.^~\\===&£                                          £&===\\~^.
.^~~~=&&£#                                          #£&&=~~~^.
.^~\=&&£##                                          ##£&&=\~^.
.^~\===&&£                                          £&&===\~^.
...^~\&&&#                                          #&&&\~^...
.^~\=&&&&# \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ #&&&&=\~^.
..^^~~\=&&                                          &&=\~~^^..
...^^\=&&#          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) ###£&&=\~.
.^~\=&&£##                                          ##£&&=\~^.
.^~\=&&£## \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ##£&&=\~^.
..^^~\=&££                                          ££&=\~^^..
......^\&&                                          &&\^......
.^~\=&&£##                                          ##£&&=\~^.
....~\&&&£                                          £&&&\~....
.^~\=&&£##                                          ##£&&=\~^.