,^~\†%@@##                                          ##@@%†\~^,
,^~\†%@###                                          ###@%†\~^,
,^~\†%@@##                                          ##@@%†\~^,
,,,,,^~†@#                                          #@†~^,,,,,
,,,,~\%%%@                                          @%%%\~,,,,
,^~\†%@@## \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ##@@%†\~^,
,^~\†%@@@#                                          #@@@%†\~^,
,^~\†%@@##          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) #@%%†~,,,,
,^~†%@@###                                          ###@@%†~^,
,^~\†%@@@# \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ #@@@%†\~^,
,,,,,,^\%@                                          @%\^,,,,,,
,^~\\\\\†@                                          @†\\\\\~^,
,^~\†%@@@@                                          @@@@%†\~^,
,^~†%@@###                                          ###@@%†~^,
,^~\†%@@##                                          ##@@%†\~^,