,,,,,-~\%* *%\~-,,,,,
,,,,-~\%*& &*%\~-,,,,
,,,-~\%*&@ @&*%\~-,,,
,,-~\%*&@# #@&*%\~-,,
,-~\%*&@## ##@&*%\~-,
,,-~\%*&@# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #@&*%\~-,,
,,,-~\%*&@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @&*%\~-,,,
,,,,-~\%*& ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ \~-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-~ ~-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~\ \~-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-~\% %\~-,,,,,,