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.