..:»:†$### ###$†:»:..
.:»:†$#### ####$†:»:.
..:»:†$### ###$†:»:..
...:»:†$## ##$†:»:...
....:»:†$# #$†:»:....
.....:»:†$ $ 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. $†:»:.....
......:»:† THIS IS A MYSTERY WE OFTEN DISCUSS. †:»:......
.......:»: :»:.......
......:»:† †:»:......
.....:»:†$ $†:»:.....
....:»:†$# #$†:»:....
...:»:†$## ##$†:»:...
..:»:†$### ###$†:»:..