####&$==~, ,~==$###
###&$==~,. .,~==$##
###&$==~,. .,~==$##
&&=~~~.... ....~~~=&&
#&$=,..... .....,=$
###&$==~,. $ 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 .......~=&
###&$==~,. rested in my bed. sometimes there's .,~==$##
###&$==~,. accidents where i lose stuff by .,~==$##
#&$=~~~,.. forgetting to put them in the square. ..,~~~=$
#$=~...... ......~=$#
###&$==~,. . .,~==$##
##&$===~,. .,~===$#
&$==~,.... at night, i have demi-lucid dreams ....,~==$&
###&$==~,. where the spirits of the forest around .,~==$##
#$==,,.... the cottage tries to communicate. here, ....,,==$#
###&$==~,. it's not endless but connected to a .,~==$##
####&$==~, large sprawling city, where my radio ,~==$###
###&$==~,. friends live. we go exploring together .,~==$##
#$==,,.... - things are deep and dark - but unlike ....,,==$#
#$==~~.... me, they never remember during the day. ....~~==$#
#&$=~~~~,. this is a mystery we often discuss. .,~~~~=$
&&=~,..... .....,~=&&
###&$==~,. .,~==$##
###&$==~,. .,~==$##
#&===,,... ...,,===
###&$==~,. .,~==$##
&$=,...... ......,=$&