#§§§%†\~..                                          ..~\†%§§§#
##@§%†\~..                                          ..~\†%§@##
##@§%†\~..                                          ..~\†%§@##
@@@§%†\~..                                          ..~\†%§@@@
###@§†\~..                                          ..~\†§@###
§§††~..... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ .....~††§§
@§§†~.....                                          .....~†§§@
##@§%†\~..          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) ..~\%§@###
##@§%†\~..                                          ..~\†%§@##
##@§%†\~.. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ..~\†%§@##
§§§§%†\~..                                          ..~\†%§§§§
##@§%†\~..                                          ..~\†%§@##
#§%†\.....                                          .....\†%§#
##@§%†\~..                                          ..~\†%§@##
§†~.......                                          .......~†§