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.