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.