@%*\«.....                                          .....«\*%@
##@#%*\«,.                                          .,«\*%#@##
@@@#%*\«,.                                          .,«\*%#@@@
#*«.......                                          .......«*#
#@@#%*\«,.                                          .,«\*%#@@#
@%%\«,.... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ....,«\%%@
@@@#%*\«,.                                          .,«\*%#@@@
##*\«««,..          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) .,«\*%#@@#
#*\\«,....                                          ....,«\\*#
#*««...... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ......««*#
#%%%\,....                                          ....,\%%%#
@##%*\«...                                          ...«\*%##@
##%\\«,,..                                          ..,,«\\%##
#@@#%*\«,.                                          .,«\*%#@@#
#@@#%*\«,.                                          .,«\*%#@@#