The cannons sprayed water through the night sky onto the roof of the blazing building.

A crowd of nearby residents gathered to watch.

The old theatre, dwarfed by surrounding modern apartments, had lain empty for several years. It was preserved and protected for reasons of architectural heritage.

Remarkably, the surrounding buildings were untouched by the flames and smoke.

By midnight the fire would be extinguished.  The damage would be extensive. Demolition the inevitable outcome.

Within a year another uniform set of apartments would have blossomed.

So long as no one looked too closely, he thought.

Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.