@^«....... .......«^@
#@@@&^*«:. .:«*^&@@@#
@&**::.... ....::**&@
@@@@&^*«:. .:«*^&@@@@
##@@&^*«:. .:«*^&@@##
@&^**«:::. & 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. ......:*&@
#@@@&^*«:. .:«*^&@@@#
#@@@&^*«:. .:«*^&@@@#
@@@&^««... ...««^&@@@
##@@@^*«:. .:«*^@@@##
@@@^***«:. .:«***^@@@
@@&&^«.... ....«^&&@@