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.