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.