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.