,,,,,^~**%                                          %**~^,,,,,
,,,,,,^~**                                          **~^,,,,,,
,,,,,^~**%                                          %**~^,,,,,
,,,,^~**%@                                          @%**~^,,,,
,,,^~**%@#                                          #@%**~^,,,
,,^~**%@## **************************************** ##@%**~^,,
,^~**%@###                                          ###@%**~^,
,,^~**%@##          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) %**~^,,,,,
,,,,,,^~**                                          **~^,,,,,,
,,,,,^~**% **************************************** %**~^,,,,,
,,,,^~**%@                                          @%**~^,,,,
,,,^~**%@#                                          #@%**~^,,,
,,^~**%@##                                          ##@%**~^,,
,^~**%@###                                          ###@%**~^,
,,^~**%@##                                          ##@%**~^,,