..^==$%&##                                          ##&%$==^..
...^==$%&#                                          #&%$==^...
....^==$%&                                          &%$==^....
.....^==$%                                          %$==^.....
....^==$%&                                          &%$==^....
...^==$%&#             % dream palace %             #&%$==^...
..^==$%&##             ^ ----- ------ ^             ##&%$==^..
.^==$%&###             % ..... ...... %             ###&%$==^.
..^==$%&##             = ..... ...... =             ##&%$==^..
...^==$%&#             ^ ..... ...... ^             #&%$==^...
....^==$%&             ^ ..... ...... ^             &%$==^....
.....^==$%             . ..... ...... .             %$==^.....
....^==$%&                                          &%$==^....
...^==$%&#                                          #&%$==^...
..^==$%&## not actually a palace. a cottage  in the ##&%$==^..
.^==$%&###  woods (temperate climate, rains every   ###&%$==^.
..^==$%&## other  day,  springs  and   streams  and ##&%$==^..
...^==$%&#   mysterious iron and stone artifacts,   #&%$==^...
....^==$%&     birdland-ish eternal spring (late    &%$==^....
.....^==$%                 spring))                 %$==^.....
....^==$%&                                          &%$==^....
...^==$%&#                     =                    #&%$==^...
..^==$%&##                                          ##&%$==^..
.^==$%&### i wake up every morning at six  am. it's ###&%$==^.
..^==$%&## dark, and the  stars are  out,  but  the ##&%$==^..
...^==$%&# sun  is about  to rise. its a long  day, #&%$==^...
....^==$%& before  it fades  to  night  again,  and &%$==^....
.....^==$% then  it  stays  so until i fall asleep. %$==^.....
....^==$%& it  doesn't  rise  unless  i've  had  my &%$==^....
...^==$%&#                 dreams.                  #&%$==^...
..^==$%&##                                          ##&%$==^..
.^==$%&###                    $                     ###&%$==^.
..^==$%&##                                          ##&%$==^..
...^==$%&# 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. ##&%$==^..
.^==$%&###                                          ###&%$==^.
..^==$%&##                                          ##&%$==^..
...^==$%&#                                          #&%$==^...
....^==$%&                                          &%$==^....
.....^==$%                                          %$==^.....
....^==$%&                                          &%$==^....