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.