...^~^%§££                                          ££§%^~^...
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....^~^%§£ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ £§%^~^....
...^~^%§££ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ££§%^~^...
..^~^%§££# ~ ~ ~  ~ 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.  ~ ##££§%^~^.
..^~^%§££# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ #££§%^~^..
...^~^%§££ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ££§%^~^...
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