.:~=*$@###                                          ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@##                                          ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@#                                          #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@                                          @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@#                                          #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## ======================================== ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@###                                          ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@##          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@#                                          #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@                =  =  =  =                @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@#                                          #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## IN  THIS DREAM  I  WAS  A GIRL  OF MAYBE ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@### SIXTEEN  YEARS, TOGETHER  WITH MY DAD IN ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@## A  HUGE  BATH  HOUSE  /  SPA  /  HOTEL / ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@# SHOPPING CENTRE.       DAD WAS CONSTATLY #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@ POINTING  OUT HOT  GIRLS TO ME. "YOU SEE @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@#   THAT BLACK-HAIRED THING DISSAPEARING   #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## BEHIND  THE  CLOTHES  RACK?  OOF!"  HE'D ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@### SAY.  HE  WAS  ALWAYS  VERY CREEPY ABOUT ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@## THIS,   GOING   FOR   GIRLS   MY    AGE. ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@#                                          #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@ THIS NIGHT  HE  HAD  JUST TRIED TO WOO A @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@# GIRL HE CALLED A "MOUSE"  BY  BUYING HER #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## SHOES, BUT  SHE  HAD ACCEPTED  THEM ONLY ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@### TO RUN AWAY  IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD.  DAD ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@## WAS   A  BIT   BUMMED   BUT  DROPPED  IT ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@# QUICKLY.  I  SAID GOODNIGHT  TO HIM  AND #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@       WENT LOOKING FOR THE MOUSE.        @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@#                                          #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## THE BUILDING  WAS ENORMOUS AND MAZELIKE. ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@### WALLS,  FLOORS AND  PILLARS WERE  SET IN ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@## GREEN MARBLE.  THROUGHOUT  THE HOUSE RAN ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@# A  MAIN BOULEVARD,  WIDE  AS  A  STREET, #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@ FRAMED WITH CLAY VASES DARK AS  OBSIDIAN @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@# AND  TALLER THAN  A PERSON. IN EACH VASE #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## WAS PLACED UPRIGHT A  LEAF FROM  A  PALM ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@### TREE OR  GIANT  FERN.  THE BOULEVARD WAS ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@## DIMLY LIT, WHICH  ALLOWED THE POOLS THAT ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@#   WERE GENEROUSLY SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT   #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@   EACH FLOOR WOULD REFLECT SUGGESTIVE    @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@#          PATTERNS ON THE MARBLE.         #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@##                                          ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@###                =  =  =  =                ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@##                                          ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@# FOLLOWING THE BOULEVARD,  TWO  FLOORS UP #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@ I  FOUND  HER  CRYING  BEHIND  TWO  FERN @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@# VASES.  SHE  WAS  BEAUTIFUL,  AND  AS  I #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## APPROACHED,  SHE LOOKED UP AND SNIVELED. ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@### IN  THE  NEAREST  VASE  SHE  HAD STUFFED ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@##              BOTH THE SHOES.             ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@#                                          #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@ I  TOLD HER  TO FOLLOW, BUT  SHE  DIDN'T @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@# MOVE  OR  SPEAK. SO  INSTEAD  I SAID  TO #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## STAY THERE, AND RAN TO  GET HER A BETTER ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@### PAIR OF  SHOES  THAT SHE  WOULD ACTUALLY ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@## LIKE.  WHEN  I  RETURNED,  HAVING  SPENT ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@# MORE  THAN  I COULD REALLY  AFFORD,  SHE #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@ WAS VISIBLY IMPRESSED.  I TRIED TO SOUND @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@# COOL,  SAYING SOMETHING  LIKE  "WHAT  DO #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## YOU THINK,  JUST  BECAUSE A  GIRL HAS  A ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@### FREAKY DAD,  SHE  DOESN'T  HAVE  TASTE?" ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@## BUT  MOUSE  GIRL  JUST  LAUGHED  AT  ME. ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@#                                          #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@ SHE THEN TOOK ME  BY THE HAND AND LED ME @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@# OUT   A  SIDE   ROUTE  TO  A  CLOSED-OFF #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## ROOFTOP WALKING GARDEN, FULL  OF JUNIPER ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@### AND THUJA.  IT WAS A  LATE EVENING,  AND ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@##     THE STARS WERE GLITTERING. BEING     ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@# CLOSED, THE GARDEN HAD ITS  LIGHT TURNED #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@ OFF,  BUT  WE COULD  STILL  SEE OUR  WAY @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@# AROUND BY  THE LIGHT  SHINING  DOWN FROM #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@## THE  WINDOWS   OF  THE  HIGHER   FLOORS. ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@###                                          ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@## SHE LAY DOWN IN A PATCH OF  GRASS. I SAT ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@# DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@ CLOSER.  SHE  LAUGHED AT  ME  AGAIN, AND @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@#                  SAID -                  #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@##                                          ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@###                =  =  =  =                ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@##                                          ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@# (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@                                          @$*=~:....
...:~=*$@# ======================================== #@$*=~:...
..:~=*$@##                                          ##@$*=~:..
.:~=*$@###                                          ###@$*=~:.
..:~=*$@##                                          ##@$*=~:..
...:~=*$@#                                          #@$*=~:...
....:~=*$@                                          @$*=~:....