##£§%$:~..                                          ..~:$%§£##
###£§%:~..                                          ..~:%§£###
#§%$$::~..                                          ..~::$$%§#
##£§%$:~..                                          ..~:$%§£##
£%$~......                                          ......~$%£
§§%$:::~.. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ..~:::$%§§
#§%%:~....                                          ....~:%%§#
#£%$$~~~..          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ..~~~$$%£#
##£§%$:~..                                          ..~:$%§£##
##£§%$:~..                :  :  :  :                ..~:$%§£##
£§§§%$:~..                                          ..~:$%§§§£
£§$$$~~... IN  THIS  DREAM  I  WAS A GIRL  OF MAYBE ...~~$$$§£
##£§%$:~.. SIXTEEN YEARS, TOGETHER  WITH MY  DAD IN ..~:$%§£##
###£%$:~.. A  HUGE  BATH  HOUSE  /  SPA /  HOTEL  / ..~:$%£###
##£§%$:~.. SHOPPING CENTRE.      DAD  WAS CONSTATLY ..~:$%§£##
§§§%$~.... POINTING  OUT HOT  GIRLS TO ME. "YOU SEE ....~$%§§§
##£§%$:~..   THAT BLACK-HAIRED THING DISSAPEARING   ..~:$%§£##
£%:::..... 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) ......~~$§
##£§%$:~..                                          ..~:$%§£##
§$$:~..... :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .....~:$$§
##£§%$:~..                                          ..~:$%§£##
##£§%$:~..                                          ..~:$%§£##
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##£§%$:~..                                          ..~:$%§£##
£§§%$:~...                                          ...~:$%§§£