¨¨-«/*%##@                                          @##%*/«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«/*%##                                          ##%*/«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«/*%#                                          #%*/«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«/*%                                          %*/«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«/*%#                                          #%*/«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«/*%## //////////////////////////////////////// ##%*/«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«/*%##@                                          @##%*/«-¨¨
¨-«/*%##@#          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) @##%*/«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«/*%##                                          ##%*/«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«/*%# //////////////////////////////////////// #%*/«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«/*%                                          %*/«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«/*%#                                          #%*/«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«/*%##                                          ##%*/«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«/*%##@                                          @##%*/«-¨¨
¨-«/*%##@#                                          #@##%*/«-¨