*=~-...... ......-~=*
=~-....... .......-~=
~-........ ........-~
-......... .........-
~-........ ........-~
=~-....... % 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. ....-~=*%#
%*=~-..... .....-~=*%
*=~-...... ......-~=*
=~-....... .......-~=
~-........ ........-~
-......... .........-
~-........ ........-~