§$**~..... .....~**$§
#§§*†~.... ....~†*§§#
##¶§$*†~-. .-~†*$§¶##
#¶$$*†--.. ..--†*$$¶#
¶$**~~.... ....~~**$¶
§*†~-..... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....-~†*§
###¶§$†~-. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .-~†$§¶###
¶$†~~-.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ELVES LIVE IN THE LAND ~ ~ ~ ~ ....-~~†$¶
§**†~~-... ~ ~ ~ ~ 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 .-~†*§¶###
§$†~...... WATER GARDEN THAT HAD BEEN HIDDEN ......~†$§
¶$$†-..... BENEATH, AND WE WOULD GO THERE. ~ ~ ~ ~ .....-†$$¶
§$*††~~~-. ~ ~ ~ ~ BEFORE THE DAM OPENED AGAIN, .-~~~††*$§
§§$$*~.... THERE WOULD BE A SIGNAL, BUT THE ELVES ....~*$$§§
#¶¶§$*†~-. WOULD MAKE US NOT HEAR IT, AND SUDDENLY .-~†*$§¶¶#
#¶§§$*†~-. WE WOULD FIND THE WATER RISING, ALREADY .-~†*$§§¶#
¶¶¶§$*†~-. AT OUR KNEES. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .-~†*$§¶¶¶
#¶$$*~.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....~*$$¶#
¶$$†~..... ~ BY THEN THE ELVES WOULD BE GONE. ~ .....~†$$¶
¶¶§**††~-. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .-~††**§¶¶
##¶§$*†~-. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .-~†*$§¶##
##¶§$*†~-. .-~†*$§¶##
¶$†~~-.... ....-~~†$¶
##¶§$*†~-. .-~†*$§¶##
##¶§$*†~-. .-~†*$§¶##
§*†~-..... .....-~†*§