###££=^~..                                          ..~^=££###
##££=^~...                                          ...~^=££##
#££=^~....                                          ....~^=££#
££=^~.....                                          .....~^=££
£=^~......                                          ......~^=£
=^~....... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .......~^=
^~........ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ........~^
~......... ~ ~  ~ ~ 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.  ~ ......~^=£
££=^~..... ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....~^=££
#££=^~.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....~^=££#
##££=^~...                                          ...~^=££##
###££=^~..                                          ..~^=££###
##££=^~...                                          ...~^=££##
#££=^~....                                          ....~^=££#
££=^~.....                                          .....~^=££