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.