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.