¨.~=**§#@# #@#§**=~.¨
¨.~=***§## ##§***=~.¨
¨¨¨¨.~=*§@ @§*=~.¨¨¨¨
¨.~=**§#@# #@#§**=~.¨
¨¨¨¨~~*§§§ §§§*~~¨¨¨¨
¨.~=**§### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###§**=~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨~*§#@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @#§*~¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~=**§@## ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ §§§§**=~.¨
¨¨¨¨.=**§# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #§**=.¨¨¨¨
¨.~=**§§§# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #§§§**=~.¨
¨.~=**§#@# #@#§**=~.¨
¨.~=**§### ###§**=~.¨
¨.~=**§### ###§**=~.¨
¨¨¨¨.~==*§ §*==~.¨¨¨¨
¨.~=**#@## ##@#**=~.¨