@@,,,,,,@, ,@@,,@@,@@
,,@,,,,,@@ @@,@,@,@@,
,,@@,,,,@, ,,@@@@@@,@
@,@,@,,,@@ @,@,,,,,@@
,@@@@@,,@, ,@@@,,,,@,
,@,,,,@,@@ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ,@,,@,,,@@
@@@,,,@@@, @@@,@@,,@,
@,,@,,@,,@ 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) @@,,@@@,@,
,@@,,@@,,@ ,,@,@,,@@@
@@,@,@,@,@ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ,,@@@@,@,,
@,@@@@@@@@ ,,@,,,@@@,
@@@,,,,,,, @,@@,,@,,@
,,,@,,,,,, ,@@,@,@@,@
@,,@@,,,,, ,@,@@@@,@@
,@,@,@,,,, @@@@,,,@@,