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.