.§§.§.§§.§                                          .....§....
.§§...§§..                                          §.....§...
.§§§..§§§.                                          §§.....§..
.§.§§.§.§§                                          .§§.....§.
...§§...§§                                          .§§§.....§
§..§§§..§. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ .§.§§.....
.§.§.§§... ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...§§§....
.....§§§.. ~  ~ ~ ~ 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.  ~ .....§.§§.
......§... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ .......§§§
§......§.. ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .......§.§
§§......§.                                          §........§
.§§......§                                          .§.......§
.§§§......                                          ..§.......
.§.§§.....                                          §..§......
...§§§....                                          .§..§.....