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.