first house cat I’ve seen that can hunt for itself.”

Kenya stared at Jerome for a moment. She wondered to herself if she’d made the right decision, going out there to the wild. She remember oh so suddenly the taste of her Fancy Feast tuna, and the smell of her home, as well as the soft comfortable bed she’d slept in her whole life. Then she remembered her collar. She would never be able to catch more food if she was to have it jingling all the time. “Hey, Jerome, do you know a way I could get this collar off me?”

Jerome nodded. “I could nip it off, if you like.”

Kenya hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Jerome walked over to her and grasped the collar in his teeth and pulled hard. The collar snapped and fell to the ground. Jerome looked around and then buried the collar quickly.

“Why’d you burry it?” Kenya asked looking around along with Jerome.

“I don’t want other Strays to know you’re a house cat. They’d try and kill you.” Jerome looked up at her. “The Strays hang out in gangs, usually numbering at about three or four members a gang, and that’s how they live. They do everything together, they hunt, fight, and kill. They will get hold of you if you’re not careful.”

Kenya nodded slowly. “Do you live in a gang?”

Jerome laughed. “Me? Not have a gang? That’s hilarious! Look, Kenya, I’m the leader of one of the largest and strongest gangs!”

Kenya took a step back. “Okay…I was just wondering.” She continued to follow Jerome, growing curious and afraid. “Where are we going, Jerome?”

Jerome walked slower. “To the forest. I need to get back to my gang. They need me so we can hunt.”

Kenya nodded slowly. She couldn’t understand why the other’s didn’t hunt for themselves, they were all Strays, which were very experienced in hunting and scavenging food.