.,=*%%@@##                                          ##@@%%*=,.
..,=*%%@@#                                          #@@%%*=,..
.,=*%%@@##                                          ##@@%%*=,.
..,=*%%@@#                                          #@@%%*=,..
.,=*%%@@##                                          ##@@%%*=,.
..,=*%%@@# **************************************** #@@%%*=,..
.,=*%%@@##                                          ##@@%%*=,.
..,=*%%@@#          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) ##@@%%*=,.
..,=*%%@@#                                          #@@%%*=,..
.,=*%%@@## **************************************** ##@@%%*=,.
..,=*%%@@#                                          #@@%%*=,..
.,=*%%@@##                                          ##@@%%*=,.
..,=*%%@@#                                          #@@%%*=,..
.,=*%%@@##                                          ##@@%%*=,.
..,=*%%@@#                                          #@@%%*=,..