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.