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.