%**~,..... .....,~**%
**~,...... ......,~**
*~,....... .......,~*
**~,...... ......,~**
%**~,..... .....,~**%
@%**~,.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....,~**%@
@@%**~,... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...,~**%@@
#@@%**~,.. ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ .....,~**%
@%**~,.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....,~**%@
@@%**~,... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...,~**%@@
#@@%**~,.. ..,~**%@@#
##@@%**~,. .,~**%@@##
#@@%**~,.. ..,~**%@@#
@@%**~,... ...,~**%@@
@%**~,.... ....,~**%@