.........=                                          =.........
........=*                                          *=........
.......=*%                                          %*=.......
......=*%$                                          $%*=......
.....=*%$&                                          &$%*=.....
....=*%$&¶             $ 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. @¶&$%*=...
..=*%$&¶@#                                          #@¶&$%*=..
...=*%$&¶@                                          @¶&$%*=...
....=*%$&¶                                          ¶&$%*=....
.....=*%$&                                          &$%*=.....
......=*%$                                          $%*=......
.......=*%                                          %*=.......