,-~=§%####                                          ####%§=~-,
,-~=§%%###                                          ###%%§=~-,
,-~=§%####                                          ####%§=~-,
,-~=§%####                                          ####%§=~-,
,-~=§%####                                          ####%§=~-,
,-~=§%#### ======================================== ####%§=~-,
,-~=§%%###                                          ###%%§=~-,
,-~=§%####          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) #%%=~~-,,,
,-~=§§%###                                          ###%§§=~-,
,-~=§%#### ======================================== ####%§=~-,
,-~=§%####                                          ####%§=~-,
,-~=§%####                                          ####%§=~-,
,,,,--=%%#                                          #%%=--,,,,
,-~=§%####                                          ####%§=~-,
,-~=§%####                                          ####%§=~-,