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.