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