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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.  ~ ~ ~ *:~.......
......~:*$ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ $*:~......
.....~:*$¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¤$*:~.....
....~:*$¤# 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 $*:~......
.......~:* water  garden   that   had  been  hidden *:~.......
........~: beneath, and we would  go there. ~ ~ ~ ~ :~........
.........~ ~  ~  ~ ~  before the dam opened  again, ~.........
.......... there  would be a signal,  but the elves ..........
.......... would make us not hear  it, and suddenly ..........
.......... we would  find the water rising, already ..........
.......... at our knees.  ~ ~ ~  ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
.......... ~ by  then the  elves  would be gone.  ~ ..........
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
.......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..........
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.......~:*                                          *:~.......
......~:*$                                          $*:~......