.....«*&&&                                          &&&*«.....
.,«*&&@###                                          ###@&&*«,.
....,/*&&&                                          &&&*/,....
.,«/*&&&&&                                          &&&&&*/«,.
......,/*&                                          &*/,......
.,«/*&&### //////////////////////////////////////// ###&&*/«,.
.,«/*&&@##                                          ##@&&*/«,.
.,«/**&&&@          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) &*/,,.....
.,«/*&&@##                                          ##@&&*/«,.
.,«/*&&@## //////////////////////////////////////// ##@&&*/«,.
.,«/*&&&&@                                          @&&&&*/«,.
.,«/*&&@##                                          ##@&&*/«,.
.,«/*&&@##                                          ##@&&*/«,.
.,«/*&&&&#                                          #&&&&*/«,.
.,«/*&&&&&                                          &&&&&*/«,.