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.