*=~....... .......~=*
§*=~...... ......~=*§
#§*=~..... .....~=*§#
##§*=~.... ....~=*§##
###§*=~... ...~=*§###
####§*=~.. * 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. ...~=*§###
##§*=~.... ....~=*§##
#§*=~..... .....~=*§#
§*=~...... ......~=*§
*=~....... .......~=*
=~........ ........~=
*=~....... .......~=*