.:~*%$¤###                                          ###¤$%*~:.
.::::~~%%¤                                          ¤%%~~::::.
....:***$¤                                          ¤$***:....
.:~*%$¤###                                          ###¤$%*~:.
.:~***%$##                                          ##$%***~:.
.....~%%%¤             $ 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 #¤%~~.....
.:~*%$¤### - THINGS ARE DEEP AND  DARK - BUT UNLIKE ###¤$%*~:.
.:~*%$¤### ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER DURING THE  DAY. ###¤$%*~:.
.:~*%$¤### THIS  IS A  MYSTERY  WE  OFTEN  DISCUSS. ###¤$%*~:.
.:~*%$¤###                                          ###¤$%*~:.
.....:~*$#                                          #$*~:.....
.:~*%$¤###                                          ###¤$%*~:.
.:~*%$¤###                                          ###¤$%*~:.
.:~*$¤####                                          ####¤$*~:.
.:::::*$¤#                                          #¤$*:::::.