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.