##.###....                                          #.###.....
##.#.##...                                          #.#.##....
##...###..                                          #...###...
###..#.##.                                          ##..#.##..
#.##...###                                          .##...###.
..###..#.# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .###..#.#.
..#.##...# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .#.##....#
#...###..# ~ ~ ~  ~ 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.  ~ ##.....#..
..###..#.# ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .##.....#.
..#.##...# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ .###.....#
#...###..#                                          .#.##.....
.#..#.##..                                          ...###....
..#...###.                                          #..#.##...
...#..#.##                                          .#...###..
....#...##                                          ..#..#.##.