#¨##¨#¨¨## ¨###¨¨#¨#¨
¨¨##¨¨#¨## ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨###¨¨¨## ¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨#¨ ¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨###¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨¨#¨## 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) #¨¨¨¨¨#¨##
#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨# ¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨##
##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨
###¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨###¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨ #¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨ ##¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨