#####^=~:.                                          .:~=^#####
#^==:.....                                          .....:==^#
##%^^^=~:.                                          .:~=^^^%##
###^^^=~:.                                          .:~=^^^###
#%^====~:.                                          .:~====^%#
##^~:::... ======================================== ...:::~^##
#%^~~.....                                          .....~~^%#
####%^=~:.          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) ......:=^#
####%^=~:.                                          .:~=^%####
####%^=~:. ======================================== .:~=^%####
####%^=~:.                                          .:~=^%####
####%^=~:.                                          .:~=^%####
##^===:...                                          ...:===^##
#^=~~:....                                          ....:~~=^#
####%^=~:.                                          .:~=^%####