;~~....... .......~~;
=;~~...... ......~~;=
*=;~~..... .....~~;=*
&*=;~~.... ....~~;=*&
@&*=;~~... ...~~;=*&@
#@&*=;~~.. * 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. .........~
~~........ ........~~
;~~....... .......~~;
=;~~...... ......~~;=
*=;~~..... .....~~;=*
&*=;~~.... ....~~;=*&
@&*=;~~... ...~~;=*&@