,,:~\%%@## ##@%%\~:,,
,:~\%%@### ###@%%\~:,
,,:~\%%@## ##@%%\~:,,
,,,:~\%%@# #@%%\~:,,,
,,,,:~\%%@ @%%\~:,,,,
,,,,,:~\%% % 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. \~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~ ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: ΒΆ :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~ ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~\ \~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~\% %\~:,,,,,,