,.~\§%§### ###§%§\~.,
,,,,,~§%§# #§%§~,,,,,
,.~\§%§### ###§%§\~.,
,.~\§%§### ###§%§\~.,
,.~\§%§### ###§%§\~.,
,.~\§%§### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###§%§\~.,
,,,,,.~\%§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §%\~.,,,,,
,.~\§%§### ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ §§§§§§\~.,
,.~\§%§### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###§%§\~.,
,.~\§%§### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###§%§\~.,
,,,,.\§%§# #§%§\.,,,,
,,,~~§%%§# #§%%§~~,,,
,.~\§%#### ####%§\~.,
,.~\§%#### ####%§\~.,
,.~\§%%§## ##§%%§\~.,