......^=$#                                          #$=^......
.^~==$####                                          ####$==~^.
.^~==$##@@                                          @@##$==~^.
.^^^==$$$#                                          #$$$==^^^.
.^~==$####                                          ####$==~^.
.^~==$#@## ======================================== ##@#$==~^.
.^~==$#@@@                                          @@@#$==~^.
.^~==$#@##          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ##@#$==~^.
.^~==$#@##                                          ##@#$==~^.
...~==$$$#                =  =  =  =                #$$$==~...
.^~==$##@#                                          #@##$==~^.
.^~==$#@## IN THIS  DREAM I  WAS A  GIRL  OF  MAYBE ##@#$==~^.
....~=$$#@ SIXTEEN YEARS, TOGETHER WITH MY  DAD  IN @#$$=~....
.^~==$#@## A  HUGE BATH  HOUSE  /  SPA  /  HOTEL  / ##@#$==~^.
.^~==$#### SHOPPING CENTRE.      DAD  WAS CONSTATLY ####$==~^.
.^~==$#@## POINTING OUT HOT  GIRLS TO ME. "YOU  SEE ##@#$==~^.
.^^~~==$##   THAT BLACK-HAIRED THING DISSAPEARING   ##$==~~^^.
....^====# 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 @$$$===~^.
.....^==## OFF,  BUT WE  COULD  STILL  SEE OUR  WAY ##==^.....
......~==# AROUND  BY  THE LIGHT  SHINING DOWN FROM #==~......
.^~==$#@## THE  WINDOWS   OF   THE  HIGHER  FLOORS. ##@#$==~^.
..^~~~=$##                                          ##$=~~~^..
....^~=$## SHE LAY DOWN IN A PATCH  OF GRASS. I SAT ##$=~^....
...^~~=$#@ DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED @#$=~~^...
.^~==$#@## CLOSER.  SHE  LAUGHED  AT ME  AGAIN, AND ##@#$==~^.
.^~==$#@##                  SAID -                  ##@#$==~^.
.^~==$#@##                                          ##@#$==~^.
.....^=$@@                =  =  =  =                @@$=^.....
...^~==$$#                                          #$$==~^...
.^~====### (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ###====~^.
.....~=$@#                                          #@$=~.....
...^~==$$# ======================================== #$$==~^...
.^~==$$$##                                          ##$$$==~^.
...~~=$$@#                                          #@$$=~~...
.....~~=$@                                          @$=~~.....
....^=$$@#                                          #@$$=^....
.^~==$#@##                                          ##@#$==~^.