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.