§§¨¨§§§§¨§                                          §§§¨§§§§§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨¨§§                                          §¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§§§¨¨§¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨¨§
¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨§§§¨¨¨§§§
¨§§¨§¨§§¨§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨§§§§¨§§ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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.  ~ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
§§§¨§¨¨¨§¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §¨§§¨¨¨§§¨
§¨¨§§§¨¨§§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §§§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨§§§
§§§§§¨§§§§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§§¨§¨§¨
§§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§¨§§§§§
¨¨§¨¨§§§§¨                                          ¨§§§§§¨¨¨¨