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.