¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:*                                          *:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«:*$                                          $*:«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«:*$&                                          &$*:«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«:*$&@                                          @&$*:«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«:*$&@#                                          #@&$*:«,¨¨
¨,«:*$&@##             $ 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. #@&$*:«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«:*$&@                                          @&$*:«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«:*$&                    ¨                     &$*:«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«:*$                                          $*:«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:* AT  NIGHT,  I   HAVE  DEMI-LUCID  DREAMS *:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«: WHERE THE  SPIRITS OF THE FOREST  AROUND :«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« THE COTTAGE  TRIES TO COMMUNICATE. HERE, «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, IT'S  NOT  ENDLESS  BUT  CONNECTED  TO A ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LARGE  SPRAWLING  CITY,  WHERE  MY RADIO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FRIENDS  LIVE. WE  GO EXPLORING TOGETHER ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ - THINGS ARE DEEP AND DARK  - BUT UNLIKE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER  DURING THE DAY. ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« THIS  IS  A MYSTERY  WE  OFTEN  DISCUSS. «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:                                          :«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:*                                          *:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«:*$                                          $*:«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«:*$&                                          &$*:«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«:*$&@                                          @&$*:«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«:*$&@#                                          #@&$*:«,¨¨