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.