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.