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........~«                                          «~........
.......~«†                                          †«~.......
......~«†=                                          =†«~......
.....~«†=*             * 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))                 ..........
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.........~ 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.             ~.........
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.......... 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. @*=†«~....
.....~«†=*                                          *=†«~.....
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.......~«†                                          †«~.......
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