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.