.......^=†                                          †=^.......
......^=†$                                          $†=^......
.....^=†$*                                          *$†=^.....
....^=†$*¶                                          ¶*$†=^....
...^=†$*¶#                                          #¶*$†=^...
..^=†$*¶##             * 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. ###¶*$†=^.
..^=†$*¶##                                          ##¶*$†=^..
...^=†$*¶#                                          #¶*$†=^...
....^=†$*¶                                          ¶*$†=^....
.....^=†$*                                          *$†=^.....
......^=†$                                          $†=^......
.......^=†                                          †=^.......