.....~~$§#                                          #§$~~.....
.....~$%§#                                          #§%$~.....
.~~†$%§§##                                          ##§§%$†~~.
.~~†$%§###                                          ###§%$†~~.
.~~†$%§###                                          ###§%$†~~.
..~~~†$§§# ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #§§$†~~~..
......~$$§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §$$~......
....~†%§§# ~  ~ ~  ~ 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 §%†~......
.~~†$%§### at our  knees. ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ###§%$†~~.
.~~†$%§### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###§%$†~~.
.~~†$%§### ~ by  then the  elves  would be gone.  ~ ###§%$†~~.
.~~†$%§### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###§%$†~~.
...~~†$$§§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ §§$$†~~...
..~~~†$%##                                          ##%$†~~~..
....~†$$$§                                          §$$$†~....
.~~†$$$§§§                                          §§§$$$†~~.
.~~†$%§###                                          ###§%$†~~.
.~~†$%§###                                          ###§%$†~~.