.,~=*%&###                                          ###&%*=~,.
..,~=*%&##                                          ##&%*=~,..
...,~=*%&#                                          #&%*=~,...
....,~=*%&                                          &%*=~,....
.....,~=*%                                          %*=~,.....
......,~=* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *=~,......
.....,~=*% ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ %*=~,.....
....,~=*%& ~ ~ ~ ~ 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.  ~ #&%*=~,...
..,~=*%&## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##&%*=~,..
.,~=*%&### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###&%*=~,.
..,~=*%&##                                          ##&%*=~,..
...,~=*%&#                                          #&%*=~,...
....,~=*%&                                          &%*=~,....
.....,~=*%                                          %*=~,.....
......,~=*                                          *=~,......