#¤@$*~,... ...,~*$@¤#
¤@$*~,.... ....,~*$@¤
@$*~,..... .....,~*$@
$*~,...... ......,~*$
*~,....... .......,~*
~,........ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ........,~
*~,....... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .......,~*
$*~,...... ~ ~ ~ ~ elves live in the land ~ ~ ~ ~ ......,~*$
@$*~,..... ~ ~ ~ ~ beyond the great dam. ~ ~ ~ ~ .....,~*$@
¤@$*~,.... ~ it was built in the late sixties. ~ ....,~*$@¤
#¤@$*~,... ~ ~ ~ the elves came to us then. ~ ~ ~ ...,~*$@¤#
##¤@$*~,.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..,~*$@¤##
###¤@$*~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~*$@¤###
##¤@$*~,.. they were very manipulative, and we ..,~*$@¤##
#¤@$*~,... came to trust them. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ us ...,~*$@¤#
¤@$*~,.... kids would play down at the water even ....,~*$@¤
@$*~,..... though we were not allowed. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....,~*$@
$*~,...... ~ ~ sometimes the sluice would close ......,~*$
*~,....... entirely, and the river at the dams .......,~*
~,........ foot would dry up, revealing the rocky ........,~
*~,....... water garden that had been hidden .......,~*
$*~,...... beneath, and we would go there. ~ ~ ~ ~ ......,~*$
@$*~,..... ~ ~ ~ ~ before the dam opened again, .....,~*$@
¤@$*~,.... there would be a signal, but the elves ....,~*$@¤
#¤@$*~,... would make us not hear it, and suddenly ...,~*$@¤#
##¤@$*~,.. we would find the water rising, already ..,~*$@¤##
###¤@$*~,. at our knees. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~*$@¤###
##¤@$*~,.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..,~*$@¤##
#¤@$*~,... ~ by then the elves would be gone. ~ ...,~*$@¤#
¤@$*~,.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....,~*$@¤
@$*~,..... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....,~*$@
$*~,...... ......,~*$
*~,....... .......,~*
~,........ ........,~
*~,....... .......,~*
$*~,...... ......,~*$