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.