&*^~:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:~^*&
@&*^~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~^*&@
#@&*^~:,,,                                          ,,,:~^*&@#
##@&*^~:,,                                          ,,:~^*&@##
###@&*^~:,                                          ,:~^*&@###
##@&*^~:,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,:~^*&@##
#@&*^~:,,, ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,:~^*&@#
@&*^~:,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ,:~^*&@###
##@&*^~:,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,:~^*&@##
#@&*^~:,,, ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,:~^*&@#
@&*^~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~^*&@
&*^~:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:~^*&
*^~:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:~^*
^~:,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,:~^
~:,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,:~