.....-==$#                                          #$==-.....
.-===$§###                                          ###§$===-.
.-===$§###                                          ###§$===-.
.-===$$$§#                                          #§$$$===-.
......-=$#                                          #$=-......
.-==$§#### ======================================== ####§$==-.
.-===$§###                                          ###§$===-.
.-===$§###          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ###§$===-.
....--===§                                          §===--....
.....===§#                =  =  =  =                #§===.....
.-===$§###                                          ###§$===-.
...-=====§ 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) §===-.....
.-===$§###                                          ###§$===-.
.-===$§### ======================================== ###§$===-.
.-===$§###                                          ###§$===-.
....-=$§§#                                          #§§$=-....
.-===$§§§#                                          #§§§$===-.
......-=$#                                          #$=-......
...===$$$§                                          §$$$===...