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.