,.~=*§####                                          ####§*=~.,
,,.~=*§###                                          ###§*=~.,,
,,,.~=*§##                                          ##§*=~.,,,
,,,,.~=*§#                                          #§*=~.,,,,
,,,,,.~=*§                                          §*=~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~=* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ *=~.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~= ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ =~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.~ ~ ~ ~  ~ 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.  ~ .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~= ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ =~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.~=*                                          *=~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~=*§                                          §*=~.,,,,,
,,,,.~=*§#                                          #§*=~.,,,,
,,,.~=*§##                                          ##§*=~.,,,
,,.~=*§###                                          ###§*=~.,,