†~^.......                                          .......^~†
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ..........
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~  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.  ~ ..........
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
.......... ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
^.........                                          .........^
~^........                                          ........^~