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.