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.