....-:†%##                                          ##%†:-....
...-:†%###                                          ###%†:-...
..-:†%####                                          ####%†:-..
...-:†%###                                          ###%†:-...
....-:†%##                                          ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #%†:-.....
....-:†%##                                          ##%†:-....
...-:†%###          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ###%†:-...
..-:†%####                                          ####%†:-..
...-:†%###                :  :  :  :                ###%†:-...
....-:†%##                                          ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# IN THIS DREAM  I  WAS  A GIRL  OF  MAYBE #%†:-.....
....-:†%## SIXTEEN  YEARS, TOGETHER WITH  MY DAD IN ##%†:-....
...-:†%### A HUGE  BATH  HOUSE  /  SPA  /  HOTEL  / ###%†:-...
..-:†%#### SHOPPING CENTRE.      DAD WAS  CONSTATLY ####%†:-..
...-:†%### POINTING OUT HOT  GIRLS TO ME.  "YOU SEE ###%†:-...
....-:†%##   THAT BLACK-HAIRED THING DISSAPEARING   ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# BEHIND  THE  CLOTHES  RACK?  OOF!"  HE'D #%†:-.....
....-:†%## SAY. HE  WAS  ALWAYS VERY  CREEPY  ABOUT ##%†:-....
...-:†%### THIS,   GOING   FOR   GIRLS    MY   AGE. ###%†:-...
..-:†%####                                          ####%†:-..
...-:†%### THIS  NIGHT  HE  HAD JUST TRIED TO WOO A ###%†:-...
....-:†%## GIRL HE CALLED  A "MOUSE" BY  BUYING HER ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# SHOES,  BUT SHE  HAD ACCEPTED THEM  ONLY #%†:-.....
....-:†%## TO  RUN AWAY IMMEDIATELY  AFTERWARD. DAD ##%†:-....
...-:†%### WAS  A   BIT  BUMMED   BUT   DROPPED  IT ###%†:-...
..-:†%#### QUICKLY.  I  SAID  GOODNIGHT TO HIM  AND ####%†:-..
...-:†%###       WENT LOOKING FOR THE MOUSE.        ###%†:-...
....-:†%##                                          ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# THE BUILDING WAS ENORMOUS  AND MAZELIKE. #%†:-.....
....-:†%## WALLS,  FLOORS  AND PILLARS  WERE SET IN ##%†:-....
...-:†%### GREEN MARBLE.  THROUGHOUT THE  HOUSE RAN ###%†:-...
..-:†%#### A  MAIN  BOULEVARD,  WIDE AS  A  STREET, ####%†:-..
...-:†%### FRAMED WITH CLAY  VASES DARK AS OBSIDIAN ###%†:-...
....-:†%## AND TALLER  THAN A PERSON. IN EACH  VASE ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# WAS PLACED  UPRIGHT A  LEAF FROM  A PALM #%†:-.....
....-:†%## TREE  OR  GIANT FERN.  THE BOULEVARD WAS ##%†:-....
...-:†%### DIMLY LIT, WHICH ALLOWED  THE POOLS THAT ###%†:-...
..-:†%####   WERE GENEROUSLY SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT   ####%†:-..
...-:†%###    EACH FLOOR WOULD REFLECT SUGGESTIVE   ###%†:-...
....-:†%##         PATTERNS ON THE MARBLE.          ##%†:-....
.....-:†%#                                          #%†:-.....
....-:†%##                :  :  :  :                ##%†:-....
...-:†%###                                          ###%†:-...
..-:†%#### FOLLOWING THE BOULEVARD,  TWO  FLOORS UP ####%†:-..
...-:†%### I  FOUND  HER  CRYING  BEHIND  TWO  FERN ###%†:-...
....-:†%## VASES.  SHE  WAS  BEAUTIFUL,  AND  AS  I ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# APPROACHED, SHE LOOKED UP AND  SNIVELED. #%†:-.....
....-:†%## IN  THE  NEAREST  VASE  SHE HAD  STUFFED ##%†:-....
...-:†%###             BOTH THE SHOES.              ###%†:-...
..-:†%####                                          ####%†:-..
...-:†%### I  TOLD HER  TO FOLLOW,  BUT  SHE DIDN'T ###%†:-...
....-:†%## MOVE OR  SPEAK.  SO  INSTEAD I  SAID  TO ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# STAY  THERE, AND RAN TO GET HER A BETTER #%†:-.....
....-:†%## PAIR OF  SHOES THAT SHE  WOULD  ACTUALLY ##%†:-....
...-:†%### LIKE.  WHEN  I  RETURNED,  HAVING  SPENT ###%†:-...
..-:†%#### MORE THAN I  COULD  REALLY  AFFORD,  SHE ####%†:-..
...-:†%### WAS VISIBLY IMPRESSED. I TRIED  TO SOUND ###%†:-...
....-:†%## COOL,  SAYING SOMETHING  LIKE  "WHAT  DO ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# YOU  THINK, JUST  BECAUSE A  GIRL  HAS A #%†:-.....
....-:†%## FREAKY  DAD,  SHE  DOESN'T HAVE  TASTE?" ##%†:-....
...-:†%### BUT  MOUSE  GIRL  JUST  LAUGHED  AT  ME. ###%†:-...
..-:†%####                                          ####%†:-..
...-:†%### SHE THEN TOOK  ME BY THE HAND AND LED ME ###%†:-...
....-:†%## OUT  A   SIDE  ROUTE  TO   A  CLOSED-OFF ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# ROOFTOP WALKING GARDEN, FULL  OF JUNIPER #%†:-.....
....-:†%## AND THUJA. IT WAS  A  LATE  EVENING, AND ##%†:-....
...-:†%###     THE STARS WERE GLITTERING. BEING     ###%†:-...
..-:†%#### CLOSED, THE GARDEN HAD ITS  LIGHT TURNED ####%†:-..
...-:†%### OFF, BUT  WE COULD  STILL  SEE  OUR  WAY ###%†:-...
....-:†%## AROUND  BY THE LIGHT  SHINING  DOWN FROM ##%†:-....
.....-:†%# THE  WINDOWS   OF  THE   HIGHER  FLOORS. #%†:-.....
....-:†%##                                          ##%†:-....
...-:†%### SHE  LAY DOWN IN A PATCH OF GRASS. I SAT ###%†:-...
..-:†%#### DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED ####%†:-..
...-:†%### CLOSER. SHE  LAUGHED  AT  ME  AGAIN, AND ###%†:-...
....-:†%##                  SAID -                  ##%†:-....
.....-:†%#                                          #%†:-.....
....-:†%##                :  :  :  :                ##%†:-....
...-:†%###                                          ###%†:-...
..-:†%#### (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ####%†:-..
...-:†%###                                          ###%†:-...
....-:†%## :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ##%†:-....
.....-:†%#                                          #%†:-.....
....-:†%##                                          ##%†:-....
...-:†%###                                          ###%†:-...
..-:†%####                                          ####%†:-..
...-:†%###                                          ###%†:-...