#¨##¨#¨#¨¨ ##¨¨¨¨#¨#¨
¨¨##¨¨¨¨#¨ ###¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨###¨¨¨¨# #¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨ ¨¨###¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨ ¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ #¨¨¨###¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨###¨ ##¨¨#¨##¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨## 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) ¨#¨¨#¨##¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨¨## ¨¨#¨¨¨###¨
¨¨¨###¨¨#¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##
#¨¨#¨##¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨##
##¨¨¨###¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨
###¨¨#¨##¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨### ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨
¨¨###¨¨#¨# ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨