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.