,,,,,=***&                                          &***=,,,,,
,,~=*%&###                                          ###&%*=~,,
,,~=*%&###                                          ###&%*=~,,
,,,,,~*%%&                                          &%%*~,,,,,
,,,,,~**&&                                          &&**~,,,,,
,,~=*%&### ======================================== ###&%*=~,,
,,~=*%&###                                          ###&%*=~,,
,,,,,,~*%#          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) ###&%*=~,,
,,,,,,=%&#                                          #&%=,,,,,,
,,~=*%&### ======================================== ###&%*=~,,
,,~=*%&###                                          ###&%*=~,,
,,,,,~~~*&                                          &*~~~,,,,,
,,~=*%&###                                          ###&%*=~,,
,,~~===%%#                                          #%%===~~,,
,,~=*&####                                          ####&*=~,,