##@#*%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%*#@##
###@#*/~:¨                                          ¨:~/*#@###
#@*///~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~///*@#
##**%%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%%**##
###*%%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%%*###
###@#%/~:¨             * 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. ¨:~/%*#@##
@**///~~:¨                                          ¨:~~///**@
##@#*%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%*#@##
##%~~~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~~~%##
###@#%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%#@###
##@#*%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%*#@##
##@#*%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%*#@##