$=^-:..... .....:-^=$
@$=^-:.... ....:-^=$@
@@$=^-:... ...:-^=$@@
#@@$=^-:.. ..:-^=$@@#
##@@$=^-:. .:-^=$@@##
#@@$=^-:.. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..:-^=$@@#
@@$=^-:... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ...:-^=$@@
@$=^-:.... - - - - ELVES LIVE IN THE LAND - - - - ....:-^=$@
$=^-:..... - - - - BEYOND THE GREAT DAM. - - - - .....:-^=$
=^-:...... - 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. - .........:
-:........ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ........:-
^-:....... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .......:-^
=^-:...... ......:-^=
$=^-:..... .....:-^=$
@$=^-:.... ....:-^=$@
@@$=^-:... ...:-^=$@@
#@@$=^-:.. ..:-^=$@@#