,,,:=†*%@@                                          @@%*†=:,,,
,,,,:=†*%@                                          @%*†=:,,,,
,,,,,:=†*%                                          %*†=:,,,,,
,,,,,,:=†*                                          *†=:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:=†                                          †=:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:=†* †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† *†=:,,,,,,
,,,,,:=†*%                                          %*†=:,,,,,
,,,,:=†*%@          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) @@%*†=:,,,
,,:=†*%@@#                                          #@@%*†=:,,
,:=†*%@@## †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ##@@%*†=:,
,,:=†*%@@#                                          #@@%*†=:,,
,,,:=†*%@@                                          @@%*†=:,,,
,,,,:=†*%@                                          @%*†=:,,,,
,,,,,:=†*%                                          %*†=:,,,,,
,,,,,,:=†*                                          *†=:,,,,,,