.,«;*%@#@#                                          #@#@%*;«,.
.,«;*%@#@#                                          #@#@%*;«,.
.,,,«*%%@@                                          @@%%*«,,,.
....««;*@@                                          @@*;««....
.,«;*%@#@#                                          #@#@%*;«,.
......,;*@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; @*;,......
.,«;*%@@@@                                          @@@@%*;«,.
..,,,;;%@@          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) #@#@%*;«,.
.,«;*%@@@@                                          @@@@%*;«,.
.,«;*%@#@@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; @@#@%*;«,.
.,«;*%@#@#                                          #@#@%*;«,.
...,;;;%@@                                          @@%;;;,...
....,««*@#                                          #@*««,....
......«*@@                                          @@*«......
.,«;**%%%@                                          @%%%**;«,.