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.