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.