,:~:**** #&****:~:,
,:~:*@&¶## ##¶&@*:~:,
,:~:*@¶### ###¶@*:~:,
,:::~~*@@& &@@*~~:::,
,:~:*@&¶## ##¶&@*:~:,
,,,,,~:@¶¶ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¶¶@:~,,,,,
,,,:::::@& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &@:::::,,,
,:~:*@@@&& ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ##¶&@*:~:,
,:~:*@&¶¶# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #¶¶&@*:~:,
,,,~:::@&& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &&@:::~,,,
:~:*@&¶### ###¶&@*:~:
,:~:***& #&&***:~:,
,:~:*@&¶## ##¶&@*:~:,
,:~:*@@&¶¶ ¶¶&@@*:~:,
,:~:*@## ###&@*:~:,