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.