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.