,,,,,»==## ##==»,,,,,
,,,~*==### ###==*~,,,
,~»*===#@# #@#===*»~,
,~»*=@## ##@#&=*»~,
,~»*=&&& #&&&&=*»~,
,~»*=@## & 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. ##@#&=*»~,
,~»*=@## ##@#&=*»~,
,~»*=@## ##@#&=*»~,
,~~»*=#@ @##&=*»~~,
,~»*=@## ##@#&=*»~,
,,,,~*&@ @#&&*~,,,,
,~»*=@## ##@#&=*»~,