....-**=§#                                          #§=**-....
.---*=§###                                          ###§=*---.
.--*=§##@#                                          #@##§=*--.
.--*§##@##                                          ##@##§*--.
.--*=§##@@                                          @@##§=*--.
.--*=====# **************************************** #=====*--.
.--*=§##@#                                          #@##§=*--.
.--*=§####          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) ##§§§=*--.
.--*=§##@#                                          #@##§=*--.
.--*=§###@ **************************************** @###§=*--.
.--=§##@##                                          ##@##§=--.
.--*=§##@#                                          #@##§=*--.
.--*=##@##                                          ##@##=*--.
..---==§##                                          ##§==---..
......-*§#                                          #§*-......