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.