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.