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.