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.