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.