##@¤$%/~,.                                          .,~/%$¤@##
@#$%///~,.                                          .,~///%$#@
@¤%%/~....                                          ....~/%%¤@
#@#¤$%/~,.                                          .,~/%$¤#@#
¤$/,......                                          ......,/$¤
##@#¤$/~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ .,~/$¤#@##
@#$$$%/~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~/%$$$#@
@@#¤$%/~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ elves  live in  the land ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~/%$¤#@@
#@#¤$%/~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ beyond  the  great dam. ~ ~ ~  ~ .,~/%$¤#@#
##@#¤$%~,. ~  it was built in  the late  sixties. ~ .,~%$¤#@##
¤$%~,..... ~  ~ ~  the elves came to us then. ~ ~ ~ .....,~%$¤
##@#¤$/~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~/$¤#@##
¤%%%%/,... ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...,/%%%%¤
¤%/~...... 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 .....,~%¤¤
##@#¤$%/,. we would find  the water rising, already .,/%$¤#@##
#¤$$$%/~,. at our  knees. ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ .,~/%$$$¤#
@##¤$%/~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~/%$¤##@
#$$%/~,,,. ~ by  then  the  elves would be  gone. ~ .,,,~/%$$#
#@#¤$%/~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~/%$¤#@#
#@#¤$%/~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~/%$¤#@#
¤$%%~,....                                          ....,~%%$¤
¤$%~......                                          ......~%$¤
#¤%/~.....                                          .....~/%¤#
#@#¤$%/~,.                                          .,~/%$¤#@#
@¤¤%//,...                                          ...,//%¤¤@