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.