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..,~:=££@#                                          #@££=:~,..
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....,~:=££                                          ££=:~,....
.....,~:=£ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: £=:~,.....
....,~:=££                                          ££=:~,....
...,~:=££@          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 -                  ££=:~,....
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....,~:=££                :  :  :  :                ££=:~,....
...,~:=££@                                          @££=:~,...
..,~:=££@# (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) #@££=:~,..
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..,~:=££@# :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #@££=:~,..
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