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=~.,,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,.~=
*=~.,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ,,,,,,,,,,
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£$*=~.,,,, ,,,,.~=*$£