......-~†^                                          ^†~-......
.....-~†^%                                          %^†~-.....
....-~†^%#                                          #%^†~-....
...-~†^%#@                                          @#%^†~-...
..-~†^%#@#                                          #@#%^†~-..
.-~†^%#@##             % DREAM PALACE %             ##@#%^†~-.
..-~†^%#@#             - ----- ------ -             #@#%^†~-..
...-~†^%#@             % ..... ...... %             @#%^†~-...
....-~†^%#             † ..... ...... †             #%^†~-....
.....-~†^%             - ..... ...... -             %^†~-.....
......-~†^             - ..... ...... -             ^†~-......
.......-~†             . ..... ...... .             †~-.......
........-~                                          ~-........
.........-                                          -.........
.......... NOT ACTUALLY A  PALACE. A COTTAGE IN THE ..........
.........-  WOODS (TEMPERATE CLIMATE, RAINS EVERY   -.........
........-~ OTHER  DAY,  SPRINGS   AND  STREAMS  AND ~-........
.......-~†   MYSTERIOUS IRON AND STONE ARTIFACTS,   †~-.......
......-~†^     BIRDLAND-ISH ETERNAL SPRING (LATE    ^†~-......
.....-~†^%                 SPRING))                 %^†~-.....
....-~†^%#                                          #%^†~-....
...-~†^%#@                    ~                     @#%^†~-...
..-~†^%#@#                                          #@#%^†~-..
.-~†^%#@## I WAKE UP  EVERY MORNING AT SIX AM. IT'S ##@#%^†~-.
..-~†^%#@# DARK,  AND THE  STARS  ARE  OUT, BUT THE #@#%^†~-..
...-~†^%#@ SUN IS  ABOUT  TO RISE.  ITS A LONG DAY, @#%^†~-...
....-~†^%# BEFORE  IT  FADES  TO  NIGHT AGAIN,  AND #%^†~-....
.....-~†^% THEN  IT  STAYS SO UNTIL  I FALL ASLEEP. %^†~-.....
......-~†^ IT  DOESN'T  RISE  UNLESS  I'VE  HAD  MY ^†~-......
.......-~†                 DREAMS.                  †~-.......
........-~                                          ~-........
.........-                     ^                    -.........
..........                                          ..........
.........- IN THIS  COTTAGE THERE'S  A LOT OF RADIO -.........
........-~   EQUIPMENT, SOUND STUFF, SYNTHS, TAPE   ~-........
.......-~† PLAYERS. PEN  AND PAPER, BOOKS, CAMERAS, †~-.......
......-~†^ MIRRORS, PRISMS, AND  VARIOUS THINGS  TO ^†~-......
.....-~†^% DO ART WITH.  THE FRIDGE IS  FILLED WITH %^†~-.....
....-~†^%# DIFFERET FOODS, ALL  OF THEM INTRIGUING, #%^†~-....
...-~†^%#@             SLIGHTLY WEIRD.              @#%^†~-...
..-~†^%#@#                                          #@#%^†~-..
.-~†^%#@##                    #                     ##@#%^†~-.
..-~†^%#@#                                          #@#%^†~-..
...-~†^%#@ I HAVE  FRIENDS -  THERE'S A  CAT, AND A @#%^†~-...
....-~†^%# DOG  (WHO  IS  RIDICOLOUSLY   LARGE  AND #%^†~-....
.....-~†^% WANTS TO BE  THE BIG SPOON). I LISTEN TO %^†~-.....
......-~†^ THE SHORTWAVE RADIO, AND TRANSMIT A  BIT ^†~-......
.......-~† MYSELF,  SONGS  AND  POETRY,  AND  FOUND †~-.......
........-~ SOUNDS  FROM THE FOREST. THE OTHERS TELL ~-........
.........- OF THEIR LIVES, PLAY THE GUITAR  FOR ME, -.........
.......... AND  TELL  TALES  OF  THE OLD  WORLD.  I ..........
.........-      CONSIDER THEM FRIENDS AS WELL.      -.........
........-~                                          ~-........
.......-~†                    @                     †~-.......
......-~†^                                          ^†~-......
.....-~†^% MOST  IMPORTANTLY, THERE'S A  TWO SQUARE %^†~-.....
....-~†^%# METER AREA  ON  THE  FLOOR  WHERE I  CAN #%^†~-....
...-~†^%#@ "SAVE"  THINGS. WHATEVER I PUT  IN  HERE @#%^†~-...
..-~†^%#@# WILL  NOT BE  AFFECTED  BY  THE  NIGHTLY #@#%^†~-..
.-~†^%#@##   RESET. EVERYTHING ELSE, HOWEVER, IS    ##@#%^†~-.
..-~†^%#@#     COMPLETELY RESET OVERNIGHT: SYNTH    #@#%^†~-..
...-~†^%#@   PATCHES REMOVED, FOOD UNEATEN, WOUNDS  @#%^†~-...
....-~†^%# HEALED,  AND  WHEREVER  AND WHENEVER I'D #%^†~-....
.....-~†^% FALL  ASLEEP  I'D  ALWAYS WAKE  UP FULLY %^†~-.....
......-~†^ RESTED  IN  MY  BED.  SOMETIMES  THERE'S ^†~-......
.......-~† ACCIDENTS   WHERE   I  LOSE   STUFF   BY †~-.......
........-~ FORGETTING TO  PUT  THEM  IN THE SQUARE. ~-........
.........-                                          -.........
..........                    .                     ..........
.........-                                          -.........
........-~ AT  NIGHT,  I   HAVE  DEMI-LUCID  DREAMS ~-........
.......-~† WHERE THE SPIRITS OF  THE FOREST  AROUND †~-.......
......-~†^ THE COTTAGE TRIES TO COMMUNICATE.  HERE, ^†~-......
.....-~†^% IT'S  NOT ENDLESS  BUT  CONNECTED  TO  A %^†~-.....
....-~†^%# LARGE  SPRAWLING  CITY,  WHERE  MY RADIO #%^†~-....
...-~†^%#@ FRIENDS  LIVE.  WE GO EXPLORING TOGETHER @#%^†~-...
..-~†^%#@# - THINGS ARE DEEP AND DARK - BUT  UNLIKE #@#%^†~-..
.-~†^%#@## ME,  THEY NEVER REMEMBER DURING THE DAY. ##@#%^†~-.
..-~†^%#@# THIS  IS A  MYSTERY  WE  OFTEN  DISCUSS. #@#%^†~-..
...-~†^%#@                                          @#%^†~-...
....-~†^%#                                          #%^†~-....
.....-~†^%                                          %^†~-.....
......-~†^                                          ^†~-......
.......-~†                                          †~-.......
........-~                                          ~-........