@@=^~.....                                          .....~^=@@
@=^~......                                          ......~^=@
=^~.......                                          .......~^=
@=^~......                                          ......~^=@
@@=^~.....                                          .....~^=@@
#@@=^~.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....~^=@@#
##@@=^~... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...~^=@@##
###@@=^~.. ~  ~ ~ ~  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. ~ ...~^=@@##
#@@=^~.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ....~^=@@#
@@=^~..... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....~^=@@
@=^~......                                          ......~^=@
=^~.......                                          .......~^=
@=^~......                                          ......~^=@
@@=^~.....                                          .....~^=@@
#@@=^~....                                          ....~^=@@#