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.