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.