The Outrageousness of Regular

Two large dogs and one small kitten
Separated by a rigged fence
A tension gate tied to a tv stand
They are good dogs
They can't take their eyes off of the small cat
They don't step across the boundary
They could easily step across the line
It is almost imaginary
A little girl tries to hold the kitten
The kitten does not trust the gate, the dogs, or the child
The kitten hasn't scratched anyone yet today

The child begins to sing to the kitten.
"You have to be trained if you want to be a grown up,
You have to be trained day and night."
The child walks toward the dogs, holding the kitten
The dogs begin to bark
The cat begins to grow tense
The child takes the kitten to a hiding place behind the couch
The dogs wish there was something more exciting to bark at
They pace from the kitchen to the living room
Barking at seemingly nothing

The little child tries to extract a promise from the kitten
"Promise me something. Promise me that you will never run off."