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.