.~~*^¤#### ####¤^*~~.
..~~*^¤### ###¤^*~~..
...~~*^¤## ##¤^*~~...
....~~*^¤# #¤^*~~....
.....~~*^¤ ¤^*~~.....
......~~*^ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ^*~~......
.......~~* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *~~.......
........~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ¤^*~~.....
....~~*^¤# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #¤^*~~....
...~~*^¤## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##¤^*~~...
..~~*^¤### ###¤^*~~..
.~~*^¤#### ####¤^*~~.
..~~*^¤### ###¤^*~~..
...~~*^¤## ##¤^*~~...
....~~*^¤# #¤^*~~....