##@@$%=~:.                                          .:~=%$@@##
@%=:......                                          ......:=%@
@@%=::....                                          ....::=%@@
@%~:......                                          ......:~%@
@$==~::...                                          ...::~==$@
@$=:...... ======================================== ......:=$@
##@@$%=~:.                                          .:~=%$@@##
#@$$=:....          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ....:=$$@#
###@$%=~:.                                          .:~=%$@###
##@@$%=~:.                =  =  =  =                .:~=%$@@##
#@$=~.....                                          .....~=$@#
#@$=:..... IN THIS  DREAM I  WAS A  GIRL  OF  MAYBE .....:=$@#
##@@$%=~:. SIXTEEN YEARS,  TOGETHER WITH MY DAD  IN .:~=%$@@##
##@@$%=~:. A  HUGE  BATH  HOUSE  /  SPA  / HOTEL  / .:~=%$@@##
@%%%%=~... 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 .....:=$$@
@@%%~..... AND  THUJA. IT WAS  A LATE EVENING,  AND .....~%%@@
##@@$%=~:.     THE STARS WERE GLITTERING. BEING     .:~=%$@@##
@@%=:..... CLOSED, THE GARDEN HAD ITS LIGHT  TURNED .....:=%@@
###@$%=~:. OFF, BUT  WE  COULD  STILL SEE  OUR  WAY .:~=%$@###
@$%=~~~:.. AROUND BY  THE  LIGHT  SHINING DOWN FROM ..:~~~=%$@
@%%=:..... THE   WINDOWS  OF  THE   HIGHER  FLOORS. .....:=%%@
##@@$%=~:.                                          .:~=%$@@##
#@@%~..... SHE LAY DOWN IN A PATCH OF GRASS. I  SAT .....~%@@#
#@@@$%=~:. DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED .:~=%$@@@#
##@@$%=~:. CLOSER.  SHE LAUGHED  AT ME  AGAIN,  AND .:~=%$@@##
##@@$%=~:.                  SAID -                  .:~=%$@@##
@%===~....                                          ....~===%@
@@@%~~~:..                =  =  =  =                ..:~~~%@@@
#@%%%~:::.                                          .:::~%%%@#
#@@@$%=~:. (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) .:~=%$@@@#
@@$$$%=~:.                                          .:~=%$$$@@
###@$%=~:. ======================================== .:~=%$@###
@$==:.....                                          .....:==$@
##@@$%=~:.                                          .:~=%$@@##
@@$%=~:::.                                          .:::~=%$@@
##@@$%=~:.                                          .:~=%$@@##
@$=:......                                          ......:=$@