,,,=:=$# ##&$=:=,,,
,,=:=$## ###&$=:=,,
,,,=:=$# ##&$=:=,,,
,,,,=:=$ #&$=:=,,,,
,,,,,=:=$& &$=:=,,,,,
,,,,,,=:=$ $ 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. $=:=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=:= THIS IS A MYSTERY WE OFTEN DISCUSS. =:=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=: :=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=:= =:=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,=:=$ $=:=,,,,,,
,,,,,=:=$& &$=:=,,,,,
,,,,=:=$ #&$=:=,,,,
,,,=:=$# ##&$=:=,,,