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.