....«*$@§@                                          @§@$*«....
...«*$@§@#                                          #@§@$*«...
..«*$@§@##                                          ##@§@$*«..
...«*$@§@#                                          #@§@$*«...
....«*$@§@                                          @§@$*«....
.....«*$@§ **************************************** §@$*«.....
......«*$@                                          @$*«......
.......«*$          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) @§@$*«....
...«*$@§@#                                          #@§@$*«...
..«*$@§@## **************************************** ##@§@$*«..
...«*$@§@#                                          #@§@$*«...
....«*$@§@                                          @§@$*«....
.....«*$@§                                          §@$*«.....
......«*$@                                          @$*«......
.......«*$                                          $*«.......