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.