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.