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.