#.###..##.                                          #.#.##.##.
#..##.#.#.                                          #.#..#..#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#.##.##.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#..#..#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#.##.##.
#.#.#.#.#. //////////////////////////////////////// #.#..#..#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#.##.##.
#.#.#.#.#.          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) #.#.##.##.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#..#..#.
#.#.#.#.#. //////////////////////////////////////// #.#.##.##.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#..#..#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#.##.##.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#..#..#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#.##.##.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#..#..#.