$^*«,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,«*^$
^*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*^
*«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             $ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,