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.