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.