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.