....-~*†%@ @%†*~-....
...-~*†%@¶ ¶@%†*~-...
..-~*†%@¶@ @¶@%†*~-..
.-~*†%@¶@# #@¶@%†*~-.
..-~*†%@¶@ @¶@%†*~-..
...-~*†%@¶ % 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. †*~-......
.....-~*†% %†*~-.....
....-~*†%@ @%†*~-....
...-~*†%@¶ ¶@%†*~-...
..-~*†%@¶@ @¶@%†*~-..
.-~*†%@¶@# #@¶@%†*~-.
..-~*†%@¶@ @¶@%†*~-..