##*~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~*##
@@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@@
@@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@@
##@@#*^~^,                                          ,^~^*#@@##
@@$$$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$$$@@
#@@#$*^~^, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ,^~^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@#
@$^~^^,,,,          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ,,,,^^~^$@
#@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^~^,                ^  ^  ^  ^                ,^~^*$#@@#
##$^~^,,,,                                          ,,,,^~^$##
@#$^~,,,,, IN THIS DREAM  I  WAS  A  GIRL OF  MAYBE ,,,,,~^$#@
#@@#$*^~^, SIXTEEN YEARS, TOGETHER WITH  MY  DAD IN ,^~^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^~^, A  HUGE  BATH  HOUSE /  SPA  /  HOTEL  / ,^~^*$#@@#
#$$^^~~^,, SHOPPING CENTRE.      DAD WAS  CONSTATLY ,,^~~^^$$#
#$$$$*^~^, POINTING OUT  HOT  GIRLS TO ME. "YOU SEE ,^~^*$$$$#
@$$$$*^~^,   THAT BLACK-HAIRED THING DISSAPEARING   ,^~^*$$$$@
@@@#$*^~^, BEHIND  THE  CLOTHES  RACK?  OOF!"  HE'D ,^~^*$#@@@
##@#$*^~^, SAY.  HE WAS  ALWAYS  VERY CREEPY  ABOUT ,^~^*$#@##
@##*~,,,,, THIS,   GOING    FOR   GIRLS   MY   AGE. ,,,,,~*##@
#*^^^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^^^*#
@@@#$*^~^, THIS  NIGHT  HE HAD JUST TRIED TO  WOO A ,^~^*$#@@@
@@@#$*^~^, GIRL  HE CALLED A "MOUSE" BY BUYING  HER ,^~^*$#@@@
#****^^,,, SHOES,  BUT SHE HAD  ACCEPTED  THEM ONLY ,,,^^****#
#*~^^^,,,, TO  RUN  AWAY IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD. DAD ,,,,^^^~*#
##@#$*^~^, WAS   A  BIT   BUMMED  BUT   DROPPED  IT ,^~^*$#@##
#@@#$*^~^, QUICKLY.  I  SAID  GOODNIGHT  TO HIM AND ,^~^*$#@@#
@@@#$*^~^,        WENT LOOKING FOR THE MOUSE.       ,^~^*$#@@@
#@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^~^, THE BUILDING WAS ENORMOUS  AND MAZELIKE. ,^~^*$#@@#
@@#*^~^,,, WALLS,  FLOORS AND PILLARS  WERE  SET IN ,,,^~^*#@@
#@@#$*^~^, GREEN MARBLE.  THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE  RAN ,^~^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^~^, A  MAIN  BOULEVARD,  WIDE  AS  A STREET, ,^~^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^~^, FRAMED WITH CLAY  VASES DARK AS OBSIDIAN ,^~^*$#@@#
##@@#$^~^, AND TALLER  THAN A PERSON.  IN EACH VASE ,^~^$#@@##
##@@#*^~^, WAS  PLACED UPRIGHT A LEAF  FROM A  PALM ,^~^*#@@##
##@#$*^~^, TREE  OR GIANT FERN. THE  BOULEVARD  WAS ,^~^*$#@##
@@$*~^,,,, DIMLY  LIT, WHICH ALLOWED THE POOLS THAT ,,,,^~*$@@
#@@#$*^~^,   WERE GENEROUSLY SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT   ,^~^*$#@@#
@$$^^^,,,,   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 ,^^^~^*$$@
@@#*~~,,,, ROOFTOP WALKING GARDEN, FULL  OF JUNIPER ,,,,~~*#@@
#*^^,,,,,, AND THUJA. IT WAS A  LATE  EVENING,  AND ,,,,,,^^*#
@@@#$*^~^,     THE STARS WERE GLITTERING. BEING     ,^~^*$#@@@
#@@#$*^~^, CLOSED,  THE GARDEN HAD ITS LIGHT TURNED ,^~^*$#@@#
@@@#$*^~^, OFF,  BUT  WE COULD STILL  SEE  OUR  WAY ,^~^*$#@@@
@@@#$*^~^, AROUND BY THE  LIGHT  SHINING DOWN  FROM ,^~^*$#@@@
#@@#$*^~^, THE  WINDOWS  OF   THE  HIGHER   FLOORS. ,^~^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@#
#*^^^,,,,, SHE  LAY DOWN IN A PATCH OF GRASS. I SAT ,,,,,^^^*#
@$$$$*^~^, DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED ,^~^*$$$$@
#@@#$*^~^, CLOSER.  SHE LAUGHED  AT ME  AGAIN,  AND ,^~^*$#@@#
@@@#$*^~^,                  SAID -                  ,^~^*$#@@@
####$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$####
@@@#$*^~^,                ^  ^  ^  ^                ,^~^*$#@@@
#@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^~^, (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ,^~^*$#@@#
@@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@@
#@@#$*^~^, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ,^~^*$#@@#
#@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@#
#$^^^^^^^,                                          ,^^^^^^^$#
#*^^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^^*#
@@#**~,,,,                                          ,,,,~**#@@
#@@#$*^~^,                                          ,^~^*$#@@#