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.