##§§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§§##
###§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§###
##§%%^~~,.                                          .,~~^%%§##
###§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§###
##$%~.....          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          .....~%$##
###§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,.                ^  ^  ^  ^                .,~^%$§###
####§$%^~,                                          ,~^%$§####
###§$%^~,. IN  THIS DREAM  I  WAS A GIRL  OF  MAYBE .,~^%$§###
#$^,...... SIXTEEN YEARS, TOGETHER  WITH MY DAD  IN ......,^$#
#§§$^^^~,. A  HUGE  BATH  HOUSE /  SPA  /  HOTEL  / .,~^^^$§§#
###§$%^~,. SHOPPING CENTRE.       DAD WAS CONSTATLY .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,. POINTING  OUT HOT GIRLS TO ME. "YOU  SEE .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,.   THAT BLACK-HAIRED THING DISSAPEARING   .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,. BEHIND  THE  CLOTHES  RACK?  OOF!"  HE'D .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,. SAY.  HE  WAS ALWAYS VERY  CREEPY  ABOUT .,~^%$§###
####$%^~,. THIS,   GOING   FOR   GIRLS    MY   AGE. .,~^%$####
###§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§###
§$$%~..... THIS  NIGHT HE HAD  JUST TRIED  TO WOO A .....~%$$§
###§$%^~,. GIRL HE  CALLED A "MOUSE"  BY BUYING HER .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,. SHOES,  BUT  SHE HAD  ACCEPTED THEM ONLY .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,. TO  RUN AWAY IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD.  DAD .,~^%$§###
####§%^~,. 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     ..,,~^%§##
####§$^~,. CLOSED,  THE GARDEN HAD ITS LIGHT TURNED .,~^$§####
#$^,...... OFF,  BUT  WE  COULD STILL SEE  OUR  WAY ......,^$#
###§$%^~,. AROUND  BY THE  LIGHT SHINING  DOWN FROM .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,. THE  WINDOWS   OF   THE  HIGHER  FLOORS. .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§###
#§§$%^,,.. SHE LAY DOWN IN A PATCH  OF GRASS. I SAT ..,,^%$§§#
###§$%^~,. DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,. CLOSER.  SHE  LAUGHED AT ME  AGAIN,  AND .,~^%$§###
###§$%^~,.                  SAID -                  .,~^%$§###
####§$^~,.                                          .,~^$§####
###§$%^~,.                ^  ^  ^  ^                .,~^%$§###
##§$%~,,..                                          ..,,~%$§##
###§$%^~,. (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) .,~^%$§###
#§§§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§§§#
§%%~,..... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .....,~%%§
§§%~......                                          ......~%§§
###§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§###
§§§$$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$$§§§
###§$%^~,.                                          .,~^%$§###
§§$^~~~~,.                                          .,~~~~^$§§