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.