.:~*=¤£@##                                          ##@£¤=*~:.
.:~*=¤£@##                                          ##@£¤=*~:.
.:~*=¤£@##                                          ##@£¤=*~:.
.:~*=¤£@##                                          ##@£¤=*~:.
.:~~*=¤¤££                                          ££¤¤=*~~:.
...~**==¤£ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ £¤==**~...
.:~*=¤£@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ##@£¤=*~:.
.:~~***¤££ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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.  ~ @¤¤**~....
....:~==¤£ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ £¤==~:....
.:~*=¤£@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@£¤=*~:.
.:~*=¤£###                                          ###£¤=*~:.
.:~**=¤££#                                          #££¤=**~:.
.:~*=¤£@##                                          ##@£¤=*~:.
.:~*=¤£@@@                                          @@@£¤=*~:.
.....~~~=£                                          £=~~~.....