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.