###&*$:«:. .:«:$*##
&***::.... ....::***&
###&*$:«:. .:«:$*##
###&*$:«:. .:«:$*##
#**:::::.. ..:::::**#
&$:::«:... * DREAM PALACE * ...:«:::$&
#**$::.... : ----- ------ : ....::$**#
&&&&*$:«:. * ..... ...... * .:«:$*&&&&
####*$:«:. : ..... ...... : .:«:$*####
&$::::.... : ..... ...... : ....::::$&
#&&&*$:«:. : ..... ...... : .:«:$*&&
###&*$:«:. . ..... ...... . .:«:$*##
#*$$$::... ...::$$$*#
###&*$:«:. .:«:$*##
###&*$:«:. NOT ACTUALLY A PALACE. A COTTAGE IN THE .:«:$*##
&$$::..... WOODS (TEMPERATE CLIMATE, RAINS EVERY .....::$$&
###&*$:«:. OTHER DAY, SPRINGS AND STREAMS AND .:«:$*##
###&*$:«:. MYSTERIOUS IRON AND STONE ARTIFACTS, .:«:$*##
##**$::«:. BIRDLAND-ISH ETERNAL SPRING (LATE .:«::$**##
###&*$:«:. SPRING)) .:«:$*##
###&*$:«:. .:«:$*##
###&*$:«:. « .:«:$*##
###&*$:«:. .:«:$*##
&***$:::.. I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AT SIX AM. IT'S ..:::$***&
####*$:«:. DARK, AND THE STARS ARE OUT, BUT THE .:«:$*####
###&*$:«:. SUN IS ABOUT TO RISE. ITS A LONG DAY, .:«:$*##
&&&*$$:«:. BEFORE IT FADES TO NIGHT AGAIN, AND .:«:$$*&&&
#&&*$«::.. THEN IT STAYS SO UNTIL I FALL ASLEEP. ..::«$*&
#&*:«..... 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. ...:««::*#
###&*$:«:. THIS IS A MYSTERY WE OFTEN DISCUSS. .:«:$*##
&&$$$:«... ...«:$$$&&
####&*$::. .::$*###
&&&$«««... ...«««$&&&
###&*$:«:. .:«:$*##
&*::...... ......::*&
&$«....... .......«$&