§%%~...... ......~%%§
###@%%=~:. .:~=%%@###
##@§%%=~:. .:~=%%§@##
##@§%%=~:. .:~=%%§@##
§§%==~:... ...:~==%§§
##@§%%=~:. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .:~=%%§@##
##@§%%=~:. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .:~=%%§@##
##@§%%=~:. ~ ~ ~ ~ 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. ~ .:~===%%%§
##@§%%=~:. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .:~=%%§@##
##@§%%=~:. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .:~=%%§@##
§%%~...... ......~%%§
@§%%%%=~:. .:~=%%%%§@
@@§%%%=~:. .:~=%%%§@@
§§%=:..... .....:=%§§
§%=:...... ......:=%§