,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:% %:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=:%* :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: *%:=^,,,,,
,,,,^=:%*@ @*%:=^,,,,
,,,^=:%*@# 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) ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:% %:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=:%* *%:=^,,,,,
,,,,^=:%*@ @*%:=^,,,,
,,,^=:%*@# #@*%:=^,,,