.:-:%@@@@@ @@@@@%:-:.
.:-:%@@@## ##@@@%:-:.
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.:-:%@@@## ##@@@%:-:.
.:-:%@@@## ##@@@%:-:.
..::::-%@@ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: @@%-::::..
.:-:%@@@## ##@@@%:-:.
.:-:%@@@@@ 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) ###@@%:-:.
.:-:%@@@## ##@@@%:-:.
...:-%%@@# :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #@@%%-:...
.:-:%@@@## ##@@@%:-:.
....:-:%@@ @@%:-:....
.:-:%@@@## ##@@@%:-:.
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