##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨#####
#¨¨####### ¨###¨¨####
¨¨¨¨###### ¨¨#¨¨¨¨###
¨##¨¨####¨ ¨¨¨¨##¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨ ###¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
#####¨¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨#¨¨######
####¨¨#### ¨¨¨¨¨#####
###¨¨¨¨##¨ 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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