##%%%$/~..                                          ..~/$%%%##
###@%$/~..                                          ..~/$%@###
###@%$/~..                                          ..~/$%@###
@@@%$~....                                          ....~$%@@@
##@$~~....                                          ....~~$@##
###@%$/~.. //////////////////////////////////////// ..~/$%@###
##%%$/....                                          ..../$%%##
#@@%$~~...          MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          ...~~$%@@#
@$$$/.....                                          ...../$$$@
@$$/~~~...                /  /  /  /                ...~~~/$$@
###@%$/~..                                          ..~/$%@###
###@%$/~.. IN  THIS  DREAM  I WAS  A  GIRL OF MAYBE ..~/$%@###
@%$~...... SIXTEEN YEARS, TOGETHER  WITH MY DAD  IN ......~$%@
@%%/~~.... 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. .....~/%@#
@$$~~.....                                          .....~~$$@
###@%$/~.. SHE LAY DOWN IN A PATCH  OF GRASS. I SAT ..~/$%@###
###@%$/~.. DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED ..~/$%@###
@$~....... CLOSER.  SHE LAUGHED  AT  ME  AGAIN, AND .......~$@
###@%$/~..                  SAID -                  ..~/$%@###
###@%$/~..                                          ..~/$%@###
#%$//.....                /  /  /  /                .....//$%#
###@%$/~..                                          ..~/$%@###
###@%$/~.. (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW) ..~/$%@###
###@%$/~..                                          ..~/$%@###
###@%$/~.. //////////////////////////////////////// ..~/$%@###
###@%$/~..                                          ..~/$%@###
#@$/~.....                                          .....~/$@#
#@@%/.....                                          ...../%@@#
####@%/~..                                          ..~/%@####
###@%$/~..                                          ..~/$%@###