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.