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.