,@@,@@,@@,                                          @,@@,,@,@,
,@,@@,@@,@                                          @@@,@,@@@@
@@@@,@@,@@                                          @,,@@@@,,,
@,,,@@,@@,                                          ,@,@,,,@,,
@@,,@,@@,@                                          ,@@@@,,@@,
@,@,@@@,@@ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ @@,,,@,@,@
,@@@@,,@@,                                          @,@,,@@@@@
@@,,,@,@,@          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) @@,,,@,,@,
,,@,,@,,@@                                          ,,@,,@@,@@
@,@@,@@,@, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ @,@@,@,@@,
@@@,@@,@@@                                          ,@@,@@@@,@
,,,@@,@@,,                                          ,@,@@,,,@@
@,,@,@@,@,                                          ,@@@,@,,@,
@@,@@@,@@@                                          ,@,,@@@,@@
,,@@,,@@,,                                          @@@,@,,@@,