......~~:^ ^:~~......
.....~~:^¤ ¤^:~~.....
....~~:^¤§ §¤^:~~....
...~~:^¤§# #§¤^:~~...
..~~:^¤§## ##§¤^:~~..
.~~:^¤§### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###§¤^:~~.
..~~:^¤§## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##§¤^:~~..
...~~:^¤§# ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ##§¤^:~~..
.~~:^¤§### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###§¤^:~~.
..~~:^¤§## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##§¤^:~~..
...~~:^¤§# #§¤^:~~...
....~~:^¤§ §¤^:~~....
.....~~:^¤ ¤^:~~.....
......~~:^ ^:~~......
.......~~: :~~.......