%^=~~..... .....~~=^%
^=~~...... ......~~=^
=~~....... .......~~=
~~........ ........~~
~......... .........~
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
~......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .........~
~~........ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ .....~~=^%
¤%^=~~.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....~~=^%¤
@¤%^=~~... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...~~=^%¤@
#@¤%^=~~.. ..~~=^%¤@#
##@¤%^=~~. .~~=^%¤@##
#@¤%^=~~.. ..~~=^%¤@#
@¤%^=~~... ...~~=^%¤@
¤%^=~~.... ....~~=^%¤