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.