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.