¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-= =-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-= =-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ;=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=;* *;=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=;*$ 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) ¤$*;=-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-=;*$¤# #¤$*;=-¨¨¨
¨¨-=;*$¤## ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ##¤$*;=-¨¨
¨-=;*$¤### ###¤$*;=-¨
¨¨-=;*$¤## ##¤$*;=-¨¨
¨¨¨-=;*$¤# #¤$*;=-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-=;*$¤ ¤$*;=-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=;*$ $*;=-¨¨¨¨¨