.:†§$££###                                          ###££$§†:.
..:†§$££##                                          ##££$§†:..
...:†§$££#                                          #££$§†:...
....:†§$££                                          ££$§†:....
.....:†§$£                                          £$§†:.....
......:†§$             $ 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. #££$§†:...
..:†§$££##                                          ##££$§†:..
.:†§$££###                                          ###££$§†:.
..:†§$££##                                          ##££$§†:..
...:†§$££#                                          #££$§†:...
....:†§$££                                          ££$§†:....
.....:†§$£                                          £$§†:.....