,,,~~:^$$#                                          #$$^:~~,,,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,
,,,,~~:$##                                          ##$:~~,,,,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,
,^^^~~^###                                          ###^~~^^^,
,^~:^$#### :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$####          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$####                :  :  :  :                ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$#### IN THIS  DREAM I WAS  A  GIRL  OF  MAYBE ####$^:~^,
,,,,^~^^## 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 #^~^^,,,,,
,^~:^$#### AND THUJA.  IT WAS  A  LATE EVENING, AND ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$####     THE STARS WERE GLITTERING. BEING     ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$#### CLOSED,  THE GARDEN HAD ITS LIGHT TURNED ####$^:~^,
,,,,,~^$## OFF, BUT  WE  COULD  STILL SEE  OUR  WAY ##$^~,,,,,
,^~:^$#### AROUND BY  THE  LIGHT SHINING  DOWN FROM ####$^:~^,
,,,,^~:$## THE  WINDOWS  OF  THE   HIGHER   FLOORS. ##$:~^,,,,
,^~:^$$###                                          ###$$^:~^,
,^~:^$#### SHE LAY DOWN IN A PATCH  OF GRASS. I SAT ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$$$## DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED ##$$$^:~^,
,,,^~~::$# CLOSER.  SHE  LAUGHED  AT ME AGAIN,  AND #$::~~^,,,
,^~:^$####                  SAID -                  ####$^:~^,
,,,~:^^$##                                          ##$^^:~,,,
,^~:^$####                :  :  :  :                ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,
,,,,,^:$## (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ##$:^,,,,,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,
,,,^^:^^$# :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #$^^:^^,,,
,,,,,^:^$#                                          #$^:^,,,,,
,^~~:::^##                                          ##^:::~~^,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,
,^~:^$####                                          ####$^:~^,