###§§*†~~¨ ¨~~†*§§###
###§§*†~~¨ ¨~~†*§§###
§§§**~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~**§§§
#§*~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~*§#
###§§*†~~¨ ¨~~†*§§###
##§§†††~~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~~†††§§##
#§*†††~¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨~†††*§#
#§**~~¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ ¨¨¨~†**§##
###§§*†~~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~~†*§§###
##§§§*†~~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~~†*§§§##
###§§*†~~¨ ¨~~†*§§###
##§§§*†~~¨ ¨~~†*§§§##
###§§*†~~¨ ¨~~†*§§###
###§§*†~~¨ ¨~~†*§§###
###§§*†~~¨ ¨~~†*§§###