.....^~*%§                                          §%*~^.....
....^~*%§#                                          #§%*~^....
...^~*%§##                                          ##§%*~^...
..^~*%§##@                                          @##§%*~^..
.^~*%§##@#                                          #@##§%*~^.
..^~*%§##@ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @##§%*~^..
...^~*%§## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ##§%*~^...
....^~*%§# ~ ~ ~ ~  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.  ~ ##§%*~^...
....^~*%§# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #§%*~^....
.....^~*%§ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §%*~^.....
......^~*%                                          %*~^......
.......^~*                                          *~^.......
........^~                                          ~^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........                                          ..........