##¶#$%;».,                                          ,.»;%$#¶##
##¶#$%;».,                                          ,.»;%$#¶##
###¶#$%;.,                                          ,.;%$#¶###
##¶#$%;».,                                          ,.»;%$#¶##
##¶#$%;».,                                          ,.»;%$#¶##
#%».,,,,,, ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ,,,,,,.»%#
##¶#$%;».,                                          ,.»;%$#¶##
#$;;;.,,,,          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ,,,,.;;;$#
#¶##$%;».,                                          ,.»;%$##¶#
#%;.,,,,,,                ;  ;  ;  ;                ,,,,,,.;%#
¶¶#$;».,,,                                          ,,,.»;$#¶¶
##¶#$%;»., IN  THIS  DREAM I WAS  A  GIRL  OF MAYBE ,.»;%$#¶##
##¶#$%;»., SIXTEEN  YEARS,  TOGETHER WITH MY DAD IN ,.»;%$#¶##
#¶¶#$%;»., A  HUGE  BATH HOUSE  /  SPA  /  HOTEL  / ,.»;%$#¶¶#
#$%;.,,,,, SHOPPING CENTRE.      DAD WAS  CONSTATLY ,,,,,.;%$#
###$%%;»., POINTING  OUT HOT GIRLS  TO ME. "YOU SEE ,.»;%%$###
#%%»»,,,,,   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 -                  ,.»;%#¶###
#%%;;»».,,                                          ,,.»»;;%%#
##¶#$%;».,                ;  ;  ;  ;                ,.»;%$#¶##
##%»,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,»%##
#$$;;»»»., (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ,.»»»;;$$#
#¶$$;..,,,                                          ,,,..;$$¶#
¶$;..,,,,, ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ,,,,,..;$¶
##¶#$%;».,                                          ,.»;%$#¶##
####$%;».,                                          ,.»;%$####
##¶#$%;».,                                          ,.»;%$#¶##
#$%%;;...,                                          ,...;;%%$#
¶$$;»,,,,,                                          ,,,,,»;$$¶