#$*^~^....                                          ....^~^*$#
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^.........             $ DREAM PALACE $             .........^
..........             ^ ----- ------ ^             ..........
..........             $ ..... ...... $             ..........
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^.........             . ..... ...... .             .........^
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*^~^...... 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.                  ..........
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^......... 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.      ..........
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^......... 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 ......^~^*
$*^~^.....   RESET. EVERYTHING ELSE, HOWEVER, IS    .....^~^*$
#$*^~^....     COMPLETELY RESET OVERNIGHT: SYNTH    ....^~^*$#
¶#$*^~^...  PATCHES REMOVED, FOOD UNEATEN, WOUNDS   ...^~^*$#¶
#¶#$*^~^.. HEALED,  AND WHEREVER  AND  WHENEVER I'D ..^~^*$#¶#
##¶#$*^~^. FALL ASLEEP  I'D  ALWAYS  WAKE UP  FULLY .^~^*$#¶##
#¶#$*^~^.. RESTED  IN  MY  BED.  SOMETIMES  THERE'S ..^~^*$#¶#
¶#$*^~^... ACCIDENTS  WHERE   I   LOSE   STUFF   BY ...^~^*$#¶
#$*^~^.... FORGETTING TO PUT THEM  IN  THE  SQUARE. ....^~^*$#
$*^~^.....                                          .....^~^*$
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~^........ 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. ........^~
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¶#$*^~^...                                          ...^~^*$#¶
#¶#$*^~^..                                          ..^~^*$#¶#