,,@,@@@,,@                                          @,,,,,@@@,
,@@@,,@,@,                                          @,,,,@,,@,
@,,@,@@@@,                                          @,,,@@,@@,
@,@@@,,,@,                                          @,,@,@@,@@
@@,,@,,@@@                                          @,@@@,@@,,
,@,@@,@,,, //////////////////////////////////////// @@,,@@,@,@
@@@,@@@,,,                                          ,@,@,@@@@@
,,@@,,@,,,          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) ,@@,@,@@@,
,,@@@,@,@@                                          @,@@@@,,@@
,@,,@@@@,, //////////////////////////////////////// @@,,,@,@,@
@@,@,,,@,,                                          ,@,,@@@@@@
,@@@,,@@,@                                          @@,@,,,,,,
@,,@,@,@@,                                          ,@@@,,,,,,
@,@@@@@,@@                                          @,,@,,,,,@
@@,,,,@@,@                                          @,@@,,,,@,