,,,,~*&&## ##&&*~,,,,
,,~/*&¤### ###¤&*/~,,
,,~~~~~*¤¤ ¤¤*~~~~~,,
,,,~~/&¤¤# #¤¤&/~~,,,
,,~/*&¤### ###¤&*/~,,
,,,,,,,/&¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¤&/,,,,,,,
,,~/*&¤### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###¤&*/~,,
,,,,~/*¤¤¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ####¤&/~,,
,,~/*&¤### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###¤&*/~,,
,,~///&&## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##&&///~,,
,,,,,~*&&# #&&*~,,,,,
,,~/*&¤### ###¤&*/~,,
,,~/*&¤### ###¤&*/~,,
,,~/*&¤### ###¤&*/~,,
,,~/*&¤### ###¤&*/~,,