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.