§§,,§,,§§§                                          ,,§,,,,,,,
§,§,§§,§,,                                          §,§§,,,,,,
§§§§§,§§§,                                          ,§§,§,,,,,
§,,,,§§,,§                                          ,§,§§§,,,,
§§,,,§,§,§                                          §§§§,,§,,,
§,§,,§§§§§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ,,,,§,§§,,
§§§§,§,,,,                                          ,,,,§§§,§,
§,,,§§§,,,          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) ,,§,,,§,,,
,§,§,,§§,,                                          ,,§§,,§§,,
,§§§§,§,§, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §,§,§,§,§,
,§,,,§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§
§§§,,§,,,,                                          §,,,,,,,,,
§,,§,§§,,,                                          §§,,,,,,,,
§§,§§§,§,,                                          ,,§,,,,,,,
§,§§,,§§§,                                          §,§§,,,,,,