¶$%*~~,,,, ,,,,~~*%$¶
$%*~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~*%$
%*~~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~~*%
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,,,,,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ELVES LIVE IN THE LAND ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ BEYOND THE GREAT DAM. ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ~ IT WAS BUILT IN THE LATE SIXTIES. ~ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ~ ~ ~ THE ELVES CAME TO US THEN. ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,,,,,,
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*~~,,,,,,, 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. ~ ,,,,,,,,,,
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