,-~=%*§###                                          ###§*%=~-,
,,-~=%*§##                                          ##§*%=~-,,
,,,-~=%*§#                                          #§*%=~-,,,
,,,,-~=%*§                                          §*%=~-,,,,
,,,,,-~=%*                                          *%=~-,,,,,
,,,,,,-~=% ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ %=~-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~= ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ =~-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~= ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ =~-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-~=%                                          %=~-,,,,,,
,,,,,-~=%*                                          *%=~-,,,,,
,,,,-~=%*§                                          §*%=~-,,,,
,,,-~=%*§#                                          #§*%=~-,,,
,,-~=%*§##                                          ##§*%=~-,,