,,,,^=§$##                                          ##$§=^,,,,
,,,,,,^-§&                                          &§-^,,,,,,
,,,--=§§§&                                          &§§§=--,,,
,^-=§$&###                                          ###&$§=-^,
,^-=§§§$$#                                          #$$§§§=-^,
,,,,-=$$$& ======================================== &$$$=-,,,,
,^-=§$&&&&                                          &&&&$§=-^,
,,,--=$&&#          mouse girl likes shoes          #&&$=--,,,
,^-==§§$&#                                          #&$§§==-^,
,,,,,,^-§&                =  =  =  =                &§-^,,,,,,
,^-=§$&###                                          ###&$§=-^,
,^----=§§& 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 -                  &§=^,,,,,,
,^^^-§$$&#                                          #&$$§-^^^,
,,,,,--§&#                =  =  =  =                #&§--,,,,,
,^-=§$&###                                          ###&$§=-^,
,^-=$&#### (here i am awakened by the morning crew) ####&$=-^,
,^^^^^^=$#                                          #$=^^^^^^,
,^-=§$&### ======================================== ###&$§=-^,
,^-=§$&###                                          ###&$§=-^,
,^^-=§§$&#                                          #&$§§=-^^,
,^-=§$&###                                          ###&$§=-^,
,^-=§$&###                                          ###&$§=-^,
,^--==§§&#                                          #&§§==--^,