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.