..&.&&.&&.                                          &.&&....&.
....&&.&&&                                          &.&&&....&
&...&&.&.&                                          &.&.&&....
.&..&&...&                                          &...&&&...
..&.&&&..&                                          &&..&.&&..
....&.&&.. i fall  asleep  in the wrong throat  and .&&...&&&.
......&&&. is not  so much dreaming as being forced .&&&..&.&&
&.....&.&&         to imagine a scenario...         .&.&&...&&
&&......&&                                          ...&&&..&.
&&&.....&.           .^-\=*&@@##@@&*=\-^.           &..&.&&...
&.&&...... ........^^^^^^--\=*&&*=\--^^^^^^........ &&...&&&..
..&&&..... ^^^^^-----\\\==***&@@&***==\\\-----^^^^^ &&&..&.&&.
..&.&&.... ........^^^^^^--\=*&&*=\--^^^^^^........ &.&&...&&&
&...&&&...           .^-\=*&@@##@@&*=\-^.           ..&&&..&.&
&&..&.&&..                                          ..&.&&...&
.&&...&&&.            big halls, arcades,           ....&&&..&
.&&&..&.&&          filled with characters.         ....&.&&..
.&.&&...&&                                          &.....&&&.
...&&&..&. i get instructions for them, for what  i .&....&.&&
&..&.&&... must imagine them doing or saying.  they ..&.....&&
&&...&&&.. have  some agency,  but  not  while  i'm ...&....&.
&&&..&.&&.   looking. the instructions are beamed   ....&.....
&.&&...&&& into my  mind,  spoken  from  a  god, or &....&....
..&&&..&.&              false demiurge.             .&....&...
..&.&&...&                                          ..&....&..
....&&&..& sometimes i'm too slow and fail to  make ...&....&.
....&.&&.. them   do  what  i'm  instructed  before &...&....&
&.....&&&. time's out, and then they  get punished. .&...&....
.&....&.&&                                          ..&...&...
..&.....&& one of  them  got his  vocabulary shrunk ...&...&..
...&....&. down to only the  word he failed to  say &...&...&.
....&.....     (roofs? rufus?), many were just      .&...&...&
&....&....            physically maimed.            ..&...&...
.&....&...                                          ...&...&..
..&....&.. it   all   was   very    stressful   and &...&...&.
...&....&. repulsive. it  felt like a nightmare, or &&...&...&
&...&....&               fever dream.               .&&...&...
.&...&....                                          .&&&...&..
..&...&... i   haven't   tried   to   sleep   since .&.&&...&.
...&...&..                                          ...&&&...&
&...&...&.                                          ...&.&&...
.&...&...&                                          &....&&&..
..&...&...                                          .&...&.&&.
...&...&..                                          ..&....&&&
&...&...&.                                          &..&...&.&