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.