###§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§###
###§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§###
##§§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§§##
###§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§###
#§$\~~....                                          ....~~\$§#
##$\\\\~^. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ .^~\\\\$##
###§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§###
###§$*\~^.          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          .^~\*$§###
##§$\^....                                          ....^\$§##
###§$*\~^.                \  \  \  \                .^~\*$§###
###§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§###
§§*~~^.... IN  THIS DREAM  I  WAS  A GIRL  OF MAYBE ....^~~*§§
###§$*\~^. 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 ....^\$§##
§$$\~..... OFF,  BUT  WE  COULD  STILL SEE  OUR WAY .....~\$$§
§*~....... AROUND  BY  THE  LIGHT SHINING DOWN FROM .......~*§
###§$*\~^. THE  WINDOWS   OF  THE   HIGHER  FLOORS. .^~\*$§###
§*\~^^....                                          ....^^~\*§
##§$\\~^.. SHE  LAY DOWN IN A PATCH OF GRASS. I SAT ..^~\\$§##
###§$*\~^. DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED .^~\*$§###
###§$*\~^. CLOSER.  SHE LAUGHED  AT  ME  AGAIN, AND .^~\*$§###
§*\\\~....                  SAID -                  ....~\\\*§
###§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§###
###§$*\~^.                \  \  \  \                .^~\*$§###
###§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§###
§$\\^..... (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) .....^\\$§
##§*\\^^..                                          ..^^\\*§##
#§$\~..... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ .....~\$§#
####§$*~^.                                          .^~*$§####
#§§$$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$$§§#
§$$$\\\~^.                                          .^~\\\$$$§
###§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§###
###§$*\~^.                                          .^~\*$§###