,,,,,.~:*§ §*:~.,,,,,
,,,,.~:*§¤ ¤§*:~.,,,,
,,,.~:*§¤@ @¤§*:~.,,,
,,.~:*§¤@# #@¤§*:~.,,
,.~:*§¤@## ##@¤§*:~.,
,,.~:*§¤@# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #@¤§*:~.,,
,,,.~:*§¤@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @¤§*:~.,,,
,,,,.~:*§¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ §*:~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~:* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *:~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~:*§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §*:~.,,,,,
,,,,.~:*§¤ ¤§*:~.,,,,
,,,.~:*§¤@ @¤§*:~.,,,
,,.~:*§¤@# #@¤§*:~.,,
,.~:*§¤@## ##@¤§*:~.,
,,.~:*§¤@# #@¤§*:~.,,