#††/~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~/††#
##†~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~†##
@##†/,,,,,                                          ,,,,,/†##@
#@##&†/~,,                                          ,,~/†&##@#
@@##&†/~,,                                          ,,~/†&##@@
#@##&†/~,, //////////////////////////////////////// ,,~/†&##@#
@#&†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†&#@
####&†/~,,          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) ,,,,~~†&#@
#@##&†/~,,                                          ,,~/†&##@#
##&&/,,,,, //////////////////////////////////////// ,,,,,/&&##
##@##&†/~,                                          ,~/†&##@##
#&/,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,/&#
#@##&†/~,,                                          ,,~/†&##@#
##@##&†/,,                                          ,,/†&##@##
##@#&†/~,,                                          ,,~/†&#@##