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.