##@&@$/~:.                                          .:~/$@&@##
##@&@$/~:.                                          .:~/$@&@##
@@@//~::..                                          ..::~//@@@
##@&@$/~:.                                          .:~/$@&@##
@@@$$~....                                          ....~$$@@@
##@&@$/~:. //////////////////////////////////////// .:~/$@&@##
###&@$/~:.                                          .:~/$@&###
#&@$//~...          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ...~//$@&#
##@&@$/~:.                                          .:~/$@&@##
@@&$~.....                /  /  /  /                .....~$&@@
##@&@$/~:.                                          .:~/$@&@##
##@&@$/~:. IN THIS  DREAM  I  WAS A  GIRL OF  MAYBE .:~/$@&@##
##@&@$/~:. SIXTEEN  YEARS, TOGETHER WITH  MY DAD IN .:~/$@&@##
###&@$/~:. A  HUGE  BATH HOUSE  /  SPA  /  HOTEL  / .:~/$@&###
@&&&@$/~:. SHOPPING CENTRE.       DAD WAS CONSTATLY .:~/$@&&&@
##@&@$/~:. POINTING OUT HOT GIRLS  TO ME.  "YOU SEE .:~/$@&@##
##@&@$/~:.   THAT BLACK-HAIRED THING DISSAPEARING   .:~/$@&@##
##@&@$/~:. BEHIND  THE  CLOTHES  RACK?  OOF!"  HE'D .:~/$@&@##
###@&@$/:. SAY.  HE WAS  ALWAYS  VERY  CREEPY ABOUT .:/$@&@###
@@$$~~~:.. THIS,   GOING    FOR   GIRLS   MY   AGE. ..:~~~$$@@
##@&@$/~:.                                          .:~/$@&@##
###@&$/~:. THIS  NIGHT HE  HAD  JUST TRIED TO WOO A .:~/$&@###
##@&@$/~:. GIRL HE CALLED  A "MOUSE"  BY BUYING HER .:~/$@&@##
###@&$/~:. SHOES, BUT  SHE  HAD  ACCEPTED THEM ONLY .:~/$&@###
##@&@$/~:. TO  RUN AWAY  IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD. DAD .:~/$@&@##
###@@$/~:. WAS  A   BIT  BUMMED  BUT   DROPPED   IT .:~/$@@###
&&&&@$/~:. QUICKLY. I  SAID  GOODNIGHT  TO  HIM AND .:~/$@&&&&
##@&@$/~:.        WENT LOOKING FOR THE MOUSE.       .:~/$@&@##
##@&@$/~:.                                          .:~/$@&@##
@@@$~:.... THE BUILDING WAS ENORMOUS  AND MAZELIKE. ....:~$@@@
##@&@$/~:. WALLS, FLOORS AND  PILLARS  WERE SET  IN .:~/$@&@##
##@&@$/~:. GREEN  MARBLE. THROUGHOUT  THE HOUSE RAN .:~/$@&@##
#@@&@$/~:. A  MAIN  BOULEVARD,  WIDE  AS  A STREET, .:~/$@&@@#
&&$$~~.... FRAMED WITH CLAY VASES DARK  AS OBSIDIAN ....~~$$&&
@@$~...... AND  TALLER THAN A PERSON. IN EACH  VASE ......~$@@
@&&&@$/~:. WAS PLACED  UPRIGHT A LEAF  FROM A  PALM .:~/$@&&&@
##@&@$/~:. TREE  OR GIANT FERN.  THE  BOULEVARD WAS .:~/$@&@##
###@@$/~:. DIMLY LIT, WHICH  ALLOWED THE POOLS THAT .:~/$@@###
##@&@$/~:.   WERE GENEROUSLY SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT   .:~/$@&@##
&&@/~~~~:.   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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