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.