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