§¨§¨§§¨§¨¨                                          §§§§§§§¨¨¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§§§§§§¨¨§
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§§§§¨§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§§§§¨§¨
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§§§¨§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §¨§¨¨§§¨§¨
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§ ~ ~  ~ ~ 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.  ~ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨