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.