..^^^^†==#                                          #==†^^^^..
.^~†=$####                                          ####$=†~^.
....~==$##                                          ##$==~....
....^†=###                                          ###=†^....
.^~†=$##@@                                          @@##$=†~^.
.^~~~~==#@             $ 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. ###=†~....
.^~†=$$###                                          ###$$=†~^.
.^~†=$##@@                                          @@##$=†~^.
.^~†$##@##                                          ##@##$†~^.
......^†$#                                          #$†^......
...^~~==##                                          ##==~~^...
.^~†=$####                                          ####$=†~^.