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.