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.