,,,,,-«^=%                                          %=^«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«^=                                          =^«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«^                                          ^«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-«                                          «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«^                                          ^«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«^= ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ =^«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«^=%                                          %=^«-,,,,,
,,,,-«^=%£          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) ##@£%=^«-,
,,-«^=%£@#                                          #@£%=^«-,,
,,,-«^=%£@ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ @£%=^«-,,,
,,,,-«^=%£                                          £%=^«-,,,,
,,,,,-«^=%                                          %=^«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«^=                                          =^«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«^                                          ^«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-«                                          «-,,,,,,,,