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.