,,,^~***@@                                          @@***~^,,,
,,^~::**@@                                          @@**::~^,,
,^~:****@@                                          @@****:~^,
,^~:**@@@#                                          #@@@**:~^,
,^~:****@@                                          @@****:~^,
,,,,~::*@@ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: @@*::~,,,,
^~:**@@@##                                          ##@@@**:~^
,^~:**@@@@          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) @*~~,,,,,,
,^~:**@@@@                                          @@@@**:~^,
,^~:*****@ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: @*****:~^,
,,,,,,~*@@                                          @@*~,,,,,,
,^~:**@@@#                                          #@@@**:~^,
,,,,^:**@@                                          @@**:^,,,,
,,,,,^:**@                                          @**:^,,,,,
,^~:**@@@#                                          #@@@**:~^,