###¶&$^/~^                                          ^~/^$&¶###
¶$^^/~~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~~/^^$¶
##¶&$^/~^¨                                          ¨^~/^$&¶##
&^^/~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~/^^&
##¶&$^/~^¨                                          ¨^~/^$&¶##
##¶&$^/~^¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨^~/^$&¶##
¶$/^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^/$¶
##¶&$^/~^¨ ~ ~ ~ ~  elves live in the  land ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨^~/^$&¶##
¶$$^/^¨¨¨¨ ~ ~  ~ ~ beyond  the great  dam. ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨^/^$$¶
#&^~^¨¨¨¨¨ ~  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 ¨¨¨^~~^^&#
&&&&$^/~^¨ at our knees. ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ¨^~/^$&&&&
##¶&$^/~^¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ¨^~/^$&¶##
##¶&$^/~^¨ ~  by then the  elves would be  gone.  ~ ¨^~/^$&¶##
¶¶$/^¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ¨¨¨¨¨^/$¶¶
##¶&$^/~^¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨^~/^$&¶##
¶&$/^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^/$&¶
&^~~~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~~~^&
#&^~~~^^^¨                                          ¨^^^~~~^&#
###¶&$^/~^                                          ^~/^$&¶###
##¶&$^/~^¨                                          ¨^~/^$&¶##