###&&$;=:. .:=;$&##
&&&&;;;=:. .:=;;;&&&&
#&&&$=:::. .:::=$&&
#&&;=:::.. ..:::=;&
&$===:::.. ..:::===$&
###&&$;=:. & DREAM PALACE & .:=;$&##
#&&&$;;=:. : ----- ------ : .:=;;$&&
#&;;;;:... & ..... ...... & ...:;;;;
&&$;;===:. ; ..... ...... ; .:===;;$&&
###&&$;=:. : ..... ...... : .:=;$&##
###&&$;=:. : ..... ...... : .:=;$&##
#&;;::.... . ..... ...... . ....::;;
#&&&&$;=:. .:=;$&&&
&&&&$;;=:. .:=;;$&&&&
&&$;;=::.. NOT ACTUALLY A PALACE. A COTTAGE IN THE ..::=;;$&&
#&&;::.... 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 ...:=;;;&&
#&$;;=.... HEALED, AND WHEREVER AND WHENEVER I'D ....=;;$
###&&$;=:. FALL ASLEEP I'D ALWAYS WAKE UP FULLY .:=;$&##
###&&$;=:. RESTED IN MY BED. SOMETIMES THERE'S .:=;$&##
#&&&&$;=:. ACCIDENTS WHERE I LOSE STUFF BY .:=;$&&&
&&&$=:.... FORGETTING TO PUT THEM IN THE SQUARE. ....:=$&&&
###&&$;=:. .:=;$&##
###&&$;=:. . .:=;$&##
##&$$;;=:. .:=;;$$#
&&$=:..... AT NIGHT, I HAVE DEMI-LUCID DREAMS .....:=$&&
####&$;=:. WHERE THE SPIRITS OF THE FOREST AROUND .:=;$###
&$===:.... THE COTTAGE TRIES TO COMMUNICATE. HERE, ....:===$&
##&&&$;=:. IT'S NOT ENDLESS BUT CONNECTED TO A .:=;$&&#
##&$$;;=:. LARGE SPRAWLING CITY, WHERE MY RADIO .:=;;$$#
###&&$;=:. FRIENDS LIVE. WE GO EXPLORING TOGETHER .:=;$&##
##&&&$;=:. - THINGS ARE DEEP AND DARK - BUT UNLIKE .:=;$&&#
#&$;=:.... ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER DURING THE DAY. ....:=;$
##&&&$;=:. THIS IS A MYSTERY WE OFTEN DISCUSS. .:=;$&&#
##&&&$;=:. .:=;$&&#
###&&$;=:. .:=;$&##
&$;=:..... .....:=;$&
##&&&$;=:. .:=;$&&#
###&&$;=:. .:=;$&##
##&&&$;=:. .:=;$&&#