##@%=^~,.. ..,~^=%@##
###@%=^~,. .,~^=%@###
##@%=^~,.. ..,~^=%@##
#@%=^~,... ...,~^=%@#
@%=^~,.... ....,~^=%@
%=^~,..... % 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. ........,~
^~,....... .......,~^
=^~,...... ......,~^=
%=^~,..... .....,~^=%
@%=^~,.... ....,~^=%@
#@%=^~,... ...,~^=%@#
##@%=^~,.. ..,~^=%@##