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.