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.