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.