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.