Gilded Cage

Perhaps I've seen one too many bird-in-the-cage analogies on Star Trek. They all have the same plot (and the same scenery). Kirk beams down with a landing party to the beautiful wooded planet and one character, usually either Dr. McCoy or Sulu, say "Gee Jim/Captain, this place must be paradise!" Then they are mind-enslaved and have their every whim catered to by hot space babes. Kirk is then so disgusted that he drags his entire crew back to the ship after shattering the planet's culture and the Prime Directive and flies away.

Me, I suddenly realized that my summer vacation was shaping up pretty much the same way, only with less hot space babes. I got done with finals and was looking down the barrel of three months of nothing but free time. Then I was mind-enslaved by my mother and forced to do all sorts of menial tasks and was given the additional task of "improving the quality of my siblings' lives." This means that I will be driving them to restaurants every week to reward them for memorizing scripture and taking them to places like the aquarium and Lake Winnie, which I will be leaving for in twenty minutes. Yes, I am sure you are all thinking "Being forced to go to amusement parks isn't torture, you drama llama." Alas, it is a gilded cage.