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.