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.