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.