.~-/*$&###                                          ###&$*/-~.
.~-/*$&###                                          ###&$*/-~.
.~-/*$&&&&                                          &&&&$*/-~.
.~-/*$&###                                          ###&$*/-~.
....~-/*&#                                          #&*/-~....
.~-/*$&### //////////////////////////////////////// ###&$*/-~.
.~-/*$$&&#                                          #&&$$*/-~.
......~-*&          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 &&*-~.....
.~-/*$&###                  SAID -                  ###&$*/-~.
.~-/*$&###                                          ###&$*/-~.
.~-/*$&&##                /  /  /  /                ##&&$*/-~.
....~-*&##                                          ##&*-~....
.~-/*$&### (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ###&$*/-~.
~-/*$&####                                          ####&$*/-~
....~/**$# //////////////////////////////////////// #$**/~....
~-/*$&####                                          ####&$*/-~
....~-/$##                                          ##$/-~....
.~-/*$####                                          ####$*/-~.
....~~-*$&                                          &$*-~~....
.~-/*$$&&#                                          #&&$$*/-~.