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