...~\%$#@# #@#$%\~...
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....~\%$#@ @#$%\~....
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......~\%$ $ DREAM PALACE $ $%\~......
.......~\% . ----- ------ . %\~.......
........~\ $ ..... ...... $ \~........
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.........~ 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 $%\~......
.......~\% FORGETTING TO PUT THEM IN THE SQUARE. %\~.......
........~\ \~........
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.......... AT NIGHT, I HAVE DEMI-LUCID DREAMS ..........
.......... WHERE THE SPIRITS OF THE FOREST AROUND ..........
.......... THE COTTAGE TRIES TO COMMUNICATE. HERE, ..........
.......... IT'S NOT ENDLESS BUT CONNECTED TO A ..........
.........~ LARGE SPRAWLING CITY, WHERE MY RADIO ~.........
........~\ FRIENDS LIVE. WE GO EXPLORING TOGETHER \~........
.......~\% - THINGS ARE DEEP AND DARK - BUT UNLIKE %\~.......
......~\%$ ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER DURING THE DAY. $%\~......
.....~\%$# THIS IS A MYSTERY WE OFTEN DISCUSS. #$%\~.....
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