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.