I found a hollow reed about two feet long. With the cloudy water, it might do. I submerged myself and tried to calmly breathe through the reed. It took strength, or more likely fear, not to rise and gasp open-mouthed. I persevered, lying there disguised by water. Would they think of looking in the pond? They would suspect I would take to the faster packed earth, select distance over subterfuge. I did not know how long they would take to pass around the pond. And then the dragonfly discovered this enticing reed farther out in the water than any other.

Ken Poyner’s

four collections of flash fiction and four of speculative poetry are available from most web booksellers. He was an information warrior for thirty-three years, and now supports full-time his wife’s powerlifting. Recent work has appeared in Analog, Café Irreal, Rune Bear, and Tiny Molecules.

Author’s website: https://kpoyner.com/