..,=^†$&##                                          ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&#                                          #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$&                                          &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&#                                          #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&##                                          ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&##                                          ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&#          mouse girl likes shoes          #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$&                                          &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&#                ^  ^  ^  ^                #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&##                                          ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### in  this dream i  was  a girl  of  maybe ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&## sixteen years, together with my  dad  in ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&# a  huge bath  house  /  spa  /  hotel  / #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$& shopping centre.       dad was constatly &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&# pointing  out hot  girls to me. "you see #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&##   that black-haired thing dissapearing   ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### behind  the  clothes  rack?  oof!"  he'd ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&## say. he  was  always  very  creepy about ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&# this,   going   for    girls   my   age. #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$&                                          &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&# this night  he  had just tried to woo  a #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&## girl he called a "mouse"  by buying  her ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### shoes,  but  she had accepted  them only ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&## to run  away immediately  afterward. dad ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&# was  a   bit   bummed   but  dropped  it #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$& quickly. i  said goodnight  to  him  and &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&#       went looking for the mouse.        #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&##                                          ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### the  building was enormous and mazelike. ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&## walls, floors  and pillars  were set  in ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&# green  marble. throughout the house  ran #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$& a  main  boulevard,  wide as  a  street, &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&# framed with  clay vases dark as obsidian #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&## and taller than a person.  in each  vase ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### was placed  upright a  leaf from  a palm ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&## tree  or  giant fern. the boulevard  was ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&# dimly lit, which  allowed the pools that #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$&   were generously sprinkled throughout   &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&#   each floor would reflect suggestive    #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&##         patterns on the marble.          ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&###                                          ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&##                ^  ^  ^  ^                ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&#                                          #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$& following the boulevard,  two  floors up &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&# i  found  her  crying  behind  two  fern #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&## vases.  she  was  beautiful,  and  as  i ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### approached, she looked up  and sniveled. ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&## in the  nearest  vase  she  had  stuffed ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&#             both the shoes.              #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$&                                          &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&# i  told her  to follow,  but  she didn't #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&## move  or  speak. so instead  i  said  to ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### stay there, and ran to  get her a better ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&## pair of  shoes that she  would  actually ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&# like.  when  i  returned,  having  spent #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$& more than  i  could  really afford,  she &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&# was visibly impressed. i tried  to sound #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&## cool,  saying  something  like "what  do ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### you think,  just  because a  girl  has a ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&## freaky  dad,  she  doesn't  have taste?" ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&# but  mouse  girl  just  laughed  at  me. #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$&                                          &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&# she  then took me by the hand and led me #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&## out  a  side  route   to   a  closed-off ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### rooftop walking garden, full  of juniper ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&## and thuja. it  was  a  late evening, and ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&#     the stars were glittering. being     #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$& closed, the garden had its light  turned &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&# off,  but  we  could still  see  our way #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&## around by the  light  shining  down from ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&### the   windows  of  the   higher  floors. ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&##                                          ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&# she lay down in a patch of grass. i  sat #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$& down  on  my  knees,  and  then  crawled &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&# closer.  she  laughed at  me again,  and #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&##                  said -                  ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&###                                          ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&##                ^  ^  ^  ^                ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&#                                          #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$& (here i am awakened by the morning crew) &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&#                                          #&$†^=,...
..,=^†$&## ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ##&$†^=,..
.,=^†$&###                                          ###&$†^=,.
..,=^†$&##                                          ##&$†^=,..
...,=^†$&#                                          #&$†^=,...
....,=^†$&                                          &$†^=,....
...,=^†$&#                                          #&$†^=,...