......^*%§                                          §%*^......
.^-*§%§###                                          ###§%§*-^.
.^-*§§####                                          ####§§*-^.
.....^--§§                                          §§--^.....
...^*§%§##                                          ##§%§*^...
....---*§§             % 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. ###§%§*-^.
.^-*§%§###                                          ###§%§*-^.
....^*%§##                                          ##§%*^....
.^-*§%§###                                          ###§%§*-^.
.^-*§%§###                                          ###§%§*-^.
.^-*§%§###                                          ###§%§*-^.
...^^*§§§§                                          §§§§*^^...