¨.»=*$§@@@                                          @@@§$*=».¨
¨¨¨¨¨»*$$@                                          @$$*»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=$$§                                          §$$=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.==*$@                                          @$*==.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨»»=*§                                          §*=»»¨¨¨¨¨
¨.»=*$§@## ======================================== ##@§$*=».¨
¨.»====**§                                          §**====».¨
¨¨¨¨.=$§§§          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          §§§$=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.=***$§                                          §$***=.¨¨¨
¨.»=*$§@@#                =  =  =  =                #@@§$*=».¨
¨.»=*$§§§§                                          §§§§$*=».¨
¨.»=$§@### IN  THIS  DREAM  I  WAS A GIRL OF  MAYBE ###@§$=».¨
¨¨.»»**§@@ 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) #§***»»¨¨¨
¨.»=*$§@##                                          ##@§$*=».¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=$@# ======================================== #@$=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.»=*$§@##                                          ##@§$*=».¨
¨¨¨¨»**§@@                                          @@§**»¨¨¨¨
¨.»=*$$$§@                                          @§$$$*=».¨
¨.»=*$@###                                          ###@$*=».¨
¨.»=*$§@##                                          ##@§$*=».¨