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.