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.