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.