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.