#*/~...... ......~/*#
####&*/~~. .~~/*&####
####&*/~~. .~~/*&####
#&**/~.... ....~/**&#
####&*/~~. .~~/*&####
#####&/~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~/&#####
#*/~...... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ......~/*#
####&*/~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ......~~*#
###&&*/~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~/*&&###
#&/~~~.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....~~~/&#
####&*/~~. .~~/*&####
####&*/~~. .~~/*&####
##&/~~.... ....~~/&##
####&*/~~. .~~/*&####
####&*/~~. .~~/*&####