@¤*:~^.... ....^~:*¤@
¤*:~^..... .....^~:*¤
*:~^...... ......^~:*
:~^....... .......^~:
~^........ ........^~
^......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .........^
~^........ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ........^~
:~^....... ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ..^~:*¤@##
###@¤*:~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~:*¤@###
##@¤*:~^.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..^~:*¤@##
#@¤*:~^... ...^~:*¤@#
@¤*:~^.... ....^~:*¤@
¤*:~^..... .....^~:*¤
*:~^...... ......^~:*
:~^....... .......^~: