#¨#¨¨¨###¨ ##¨¨¨#¨##¨
###¨¨#¨¨## ¨#¨¨###¨##
¨¨#¨##¨#¨# ##¨#¨¨##¨¨
¨###¨####¨ ¨###¨#¨#¨¨
#¨¨##¨¨¨## #¨¨#####¨¨
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #¨#¨¨¨¨#¨#
#####¨##¨# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###¨¨¨###¨
¨¨¨¨##¨##¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ¨##¨¨¨#¨¨¨
#¨¨##¨¨### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #¨#¨¨##¨¨#
#¨#¨#¨#¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###¨#¨#¨#¨
#######¨¨# ¨¨########
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨## ¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨ ##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨# ¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨##¨#### ##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨