####$*=~^. .^~=*$####
##**~^.... ....^~**##
#$=~~~.... ....~~~=$#
@#$*=^.... ....^=*$#@
#@##$*=~^. .^~=*$##@#
#$**~~~^.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..^~~~**$#
#@##$*=~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~=*$##@#
#@##$*=~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ELVES LIVE IN THE LAND ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~=*$##@#
#@##$*=~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ BEYOND THE GREAT DAM. ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~=*$##@#
#$$$=~^^.. ~ IT WAS BUILT IN THE LATE SIXTIES. ~ ..^^~=$$$#
@#$$**=~^. ~ ~ ~ THE ELVES CAME TO US THEN. ~ ~ ~ .^~=**$$#@
#@##$*=~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~=*$##@#
##$=^^^... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...^^^=$##
@##$=~^... THEY WERE VERY MANIPULATIVE, AND WE ...^~=$##@
#@##$*=~^. CAME TO TRUST THEM. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ US .^~=*$##@#
##@##$*=~^ KIDS WOULD PLAY DOWN AT THE WATER EVEN ^~=*$##@##
###$==^... THOUGH WE WERE NOT ALLOWED. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...^==$###
###$$*=~^. ~ ~ SOMETIMES THE SLUICE WOULD CLOSE .^~=*$$###
####$*=~^. ENTIRELY, AND THE RIVER AT THE DAMS .^~=*$####
#$*==^.... FOOT WOULD DRY UP, REVEALING THE ROCKY ....^==*$#
#*=~...... 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. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...^~=*$$#
#$===~~^^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^^~~===$#
####$*=~^. ~ BY THEN THE ELVES WOULD BE GONE. ~ .^~=*$####
@###$*=~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~=*$###@
#@##$*=~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~=*$##@#
##$**~.... ....~**$##
@##$$*=~^. .^~=*$$##@
#$==~~.... ....~~==$#
#$*=^..... .....^=*$#
##*=~~^... ...^~~=*##