@@,,,,@@@, ,,@,@,,,@@
,,@,,,@,,@ @,@@@@,,@,
,,@@,,@@,@ ,@@,,,@,@@
@,@,@,@,@@ @@,@,,@@@,
@@@@@@@@@, @,@@@,@,,@
,,,,,,,,,@ **************************************** @@@,,@@@,@
@,,,,,,,,@ @,,@,@,,@@
,@,,,,,,,@ 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) ,,@,@,@,@@
@,,,@,,@@, ,,@@@@@@@,
@@,,@@,@,@ **************************************** @,@,,,,,,@
,,@,@,@@@@ ,@@@,,,,,@
@,@@@@@,,, @@,,@,,,,@
,@@,,,,@,, @,@,@@,,,@
@@,@,,,@@, @@@@@,@,,@
,,@@@,,@,@ @,,,,@@@,@