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