..#..###..                                          #####..##.
.##.#..#.#                                          ....#.#.#.
#.###.####                                          ...######.
##..##...#                                          ..#.....##
.#.#.#..##                                          .##....#..
######.#.. ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #.#...##..
.....###.# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ###..#.#.#
....#..### ~ ~ ~ ~ elves  live  in the land ~ ~ ~ ~ ..#.######
...##.#... ~  ~  ~ ~ beyond the great dam. ~  ~ ~ ~ .###.....#
..#.###..# ~ it was  built in  the late  sixties. ~ #..#....##
.###..#.## ~ ~ ~ the elves came  to us then. ~ ~  ~ #.##...#.#
#..#.###.# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##.#..####
#.###..### ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .###.#....
##..#.#... they  were  very  manipulative,  and  we #..###...#
.#.####... came to trust them. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~  ~ us #.#..#..#.
###...#... kids  would play down  at the water even ###.##.##.
..#..##..# though we  were not allowed. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..##.##.##
.##.#.#.#. ~  ~  sometimes  the sluice  would close .#.##.##.#
#.#######. entirely,  and  the  river at  the  dams ###.##.###
##......## foot  would dry up,  revealing the rocky ..##.##...
.#.....#.. water   garden  that   had  been  hidden .#.##.#..#
##....##.# beneath,  and we would go there. ~ ~ ~ ~ ###.###.##
.#...#.### ~ ~  ~  ~  before the dam  opened again, ..##..##..
##..###..# there  would  be a signal, but the elves .#.#.#.#..
.#.#..#.## would make us not hear it,  and suddenly ########.#
####.###.# we would find the water  rising, already .......###
...##..##. at our knees. ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ......#...
..#.#.#.## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....##...
.#######.. ~ by  then  the  elves would be  gone. ~ ....#.#...
#......#.# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ...####...
#.....###. ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..#...#..#
#....#..##                                          .##..##.#.
#...##.#.#                                          #.#.#.####
#..#.#####                                          ######....
#.###.....                                          .....#...#
##..#....#                                          ....##..#.