@¨¨@¨@@¨@@ ¨¨¨¨@@¨¨@¨
@¨@@@¨@@¨@ ¨¨¨@¨@¨@@@
@@¨¨@@¨@@¨ ¨¨@@@@@¨¨¨
¨@¨@¨@@¨@¨ ¨@¨¨¨¨@¨¨@
@@@@@¨@@@¨ @@¨¨¨@@¨@@
¨¨¨¨@@¨¨@@ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨@¨¨@¨@@¨¨
¨¨¨@¨@¨@¨@ @@¨@@@¨@¨¨
¨¨@@@@@@@¨ 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) ¨@¨@@@¨@@¨
@@¨¨¨@@¨@@ @@@¨¨@@¨@@
¨@¨¨@¨@@¨@ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨@¨@¨@@¨¨
@@¨@@@¨@@@ ¨@@@@@¨@¨¨
¨@@¨¨@@¨¨@ @¨¨¨¨@@@¨@
@¨@¨@¨@¨@¨ @¨¨¨@¨¨@@@
@@@@@@@@@¨ @¨¨@@¨@¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@ @¨@¨@@@¨¨@