#@#%†^=.¨¨                                          ¨¨.=^†%#@#
@#%†^=.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.=^†%#@
#%†^=.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.=^†%#
%†^=.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.=^†%
†^=.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=^†
^=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             % 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨