#*=~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~=*#
##**~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~**##
##@#$*=~-,                                          ,-~=*$#@##
##$$*=-,,,                                          ,,,-=*$$##
##@#$*=~-,                                          ,-~=*$#@##
##@#$*=~-, ======================================== ,-~=*$#@##
##*~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~*##
@#$===-,,,          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ,,,-===$#@
###@#$*=~-                                          -~=*$#@###
#**=-,,,,,                =  =  =  =                ,,,,,-=**#
##@#$*=~-,                                          ,-~=*$#@##
###@$*=~-, IN  THIS DREAM I  WAS  A  GIRL  OF MAYBE ,-~=*$@###
###@$*=~-, SIXTEEN YEARS,  TOGETHER  WITH MY DAD IN ,-~=*$@###
#@@#$*=~-, A  HUGE  BATH  HOUSE  /  SPA /  HOTEL  / ,-~=*$#@@#
##@#$*=~-, SHOPPING CENTRE.       DAD WAS CONSTATLY ,-~=*$#@##
@@#*~,,,,, 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 ,,,,~~=$$@
##@#$*=~-,                  SAID -                  ,-~=*$#@##
#@$$=-,,,,                                          ,,,,-=$$@#
##$$*=-,,,                =  =  =  =                ,,,-=*$$##
##@#$*=~-,                                          ,-~=*$#@##
@$=-,,,,,, (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ,,,,,,-=$@
#$$$**=~-,                                          ,-~=**$$$#
#***=~,,,, ======================================== ,,,,~=***#
##@#$*=~-,                                          ,-~=*$#@##
###@#*=~-,                                          ,-~=*#@###
##@#$*=~-,                                          ,-~=*$#@##
###$*=~~-,                                          ,-~~=*$###
##@#$*=~-,                                          ,-~=*$#@##