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.