##¶#*%=«~.                                          .~«=%*#¶##
¶*==~~~...                                          ...~~~==*¶
##¶#*%=«~.                                          .~«=%*#¶##
##¶#*%=«~.                                          .~«=%*#¶##
¶¶##*%=«~.                                          .~«=%*##¶¶
¶¶#%=~.... ======================================== ....~=%#¶¶
##¶#*%=«~.                                          .~«=%*#¶##
¶*%=~.....          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) ....~=*###
¶***%«««~.                                          .~«««%***¶
##¶#*%=«~. ======================================== .~«=%*#¶##
##¶#*%=«~.                                          .~«=%*#¶##
¶*=«~.....                                          .....~«=*¶
###¶#*%«~.                                          .~«%*#¶###
##¶#*%=«~.                                          .~«=%*#¶##
#*%««~....                                          ....~««%*#