~-........                                          ........-~
-.........                                          .........-
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
-......... ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ..........
-......... ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .........-
~-........ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ........-~
:~-.......                                          .......-~:
=:~-......                                          ......-~:=
@=:~-.....                                          .....-~:=@
#@=:~-....                                          ....-~:=@#
##@=:~-...                                          ...-~:=@##