Neville was a prisoner.

He had been imprisoned for as long as he could remember, and he hated it.

He had committed no crime nor was a political prisoner, yet he had a life of solitude and celibacy forced upon him against his will and he hated every moment.

His lifestyle was simple, every day he was given fresh food and water and occasionally he was set free onto a large cluttered area where he could explore (as much as one can in a space as intellectually limited as this was) and each day he waited for the sign he could leave his prison and explore.

'Come out Neville.' The voice called as his prison door swung open, he took this cue to leave and go outside. He would always try to stay out for as long as possible but, as always, he was rounded up and sent back into his home (where occasionally he would find fruit or vegetables, which he savoured as they were a luxury, but tonight he was denied, instead he returned to the usual dried food which he hated) he ate and then he slept.

These things that had comprised Neville's mundane existence were all he had to rely on (he couldn't get food for himself but he did horde what he was given). These things were his entire life and he and come to rely on them and take them for granted – and suddenly, they stopped.

At first he was not worried, as he believed they would arrive soon but they didn't. He noted that his food and more importantly his water, were rapidly expiring and there were no signs of a new supply. Then one day he heard noises from beyond his door, low shuffling and moans at first which grew closer and closer until his door swung open but the usual call was absent, Neville left his home regardless (any opportunity was an opportunity) but instead of being herded away from his home by his captor as usual he was greeted by a person he had never seen before, and he looked unwell, very unwell. This person had sunken sallow features and his skin was hanging from his bones as if he lacked the amount of skin he needed to cover his body, this man grabbed Neville roughly, but he was naturally timid and agile he was able to escape his grasp and run away as fast as he could, then he stopped, his prayers had been answered.

The 'outside' had always confounded Neville; there were large structures which towered high above him, each stacked with objects that he could not identify, and in between 'visits' these things would change, sometimes he would return to the outside to find that they had been moved around or that the floor was littered with objects he could not identify, but one thing had confounded him the most, the door.

The door lay open and Neville stared in awe at his dream, but the thing that had freed him in hot pursuit disturbed this, he ran out of the room to find an alien world before him, he saw such light and colours which he had never experienced in his incomplete life, but more of those things were waiting and one threw itself at him and then all went black.

He struggled beneath the person that leaped on him struggling in the darkness he heard other moans approaching, he managed to free himself and his attacker seemed more confused than he, he ran as fast as his small legs would carry him as he ran more of the people joined this bizarre marathon looking for something to eat, looking for Neville.

He was dazzled as he turned to see the brightest light he had ever seen, beyond another door, which again lay open waiting for him, he ran beyond this door to the greatest freedom he would ever find. As he ran out onto the grass (which was a unique experience for him) he saw what lay ahead of him, many of these people shuffling and moaning to themselves, but they did not acknowledge him, he took advantage of this and ran towards the bush, which was ahead of him.

Neville the hamster bedded down for the night, tomorrow he would find his own food, for Neville was free.