Pyro

Grey.

The sky is always grey, and always matching the colors of the apartments and the towering buildings and homes made from plaster or brick.
It’s calming, but boring.

I head up the stairs, stopping when I finally reach the rooftop. I sat on the edge of the structure and pulled out my camera from my backpack, taking off the lens cap and turning it on.

“What will be today’s first shot?”

I looked around, but so far nothing seem to catch my eye.

I inhaled through my nose, but stop abruptly when I caught a scent.

Smoke.

Someone’s probably burning wood or trash.
At least, that’s what I thought until I saw a glowing orange rising from one of the grey buildings.

I didn’t hesitate to grab my backpack and rushed back down the stairs, sprinting towards the orange light until I finally reached it. There was a crowd of people gathered around the scene, sharing glances of worry and horror.

Flames completely engulfed a small, worn building.

I wasn’t completely worried. That place hadn’t been used in years, so no one would be trapped inside. I just hope that someone already alerted the firemen.

I held up my camera, positioning it just right.

Ka-chik!

First photo for today.

I turned off my camera and decided to take my leave after hearing the blaring sirens off in the distance.
As I was walking, I felt uneasy.

I stopped and turned around, seeing no one else other than the crowd of people and firefighters, who now just arrived. There was no one else.

However, I had the feeling that I was being watched.

I decided to ignore it as I continued my walk.

//πυρ//

“Did you hear about the fire this morning?”
“Yeah…what do you think caused it?”

I quietly sipped my iced mocha as I listened to a couple’s conversation about the fire from earlier. It quickly became the talk of the town.

“It was an old building. Maybe there was an electrical issue.”
“I don’t know. That was the second fire within the past month…Do you think…?”
“Not really.”

I stopped listening and turned on my camera, taking a picture of the two women who were speaking without them noticing.
I could make a portfolio for the fire today.

I scrolled through the pictures.

The fire. The women conversing about the fire.

It feels like it’s missing some key components.

I turned it off and finished my drink before I left the café.
The uneasy feeling returned, so I picked up the pace of my footsteps.

I heard another pair of footsteps, carefully trying to match mine.

That only provoked me to run faster towards my apartment room.

By the time I entered, I was shaken and out of breath.
I didn’t hesitate to close the door and lock it before I slid down and propped myself against it.

I didn’t catch a glimpse of the person, but one thing stood out to me.

Red.