........^~ ~^........
.......^~* *~^.......
......^~*= =*~^......
.....^~*=$ $=*~^.....
....^~*=$@ @$=*~^....
...^~*=$@@ $ 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 $=*~^.....
......^~*= - THINGS ARE DEEP AND DARK - BUT UNLIKE =*~^......
.......^~* ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER DURING THE DAY. *~^.......
........^~ THIS IS A MYSTERY WE OFTEN DISCUSS. ~^........
.........^ ^.........
........^~ ~^........
.......^~* *~^.......
......^~*= =*~^......
.....^~*=$ $=*~^.....
....^~*=$@ @$=*~^....