¨&¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨ &¨&¨&¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ &¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨ ¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨&¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨& &¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨ 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) ¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨&
¨&&&¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨
¨&¨&&¨¨&¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨
¨¨¨&&&¨¨&¨ &¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨
¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨& ¨&¨¨¨¨&&&¨
¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨ ¨¨&¨¨¨&¨&&
&¨¨¨¨&¨&&¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨&&
&&¨¨¨¨¨&&& ¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨