#£*/~:....                                          ....:~/*£#
@#£*/~:...                                          ...:~/*£#@
#@#£*/~:..                                          ..:~/*£#@#
##@#£*/~:.                                          .:~/*£#@##
#@#£*/~:..                                          ..:~/*£#@#
@#£*/~:... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ...:~/*£#@
#£*/~:.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....:~/*£#
£*/~:..... ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ....:~/*£#
£*/~:..... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ .....:~/*£
*/~:...... ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ......:~/*
/~:.......                                          .......:~/
~:........                                          ........:~
:.........                                          .........:
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........