¤%***~~~¨¨ ¨¨~~~***%¤
#¤¤%~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~%¤¤#
###¤$%*~~¨ ¨~~*%$¤###
####$%*~~¨ ¨~~*%$####
¤¤%**~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~**%¤¤
¤%*~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~*%¤
###¤$%*~~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~~*%$¤###
###¤$%*~~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ elves live in the land ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~~*%$¤###
###¤$%*~~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ beyond the great dam. ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~~*%$¤###
¤$%~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ it was built in the late sixties. ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~%$¤
¤%**~~¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨~**%¤#
###¤$%*~~¨ ~ ~ sometimes the sluice would close ¨~~*%$¤###
####¤$*~~¨ entirely, and the river at the dams ¨~~*$¤####
####$%*~~¨ foot would dry up, revealing the rocky ¨~~*%$####
###¤$%*~~¨ water garden that had been hidden ¨~~*%$¤###
###¤$%*~~¨ beneath, and we would go there. ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~~*%$¤###
###¤$%*~~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ before the dam opened again, ¨~~*%$¤###
###¤$%*~~¨ there would be a signal, but the elves ¨~~*%$¤###
###¤$%*~~¨ would make us not hear it, and suddenly ¨~~*%$¤###
#¤$%*~¨¨¨¨ we would find the water rising, already ¨¨¨¨~*%$¤#
#$$%~~¨¨¨¨ at our knees. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨~~%$$#
###¤$%*~~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~~*%$¤###
##$$%%*~~¨ ~ by then the elves would be gone. ~ ¨~~*%%$$##
#¤%~~~¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨~~~%¤#
###¤$%*~~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~~*%$¤###
####¤%*~~¨ ¨~~*%¤####
###¤$%*~~¨ ¨~~*%$¤###
##$%**~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~**%$##
###¤$%*~~¨ ¨~~*%$¤###
#$$%*~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~*%$$#