........§.                                          ..........
§§§§§§§...                                          §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§§..§.                                          .§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§.....                                          ..§§§§§§§§
§§§§..§§§§                                          §..§§§§§§§
§§§....§§§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ....§§§§§§
§§..§§..§§ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .§§..§§§§§
§........§ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ .§§§§..§§§
...§§..§§. ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..§§....§.
§§........ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ §....§§...
...§§§§§§§                                          ..§§....§.
§§..§§§§§§                                          .....§§...
.....§§§§§                                          §§§§....§.
§§§§..§§§§                                          §§§..§§...
.§§....§§§                                          §§......§.