,:~=*$## ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*$#### ####$*=~:,
,:~=*$## ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*$## ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*$## ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*### $ 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 &***~~~,,,
,:~=*$## FRIENDS LIVE. WE GO EXPLORING TOGETHER ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*$## - THINGS ARE DEEP AND DARK - BUT UNLIKE ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*$## ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER DURING THE DAY. ###&$*=~:,
,,,,,:=$## THIS IS A MYSTERY WE OFTEN DISCUSS. ##$=:,,,,,
,:~=*$## ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*$## ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*$## ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*$## ###&$*=~:,
,:~=*$## ###&$*=~:,
,:~=$### ####&$=~:,