*%=~...... ......~=%*
¤*%=~..... .....~=%*¤
#¤*%=~.... ....~=%*¤#
##¤*%=~... ...~=%*¤##
###¤*%=~.. ..~=%*¤###
##¤*%=~... * 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. ....~=%*¤#
¤*%=~..... .....~=%*¤
*%=~...... ......~=%*
%=~....... .......~=%
=~........ ........~=
~......... .........~
.......... ..........