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.