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