#@@#$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$#@@#
#@@#$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$#@@#
##@#$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$#@##
##@@#$*/~,                                          ,~/*$#@@##
@#*/,.....                                          .....,/*#@
##@@#$/~,. //////////////////////////////////////// .,~/$#@@##
#$$*/,....                                          ....,/*$$#
@@@#$*/~,.          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          .,~/*$#@@@
#$/,......                                          ......,/$#
##@@#$/~,.                /  /  /  /                .,~/$#@@##
####$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$####
##**/~.... 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 ...,~***##
#@@#$*/~,. AROUND BY THE  LIGHT SHINING  DOWN  FROM .,~/*$#@@#
@$*~...... THE   WINDOWS   OF  THE  HIGHER  FLOORS. ......~*$@
#@@#$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$#@@#
@$/~,..... SHE LAY DOWN IN A PATCH  OF GRASS. I SAT .....,~/$@
@$/~~,,... DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED ...,,~~/$@
@@@#$*/~,. CLOSER.  SHE  LAUGHED AT ME  AGAIN,  AND .,~/*$#@@@
#@@#$*/~,.                  SAID -                  .,~/*$#@@#
#@@#$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$#@@#
@@@#$*/~,.                /  /  /  /                .,~/*$#@@@
#$/~......                                          ......~/$#
@@##$*/~,. (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) .,~/*$##@@
@#*~~~....                                          ....~~~*#@
@@@#$*/~,. //////////////////////////////////////// .,~/*$#@@@
@#$$$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$$$#@
##@#$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$#@##
@$**//,,,.                                          .,,,//**$@
#@@#$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$#@@#
#@@#$*/~,.                                          .,~/*$#@@#