@@@,@,,@,,                                          ,,@@,@@@@@
,,@@@,@@,,                                          ,@,@@,,,,,
,@,,@@,@,@                                          @@@,@,,,,,
@@,@,@@@@@                                          ,,@@@,,,,,
,@@@@,,,,,                                          ,@,,@,,,,@
@,,,@,,,,, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ @@,@@,,,@@
@,,@@,,,,@                                          ,@@,@,,@,,
@,@,@,,,@,          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) @,@@@@,,@@
,,@@,,@@,@                                          @@,,,@,@,,
,@,@,@,@@, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ,@,,@@@@,,
@@@@@@@,@,                                          @@,@,,,@,,
,,,,,,@@@,                                          ,@@@,,@@,@
,,,,,@,,@@                                          @,,@,@,@@@
,,,,@@,@,,                                          @,@@@@@,,@
,,,@,@@@,,                                          @@,,,,@,@@