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.