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.