###@@%=*=^                                          ^=*=%@@###
##@@%=*=^,                                          ,^=*=%@@##
#@@%=*=^,,                                          ,,^=*=%@@#
@@%=*=^,,,                                          ,,,^=*=%@@
@%=*=^,,,,                                          ,,,,^=*=%@
%=*=^,,,,, **************************************** ,,,,,^=*=%
=*=^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^=*=
*=^,,,,,,,          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) ,,,,^=*=%@
@@%=*=^,,,                                          ,,,^=*=%@@
#@@%=*=^,, **************************************** ,,^=*=%@@#
##@@%=*=^,                                          ,^=*=%@@##
###@@%=*=^                                          ^=*=%@@###
##@@%=*=^,                                          ,^=*=%@@##
#@@%=*=^,,                                          ,,^=*=%@@#
@@%=*=^,,,                                          ,,,^=*=%@@