##@@$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$@@##
##%%%»~~~¨                                          ¨~~~»%%%##
#@@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@@#
#@@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@@#
##@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@##
##@#$%*»~¨ **************************************** ¨~»*%$#@##
@@#%%**»~¨                                          ¨~»**%%#@@
#@@#$%*»~¨          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ¨~»*%$#@@#
#@@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@@#
#$$$%»»~¨¨                *  *  *  *                ¨¨~»»%$$$#
@#$*»¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨»*$#@
##@@#$*»~¨ IN THIS  DREAM I  WAS  A GIRL  OF  MAYBE ¨~»*$#@@##
#@@#$%*»~¨ SIXTEEN  YEARS, TOGETHER  WITH MY DAD IN ¨~»*%$#@@#
#%%*~¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨~»%$$@
@@@#$%*»~¨                  SAID -                  ¨~»*%$#@@@
#@@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@@#
##@@#$%»~¨                *  *  *  *                ¨~»%$#@@##
@@@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@@@
@@@#$%*»~¨ (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ¨~»*%$#@@@
##@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@##
#@@#$%*»~¨ **************************************** ¨~»*%$#@@#
#@@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@@#
#@@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@@#
@#%*»»»¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨»»»*%#@
#@@#$%*»~¨                                          ¨~»*%$#@@#
##%*~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~*%##