##¶#*$/«-,                                          ,-«/$*#¶##
####*$/«-,                                          ,-«/$*####
###¶#*$/«,                                          ,«/$*#¶###
¶¶##*$/«-,                                          ,-«/$*##¶¶
##¶#*$/«-,                                          ,-«/$*#¶##
¶**$/«-,,, //////////////////////////////////////// ,,,-«/$**¶
¶##$/--,,,                                          ,,,--/$##¶
##¶#*$/«-,          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ,-«/$*#¶##
##¶#*$/«-,                                          ,-«/$*#¶##
#¶*$$/«-,,                /  /  /  /                ,,-«/$$*¶#
####*$/«-,                                          ,-«/$*####
¶*/---,,,, 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 ,,,,,«$$*¶
##¶#*$/«-, DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED ,-«/$*#¶##
¶*$/-,,,,, CLOSER. SHE  LAUGHED AT  ME  AGAIN,  AND ,,,,,-/$*¶
#$«,,,,,,,                  SAID -                  ,,,,,,,«$#
#$$«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«$$#
##¶#*$/«-,                /  /  /  /                ,-«/$*#¶##
####*$/«-,                                          ,-«/$*####
###$«-,,,, (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ,,,,-«$###
##¶#*$/«-,                                          ,-«/$*#¶##
¶*/«-,,,,, //////////////////////////////////////// ,,,,,-«/*¶
##¶#*$/«-,                                          ,-«/$*#¶##
##$«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«$##
¶#*$$/«-,,                                          ,,-«/$$*#¶
#¶**$«-,,,                                          ,,,-«$**¶#
¶¶**$/-,,,                                          ,,,-/$**¶¶