###¶§$/~~.                                          .~~/$§¶###
##¶§$%/~~.                                          .~~/%$§¶##
##¶§$%/~~.                                          .~~/%$§¶##
##¶§$%/~~.                                          .~~/%$§¶##
§§§%/~~...                                          ...~~/%§§§
§%~....... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .......~%§
#§%///~... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...~///%§#
¶$$/~..... ~ ~ ~ ~  elves live in the land ~ ~ ~  ~ .....~/$$¶
##¶§$%/~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ beyond  the great  dam. ~ ~  ~ ~ .~~/%$§¶##
###¶§$/~~. ~ it was  built in  the  late sixties. ~ .~~/$§¶###
§$$/~~.... ~ ~  ~  the elves came to us then. ~ ~ ~ ....~~/$$§
#¶¶§$%/~~. ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~/%$§¶¶#
##¶§$%/~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~/%$§¶##
#¶¶§$%/~~. they  were  very  manipulative,  and  we .~~/%$§¶¶#
##¶§$%/~~. came to trust them. ~  ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ us .~~/%$§¶##
¶$/~~..... kids would play down  at the water  even .....~~/$¶
¶¶$$$%/~~. though we were not  allowed. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~/%$$$¶¶
§$%~...... ~  ~  sometimes  the sluice would  close ......~%$§
##¶§$%/~~. entirely, and  the  river  at  the  dams .~~/%$§¶##
#¶§$$%/~~. foot would  dry  up, revealing the rocky .~~/%$$§¶#
#¶§%~..... water  garden  that   had   been  hidden .....~%§¶#
§§$%//~... beneath, and  we would go there. ~ ~ ~ ~ ...~//%$§§
#¶$%~~.... ~ ~  ~  ~  before  the dam opened again, ....~~%$¶#
##¶§$%/~~. there would be a signal,  but the  elves .~~/%$§¶##
##¶§$%/~~. would make us  not hear it, and suddenly .~~/%$§¶##
##¶§$%/~~. we would find the water  rising, already .~~/%$§¶##
#¶$/~..... at our knees. ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ .....~/$¶#
§%/~~..... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....~~/%§
§$$%%~~... ~  by then the  elves  would  be gone. ~ ...~~%%$$§
##¶§$%/~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~/%$§¶##
#¶¶§$%/~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~/%$§¶¶#
§§$%/~....                                          ....~/%$§§
##¶§$%/~~.                                          .~~/%$§¶##
§%//~~....                                          ....~~//%§
#§$$%/~~..                                          ..~~/%$$§#
##¶§$%/~~.                                          .~~/%$§¶##