#@*†*=,... ...,=*†*@#
##@*†*=,.. ..,=*†*@##
###@*†*=,. .,=*†*@###
##@*†*=,.. ..,=*†*@##
#@*†*=,... ...,=*†*@#
@*†*=,.... **************************************** ....,=*†*@
#@*†*=,... ...,=*†*@#
##@*†*=,.. 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) .,=*†*@###
##@*†*=,.. ..,=*†*@##
#@*†*=,... **************************************** ...,=*†*@#
@*†*=,.... ....,=*†*@
#@*†*=,... ...,=*†*@#
##@*†*=,.. ..,=*†*@##
###@*†*=,. .,=*†*@###
##@*†*=,.. ..,=*†*@##