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.