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.