..--$*££##                                          ##££*$--..
.--$*££###                                          ###££*$--.
..--$*££##                                          ##££*$--..
...--$*££#                                          #££*$--...
....--$*££                                          ££*$--....
.....--$*£ **************************************** £*$--.....
......--$*                                          *$--......
.......--$          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 -                  ££*$--....
.....--$*£                                          £*$--.....
......--$*                *  *  *  *                *$--......
.......--$                                          $--.......
........-- (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) --........
.........-                                          -.........
.......... **************************************** ..........
.........-                                          -.........
........--                                          --........
.......--$                                          $--.......
......--$*                                          *$--......
.....--$*£                                          £*$--.....