*~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~*
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             $ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
*~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~*