.........,                                          ,.........
........,-                                          -,........
.......,-%                                          %-,.......
......,-%$                                          $%-,......
.....,-%$#                                          #$%-,.....
....,-%$#¶             $ 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 $%-,......
.......,-% LARGE  SPRAWLING  CITY,  WHERE MY  RADIO %-,.......
........,- FRIENDS  LIVE.  WE GO EXPLORING TOGETHER -,........
........., -  THINGS ARE DEEP AND DARK - BUT UNLIKE ,.........
.......... ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER DURING THE  DAY. ..........
.......... THIS  IS  A MYSTERY  WE  OFTEN  DISCUSS. ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,-                                          -,........
.......,-%                                          %-,.......
......,-%$                                          $%-,......
.....,-%$#                                          #$%-,.....