,,~^§%&@##                                          ##@&%§^~,,
,,~^§%&&@@                                          @@&&%§^~,,
,,~^§%&&&@                                          @&&&%§^~,,
,,,,,^^§&&                                          &&§^^,,,,,
,,,,,~^^%&                                          &%^^~,,,,,
,,,,,,^%&&             % 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. @@%^~~,,,,
,,~^§%&@##                                          ##@&%§^~,,
,,~^§%&@##                                          ##@&%§^~,,
,,~^§%&&&&                                          &&&&%§^~,,
,,~^§%&@##                                          ##@&%§^~,,
,,~^§&@###                                          ###@&§^~,,
,,~^§%&@##                                          ##@&%§^~,,