$%:=:..... .....:=:%$
@$%:=:.... ....:=:%$@
#@$%:=:... ...:=:%$@#
##@$%:=:.. ..:=:%$@##
###@$%:=:. .:=:%$@###
##@$%:=:.. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ..:=:%$@##
#@$%:=:... ...:=:%$@#
@$%:=:.... MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES ....:=:%$@
$%:=:..... .....:=:%$
%:=:...... : : : : ......:=:%
:=:....... .......:=:
=:........ 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) .......:=:
=:........ ........:=
:=:....... :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .......:=:
%:=:...... ......:=:%
$%:=:..... .....:=:%$
@$%:=:.... ....:=:%$@
#@$%:=:... ...:=:%$@#
##@$%:=:.. ..:=:%$@##