¨¨¨¨^~^=$#                                          #$=^~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^~^=$                                          $=^~^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^=                                          =^~^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~^                                          ^~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~                                          ~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^             $ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨