..........                                          ..........
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.........:                                          :.........
........:«             & 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))                 «:........
.........:                                          :.........
..........                     «                    ..........
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.......... 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. ###§&%;«:.
..:«;%&§##                                          ##§&%;«:..
...:«;%&§#                                          #§&%;«:...
....:«;%&§                                          §&%;«:....
.....:«;%&                                          &%;«:.....
......:«;%                                          %;«:......
.......:«;                                          ;«:.......