###¶@%*~,, ,,~*%@¶###
¶¶@%%*\~,, ,,~\*%%@¶¶
##¶@%*\~,, ,,~\*%@¶##
¶@*\\~,,,, ,,,,~\\*@¶
##¶@%*\~,, ,,~\*%@¶##
¶@@@%*\~,, % 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. ,,,,,,~\%¶
¶¶@*~,,,,, ,,,,,~*@¶¶
¶¶@@%*\~,, ,,~\*%@@¶¶
#@%\~,,,,, ,,,,,~\%@#
##¶@%*\~,, ,,~\*%@¶##
##¶@%*\~,, ,,~\*%@¶##
@*\~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~\*@